Danube River
valley =/- 40,000 ya
Muka
trudged through the brush and trees in the gray light of dawn. He stopped sometimes, using his spear handle
to gently part the grass or low branches on a bush. Then he would move forward again, his large
head swinging from side to side, sniffing the air. Almost every morning, just as it was getting
light, he would walk like this, a different route every day.
Approaching
a small meadow, he slowed, inhaling the air.
Going completely still behind a small shaking tree, he peered between
the branches. There were four deer,
quietly munching on grass. Muka knew he
could hit the one closest to him. She was small, but it would be enough to eat
for him and the clan. He raised his spear slowly, taking one final sniff-
--and
stopped short. Smoke, different smoke, was in the air. His own home was high on the ridge behind
him, and all the smoke was going upward in the still morning. This smell was different.
The deer
forgotten, Muka stood quietly, inhaling the air again, and looking for the
signs of a big fire. It couldn’t be too large, as none of the animals or birds
were fleeing the area. The deer had even been calm. The smell was strongest in
the direction away from the meadow, and toward the fast water.
Even more
slowly, he followed the odor to the edge of the water. Hiding behind a large
tree he looked up and down the edge. Now he was hearing some odd noises, like
several little ones calling and crying out. Suddenly he heard a male voice, but
making noises he had never heard.
Crawling
out on his knees, he cautiously searched for the source of the noises. He found them. The sight made him fall flat
on his stomach, and his mouth was open.
On the
other edge of the fast water was another meadow, ringed with trees. In it were
strange wood objects that were tall, like trees in the cold time. A large fire burned in the center, and two
tall figures were holding a pig carcass over the flames. Several small ones were indeed running around
and making all sorts of noise. Muka was sure there would be no game around
for a long ways with all these strange
loud sounds.
A tall
figure, who sounded male, came among the small ones. He made two of them follow him to the edge of
the fast water. He gave each of them a
small sharp spear. Then he walked into the fast water up to his knees. Muka was
shocked. When one entered the fast water, one fell in and was gone. This tall
one stayed, standing still, not falling in.
The tall
one held his spear for what seemed a long time, then plunged it into the fast
water. When he brought it out, there was
a water animal flapping on the end. The
two small ones stood in the water and watched, trying to copy the tall
one. One of them plunged his spear in and
toppled over, falling into the fast water.
Muka was
startled and cried out. Not sure how, he
found himself standing. The other small
turned quickly and seeing Muka, froze. The tall one went into the fast water
and helped the fallen small one back onto the land. Muka gasped aloud. This time the tall one heard it too. The three of them turned and looked straight
at Muka.
Tapoh
laughed as his son, Tipunu, tried to get the hang of fishing. Tipunu came out wet, but with a smile on his
face.
“A fish,
big!”
“Tipunu
learns.” Tapoh patted him on the shoulder, proud. Then he heard a strange
sound.
Across the
river, his large face in shock, was a heavy set stranger. His hair was long and
matted. He wore no clothes and held a very simple spear. Tapoh stared, and
the stranger stared back. After a long
moment, Tapoh raised his hand in greeting.
Muka scurried
away, terrified. What were these creatures, tall, with power over fast water and water animals?
When the tall one had raised his hand,
Muka was terrified that he would have power over him as well. Muka ran the entire
distance back to his cave, his clan, scared
of something he could not understand.
