text: [Themes: Children's, male protagonist, child protagonist, kid-friendly]
  
  > Describe the surroundings
  The ground cover has been pushed aside by passing animals just enough to make this weaving trail the path of least resistance. There is a very tall kauri tree here, its thick roots snaking in and out of the ground. You can hear swiftly running water from somewhere off to the north. To the southwest you can see the forest lighten as it thins out, and the trail forks here, continuing to both the northeast and the north.
  
  Dina, who stands no taller than your shin, is nearby. She slowly moves from tree to tree, searching for something while always managing to keep you in view.
  
  A shiny battery, apparently discarded or lost by someone, lies half-hidden by a pile of leaves that Dina is using as a nest.
  
  > pour the water on the nest
  (first taking the fresh water)
  (using the bucket)
  There's nothing here to fill the bucket with.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a chunk of bark
  a field radio
  a bucket, repaired with a wad of kauri gum, which is full of some
  fresh water
  
  > Things
  Nearby are the fresh water, the chunk of bark, the bucket, the leafy nest, the tall kauri, Dina, the battery, the animal trails, the kauri forest, the ferns, the hole in the bucket, the blob of sticky gum, the field radio, and the call button.
  
  > search the kauri
  Which do you mean, the 1) kauri forest or the 2) tall kauri?
  
  > give the bark to Dina
  (the chunk of bark to Dina)
  You hold the chunk of bark out to Dina, letting it fall to see whether it is interested in it.
  
  Dropped.
  
  > give the water to Dina
  You hold the bucket out to Dina. Dina wants nothing to do with you, and doesn't even approach the bucket.
  
  > take the bark
  (the chunk of bark)
  Taken.
  
  > Go south
  The undergrowth is really thick in that direction. It's probably best to stick to the animal trails, faint as they are, to avoid getting lost or getting hurt walking over ground you can't really see.
  
  > Up
  You are perched on a fairly thick branch of a kauri tree about thirty feet above the ground, which is about as high as you can climb, and higher than you feel truly comfortable with anyway. Above this level the bark is too smooth to climb, and you can't imagine trying to climb any higher even if it wasn't. The branch extends north out over the river.
  
  Across the river, you notice Naginata watching you climb with great interest. She hops onto what looks like a dead or dying kauri on the north bank, juggling her rock to try to keep hold of it. Naginata's tree appears to have some sort of major trunk damage near the ground, but she ignores it and climbs up the trunk to a branch about at your level that reaches south across the stream.
  
  > jump
  Even the faintest thought of jumping from the tree makes you grip the trunk more tightly.
  
  > look at the trunk
  Nearby are Naginata, the fresh water, the chunk of bark, the bucket, the old kauri, the irregular kauri, the bark, the branch, the sharp rocks, the kauri forest, the ferns, the stream, the streambank, the hole in the bucket, the blob of sticky gum, the field radio, and the call button.
  
  >(the irregular kauri)
  The irregular kauri on the south side of the stream looks climbable, its rougher, more wavy bark offering you more footholds than most of this type of tree you've seen.
  
  Naginata watches you intently from across the stream. She notices you looking at the irregular kauri and peers at it with exaggerated interest.
  
  > look at the branch
  The gnarled branch is about thirty feet up, but looks like it could support your weight. It extends a good way over the stream.
  
  Naginata watches you intently from across the stream. She notices you looking at the branch and peers at it with exaggerated interest.
  
  > throw the bark at Naginata
  (the chunk of bark at Naginata)
  You'd never be able to hit something that agile from all the way across the stream.
  
  > put the bark on the tree
  Which do you mean, the 1) irregular kauri or the 2) old kauri?
  
  > 2
  (the chunk of bark on the old kauri)
  Putting things on the old kauri would achieve nothing.
  
  > cut the old kauri with bark
  I only understood the first part of that-- trying anyway.
  
  (retrying as if you'd typed "cut old.")
  You can't cut that, since you can't reach it.
  
  > cut the irregular kauri with the bark
  I only understood the first part of that-- trying anyway.
  
  (retrying as if you'd typed "cut irregular.")
  Cutting that up would achieve little.
  
  > look at the rocks
  The slick, sharp rocks make trying to cross the stream on foot too dangerous.
  
  Naginata watches you intently from across the stream. She notices you looking at the sharp rocks and peers at them with exaggerated interest.
  
  > take rock
  The last time you saw it, the tumble of volcanic rock was at Strand.
  
  > look at the ferns
  Ferns with fluffy leaves are found among the grasses on the ground, softening the sounds you hear.
  
  > look at the trees
  The tall, narrow cones of the kauri trees are striking, but several other species of broadleaf that you don't recognize are also scattered through the forest. Shorter fern-like plants fill much of the space between the larger trees, and a few different kinds of grass covers the ground. The scent of the recent rainfall combines with a strong piney fragrance from the trees -- it smells wonderful, but it's so sharp that it's all you can do not to sneeze.
  
  > examine the cliff
  The last time you saw it, the headwall was at Top of Falls.
  
  > Things
  Nearby are the rope, the fresh water, the chunk of bark, the floating junk, the black volcanic cliffs, the bucket, the kauri forest, the ocean, the hole in the bucket, the blob of sticky gum, the field radio, and the call button.
  
  > go south
  You stand on a thin strip of black sand lining the shallow curve of a bay to the east. A few seabirds fly overhead, and various clumps of driftwood, seaweed, and other shore debris litter the shore, the only visible evidence of the recent storm. A steep tumble of volcanic rock looms over the beach to the west and south, blocking travel in all directions except into the forest to the north.
  
  Eruera lies under a makeshift debris shelter a ways up the beach, relatively calm and alert.
  
  > examine Eruera
  Eruera is dry and resting in a makeshift debris shelter that he's scraped together, making the best of his limited mobility. He looks about as comfortable as he's going to get without serious medical attention, and there's a quiet calm in his dark face that you're pretty sure you wouldn't be able to find if you were in his position.
  
  > examine the cliff
  The last time you saw it, the headwall was at Top of Falls.
  
  > take the rock
  That's hardly portable.
  
  > Things
  Nearby are Eruera, the fresh water, the chunk of bark, the splint, Eruera's broken left leg, the driftwood, the seaweed, the debris, the tumble of volcanic rock, the seabird, the bucket, the kauri forest, the ocean, the hole in the bucket, the blob of sticky gum, the field radio, and the call button.
  
  > look at the driftwood
  You pick through the piles of driftwood. One stick looks both straight and strong, and you set it aside.
  
  > look at the stick
  A straight piece of green tree branch, thin and flexible.
  
  > show the stick to Dina
  Dina looks at the stick briefly, then turns away, uninterested.
  
  > throw the stick
  Dropped.
  
  > Go northeast
  Here a mountain stream reaches the headwall and plunges over. The water falls forty feet or so, splattering off a black rock ledge below before reforming and flowing into the ocean. The cliff is too sheer to descend on this side, but you can see that there's a rockfall just past the north bank that you might be able to scramble down -- if you could get to it.
  
  > examine the rockfall
  A loose tumble of rocks from a collapsed section of the cliff face. It looks as though you could climb it, if you could get to the north bank.
  
  > look at the water
  (the fresh water)
  There's some fresh water sloshing around in the bucket.
  
  > Things
  Nearby are the stick, the fresh water, the chunk of bark, the bucket, the headwall, the basalt ledge, the rockfall, the kauri forest, the ferns, the ocean, the stream, the streambank, the hole in the bucket, the blob of sticky gum, the field radio, and the call button.
  
  > examine the stream
  The fast-moving stream falls steeply from the mountains to the west and flows generally southeast. Although it's not particularly wide, the fast current and rapids make it far too dangerous to try to wade or swim across.
  
  > examine the headwall
  The stream plunges straight over the sheer cliff. Even a quick look confirms that it's far too slick and sheer to attempt to climb down from here.
  
  > examine the ledge
  The ledge is a narrow outcrop of dark, volcanic stone that serves to break the falling stream into an impressive spray before it reaches the bottom of the falls.
  
  > Exits
  The only obvious exit is southwest.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a stick
  a chunk of bark
  a field radio
  a bucket, repaired with a wad of kauri gum, which is full of some
  fresh water
  
  Naginata watches you intently from across the stream. She watches you taking stock of your possessions, then starts looking at herself and patting her fur in a pretty good impersonation of you. Her search reveals an unidentifiable bit of something, which she pops in her mouth and crunches with gusto.
  
  > Rename Naginata to Nagi
  You address the Nanakia, who draws herself up with a look of interest. "I'm going to call you 'To Nagi'."
  
  To Nagi's eyes gleam, and she preens with the attention.
  
  > Rename naginata nagi
  You address the Nanakia, who draws herself up with a look of interest. "I'm going to call you 'Nagi'."
  
  Nagi's eyes gleam, and she preens with the attention.
  
  > turn on the radio
  You click the transmitter. "Can I ask you a question, Eruera?"
  
  "Sure, Tim. What would you like to talk about?"
  
  Nagi watches you intently from across the river. She makes a few halfhearted motions, trying to imitate calling Eruera on the field radio, but quickly gives up and returns to watching you.
  
  (You could ask him about himself, the stream, or your vision.)
  
  > ask Eruera about Nanakia
  "I'm sorry, Tim. I don't think I can help you much with that."
  
  (You could ask him about himself, the stream, or your vision.)
  
  > ask Eruera about the stream
  "There's a stream up north, a little way past the ridge."
  
  "Yes, you'll likely encounter several such streams on your journey north. Take care, it can sometimes be difficult to cross safely."
  
  > ask Eruera about the vision
  "There was something else in my vision -- a young boy about my age that looked like he could have been Mori. He encouraged me when I had trouble swimming the first time."
  
  Eruera clicks his tongue and sounds more interested. "Did he now? The tohunga ahurewa, back in my village, would say you may have had a vision of Mui." He pauses for a second. "I didn't see your vision, so
  I wouldn't know. But certainly a vision of Mui is no bad thing."
  
  > Keep going
  "About my vision..."
  
  Eruera interrupts you as you start talking. "It is certainly very interesting, what you saw. But we must focus on the goal of getting you up north, to the station. After that we can talk more on this subject."
  
  > ask Eruera about the kauri
  Which do you mean, the 1) irregular kauri, the 2) tall kauri, or the 3) kauri forest?
  
  > 1
  (the irregular kauri)
  "I'm sorry, Tim. I don't know much about that."
  
  (You could ask him about himself or Mui.)
  
  > ask about mui
  Though you're talking to Eruera, you can't physically reach him.
  
  "I'm sorry, Tim. I don't think I can help you much with that."
  
  (You could ask him about himself or Mui.)
  
  > ask Eruera about Mui
  Though you're talking to Eruera, you can't physically reach him.
  
  "I'm sorry, Tim. I don't know much about that."
  
  (You could ask him about himself or Mui.)
  
  > ask Eruera about himself
  (himself)
  "Could you tell me a little about yourself?"
  
  Eruera pauses for a moment, as if surprised by the question. "Sure, Tim... Hmmm, where to start? I grew up in Kkarauri, a small village on the west coast. My family was large -- I had five brothers and sisters. We were poor -- Kkarauri is not prosperous, and my parents were not well educated. I took advantage of a government scholarship program to go to college, and it required me to join the ADF -- the army -- for four years. The poacher problem on the coasts was getting bad at the time, so I spent two of those years on detached duty with the Conservation Service."
  
  "Those first couple years were hardly as exciting as the events of the last few hours, but they were enough to make me see that I wanted to stay in. When my duty to the ADF was discharged, I signed up with the Conservation Service full-time."
  
  You can hear the smile in his voice. "Twelve more years and here we are."
  
  > look at the rock
  The last time you saw it, the tumble of volcanic rock was at Strand.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  a stick
  a chunk of bark
  a field radio
  a bucket, repaired with a wad of kauri gum, which is full of some
  fresh water
  
  Nagi watches you intently from across the stream. She watches you taking stock of your possessions, then starts looking at herself and patting her fur in a pretty good impersonation of you. Her search reveals a burr, which she pops in her mouth and crunches with gusto.
  
  > ascend
  You release the transmitter as you walk, ending the conversation.
  
  You are perched on a fairly thick branch of a kauri tree about thirty feet above the ground, which is about as high as you can climb, and higher than you feel truly comfortable with anyway. Above this level the bark is too smooth to climb, and you can't imagine trying to climb any higher even if it wasn't. The branch extends north out over the river.
  
  Across the river, you notice Nagi watching you climb with great interest. She hops onto what looks like a dead or dying kauri on the north bank, juggling her rock to try to keep hold of it. Nagi's tree appears to have some sort of major trunk damage near the ground, but she ignores it and climbs up the trunk to a branch about at your level that reaches south across the stream.
  
  > Go north
  You carefully creep out along the branch as it sags more and more under your weight. Your deathgrip on the branch takes most of your attention, but out of the corner of your eye, you see Nagi approaching you, moving out over the river on her branch, cradling her rock with one arm. The damaged kauri sags and creaks dangerously under the weight of Nagi and her rock, but she seems oblivious to the danger.
  
  Suddenly, her branch gives way! No, wait! It's the tree itself! The rotted section near the ground splinters under the leverage of both Nagi and her rock. Quickly, she dumps the rock and leaps back toward the trunk, but the tree is already falling! She sprints down the trunk towards the ground, and manages to jump off right before impact. She tumbles into a pile of debris and vanishes for a moment before popping out, shaking leaves and dirt off herself, and looking up at you with a gleam in her eye. You retreat backwards, closer to the trunk.