They were miles and miles from home -LRB- of course they had their lunch with them in a little bag -RRB- , and Tegumai had forgotten to bring any extra spears . ` Here 's a pretty kettle of fish ! ' said Tegumai . ` It will take me half the day to mend this . ' ` There 's your big black spear at home , ' said Taffy . ` Let me run back to the Cave and ask Mummy to give it me . ' ` It 's too far for your little fat legs , ' said Tegumai . ` Besides , you might fall into the beaver-swamp and be drowned . We must make the best of a bad job . ' He sat down and took out a little leather mendy-bag , full of reindeer-sinews and strips of leather , and lumps of bee 's - wax and resin , and began to mend the spear . Taffy sat down too , with her toes in the water and her chin in her hand , and thought very hard . Then she said -- ' I say , Daddy , it 's an awful nuisance that you and I do n't know how to write , is n't it ? If we did we could send a message for the new spear . ' ` Taffy , ' said Tegumai , ` how often have I told you not to use slang ? `` Awful '' is n't a pretty word , but it could be a convenience , now you mention it , if we could write home . ' Just then a Stranger-man came along the river , but he belonged to a far tribe , the Tewaras , and he did not understand one word of Tegumai 's language . He stood on the bank and smiled at Taffy , because he had a little girl-daughter Of his own at home . Tegumai drew a hank of deer-sinews from his mendy-bag and began to mend his spear . ` Come here , said Taffy . ` Do you know where my Mummy lives ? '
And the XXXXX said ` Um ! '
Mummy Stranger-man Taffy Tegumai Tewaras beaver-swamp deer-sinews fall mendy-bag reindeer-sinews