Oct 29, 2019 4 min read

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The story so far: Told by Wesu that monsters have been set free on the Earth as a result of human mistakes, Mac wonders what he can do to stop them, especially since he is now only nine inches tall!

Chapter SEVEN The Little People

“It would be easy to just give up, wouldn’t it?” Wesu said. “Forget about fighting the monsters. Forget about that town meeting of yours and such things as saving Grama Lampman’s Woods.” Then he poked Mac in the chest with his finger. “Right, Eagle Boy?”

“No!” Mac said.

Wesu laughed, jumped to his feet, and did a cartwheel. “Just what I hoped you’d say.” He made a circling gesture with his right hand and ended by pointing to his own chest and saying, “Here is where my people come in. Tell me what do you know about us, Eagle Boy.”

Mac opened his mouth and then closed it just as fast. He didn’t like the intent look on Wesu’s face as the little man-who was now much taller than he was-stared down at him. He had a feeling that Wesu would not be happy if he said something uncomplimentary.

“You want to know what I was told about the Little People?”

“Yes.” Wesu sat back down, folded his arms across his chest, and crossed his legs.

“Welllll,” Mac said, trying to stall for time. But there was no way out. He had to say something. “I know that you don’t like people to see you unless you want to be seen.”

“Unh-hunh,” Wesu said, holding up one finger. “And . . .”

“Ah, there are different nations of your people. For example, there are some who live in the streams and have very thin faces. Then there are others who live in the cliffs and throw stones at people who come too close to their special places.”

Wesu stood up, struck a pose like that of a baseball pitcher, wound up and threw an imaginary ball. “My people,” he said. Then he held up another finger. “You’ve gotten two right. Like to try for three?”

Mac almost smiled. If Wesu was one of the Stone Throwers as he said, it was a lot better than if he’d been a Spreader. The Spreaders were the meanest of the Little People. If you camped on their territory, you’d wake up staked to the ground with sticks propping your arms and legs, your toes and fingers apart and your mouth and eyes open. You’d probably die like that unless someone found you.

“I’m waiting,” Wesu said.

Mac thought. Should he mention that the Little People were known to play tricks on people? No, not that. That in some of the stories when children went off with the Little People and were gone for what they thought were only a few days, they’d come back and find out that twenty years had passed for every night they’d been gone? No, not that for sure! Mac felt like his head was going to burst. Then he thought of a good one, one that was surely safe to say.

“And one of your main jobs is to take care of things in the natural world.”

Wesu patted Mac on the shoulder. “Very good, Eagle Boy!”

Mac nodded. He’d been given some answers, but he still didn’t know what this was all about. Why was he involved in this? Why had he been lured out of his room and shrunk down like a shirt left too long in the dryer? What was he supposed to do?

“You’re right, Little Eagle,” Wesu said, reading Mac’s mind. His voice was serious now. “I do need to tell you what this is all about. You need to know where we are about to go and what you are supposed to do. I need to take you to the Meeting Tree.”

Wesu’s eyes shifted up and the tone of his voice changed. “First, though,” he said in a soft voice, “you have to do one thing and do it when I tell you.”

“What’s that?” Mac said. For some reason, the hairs were prickling on the back of his neck.

“JUMP!” Wesu shouted.

And at that same exact moment, a huge, hairy, sharp-clawed foot came stomping down at them.

NEXT: The Kiwahkwe

Glossary and pronunciation of Abenaki words:

Unh-hunh (unh-HUNH): Abenaki word for yes