hey stayed until the wind
died down and they could put the fire out.

Now many of these people's clothes had burned with their houses. The
many children who had gone to bed before the fire began had nothing to
wear except their nightclothes. The mother went to the store. That too
was burned! But she found the storekeeper and said:--"Storekeeper, sell
me some dresses for my children for their dresses have been burned and
they have nothing to wear."

[Illustration]

"But, mother of the many children," the storekeeper replied, "first I
must get me the dresses. For that I must send to the many-fingered
factory in the middle of the city."

So he sent to the many-fingered factory in the middle of the great city
and he said:--"Clothier, send me some dresses that I may sell to the
mother; for her children's dresses have burned up and they have nothing
to wear."

But the clothier in the many-fingered factory replied:--"First I must
get me the cloth. For that I must send to the weaving mill. The weaving
mill is in the hills where there is water to turn its wheels."

So the clothier sent to the weaving mill in the hills where there is
water to turn its wheels and said:--"Weaver, send me the cloth that the
many fingers at the factory may make dresses to send to the storekeeper
in the small town to sell to the mother; for her children's dresses have
burned up and they have nothing to wear."

But the weaver in the weaving mill in the hills sent back word:--"First
I must get me the cotton. For that I must send to the cotton fields. The
cotton fields are in the south where the land is hot and low."

So the weaver in the weaving mill in the hills sent to the cotton
plantation, and he said:--"Planter, send me the cotton from the hot
low lands that I may make cloth in the mill in the hills to send to the
clothier in the many-fingered factory in the middle of the great city to
be made into dresses to send to the storekeeper in the small town to
sell to the mother; for her children's dresses have burned up and they
have nothing to wear."

But the planter sent back word:--"First I must get the negroes to pick
the cotton. For cotton must be picked in the hot sun and negroes are the
only ones who can stand the sun."

[Illustration]

So the planter went to the negroes and he said:--"Pick me the cotton
from the hot low lands that I may send it to the weaver in his mill in
the hills that he may weave the cloth to send to the cloth