13. In search of fresh water

The snow has melted. Spring will come soon. Sisoi follows his father who carries a stick in his hands. He seems to be looking for something. With his head bent down, he searches down along the shoreline. Sometimes he takes a few steps inland across the grass and moss to where the bushes begin to grow. “Well, Sisoi”, says his father, “I didn’t expect this. It has rained a lot during the fall and now the snow is gone … but I still can’t find any traces.” They continue to search. Suddenly Sisoi’s father pricks with the stick in the bare ground between some heaps of mosses, scrapes the earth a little and finds … water.

On one of his scouting expeditions Sisoi had found the following: a ball of hair, a large shell, the skeleton of a bird and some bones of an albatross that can serve as a drinking straw, because they are hollow. He and his father are sitting squat and each put a straw in the water they have just found. The water is so fresh and so sweet. Sisoi takes a good swallow and lets the water circle in his mouth, gargling and smacking … delicious!

Then his father’s voice interrupts his thoughts: “Surely mum and Gaméla would like to drink some of this fresh water too. How will we transport it?”

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