8 Good-bye to the Stone Age

Chapter 8 GOOD-BYE TO THE STONE AGE "Eeeeeuuuw!" said Judy, looking down from the top. Andrew crept to the edge of the stream. Judy shoved the bug skeleton down to him, then slid down herself. They looked up at the skull. "I wonder what happened to this person," said Judy. meep… "This could be burial place," said Thudd. "In Stone Age, humans bring dead to cave. Sometimes bring just bones.

"Look!" Thudd pointed to a round shape next to the skull. "Little jar," he said. "Maybe food inside. Gift for dead person." "I wonder what this person's life was like," said Andrew. Judy looked farther down the stream. "Cheese Louise!" she exclaimed. "There's another skull!" "Thudd is right," said Andrew. "This must have been a burial place." "Or a very bad Stone Age camping trip," said Judy. "Let's get out of here." Andrew looked at the stream and the cockroach skeleton and scratched his ear. "Woofers!" he shouted. "The stream is pretty wide here. We could use the bug skeleton as a boat!" "We don't have paddles," said Judy. "We won't be able to steer." meep… "Not need paddles," said Thudd. "Stream go fast. Carry Drewd and Oody to end of cave." "Humph," said Judy. "Anything to get past these spooky bones fast."

Andrew flipped the bug skeleton over. The crack was on top and the legs dangled down. Andrew dragged the skeleton into the icy stream and held it steady while Judy scrambled into the back. Then Andrew climbed into the front, almost tipping their strange boat. The bug boat wobbled as it took off down the stream.

"I'm closing my eyes," said Judy. "Tell me when we're past the skulls." "Okey-dokey!" said Thudd. But Andrew couldn't take his eyes off the skulls as their boat passed by. These people went to sleep knowing that a saber-toothed tiger could come into their cave, thought Andrew. I wonder if they were happy. Imagine living without flushing toilets and pizza! The stream got wider and wilder as other streams rushed into it. Ahead was the entrance to a tunnel. It looked like a huge, dark, yawning mouth with pointy stalactites for teeth. They passed under the scary-looking stalactite teeth and into the darkness.