"In a way," Keetack answered, "most of the animals obey us."
"But they don't obey your little ones!" Johnny was excited. "It's only when your blue teeth come in and your voice gets deep that other animals will obey you. Isn't that right?"
"Yes," said Keetack. "We say a deep voice is a sign of the coming of wisdom."
"Then that's why the arrow-birds obeyed Baba and me?"
"Yes," Keetack nodded. "Now would you like to see the remainder of our tree?"
"Please," Johnny answered politely. "It's a lot like the caves in New Plymouth Rock."
"Indeed so," said the marva leader. "Those caves served as a yearly meeting place of the Council of All The Groves. No one tree was large enough for all to live in while we talked together. Before your people came to the green lands we had happy times there each year. Now we use the rock only for watching you."
"I'm sorry," Johnny said.
"Come now," Keetack clicked. "I will show you the tree."
Johnny would have been terribly excited by the suggestion if it hadn't been for his fear that they were taking too much time.