How proud the boys were! Gladly they ran at her bidding to bring the driest sticks they could find. It was hard to discover many, for the long rain had soaked everything through and through. But they climbed into the trees and broke off dead limbs that had become partially dried out again, and they broke open rotten logs to get the dry, crumbly wood that lay at their hearts. It was not very long until they had brought together a nice supply of dry sticks and light, tindery wood.