He, however, was gradually
acquiring skill and confidence in himself. So far he had managed to
meet all his wants. He had invented tools and made his own clothes
and shelter, and, "Now," said he to himself, "I will solve the new
problem. I must first study the materials that I have at hand." He
remembered the splint market baskets in which his father took
vegetables home from the store. He recalled how the thin splints were
woven.
"They went over and under," he said. "That is simple enough if I had
the splints." He set himself diligently to work to find a plant whose
bark or split branches could be used for splints. He tried to peel
off the rough outer bark of several trees in order to examine the inner
layers of soft fibrous material. He found several trees that gave
promise of furnishing abundance of long, thin strips, but the labor
of removing the bark with his rude imperfect tools was so great that
he resolved that he would have to find some other kind of material.
"Why need the strips be flat?" he thought. "I believe I could weave
them in the same way if I used the long, thin, tough willow rods I
saw growing by the brookside, when I was returning from my journey."
He found on trial that the weaving went very well, but that he must
have strong, thick rods or ribs running up and down to give strength
and form to his basket. He worked hard, but it was slow work. It was
three days before his first basket was done.
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