Their beds are made of sticks stuck in the ground with other sticks
across them.
The pygmies live by hunting. They do not shoot with guns, as we do.
They use bows and arrows, and they are very quick and clever at
shooting. A pygmy will shoot off three or four arrows one after the
other so quickly that the last is flying away before the first has hit
the mark.
The pygmies are also very smart in making pits to catch the animals
they wish to kill. They dig large holes and cover them with sticks and
leaves. The animal comes along and falls into the pit and is caught.
The pygmies can kill elephants with their bows and arrows. They first
shoot at the elephant's eyes until he is blind. They then keep
shooting at him till he falls dead.
[Illustration: A Village of Pygmies.]
The pygmies eat the flesh of some of the animals they kill. They sell
or trade the fur and skin and ivory for arrows and knives. They also
get tobacco and potatoes for their furs and skins.
They are also very good at fishing. They can catch large fish with a
piece of meat fastened to a string.
The pygmies do not dig the ground or plant or sow anything. Bananas
grow in Africa, and the pygmies are very fond of them.
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