Cave Baby's Favourite Thing

Cave Baby had several thing to play with. There were Cave Daddy, Cave Daddy's tools, Cave Mummy, Cave Mummy's hair and anything that Cave Mummy was particularly trying to work on. Cave Baby also had several things that were intended for Cave Baby to play with. There was a rabbit skin stuffed with dry grass, some dangly wooden beads and, most importantly, Cave Baby's Favourite Thing.

Cave Baby's Favourite Thing had been made by Cave Daddy. It was very similar to one that Cave Daddy's Cave Daddy had made for him. It was made from several slices of an auroch horn that Cave Daddy had traded from a far off family. It had taken Cave Daddy a very long time to chip out the rings and smooth them with a piece of sandstone so that they would be safe to chew on. The rings were threaded onto a broken ring that had been the first ring that Cave Daddy had chipped out. Although Cave Daddy had used words that Cave Baby had never heard before when the ring broke he now explained that he had meant to do that all along.

Cave Baby's Favourite Thing rattled when shaken and was wonderful to chew on. Whenever he threw it to the ground it would be picked up and returned to him. Although Cave Baby sometimes preferred to chew on other things such as Cave Mummy's digging stick he was always pleased to play with his Favourite Thing. Cave Baby thought that Cave Daddy had done a very clever thing when he made it.

Meet Cave Baby

I apologise for publishing this out of sequence - but you just can't get the staff nowadays.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, lived a baby. He and his Cave Mummy and Cave Daddy lived in a cave so he was called Cave Baby.

Cave Baby did all the things that now babies do. He gooed, laughed, played, ate and pooed. When he was a very little baby he had lovely soft rabbit fur lining for his leather outer nappy. As he grew bigger though Cave Mummy ran out of rabbit fur linings and he had to have dry grass instead. Cave Baby was not amused by this - dry grass was all scratchy on his bottom. Cave Daddy was also not amused by this - Cave Baby's dried grass seemed to get everywhere and although the only dry grass to make its way into his bed roll was clean; he pointed out to Cave Mummy that the next grass to end up there could be grotty used dry grass. Cave Mummy pointed out to Cave Daddy that Cave Baby was growing so fast that it was all she could do to keep him nicely clothed and the grotty grass went straight onto the fire anyway.

Cave Baby was growing so fast that Cave Mummy had to add extra length onto his sleeves and trousers. By the time that he was three months old she had done this several times and so Cave Baby had a ring effect on his sleeves. Cave Baby thought that this looked rather good although this didn't stop him possetting all down his front at least once a week.

Whenever Cave Baby had particularly bad nappy leak Cave Mummy would have to change his clothes. His best set would come off and he would be confined to bag in a shapeless leather sack - his second best clothes - until his other set was clean again. Cave Baby was born in winter and so he couldn't be left in the Sun to play as often there wasn't any. Cave Baby felt that he could quite well be tucked into Cave Mummy's top next to a breast but Cave Mummy disagreed as when Cave Baby was tucked in next to a breast she would have to use one arm to support him and this made doing other things quite difficult. Cave Baby disagreed but Cave Mummy said that she had the casting vote and where would Cave Baby poo if she couldn't go and gather dried grass for his nappy. Cave Baby suggested in Cave Daddy's bed roll but Cave Mummy said no dried grass was better.

Cave Baby's favourite pastime was feeding. He liked right breast milk and left breast milk but his favourite feed of all was mixing both breast milks. Sometimes he drank so much that he had to posset a bit up.

Cave Baby and Cave Mummy and Cave Daddy all loved one another very much and had lots of adventures that I'll tell you all about some other time.

Cave Baby's busy day

As told to Baby J by his Mummy.

Once upon a time, a very long time ago lived a baby. He, and his Mummy and Daddy, lived in a cave so he was known as Cave Baby.

One day Cave Daddy was going to go out hunting and Cave Mummy was going to go and gather some roots. It was April and wet and cold so Cave Mummy didn't fancy crawling around in the wet undergrowth trying to stalk things so she told Cave Daddy to go out and do this. Cave Baby had to decide who to go with. If he went out with Cave Daddy he would have the fun of sneaking around but no breast milk. If he went with Cave Mummy he would be able to eat although Cave Mummy did have a terrible habit of putting useful things, such as roots, into the sling along with Cave Baby. Cave Baby still chose to go out with Cave Mummy so she strapped on her sling and tucked Cave Baby in.

She set off from the cave. Trudge, trudge, trudge.
She walked through the stream. Sploosh, sploosh, sploosh.

She went into the forest to look for mushrooms. Whee! She found one and bent down to pick it up. Cave Baby nearly fell out of the sling. Cave Baby was feeling rather sling sick by the time that Cave Mummy had gathered enough mushrooms and had to be revived by a comforting feed.

Cave Mummy then decided to go into the marsh for roots and to the spruce tree for some needles to make Healthy Tea with.

She moved into the marsh. Sploosh, squelch, sploosh, squelch. Spots of mud were flying everywhere.

Cave Baby decided that now was a jolly good time to be asking to lie on his back and wave his arms and legs but Cave Mummy wouldn't put him down. He was not happy. Cave Mummy dug out some roots and put them in his sling. They were knobbly and wet. He was even less happy.

Cave Mummy started to walk out of the marsh. Sploosh, waa, squelch, sploosh, waa, squelch. Spots of mud were everywhere now.

Finally they were out of the marsh and by the pine tree. Cave Baby had a comforting suckle and then Cave Mummy picked the needles. Cave Baby was not amused - she put them in the sling and they were prickly.

Then Cave Baby steered Cave Mummy back home.

She walked through the stream. Sploosh, sploosh, sploosh.
She walked back to the cave. Trudge, trudge, trudge.

Cave Mummy took off the sling and emptied out the roots. Then she looked at Cave Baby; he was very muddy. She picked up his spare wrap and some grass for nappy lining and took him back to the stream. Trudge, trudge, trudge.

At the stream she undressed Cave Baby and put him in the water. It was very cold. Cave Mummy even washed his spare posset off. After the bath Cave Baby needed another feed. Cave Mummy dressed him in his nappy and put fresh grass into it. She put the pooey grass under a bush. It was nice to have new grass in his nappy but it was still a bit scratchy. She the put his other outfit on and took him back to the cave.

Once at the cave she put his clothes into the sun to let the mud dry and got on with preparing supper. She put the roots on to bake in the ember bit of the fire. Then Cave Daddy arrived back having caught a fine buck. Cave Mummy roasted a leg of this and served it with mushrooms. By this time Cave Baby's clothes were dry. Cave Mummy brushed the mud off and regreased the outside.

Then Cave Baby had his supper and they all went to bed.