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Show 67 ^-"Go find your friends other places," said the chief. "Maybe you have an evil heart since you dorr^answer the questions I ask. I don't want you near my son. He is to be chief some day, and must be pure. He must work to be strong. He doesn't need any weakness around him." "Chua doesn't have an evil heart," Pavati said, "and he's not weak." "We don't know about his uncle. He could bring harm to our clan," said the chief. "We must take care to protect ourselves." "You must judge Chua by his deeds," Pavati said, "not by members of his family." The chief turned to leave with Chosovi still clutched in his hands. "Please, Father," Toho said. "Give Chua a chance to prove himself by his deeds. His heart is kind, not evil." The chief turned to look at them again. Hfe smiled. "I will give the boy a test," the Chief said. "There will be a race tomorrow at sunrise between the boy and Toho. If Toho wins, the Snake boy is never to show his face here again. If the Snake boy wins, he may have his bird back." The chief laughed and walked away. Anger smoldered inside of Chua. He didn't need a test. He didn't want to be friends with these people anyway. He hated the chief of this Bear Clan for taking his little blue feathers. In fact, he hated the whole Bear Clan. He should never have come here in the first place. He was angry with himself for beginning to trust Pavati and Toho. Clawing Eagle was back to guard his heartypTmust goT^ Chua said. 'Here is the bread for your mother," Pavati said, smiling and holding the bread out to him. |