The Circle

For a long time he recalled the days of his youth, until the fire grew cold and the frost bit deeper. He placed two sticks in the fire this time. Then he figured how much life was left by the amount of wood that remained in the pile. If Sit-cum-ha had remembered her grandfather, and gathered a larger armful, his hours would have been longer. It would have been easy. But she was always a selfish child. She had not honored her ancestors from the time the Beaver, son of the son of Zing-ha, first looked at her. Well, what did it matter? Had he not done the same in his own quick youth? For a while he listened to the silent forest. Perhaps the heart of his son might soften. Then he would return with the dogs to take his old father with the tribe to where the caribou ran thick and the fat hung heavy upon them.

He strained his ears. There was not a sound to be heard. Nothing. He alone took breath in the middle of the great stillness. It was very lonely. Wait! What was that? His body suddenly felt cold. A familiar cry broke the silent air, and it was close to him. Then his darkened eyes again saw the old moose — the bloody sides, the torn legs, the great branching horns, fighting to the last. He saw the flashing forms of gray, the bright eyes, the dripping tongues and the sharp teeth. And he saw the circle move closer until it became a dark point in the middle of the stamped snow.

A cold nose pushed against his face and at its touch his soul leaped back to the present. His hand shot into the fire and dragged out a burning stick. Overcome for the moment by his fear of man, the beast drew back, raising a call to his brothers. Greedily they answered, until a ring of gray was stretched around him. The old man listened to the steady breathing of this circle. He waved his flaming stick wildly, but the beasts refused to scatter. Now one moved slowly forward, dragging his legs behind. Now a second, now a third. But now, not one moved back from his flaming stick. Why should he so desire life? He asked, and dropped the burning stick into the snow. It made a slight noise and then there was no more fire. The circle murmured uncertainly but held its place. Again he saw the last stand of the old moose, and Koskoosh dropped his head hopelessly on his knees. What did it matter? Was it not the law of life?

---VOCABULARY---

**greedily** — with great eagerness and intense desire; here it means Koskoosh was listening with desperate attention, wanting to take in every sound

**harnesses** — straps and fittings used to attach dogs to a sled so they can pull it

**tribesmen** — the men belonging to a tribe; a tribe is a group of people who share the same culture, language, and leaders

**beyond recall** — gone so far away that it is impossible to call someone back; permanently out of reach

**to murmur** — to speak or make a sound very quietly; here used to mean complain softly

**the individual** — a single person or creature, considered separately from the group they belong to

**the race of man** — the human species as a whole; all people considered together

**a famine** — a period when there is almost no food available and many people or animals starve

**caribou** — large deer that live in the Arctic and northern regions; an important source of food for northern peoples

**a missionary** — a person, usually religious, who travels to a foreign place to spread their beliefs and help the local people

**a tracker** — a person skilled at following the marks left by animals or people on the ground

**impressions** — marks or shapes pressed into a soft surface such as snow or mud

**despair** — the complete loss of hope

**to strain one's ears** — to listen as hard as possible, trying to hear something very faint or distant

**to scatter** — to move away quickly in different directions; to cause a group to break apart and flee

---QUESTIONS---

**Chapter : Left Behind** . Why has the tribe left old Koskoosh behind in the snow? . How does Koskoosh follow what is happening around him, even though he cannot see? . What did his son do before leaving, and why does Koskoosh consider this significant? . How does Koskoosh describe himself to his son before the son departs?

**Chapter : The Handful of Sticks** . Why does Koskoosh touch the pile of wood beside him? What does it represent to him? . What does Koskoosh believe is nature's one task for every individual? . According to Koskoosh, does nature care about the individual person? What does it care about? . How does Koskoosh describe the life of a young woman — from youth to old age? What point is he making?

**Chapter : The Great Famine** . What happened to the missionary, and what does this episode suggest about the world Koskoosh lives in? . Describe the great famine. What caused it, and what were its consequences for the tribe? . What happened during times of plenty? How does this contrast with the famine?

**Chapter : The Moose and the Wolves** . Who was Zing-ha, and what eventually happened to him? . How did the wolves hunt the old moose? Describe their method. . The moose had "finished his task long before, but nevertheless, life was dear to him." What does this mean? . Why does this memory of the moose stay so vivid in Koskoosh's mind, even after all the great things he later did in his life?

**Chapter : The Circle** . What sound breaks the stillness around Koskoosh near the end of the story? . How does Koskoosh first try to defend himself, and why does he stop? . What is the connection between the old moose that Koskoosh watched as a boy and his own situation at the end of the story? . The story ends with the question: "What did it matter? Was it not the law of life?" What is the "law of life" that London is describing? . Do you think Koskoosh accepts his death or fears it? Find evidence from the text to support your answer.