His mother dashed out; he sprang to meet her and held on tightly as she scrambled back into the cave.
I was all alone.

The populous open space had of a sudden become deserted.

I sat down forlornly and whimpered.

I could not understand.
Why had the Folk run away from me?
In later time, when I came to know their ways, I was to learn.

When they saw me dashing out of the forest at top speed they concluded that I was being pursued by some hunting animal.