196 



THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



Then the Nephew fetched a 



gambol, 

 Upwards leaped he, jomts all 



cracking, 

 And his ears with pleasure cocking. 

 To his Uncle near he trotted, 

 And he said, "^ly ancient Uncle, 

 See this lovely field of green stuff. 

 May we have it for our dinner 1" 

 But the Uncle, ancient Mamdn, 

 Warning, chiding, spake in this 



wise — 

 " Ere you leap 'twere wise to look 



well. 

 In the valleys of the forests 

 Many fields there are of green 



stuff; 

 Touch ye not the field of Lingo — 

 Go and graze on some one else's. 

 Sixteen scores of Roliees are ye ; 

 But of all your nohle sixteen 

 Neither buck nor doe will left be 

 If ye touch the field of Lingo." 

 Then spake Bhdsyal the Nephew, 

 Spake disdainfully in this wise — 

 " Old are you and somewhat 



feeble, 

 We are young and rather fri;^ky ; 

 Seven-foot-six about the mark is 

 We can clear a running high 



jump- 

 Stay behind^ Old Ninkampi'ipo ! 

 They might catch you if you tried 



it." 

 Then his ears pricked twitchy- 



witchy, 

 And his tail cocked jerky-perky. 

 And went forward to the rice-field. 

 And the Uncle, deeply thinking. 

 Greatly grieving, left behind was. 

 But he slowly followed after. 

 At the fence the Nephew halted, 

 And prospected for an entrance ; 

 But an entrance nowhere found he, 

 For the sixteen scores of liohees. 

 And the sixteen scores to mutter 



'Mong themselves began in this 



wise — 

 "Left behind is ancient Mamtin, 

 He the very wise among us. 

 Now this Bhiisyal, youthful 



Nephew, 

 He must show us how to do it. 

 Uncle Maman spake of Lingo, 

 Said that very sapient uncle, 

 Look behind and look before you, 

 Ere ye touch the field of Lingo." 

 Answered them the valiant 



Nephew — 

 "Keep not company with ancients, 

 Full of years and slack of sinews, 

 Follow me" — and then he bounded 

 O'er the hedge into the rice-field. 

 After him the Rohees leapt all — 

 Leapt the sixteen scores of 



Eohees ; 

 Leapt they straight into the rice- 



field, 

 And the rice began to graze on. 

 Soon the Uncle coming after 

 By the hedge stood and looked 



over; 

 And his mouth began to water 

 Like a dripping spring in summer. 

 Bat no entrance seemed to offer, 

 And his joints were stiff and 



feeble ; 

 So he stayed outside, reproachful, 

 While those sixteen scores of 



Rohees 

 Eat up all the field of Lingo. 

 Eat it up, and back they leapt all, 

 Stood beside that ancient Mamdn, 

 Who in words of solemn Avisdom 

 Warning, chiding, spake in this 



wise — 

 " Hear, ye sixteen scores of 



Rohees ! 

 O my children, my poor children! 

 Very nicely ye have done it — 

 Eaten up the field of Lingo. 

 Father Lingo, he the powerful, 



