THE LAY OF SAINT LINGO. 



185 



Thither climbing, on the summit 

 Lingo saw the tree Mandita, 

 Saw beneath it Kirsadita, 

 Sweetly flowering Kirsadita. 

 There its perfume sweet inhaling 

 Lingered Lingo for a little. 

 Then he climbed the tree Mandita, 

 Climbed and looked forth o'er the forest, 

 To the valley Kachikopa, 

 To the Bed Hills, Lahugada. 

 Saw a little smoke ascending, 

 Saw and very greatly marvelled 

 At this circumstance portentous. 

 Wandered on, and soon discovered 

 In that forest shade primeval, 

 Manlike forms four discovered- 

 Saw the four Gonds that remained 

 Hiding fearful of the Great God. 

 Forest quarry having stricken, 

 Steaks of venison were roasting, 

 Pieces raw at times devouring. 



Seeing Lingo up they started ; 

 Seeing them our Lingo halted ; 

 Long time gazed they at each other. 

 But the brothers inwards pondered, 

 Brothers four we are, bethought them, 

 Let us take him for a fifth one, 

 Let us take him to our wigwams. 

 Then they brought him to their wig- 

 wams, 

 To their wigwams in the forest, 

 And set meat before their brother. 

 But he asked them whence the meat 



was, 

 And they answered, " Of a wild boar." 

 Then he asked them for its liver ; 

 And they sought long for the liver, 

 But no Liver could discover. 

 Then they told him, " Lo, a strange 



thing ! 

 Without liver is this creature 

 We have slain in the forest." 

 Lingo laughed at this conception 

 Of a creature without liver, 

 Asked to see it in the forest 

 Living creature without liver. 



Then the brothers much considered 

 Where on earth they might discover 

 In the forest or the mountains 

 Living creature without liver. 

 One suggested, ' ' He is little, 

 We are big, and practised roamers 

 Of the forest shades primeval. 

 Let us take him to the mountains 

 Eough and stony, to the thickets 

 Close and thorny ; he will fagged be, 

 Thirst for water, get so hungry, 

 Glad he will be to sit down, and 

 Give up looking for a creature, 

 Living creature, without liver." 



Then they took their bows and 

 arrows 

 Bows of bamboo from the mountains, 

 Shafts of bulrush from the marshes ; 

 And they went by deepest thickets 

 Of that forest shade primeval. 

 Kurs the Antelope they saw it, 

 Killed it, found it had a liver. 

 Mawk the Sambar found and slew it, 

 Found it also had a liver. 

 Malol the Hare they saw and kiiju ' H, 

 In it too they found a liver 

 All the creatures had a liver. 

 Tired and weary were the Brothers ; 

 Lingo only was not wearied. 

 Thirsty very were the Brothers ; 

 Clambered up upon a hill-top 

 Seeking water, but they found none. 

 Clambered down again, and wandered 

 Through a close and thorny jungle, 

 Where a man could scarcely enter. 

 There they found a spring of water, 

 Cool and sparkling in the shadow. 

 And they plucked the leaves of Pulas, 

 Making cups, and drank the waters, 

 And refreshed were from their labours. 

 Then said Lingo, " Wherefore stay ye? 

 We have not yet seen the creature, 

 Living creature without liver. 

 Without liver creature is not." 



And he said, ' ' Here in the forest 

 Let us clear a field and plant it. 



