THE LAY OF SAINT LINGO. 



187 



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 Eohees. 

 And the sixteen scores to mutter 

 'Mong themselves began in this wise 

 " Left behind is ancient Maman, 

 He the very wise among us. 

 Now this Bhasyal, 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 Eohees 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. 

 But no entrance seemed to offer, 

 And his joints were stiff and feeble ; 

 So he stayed outside, reproachful, 

 While those sixteen scores of Eohees 

 Eat up all the field of Lingo. 

 Eat it up, and back they leapt all, 

 Stood beside that ancient Maman, 

 Who in words of solemn wisdom 

 Warning, chiding, spake in this wise 

 1 Hear, ye sixteen scores of Eohees ! 

 O my children, my poor children ! 

 Very nicely ye have done it 

 Eaten up the field of Lingo. 

 Father Lingo, he the powerful, 



When he comes to see his rice-field, 

 What on earth will he think of it ? " 



Then the very youthful Bhasyal, 

 To the sixteen scores of Eohees 

 Counsel offered, spake in this wise 

 " Listen, brethren! let us speed now 

 To our forest shades primeval. 

 On the stones our feet well placing, 

 On the leaves our footsteps keeping, 

 On the grass our way selecting, 

 On the soil no footmarks leaving, 

 Let us cunningly our way take 

 To our forest shades primeval." 

 As he said so did the Eohees, 

 Lightly stepping left no traces* 

 Marks of footsteps none appeared ; 

 Eeached their forest shades primeval. 

 Some to sit down, some to sleep went, 

 Some to stand up in the cool shade, 

 'Gan these sixteen scores of Eohees. 



Midst the perfume sweet of flowers, 

 Swinging in a swing, was Lingo; 

 Swinging slept he, and he dreamed, 

 Dreamt of sixteen scores of Eohees, 

 Of a devastated rice-field. 

 And his soul was greatly troubled; 

 And he rose and looked about him. 

 Looked, and went to reconnoitre 

 By the way of Kachikopa ; 

 Went he through the Iron Valley, 

 To the Eed Hills Lahugada, 

 Went the very valiant Lingo ; 

 Saw the devastated rice-field ; 

 Thence returning, to the Brothers, 

 Brothers sleeping in their wigwams, 

 Spake our Lingo " Listen, Brothers, 

 Listen to my doleful story, 

 How these sixteen scores of Eohees 

 All our rice-field have demolished." 

 Then the Brothers, greatly troubled 

 By this doleful tale of Lingo, 

 Wailed a wail of disappointment, 

 Spake the words of bitter anguish > 

 ' ' To the gods our yearly firstfruits, 

 Firstfruits that we yearly offer, 

 Now of what shall we give firstfruits, 



