156 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



Cool and sparkling in the shadow. 

 And they plucked the leaves of 



Pulds, 

 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 Hver creature is not." 



And he said, " Here in the forest 

 Let us clear a field and plant it. 

 Down the trees here — let us fell 



them; 

 And the ground here — let us dig 



it; 

 Seed of rice here — ^let us sow it. 

 I will sleep here for a little 

 While ye clear away the forest." 

 Then slept Lingo, slept and 



dreamed he, 

 Dreamed he of twelve threshing- 

 places. 

 Threshing-floors that full of Gonds 



were. 

 And his soul was greatly troubled ; 

 And he rose and looked about 



him. 

 Found the Brothers sadly hewing. 

 Hewing sadly at a big tree ; 

 And their hands had blisters on 



them. 

 Blisters large as fruit of Aola. 

 And their hatchets — down they 



threw them; 

 And went off and down they 



squatted. 



Then our Lingo up an axe took, 



Took and hewed he at the big tree, 



Hewed and levelled all the forest, 



Felled the trees and grubbed their 



roots out — 

 In an hour the field was finished. 

 And the Gonds said, " Mighty 



Lingo ! 

 Lo our hands were sore and 



blistered. 

 Hewing sadly at one big tree, 



Which we left still undemoUshed. 

 In an hour has Lingo done it ! 

 He has levelled all the forest ; 

 Black the land appears below it ; 

 Thick the rice is sown upon it ; 

 High a hedge is raised aroimd it ; 

 Single left an entrance to it ; 

 Strong a gate is placed before it." 

 Then they rose and turned them 



homewards. 

 Homewards went they to their 



wigwams. 

 Soon the rainy season cometh, 

 Black a little cloud appeareth. 

 Strong the winds from heaven are 



loosened. 

 AU the sky is clouded over ; 

 Now the rain begins to patter. 

 In a while the streams run knee- 

 deep. 

 All the hollows flooded brimfull. 

 Thus three days and nights it 



rainM, 

 Then it stopped as it begun had. 

 And the rice began to shoot up ; 

 Green became the field of Lingo. 

 High as fingers four it sprouted. 

 Sprouted thus high in a day's time. 

 In a month 'twas somewhat higher. 

 With a man's knee it was level. 

 In that forest shade primeval 

 Sixteen scores of Deer were 



dweUing ; 

 Chief among them Uncle Mamdn ; 

 Nephew Bhasyal — ^heir apparent. 

 Rich the odour reached their 



noses 

 Of that rice-field in the clearing. 

 First the Uncle snified the odour, 

 And the Nephew snifEed it after. 

 Then the Nephew fetched a 



gambol, 

 Upwards leaped he, joints all 



cracking. 

 And his ears with pleasure cocking. 

 To his Uncle near he trotted, 

 And he said, " My ancient Uncle, 

 See this lovely field of green stuff. 

 May we have it for our dinner ? " 



