THE LAY OF SAINT LINGO 



157 



But the Uncle, ancient Mdmdn, 

 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 stufi ; 

 Touch ye not the field of Lingo — 

 Go and graze on some one else's. 

 Sixteen scores of Rohees are ye ; 

 But of all your noble 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 frisky; 

 Seven-foot-six about the mark is 

 We can clear a running high 



jump- 

 Stay belund. Old Ninkampupo ! 

 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 Eohees. 

 And the sixteen scores to mutter 

 'Mong themselves began in this 



wise — 

 " Left behind is ancient Mdmdn, 

 He the very wise among us. 

 Now this Bhasyal, youthful 



Nephew, 

 He must show us how to do it. 

 Uncle Mdman 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. 

 But no entrance seemed to ofier. 

 And his joints were stiff and 



feeble ; 

 So he stayed outside, reproachful, 

 WhUe those sixteen scores of 



Eohees 

 Eat up aU the field of Lingo. 

 Eat it up, and back they leapt aU, 

 Stood beside that ancient Mdman, 

 Who in words of solemn wisdom 

 Warning, chiding, spake in this 



wise — 

 " Hear, ye sixteen scores of 



Eohees ! 

 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 Bhdsyal, 

 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, 



