THE LAY OF SAINT LINGO 



161 



Played a hundred tunes upon it. 

 Like a song its music sounded ; 

 At its sound tte trees were silent ; 

 Stood the mighty hills enraptured. 

 Entered then that strain of music 

 In the ears of Eikad Gowree, 

 Quickly woke him from his 



slumber ; 

 Rubbed his eyes and looked about 



him; 

 Looked in thickets, looked in 



hollows, 

 Looked in tree-tops; nothing 



finding, 

 Wondered where on earth it came 



from, 

 Came that strain of heavenly 



music. 

 Like the warbling of the Maina. 

 Back returning to his fireside. 

 Sat down, stood up, sat down, 



stood up; 

 Listened, wondered at the music ; 

 Jumped and danced he to the 



music. 

 Sung and danced he to the music ; 

 EoUed and tumbled by the fire- 

 side 

 To the warbling of the music. 



Soon at daybreak his old woman 

 Heard that strain of heavenly 



music ; 

 Came she wondering to the fire- 

 side. 

 Saw her old man wildly dancing — 

 Hands outstretching, feet uphft- 



ing, 

 Head back reeling, dancing, 



tumbling. 

 To that strain of heavenly music. 

 Saw and wondered, saw and called 



out — 

 " Ancient husband, foohsh old 



man ! " 

 Looked he at her, nothing said he, 

 Danced and tumbled to the music. 

 Said she, listening to that music, 

 " I must dance too." Then she 



opened 



M 



Loose the border of her garment. 

 Danced and tumbled to the music. 

 Then said Lingo, " Lo my 

 Jdntur ! 

 To thy strain of heavenly music 

 Dance this old man and his woman ; 

 AU my Koitor thus I teach will. 

 Thus in rows to sing and dance 



all. 

 At the feasting of the Gond Gods, 

 At the feast of the Dewali, 

 At the feast of Biidhal Pena, 

 At the feast of Jungo Reytal, 

 At the feast of Phdrsa Pena— 

 Salutation to the Gods all 

 From this various tuneful Jantur ! " 

 Then he ceased the wondrous 



music ; 

 Hailed the old man from the tree- 

 top, 

 Saying — " Uncle, Eikad Gowree, 

 See your nephew on this tree- 

 top ! " 

 Then the Giant, looking up- 

 wards, 

 Saw our Lingo on the tree -top ; 

 Called him down, shook hands, 



and said that 

 He was very glad to see him. 

 Asked him in and made him sit 



down; 

 Eang and called for pipes and 



coffee ; 

 Apologised for having thought of 

 Making breakfast of Ahkeseral; 

 Thanked our Lingo very kindly 

 For his offer of the livers 

 Of those sixteen scores of Eohees ; 

 In return proposed to give him 

 All those seven nice young women. 

 With their eyes bound, will they 



nill they. 

 To be wedded to the Brothers. 

 And those seven nice young 

 women 

 When they heard about the young 



men. 

 Of those young men faint and 

 fasting 



