164 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTKAL INDIA 



Hied them homeward to their 

 wigwams ; 



Called their wives, and lit some 

 torches, 



Blazing torches made of flax- 

 stalks ; 



Played their horrid game of 

 marbles 



With the bored-out eyes of Lingo. 



So the Brothers four of Lingo 

 And those seven nice young 



women 

 Chucked his eyes about like 



marbles 

 For an hour's time by the torch 



light. 



TIL— THE RESUREECTION OF LINGO, AND DELIVERY 

 OF THE g6nDS. 



In the Court of great Bhagwantal 

 Sat the Deities assembled ; 

 Sat they in the Upper World, 

 Wondering where, in earthly 



regions. 

 Lay the body of their Lingo : 

 Wondered much, but nothing 



knew they 

 In what region it had fallen. 

 Then Bhagwantal took a basin. 

 Washed a Httle of his body. 

 Washed a little of the dirt ofE : 

 Took and raade of it an image ; 

 Breathed the breath of life into it ; 

 Made Kagesur, Lord of Ravens. 

 Amrit^ sprinkled he upon it. 

 From his hand released it, saying — 

 " Search the forests, search the 



mountains. 

 Search the valleys, search the 



rivers. 

 For the body of my Lingo." 

 Then Kagesur, Lord of Ravens, 

 He the very black and cunning. 

 Swiftly sped him on his errand ; 

 Searched he first the Upper 



Regions, 

 Thence descended to the Lower ; 

 Searched their hiUs and glens and 



forests. 

 Till he reached the Iron Valley, 

 In the Red Hills, Lahugada. 

 Peered among the forest thickets. 

 Saw the twigs that covered Lingo, 



Looked below them, found our 



Lingo, 

 Looking horrid, with his eyes out. 

 Split his skull, and pierced his 



liver. 

 Hied him back to great Bhag- 

 wantal, 

 Told the doleful tale of Lingo. 

 Then the God said, " Ha ! I see it. 

 By his birth-place has he fallen. 

 By the flowering tree Pahindi." 

 Then he sent for Karto Subal, 

 Gave a flask of heavenly Amrit 

 (Bade him well to shake the 



bottle). 

 For external apphcation 

 To the skull and neck and liver 

 Of the gouged and butchered 



Lingo; 

 And despatched him with Kagesur 

 To the valley Kachikopd, 

 To the Red Hills, Lahugada. 

 Flew the Raven straight before 



him; 

 Reached the place; then Karto 



Subal ' 

 Took the flask of heavenly Amrit, 

 Poured it o'er his wounds and 



bruises. 

 Stitching up the chiefest openings 

 In his head and his abdomen. 

 Soon his eyes began to open,^ 

 And he saw the Lord of Ravens ; 

 Thought he'd slept a little soundly ; 



^ The water of immortaUty. 



2 It is not related how these organs were restored to him. 



