Then asking them why they
had made this mischief, since the dam was of no use to them, they bade
him go and see their chief, by whose order this had been built.
And when he came to him, lo, there lay lazily in the mud a creature who
was more of a monster than a man, though he had a human form. For he
was immense to measure, like a giant, fat, bloated, and brutal to
behold. His great yellow eyes stuck from his head like pine-knots, his
mouth went almost from ear to ear, and he had broad, skinny feet with
long toes, exceeding marvelous.
The messenger complained to this monster, who at first said nothing,
and then croaked, and finally replied in a loud bellow,--
"Do as you choose,
Do as you choose,
Do as you choose.
"What do I care?
What do I care?
What do I care?
"If you want water,
If you want water,
If you want water,
Go somewhere else."
Then the messenger remonstrated, and described the suffering of the
people, who were dying of thirst. And this seemed to please the
monster, who grinned. At last he got up, and, making a single spring to
the dam, took an arrow and bored a hole in it, so that a little water
trickled out, and then he bellowed,--
"Up and begone!
Up and begone!
Up and begone!"
So the man departed, little comforted. He came to his home, and for a
few days there was a little water in the stream; but this soon stopped,
and there was great suffering again.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141