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20 before. Again the waves beat upon the coral, and again the dame thought it to be the voice of the drum. And this time she danced for so long that her daughter-in-law was very angry, and ceased not to scold her for not returning to the house until the night was nigh. And as the dame would not tell her for what cause she remained so long, she resolved to set a watch on her the next day.

Therefore when the dame set out on the morrow her daughter-in-law said to her little son, "Follow thy grandmother to the beach, and bring me word again why she tarrieth so long." And the child did as his mother bade him, and sat down at a distance on the beach to see what the dame would do. Then he saw her lay down her staff and dance to the sound of the waves which beat upon the coral. And when he watched her for long, and saw that she ceased not to dance, he ran back to his mother and said,

"My grandmother is even now dancing alone upon the beach. There is no voice of drum, nor any people, but only the waves beating upon the coral."

Then the woman laughed for scorn that the dame should spend her time in such a manner, and when she returned bearing the sea water she cried, "How loud is thy drum, O dame, seeing it is beaten by a thousand waves!" And she and her child laughed loudly at the blind woman. She heard the taunt and the cruel laughter, and grew cold with shame, and fell to the earth, and her spirit left her.