Page:Poet Lore, volume 34, 1923.djvu/469

 Epimetheus.—Sh! (To ) What do you mean by making a face!

Mud-Man (Rising and taking up his basket).—Do you see the great Gurgh-gog?

Pandora (Shivering).—Yes.

Mud-Man.—He is the one and only god. All the people in the Valley of Gloom bring him their offerings so that he will bless the trees and vines. But he can not endure the usual sight of our faces, for we are not real men, only creatures of mud. When we lean low at the sewing of thongs and the grubbing of roots, our faces lose their shapeliness. Our noses and chins drop to sharp points and lose the noble flatness of the god. You see then, before I offer my gift, I must make a new face.

Pandora (Looking closely).—Poor Mud-Man, I am sorry I laughed.

Mud-Man.—We shall not always be mud. Our prophets say that the morning will come when the people in this valley shall be formed, and become Men!

Epimetheus.—Oh, don't go away with that basket. Let us each have at least one little pomegranate. Won't you?

Mud-Man.—These are gifts for the god.

Pandora.—But we're so hungry. I'm so hungry I can't go any farther.

Mud-Man.—Um-m! (He passes with solemn indifference, makes a pantomimic prayer before, then ascends the steps and places his fruit with the rest. When he comes down he whispers—) O mighty Gurgh-gog, I will come again. I will come when my words with you can not be heard by the ears of strange people. ( begins to cry, but the goes his way along the path by which the children came.)

Epimetheus.—There, there, don't cry, Pandora. You must not cry, or I won't know what to do. Sit down here on this big rock. (She allows him to push her to the rock.) Now I'll go to see what I can find. There surely are mothers here. Somebody will give us something.

Pandora.—I'm afraid to stay here with that awful Gurgh-gog. (But has gone. The green light grows more intense.  begins to eat noisily from the jade bowl.) O what a mouth! And teeth like those of the wild boar my father killed. If you should decide to eat me, what could I do? (She watches him in fear for some time. Then she becomes curious.) What a strange god to eat so much fruit. And surely you do not eat