Scene 4: In the Devil's Pit
The Devil digs the pit
At time's beginning, so is often told,
To birds and beasts gave Perkons stern commands,
To dig the Daugava, come from nature's fold,
To gnaw, to scratch, to peck in toiling bands.
Alone the peacock sat and did not work.-
The Devil, passing by, then asked the bird:
"Where is the place the other creatures lurk?"
"They dig for Perkons," answer then he heard.
"But why," he asked, "do you not labour too?"
"To save my yellow feet," the peacock said!
Then to the river bird and Devil flew,
And dug a chasm in the torrent's bed,
Which down into this pit poured straight away.-
From fear all creatures lost the power of speech;
They all commenced to run and jump and bray,
And each one found a voice with which to screech.
The bears roared fierce, the wolves and dogs all howled,
The pigs made grunts, the oxen lowed unmuted,
The horses neighed, the strident cats all yowled,
The blackbirds shrieked, the owls all harshly hooted.
The cuckoos called, the hornets made a hum,
The little birds sang loudly all around!-
The noise rose up, a riot of such sum,
That, high in Heaven, Perkons heard the sound.
Pages:
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78