whole of the earth was dry; and he swore that Ap Ariph should die that
night, and the thunder raged about him, and the tears of Lling were
vain.

The lightning stroke of the gods leaping earthward seeking Ap Ariph
passed near to his house but missed him. A certain vagabond was down
from the hills, singing songs in the street near by the house of Ap
Ariph, songs of a former folk that dwelt once, they say, in those
valleys, and begging for rice and curds; it was him the lightning hit.

And the gods were satisfied, and their wrath abated, and their thunder
rolled away and the great black clouds dissolved, and the ancient one
of the gods went back to his age-old sleep, and morning came, and the
birds and the light shone on the mountain, and the peak stood clear to
see, the serene home of the gods.




THE GIFT OF THE GODS

There was once a man who sought a boon of the gods. For peace was
over the world and all things savoured of sameness, and the man was
weary at heart and sighed for the tents and the warfields. Therefore
he sought a boon of the ancient gods. And appearing before them he
said to them, "Ancient gods; there is peace in the land where I dwell,
and indeed to the uttermost parts, and we are full weary of peace. O
ancient gods, grant us war!"

And the ancient gods made him a war.