wars and warriors and walled towns, wisdom and wickedness, and
the pomp of kings, and the people of all the lands that the sunlight knew.

And the worm spake to the angel saying: "Behold my food."

"Be dakeon para Thina poluphloisboio Thalassaes," murmured the
angel, for they walked by the sea, "and can you destroy that too?"

And the worm paled in his anger to a greyness ill to behold, for for
three thousand years he had tried to destroy that line and still its
melody was ringing in _his head_.




THE SONGLESS COUNTRY


The poet came unto a great country in which there were no songs.
And he lamented gently for the nation that had not any little foolish
songs to sing to itself at evening.

And at last he said: "I will make for them myself some little foolish
songs so that they may be merry in the lanes and happy by the
fireside." And for some days he made for them aimless songs such
as maidens sing on the hills in the older happier countries.

Then he went to some of that nation as they sat weary with the
work of the day and said to them: "I have made you some aimless
songs out of the small unreasonable legends, that are somewhat akin