BEFORE the High and Far-Off Times, O my Best Beloved, came the Time of the Very Beginnings; and that was in the days when the Eldest Magi was getting Things ready. First he got the Earth ready; the the Sea ready; and theold all the Animals that they could e out and play. And the Animals said, O Eldest Magi, what shall we play at? and he said, I will show you. He took the Elephant--All-the-Elephant-there-was--and said, Play at being an Elephant, and All-the-Elephant-there-layed. He took the Beaver--All-the-Beaver-there-was and said, Play at being a Beaver, and All-the Beaver-there-layed.
He took the Cow--All-the Cow-there-was--and said, Play at being a Cow, and All-the-Cow-there-layed. He took the Turtle--All-the-Turtle there-was and said, Play at being a Turtle, and All-the-Turtle-there-layed. One by oook all the beasts and birds and fishes and told them what to play at.
But towards evening, when people and things grow restless and tired, there came up the Man (With his own little girl-daughter?)--Yes, with his ow beloved little girl-daughter sitting upon his shoulder, and he said, What is this play, Eldest Magi? And the Eldest Magi said, Ho, Son of Adam, this is the play of the Very Beginning; but you are too wise for this play. And the Man saluted and said, Yes, I am too wise for this play; but see that you make all the Animals obedient to me.
Now, while the two were talking together, Pau Amma the Crab, who was in the game, scuttled off sideways and stepped into the sea, saying to himself, I will play my play alone in the deep waters, and I will never be obedient to this son of Adam. Nobody saw him go away except the little girl-daughter where she leaned on the Mans shoulder. And the play went on till there were no more Animals left without orders; and the Eldest Magi wiped the fine dust off his hands and walked about the world to see how the Animals were playing.
He went North, Best Beloved, and he found All-the-Elephant-there-was digging with his tusks and stamping with his feet in the niew earth that had been made ready for him.
Kun? said All-the-Elephant-there-was, meaning, Is this right?
Payah kun, said the Eldest Magi, meaning, That is quite right; and he breathed upon the great rocks and lumps of earth that All-the-Elephant-there-was had thrown up, and they became the great Himalayan Mountains, and you look them out on the map.
He we, and he found All-the-Cow there-was feeding in the field that had been made ready for her, and she licked her tongue round a whole forest at a time, and swallowed it and sat down to chew her cud.
Kun? said All-the-Cow-there-was.
Payah kun, said the Eldest Magi; and he breathed upon the bare patch where she had eaten, and upon the place where she had sat down, and one became the great India, and the other became the Desert of Sahara, and you look them out on the map.
He we, and he found All-the-Beaver-there-was making a beaver-dam across the mouths of broad rivers that had been got ready for him.
Kun? said All-the-Beaver-there-was.
Payah kun, said the Eldest Magi; and he breathed upon the fallen trees and the still water, and they became the Everglades in Florida, and you may look them out on the map.
Then he went South and found All-the-Turtle-there-was scratg with his flippers in the sand that had been got ready for him, and the sand and the rocks whirled through the air and fell far off into the sea.
K