Atondido Stories
everything he thought to himself:
"It's very strange and interesting and all that, but now it's
time for me to get back to my sheep."
It's easy to say: "Now I'm going," but when Batcha tried to go
he found he couldn't, for the rock had closed. So there he was
locked in with the serpents.
He was a philosophical fellow and so, after puzzling a mo-
ment, he shrugged his shoulders and said:
"Well, if I can't get out I suppose I'll have to stay here for the
night."
With that he drew his cape about him, lay down, and was
soon fast asleep.
He was awakened by a rustling murmur. Thinking that he
was in his own hut, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he saw
the glittering walls of the cavern and remembered his adventure.
The old king serpent still lay on the golden table but no longer
asleep. A movement like a slow wave was rippling his great
coils. All the other serpents on the ground were facing the gold-
en table and with darting tongues were hissing:
"Is it time? Is it time?"
The old king serpent slowly lifted his head and with a deep
murmurous hiss said:
"Yes, it is time."
He stretched out his long body, slipped off the golden table,
and glided away to the wall of the cavern. All the smaller ser-
pents wriggled after him.
Batcha followed them, thinking to himself:
"I'll go out the way they go."
The old king serpent touched the wall with his tongue and
the rock opened. Then he glided aside and the serpents crawled
out, one by one. When the last one was out, Batcha tried to
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