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SOMEWHERE OR NOWHERE? 23
The sun broke through the clouds, and the raindrops flashed and sparkled on the grass. The raven was walking over it. 1
I You will wet your feet!' I cried.
' And mire my beak,' he answered, immediately plunging it deep in the sod, and drawing out a great wriggling red worm. He threw back his head, and tossed it in the air. It spread great wings, gorgeous in red and black, and soared aloft.
' Tut! tut!' I exclaimed; ' you mistake, Mr. Raven : worms are not the larvae of butterflies! '
' Never mind,' he croaked; ' it will do for once ! I'm not a reading man at present, but sexton at the— at a certain graveyard—cemetery, more properly—in— at—no matter where !'
'I see ! you can't keep your spade still: and when you have nothing to bury, you must dig something up ! Only you should mind what it is before you make it fly ! No creature should be allowed to forget what and where it came from !'
' Why ? ' said the raven.
' Because it will grow proud, and cease to recognise its superiors.'
No man knows it when he is making an idiot of himself.
" Where do the worms come from ? ' said the raven, as if suddenly grown curious to know.
" Why, from the earth, as you have just seen !' I answered.
" Yes, last! ' he replied. ' But they can't have come from it first—for that will never go back to it! ' he added, looking up.
I looked up also, but could see nothing save a little |
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