Atondido Stories
of night that his daughter may not die here amid the sunlight of
our earth land."
The three slaves set forth for the kingdom of the GREAT SEA
SERPENT. After a long dangerous journey they arrived at his
home in the depths of the seas and asked him to give them some
of the shadows of night to carry back to the earth land. The
GREAT SEA SERPENT gave them a big bag full at once. It was
securely fastened and the GREAT SEA SERPENT warned them
not to open it until they were once more in the presence of his
daughter, their mistress.
The three slaves started out, bearing the big bag full of night
upon their heads. Soon they heard strange sounds within the
bag. It was the sound of the voices of all the night beasts, all the
night birds, and all the night insects. If you have ever heard the
night chorus from the jungles on the banks of the rivers you will
know how it sounded. The three slaves had never heard sounds
like those in all their lives. They were terribly frightened.
"Let us drop the bag full of night right here where we are and
run away as fast as we can," said the first slave.
"We shall perish. We shall perish, anyway, whatever we do,"
cried the second slave.
"Whether we perish or not I am going to open the bag and
see what makes all those terrible sounds," said the third slave.
Accordingly they laid the bag on the ground and opened it. Out
rushed all the night beasts and all the night birds and all the
night insects and out rushed the great black cloud of night. The
slaves were more frightened than ever at the darkness and es-
caped to the jungle.
The daughter of the GREAT SEA SERPENT was waiting anx-
iously for the return of the slaves with the bag full of night. Ever
since they had started out on their journey she had looked for
116