Atondido Stories
follow, but the rock swung shut in his face, again locking him in.
The old king serpent hissed at him in a deep breathy voice:
"Hah, you miserable man creature, you can't get out! You're
here and here you stay!"
"But I can't stay here," Batcha said. "What can I do in here? I
can't sleep forever! You must let me out! I have sheep at pasture
and a scolding wife at home in the valley. She'll have a thing or
two to say if I'm late in getting back!"
Batcha pleaded and argued until at last the old serpent said:
"Very well, I'll let you out, but not until you have made me a
triple oath that you won't tell any one how you came in."
Batcha agreed to this. Three times he swore a mighty oath not to
tell any one how he had entered the cavern.
"I warn you," the old serpent said, as he opened the wall, "if
you break this oath a terrible fate will overtake you!"
Without another word Batcha hurried through the opening.
Once outside he looked about him in surprise. Everything
seemed changed. It was autumn when he had followed the ser-
pents into the cavern. Now it was spring!
"What has happened?" he cried in fright. "Oh, what an unfor-
tunate fellow I am! Have I slept through the winter? Where are
my sheep? And my wife—what will she say?"
With trembling knees he made his way to his hut. His wife
was busy inside. He could see her through the open door. He
didn't know what to say to her at first, so he slipped into the
sheepfold and hid himself while he tried to think out some likely
story.
While he was crouching there, he saw a finely dressed gen-
tleman come to the door of the hut and ask his wife where her
husband was.
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