e Bat, however, who
was to judge of feats on the wing, had slyly made a meal of some of the
lesser contestants. The Owl swooped down upon him to punish him, and
there was great confusion.

Unktomee could do nothing with his guests. The Toad began to devour the
smaller creepers, the Snake attacked the Toad, and even the Wolf came
down from his station on the hills to make a raid upon the helpless
Little People. Thus began the warfare and preying among these feeble
tribes that has lasted to this day.

_It is not wise to put the strong in authority over the weak._

TWELFTH EVENING

EYA THE DEVOURER

TWELFTH EVENING

"We shall hear to-night of one good deed done by Unktomee," begins the
old teacher, when all are in their places. "In the old days, longer ago
than any one can remember, no one was more feared and dreaded than Eya,
the Glutton, the devouring spirit that went to and fro upon the earth,
able to draw all living creatures into his hideous, open mouth! His form
was monstrous and terrifying. No one seemed to know what he feared, or
how he might be overcome. Whole tribes of people were swallowed up by
him, and there was no help!

"At last came Unktomee, and by his quick wit and genial ways got the
better of this enemy of our race. He is very hard to kill, for he often
comes to life again after he has been left for dead. Perhaps by Eya is
meant the terrible hunger, or the sickness that runs like fire from
lodge to lodge and sweeps away whole villages."

EYA THE DEVOURER

Once upon a time, an old woman who was gathering wood found a lost babe
deep in the forest, and bringing him to the camp, gave him to the
chief's pretty daughter. The girl, who was very tender-hearted, took the
child and cared for him as her own.

She fed him often, but he was never satisfied and continually cried for
more. When he screamed, his mouth stretched from ear to ear, and far
down his red throat she seemed to see a great company of people
struggling in confusion. However, she told no one, but patiently tended
the strange child and carried him about with her everywhere.

At dead of night, when all in the lodge were asleep, the tender-hearted
maiden was aroused by the crying of her babe. As she bent over him,
there seemed to come from his wide-open mouth, as if from the depths of
the earth, the far-off voices of many people in distress.

Then at last she went and awoke the chief, her father, and said to him:

"F