evening pays him back the
debt of gold and is glad.
The joy of the blooming flower comes to fruit with shedding of its
leaves.
Hasten, my heart, and spend yourself in love, before the day is done._

Minstrel, why is Chandra still absent?

_Minstrel_

Don't you know that he has gone?

Gone?--Where?

_Minstrel_

He said, I shall go and conquer him.

Whom?

_Minstrel_

The One who is feared by all. He said, "Why else am I young?"

Ah, that was fine.--Dada goes to read his quatrains to the
village people, and Chandra has disappeared,--for what purpose
nobody knows.

_Minstrel_

He said, "Men have always been fighting for a cause. It is the
shock of that, which ruffles the breeze of this Spring."

The shock?

_Minstrel_

Yes, the message that man's fight is not yet over.

Is this the message of Spring?

_Minstrel_

Yes. Those, who have been made immortal by death, have sent their
message in these fresh leaves of Spring. It said, "We never
doubted the way. We never counted the cost: we rushed out: we
blossomed. If we had sat down to debate, then where would be the
Spring?"

Has that made Chandra mad?

_Minstrel_

He said----

(_The Minstrel sings._)

_The Spring flowers have woven my wreath of victory,
The South wind breathes its breath of fire in my blood.
The voice of the house-corner wails in vain from behind.
Death stands before me, offering its crown.
The tempest of youth sweeps the skyharp with its fingers;
My heart dances in its wild rhythm.
Gathering and storing are not for me,
I spend and scatter.
And prudence and comfort bid me adieu in despair._

But where has he gone to?

_Minstrel_

He said, "I cannot keep waiting by the wayside any longer. I must
go and meet him, and conquer him."

But which way did he take?

_Minstrel_

He has entered the cave.

How is that? It is so fearfully dark. Did he, without making any
enquiries----

_Minstrel_

Yes, he went in to make enquiries himself.

When will he come back?

I don't believe he will ever come back.

But if Chandra leaves us, then life is not worth living.

What shall we say to our Leader?

The Leader also will leave us.

Didn't he leave any message for us before he disappeared?

_Minstrel_

He said, "Wait for me. I shall return."

Return? How are we to know it?

_Minstrel_

He said, "I will conquer, and then come back again."