sand the
man in rags was seated, with his face hidden in his hands, weeping
bitterly.

* * * * * * *

Thus passed away in the hour of her iniquities before Annolith, in
the two thousand and thirty-second year of her being, in the six
thousand and fiftieth year of the building of the World, Babbulkund,
City of Marvel, sometime called by those that hated her City of the
Dog, but hourly mourned in Araby and Ind and wide through jungle and
desert; leaving no memorial in stone to show that she had been, but
remembered with an abiding love, in spite of the anger of God, by
all that knew her beauty, whereof still they sing.

The Kith of the Elf Folk

Chapter I

The north wind was blowing, and red and golden the last days of
Autumn were streaming hence. Solemn and cold over the marshes arose
the evening.

It became very still.

Then the last pigeon went home to the trees on the dry land in the
distance, whose shapes already had taken upon themselves a mystery
in the haze.

Then all was still again.

As the light faded and the haze deepened, mystery crept nearer from
every side.

Then the green plover came in crying, and all alighted.

And again it became still, save when one of the plover arose and flew
a little way uttering the cry of the waste. And hushed and silent
became the earth, expecting the first star. Then the duck came in,
and the widgeon, company by company: and all the light of day faded
out of the sky saving one red band of light. Across the light
appeared, black and huge, the wings of a flock of geese beating up
wind to the marshes. These, too, went down among the rushes.

Then the stars appeared and shone in the stillness, and there was
silence in the great spaces of the night.

Suddenly the bells of the cathedral in the marshes broke out,
calling to evensong.

Eight centuries ago on the edge of the marsh men had built the huge
cathedral, or it may have been seven centuries ago, or perhaps
nine--it was all one to the Wild Things.

So evensong was held, and candles lighted, and the lights through
the windows shone red and green in the water, and the sound of the
organ went roaring over the marshes. But from the deep and perilous
places, edged with bright mosses, the Wild Things came leaping up to
dance on the reflection of the stars, and over their heads as they
danced the marsh-lights rose and fell.

The Wild Things are somewhat human in appearance, only all br