As the people were crying aloud and tossing up their hands and the many—so many!—were fleeing away, the Beloved Twins came and with strong-sounding and sure voices asked them to cease all their clamor and terror, saying,
Look now, you faithless and witless!
The mothers who love not their offspring
And cherish them not through all danger,
Must soon lose them, as the woodbird,
Who sits not her nest, loses her broodlings!
Fear not, but cleave fast to your children
Though they turn and frightful!
It is the magic of water, and wildness
Of heart, and will pass as men's laughter
Pass when the joy-thought is sobered,
As you win your way forth from the waters.
Thus they spoke and continued speaking, whereupon the people who were still left took heart, even the women, and stayed their thoughts, clinging stoutly to their little ones as they fared through the waters, even though the terror and hurt was sore. Thus they all passed safely over, and&$151;even as had been said—as they won their way up from the waters and sat down to rest on the farther shore below the mountains, see! the little ones grew warm and right again. But the thoughts of womenkind were never beguiled completely from that harrowing journey. This is why they are timid of deep places, startled (as is the voice of a vessel by any shrillness of sound) and witless-driven by the sight of reptile-creatttres. See! and so their anxieties are like to press themselves on the unripe and forming children of their bowels. This is also why we guard their eyes from all weird-seeming things when they are with child.
©1996, Richard Hooker
For information contact: Richard Hines
Updated 6-6-1999