Stone whereon we make sacrifice; wilt thou sing no
song of those?

_Oan:_

It may be that I shall sing thee songs of them. But now, as I strive
here to sing of the doe's liver, no words are born unto me: I can but
sing, "O liver! O red liver!"

_Uk:_

That is a good song: thou seest that the liver is red. It is red as
blood.

_Oan:_

But I love not the liver, save to eat of it.

_Uk:_

Yet the song of it is good. When the moon is full we shall sing it about
the Stone. We shall beat upon our breasts and sing, "O liver! O red
liver!" And all the women in the caves shall be affrightened.

_Oan:_

I will not have that song of the liver! It shall be Ok's song; the tribe
must say, "Ok hath made the song!"

_Ok:_

Ay! I shall be a great singer; I shall sing of a wolf's heart, and say,
"Behold, it is red!"

_Uk:_

Thou art a fool, and shalt sing only, "Hai, hai!" as thy father before
thee. But Oan shall make me a song of my club, for the women listen to
his songs.

_Oan:_

I will make thee no songs, neither of thy club, nor thy cave, nor thy
doe's-liver. Yea! though thou give me no more flesh, yet will I live
alone in the forest, and eat the seed of grasses, and likewise rabbits,
that are easily snared. And I will sleep in a tree-top, and I will sing
nightly:

The bright day is gone.
The night maketh me sad, sad, sad,
sad, sad, sad--

_Uk:_

Ok and Un, arise and slay!

(_Ok and Un rush upon Oan, who stoops and picks up two casting-stones,
with one of which he strikes Ok between the eyes, and with the other
mashes the hand of Un, so that he drops his club. Uk arises._)

_Uk:_

Behold! Gurr cometh! he cometh swiftly from the wood!

(_The Tribe, including Oan and Ala, rush for the cave-mouths. As Oan
passes Uk, the latter runs behind Oan and crushes his skull with a blow
of his club._)

_Uk:_

O men! O men with the heart of hyenas! Behold, Gurr cometh not! I did
but strive to deceive you, that I might the more easily slay this
singer, who is very swift of foot.... Gather ye before me, for I would
speak wisdom.... It is not well that there be any song among us other
than what our fathers sang in the past, or, if there be songs, let them
be of such matters as are of common understanding. If a man sing of a
deer, so shall he be drawn, it may be, to go forth and slay a deer, or
even a moose. And if he sing of his casting-stones, it may be that he
become more apt in