ut is it not strange," asked Gud, "that you two, who held such
opposite doctrines, should now suffer similar punishment? How do you
explain that?"

The first soul now took up the conversation with his mouth and made
answer in this wise: "We suffer now with equal suffering, I because,
believing that there was no god, found, when I died, that there was one,
and he sent me to hell. But my companion here, who believed that there
was a god, found when he died that there was none; and so he came to
hell also, as there was no place else for him to go."

For a moment Gud looked upon these suffering souls with puzzlement and
wonder, and then suddenly he began to laugh.

"Why do you laugh at our sufferings?" demanded the souls angrily.

"I am laughing at you two," said Gud, "because when you died you both
came to hell--whereas if neither of you had believed in immortality you
would not have needed to have gone anywhere."

As Gud was passing through a dismal swamp, he came to a certain cypress
tree and sat down on a knee thereof. And presently she came also and sat
down upon the other knee of the cypress tree, and they talked about the
meeting of parallel lines.

But they could not agree so Gud proposed that they cut their initials on
the bark of the cypress tree.

They did so, after which they parted. And Gud went on his way and so did
she.

But when Gud had vanished into the depths of the dismal swamp, she
turned and went back to the cypress tree and looked at the initials that
they had carved thereon. Taking the knife that Gud had left sticking in
the tree, she carved a word below the initials. Having finished the
carving, she looked up into the branches above her and behold the
foliage of the tree had withered. Then she repented for what she had
done, and in great haste, took the knife and carved yet another word.
Whereupon the tree put out fresh buds and grew again--for such is the
power of words for good or evil.

And she smiled contentedly, for hers was the last word.

Chapter XVIII

Lo, the north wind trembled and the sea of sorrow froze into beauteous
frost forms that shimmered all lacy and green like ferns waving in an
ancient breeze. And frozen frogs came out of the frost ferns, croaking
and bellowing like mad, green bulls.

The Underdog whimpered because he was afraid. So Gud bade the frogs be
quiet, and they were quiet with a great quietude, and peace reigned for
a spell or two.

After which G