THE QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Then it was question and answer between them:
‘Come, travel with me, my pippy.’
‘Oh! Whither away? To old Mandalay?’
‘But no; to the far Mississippi,
Where a beautiful Queen holds sway:
And I’ll marry that Queen some day.’
‘I am yours! And the bounty?’
‘Give it a name: I will pay.’
Then the young man took his muffin, and, breaking off a little bit of it, handed it to the man with the bow and arrow.
‘Keep it,’ said he; ‘it’s a pledge of good faith.’
So they journeyed on together. When they had gone some distance, they came to a high field, and in the middle of this stood a man stock still, gazing at the sun. As soon as the young man saw him, he shouted out at the top of his voice: ‘Hi! What are you doing there, my good fellow?’
‘I am just waiting for it to get a little more dazzling,’ replied the man, still keeping his eyes fixed on the midday sun.
As soon as the young man heard this he seemed to grow still more in stature. Indeed, he seemed to be almost a man.
‘Will you travel with me?’ he said.
‘Pardon?’
Then it was question and answer between them:
‘Come, travel with me, my pippy.’
‘Oh! Whither away? To the land of Cathay?’
‘But no; to the far Mississippi,
Where a beautiful Queen hath sway:
Who has stolen my heart away.’
‘I am yours! And the bounty?’
‘What you will: it’s a pleasure to pay.’
Then the young man took his muffin, and, breaking off a little bit of it, handed it to the man who gazed at the sun.
‘Keep it,’ said he; ‘it’s a pledge of good faith.’
So they journeyed on together.
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