The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1893-09-21
THE MOON ANDTHE TOAD
The Crsation of Man.
rs To'2 ty One OF tbs Basoko~ 2rih',
Ah.. Henry II. Stanley.
I'AIsT I.

In tie old, old times, oil this land,
snd indeed, all the whole earth was
covered with sweet water. But the
water dried up or disappeared some.
where, and the grasses, herbs and
plants began to spring up above the
ground, and some grew, IN course OF
many moons, into trees, great and
small, and the water was confined into
streams aud rivers. lakes and pools,
and as tie rain ie.I it kept the streams
and rivers running. and the lakes and
pools always fresh. There was no ET.
ing thing moving upon the earth, until
one day there sat BY one of the pools 8
large Toad. How long be had lived IS
not known, or how he. came to be IS
not known; t is suspected, however,
that the water brought him forth out
OF some rj-tue that was in it. In the
sSy th2re was only the Moon glowing
aud sniniag-oo the earth there was
but this one Tod. It is said that thny
conversed together, and one day the
Moon said 10 him:
II have an idea. propose to mako
3 man and wonaa to live on the
fruits OF the earth, for I believe that
there is rich abundance Of food on u
fit for such creatures.
May" said the Toad, slet me make
them, for l can make them filter for
the use of the earth than thou canst,
for belong to the earth while thou
belongest to the sky"
"Verily," replied the Moon, 'tho1
hast the power to create creatures,
which shall have but brief existence,
whereas, if I make them, they will
have something of my own nature; and
it is a pity that the creatures Of ones
Own msking should suffer and die.
Therefore, Oh Toad, I propose to re.
serve the power of creation for myself,
that the creatures may be endo we'd
with perfection and enduring life"
"Ah, Moon, be not enVious OF the
power which share with thee, but let
me have NY way. I will give them
forms such as l hare often dreaned Of.
The thought is big within me, an I In.
sist upon realizing my IDEAS
"And thou be SO resolved, observe
my words, both thou and they shall die.
Thee I shall slaY myself and eat ut
serly; and thy creatures can but follow
thee, being OF such frail material as
thou canst give than"
"Ah, thou arr angry now, bit L
heed thee not. AN resolved that the
creatures to inhabit this earth shall be
of my own creating. Attend thou to
thine own empire in the sky"
Then the Noon rose and scared up
ward where its big shining face shons
upon NIL the world.
The Toad gre. great with his con-
ception, until it ripened and issued ont
in the Shape of twin beings, full grown
male AMI female. These were tae
first of our kind that ever trod the
earth.
The Moon beheId the event VIII
rage, AMI left its place in the sky to
punish the Toad, who had infringed
the privilege that he had thought to re-
serve for himself. He came direct to
the Toad's Pool and stood biazingy
bright over it.
'Misershle," he cried, "what hast
thou done?"
"Patience, Moon; but exercised my
right and power. 1t was within me to
do it, and 10, the deed is DONE
s'Thou hast exalted thyself to be Ey
equal in thine own esteem. Thy con-
ceit hast clouded thy wis and obscurad
thy memory Of the warning I gave
thee. Even hadst thou obtained char
ter from me- to attempt the task, thou
conldst have done no better than thol
hast done. Even as thou art inferior
to me, SO they will be inferior
to those 1 could have endowed this
earth with. Thy creatures are pltiful
things, mere animals without sense,
without the gift OF perception, or self
protection. They See, they breathe.
they exist; their lives can be measured
by one round journey of mine.
We're it not out of pity for them, 1
would even let them die. For
PHYS sake I propose to improve
somewhat on what thou has done:
their lives shall be lengt therei, and
such intelligence rs maIformed beings
as these can contain will l endow them
with, for their guidance thro, ,u life
that with all my power must be troubled
and sore. But as for thee, whilst thou
exist, my rage is perilous to them,
therefore to save thy kin l end thee"
Saying which the Moon advanced
upon Toad, and the fierce sparks from
his burning face were shot forth and
fell upon the Toad untii he was con-
sumed.
The Moon then tathed in the pool,
that the heat of his anger might be mod
Grated, and the water became 50 heated
that it was like that which is in pot
over fire, and ne stayed in it until
the Kissing and bubbling had subslde.:.
Then the Moon rose ont Of the pool
and sought the creatures of Toar3; aud
when he had found them, he called
them unto him, bat they were afraid aG.i
hid themselves.
At this sight the Noon smiled, as YOU
sometimes sea him On tine nights, wien
be Is clear white, ais, free from staiu
Or blur, and he was pleased that
Tosd's creatures were aFrai,l of him.
'tPoor things" said be, ''Toad has
left me much to 60 yet before [ can
make them tt TO be Ghe FIRST of earthly
creatures. Saying which he laid hold
On them, and bore them to the pool
wherein he had batbel, anG which had
been the home Of Toad. lie held them
in the water for soma time, tenderly
bathing them, and stroking them here
and there as apotter with his earthen-
ware, until lie had moulded them into
somewhat OF the shape We men AMI
women possess now. The male became
distinguished ty breadth of shoulder,
depth Of chest, larger bones and more
substantial form; the female was slight
sr in chest, simmer of waist, and the
breadth and fuIlness Of the woman was
nidnost of the body at the hips. Then
she Moon gave them names, the man
be called 3ateta, the woman Hanna,
md he addressed them and said: