The call was voiced, and the song of the Maidens of Corn sounded
as when the others had retired before; the drum was beaten and the
rattles were shaken--but all in vain. No maidens came forth from the
bower. Then eagerly the leaders sought all through the bower. Naught
found they save the precious wands and the garments all softly laid
thereupon, of their beloved Maidens of the Seed. Deep was their grief
and all silent were the people. Then spake the fathers: "Look ye now;
ye have watched ill, ye matrons and elders, and therein grievously
have ye sinned, wherefore lost be our beloved maidens, mothers of the
Seed of Seed, for some amongst our children have dared to hold them
less than precious, and look upon them as upon maidens of the people
they look! Wherefore arise, and brush away from thy persons and spit
forth from thy mouths the evil of this night, that the day find ye not
shame-darkened, and further ill befall ye not than the grievous loss of
our beautiful maidens; for the rash forwardness of our youths, and the
negligence ye have proven guilty of in failing to watch all things well
are sore, and are punished full meetly as was warned us aforetime by
this our grievous loss!"
Then said they to one another, "We must seek (but how?) the maidens;
and we must summon them forth from their hiding with solemn promise, if
only that we may look upon them once more and see that they go forth at
least content with those who have not wrought this evil, and content
with us, not wroth; and that they be not thus wroth or sad hearted,
and therefore withhold not from us their sacred breaths of blessing,
lacking which the corn seed, life of flesh, can not flourish. But who
shall seek them for us? They left no trail behind and far must have
instant journeyed, being now of other-being--as may be seen by their
cast-off garments, left here with us. O, woe! woe the day when we
heeded not well their preciousness! If woe to us, woe indeed to our
murmuring children who know not what they want, and lightly consider
too many of the things they have, therein lightly holding them!"