The Gods of Pegana | Page 5

OF MUNG
(Lord of all Deaths between Pegana and the Rim)
Once, as Mung went his way athwart the Earth and up and down its
cities and across its plains, Mung came upon a man who was afraid
when Mung said: "I am Mung!"

And Mung said: "Were the forty million years before thy coming
intolerable to thee?"
And Mung said: "Not less tolerable to thee shall be the forty million
years to come!"
Then Mung made against him the sign of Mung and the Life of the
Man was fettered no longer with hands and feet.
At the end of the flight of the arrow there is Mung, and in the houses
and the cities of Men. Mung walketh in all places at all times. But
mostly he loves to walk in the dark and still, along the river mists when
the wind hath sank, a little before night meeteth with the morning upon
the highway between Pegana and the Worlds.
Sometimes Mung entereth the poor man's cottage; Mung also boweth
very low before The King. Then do the Lives of the poor man and of
The King go forth among the Worlds.
And Mung said: "Many turnings hath the road that Kib hath given
every man to tread upon the earth. Behind one of these turnings sitteth
Mung."
One day as a man trod upon the road that Kib had given him to tread he
came suddenly upon Mung. And when Mung said: "I am Mung!" the
man cried out: "Alas, that I took this road, for had I gone by any other
way then had I not met with Mung."
And Mung said: "Had it been possible for thee to go by any other way
then had the Scheme of Things been otherwise and the gods had been
other gods. When MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI forgets to rest and makes
again new gods it may be that They will send thee again into the
Worlds; and then thou mayest choose some other way, and not meet
with Mung."
Then Mung made the sign of Mung. And the Life of that man went
forth with yesterday's regrets and all old sorrows and forgotten
things--whither Mung knoweth.
And Mung went onward with his work to sunder Life from flesh, and
Mung came upon a man who became stricken with sorrow when he
saw the shadow of Mung. But Mung said: "When at the sign of Mung
thy Life shall float away there will also disappear thy sorrow at
forsaking it." But the man cried out: "O Mung! tarry for a little, and
make not the sign of Mung against me now, for I have a family upon
the earth with whom sorrow will remain, though mine should disappear

because of the sign of Mung."
And Mung said: "With the gods it is always Now. And before Sish hath
banished many of the years the sorrows of thy family for thee shall go
the way of thine." And the man beheld Mung making the sign of Mung
before his eyes, which beheld things no more.

THE CHAUNT OF THE PRIESTS
This is the chaunt of the Priests.
The chaunt of the priests of Mung.
This is the chaunt of the Priests.
All day long to Mung cry out the Priests of Mung, and, yet Mung
harkeneth not. What, then, shall avail the prayers of All the People?
Rather bring gifts to the Priests, gifts to the Priests of Mung.
So shall they cry louder unto Mung than ever was their wont.
And it may be that Mung shall hear.
Not any longer than shall fall the Shadow of Mung athwart the hopes of
the People.
Not any longer then shall the Tread of Mung darken the dreams of the
people.
Not any longer shall the lives of the People be loosened because of
Mung.
Bring ye gifts to the Priests, gifts to the Priests of Mung.
This is the chaunt of the Priests.
The chaunt of the Priests of Mung.
This is the chaunt of the Priests.

THE SAYINGS OF LIMPANG-TUNG
(The God of Mirth and of Melodious Minstrels)
And Limpang-Tung said: "The ways of the gods are strange. The
flower groweth up and the flower fadeth away. This may be very clever
of the gods. Man groweth from his infancy, and in a while he dieth.
This may be very clever too.
"But the gods play with a strange scheme.
"I will send jests into the world and a little mirth. And while Death
seems to thee as far away as the purple rim of hills; or sorrow as far off
as rain in the blue days of summer, then pray to Limpang-Tung. But

when thou growest old, or ere thou diest, pray not of Limpang-Tung,
for thou becomest part of a scheme