large/10515/welshfairytales_1607_librivox_64kb_mp3/welshfairytales_07_griffis_64kb_54
large/10515/welshfairytales_1607_librivox_64kb_mp3/welshfairytales_07_griffis_64kb
English
10515
Nevertheless, many a mother hugged her darling more closely to her bosom, and fathers feared for their sons or daughters, lest one of these, their own, should be chosen as the victim to be slain. NEVERTHELESS MANY A MOTHER HUGGED HER DARLING MORE CLOSELY TO HER BOSOM AND FATHERS FEARED FOR THEIR SONS OR DAUGHTERS LEST ONE OF THESE THEIR OWN SHOULD BE CHOSEN AS THE VICTIM TO BE SLAIN
er long deliberation, while all the workmen and people outside waited for their verdict, the wise men agreed upon a remedy. Now in ancient times, it was a custom, all over the world, notably in China and Japan and among our ancestors, that when a new castle or bridge was to be built, they sacrificed a human being. This was done either by walling up the victim while alive, or by mixing his or her blood with the cement used in the walls. Often it was a virgin or a little child thus chosen by lot and made to die, the one for the many. The idea was not only to ward off the anger of the spirits of the air, or to appease the dragons under ground, but also to make the workmen do their best work faithfully, so that the foundation should be sure and the edifice withstand the storm, the wind, and the earthquake shocks. So, nobody was surprised, or raised his eyebrows, or shook his head, or pursed up his lips, when the king announced that what the wise men declared, must be done and that quickly. ECIDE WHAT WAS TO BE DONE AFTER LONG DELIBERATION WHILE ALL THE WORKMEN AND PEOPLE OUTSIDE WAITED FOR THEIR VERDICT THE WISE MEN AGREED UPON A REMEDY NOW IN ANCIENT TIMES IT WAS CUSTOM ALL OVER THE WORLD NOTABLY IN CHINA AND JAPAN AND AMONG OUR ANCESTORS THAT WHEN A NEW CASTLE OR BRIDGE WAS TO BE BUILT THEY SACRIFICED A HUMAN BEING THIS WAS DONE EITHER BY WALLING UP THE VICTIM WHILE ALIVE OR BY MIXING HIS OR HER BLOOD WITH THE CEMENT USED IN THE WALLS OFTEN IT WAS A VIRGIN OR A LITTLE CHILD THUS CHOSEN BY LOT AND MADE TO DIE THE ONE FOR THE MANY THE IDEA WAS NOT ONLY TO WARD OFF THE ANGER OF THE SPIRITS OF THE AIR OR TO APPEASE THE DRAGONS UNDERGROUND BUT ALSO TO MAKE THE WORKMEN DO THEIR BEST WORK FAITHFULLY SO THAT THE FOUNDATION SHOULD BE SURE AND THE EDIFICE WITHSTAND THE STORM THE WIND AND THE EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS SO NOBODY WAS SURPRISED OR RAISED HIS EYEBROWS OR SHOOK HIS HEAD OR PURSED UP HIS LIPS WHEN THE KING ANNOUNCED THAT WHAT THE WISE MEN DECLARED MUST BE DONE AND THAT QUICKLY
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