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mongibello
31
all there was of snakes and dragons and witches that
lay boiling in the lava, ran out with it when there
was an eruption. There they lay crawling and
creeping, intertwining and trying to creep up on
cold ground and still keeping each other behind in
misery till the lava stiffened around them, and
extricate themselves they could not. No, indeed!
But the lava was not as portionless as he imagined.
Although grass did not grow there, might there not be
other things to see ? But what that was, he very likely
never could guess. It groped and ran, it tumbled
and crept, it went on its knees, on its head, on its
elbow. It came up the sides of the valley and down
the sides of the valley; it had only prickles and
knobs, it had dust and spider web in its wig and as
many joints as a worm. Could it be anything but
the cactus? Did he know that the cactus broke
ground on the lava like a farmer ? Did he know
that none but the fichidins had any power over the
lava ?
Now she looked at Father Josef and made a funny
droll face. That cactus was the best hobgoblin on
Etna, but then hobgoblin was hobgoblin. The cactus
was a Saracen, for it kept female slaves. No sooner
had the cactus taken root somewhere than it wanted
the almond trees close beside it. The almond trees
are elegant, shining signoras. They hardly dare to
venture out on the black lava, but that does not help
them. Out they must, and once out, they must
remain there. O, Gaetano should see if he came.
In the spring when the almond trees stand white
with blossoms on the black lava in the midst of the
gray cactus, they are so innocent and beautiful, that
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