the golden bough-第28节

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ly　for　lack　of　water。　The　drought　had　lasted　six　months。　Every　day　the　sun　rose　and　set　in　a　sky　of　cloudless　blue。　The　gardens　of　the　Conca　d'Oro；　which　surround　Palermo　with　a　magnificent　belt　of　verdure；　were　withering。　Food　was　becoming　scarce。　The　people　were　in　great　alarm。　All　the　most　approved　methods　of　procuring　rain　had　been　tried　without　effect。　Processions　had　traversed　the　streets　and　the　fields。　Men；　women；　and　children；　telling　their　beads；　had　lain　whole　nights　before　the　holy　images。　Consecrated　candles　had　burned　day　and　night　in　the　churches。　Palm　branches；　blessed　on　Palm　Sunday；　had　been　hung　on　the　trees。　At　Solaparuta；　in　accordance　with　a　very　old　custom；　the

dust　swept　from　the　churches　on　Palm　Sunday　had　been　spread　on　the　fields。　In　ordinary　years　these　holy　sweepings　preserve　the　crops；　but　that　year；　if　you　will　believe　me；　they　had　no　effect　whatever。　At　Nicosia　the　inhabitants；　bare…headed　and　bare…foot；　carried　the　crucifixes　through　all　the　wards　of　the　town　and　scourged　each　other　with　iron　whips。　It　was　all　in　vain。　Even　the　great　St。　Francis　of　Paolo　himself；　who　annually　performs　the　miracle　of　rain　and　is　carried　every　spring　through　the　market…gardens；　either　could　not　or　would　not　help。　Masses；　vespers；　concerts；　illuminations；　fire…worksnothing　could　move　him。　At　last　the　peasants　began　to　lose　patience。　Most　of　the　saints　were　banished。　At　Palermo　they　dumped　St。　Joseph　in　a　garden　to　see　the　state　of　things　for　himself；　and　they　swore　to　leave　him　there　in　the　sun　till　rain　fell。　Other　saints　were　turned；　like　naughty　children；　with　their　faces　to　the　wall。　Others　again；　stripped　of　their　beautiful　robes；　were　exiled　far　from　their　parishes；　threatened；　grossly　insulted；　ducked　in　horse…ponds。　At　Caltanisetta　the　golden　wings　of　St。　Michael　the　Archangel　were　torn　from　his　shoulders　and　replaced　with　wings　of　pasteboard；　his　purple　mantle　was　taken　away　and　a　clout　wrapt　about　him　instead。　At　Licata　the　patron　saint；　St。　Angelo；　fared　even　worse；　for　he　was　left　without　any　garments　at　all；　he　was　reviled；　he　was　put　in　irons；　he　was　threatened　with　drowning　or　hanging。　Rain　or　the　rope！　roared　the　angry　people　at　him；　as　they　shook　their　fists　in　his　face。

Sometimes　an　appeal　is　made　to　the　pity　of　the　gods。　When　their　corn　is　being　burnt　up　by　the　sun；　the　Zulus　look　out　for　a　heaven　bird；　kill　it；　and　throw　it　into　a　pool。　Then　the　heaven　melts　with　tenderness　for　the　death　of　the　bird；　it　wails　for　it　by　raining；　wailing　a　funeral　wail。　In　Zululand　women　sometimes　bury　their　children　up　to　the　neck　in　the　ground；　and　then　retiring　to　a　distance　keep　up　a　dismal　howl　for　a　long　time。　The　sky　is　supposed　to　melt　with　pity　at　the　sight。　Then　the　women　dig　the　children　out　and　feel　sure　that　rain　will　soon　follow。　They　say　that　they　call　to　the　lord　above　and　ask　him　to　send　rain。　If　it　comes　they　declare　that　Usondo　rains。　In　times　of　drought　the　Guanches　of　Teneriffe　led　their　sheep　to　sacred　ground；　and　there　they　separated　the　lambs　from　their　dams；　that　their　plaintive　bleating　might　touch　the　heart　of　the　god。　In　Kumaon　a　way　of　stopping　rain　is　to　pour　hot　oil　in　the　left　ear　of　a　dog。　The　animal　howls　with　pain；　his　howls　are　heard　by　Indra；　and　out　of　pity　for　the　beast's　sufferings　the　god　stops　the　rain。　Sometimes　the　Toradjas　attempt　to　procure　rain　as　follows。　They　place　the　stalks　of　certain　plants　in　water；　saying；　Go　and　ask　for　rain；　and　so　long　as　no　rain　falls　I　will　not　plant　you　again；　but　there　shall　you　die。　Also　they　string　some　fresh…water　snails　on　a　cord；　and　hang　the　cord　on　a　tree；　and　say　to　the　snails；　Go　and　ask　for　rain；　and　so　long　as　no　rain　comes；　I　will　not　take　you　back　to　the　water。　Then　the　snails　go　and　weep；　and　the　gods　take　pity　and　send　rain。　However；　the　foregoing　ceremonies　are　religious　rather　than　magical；　since　they　involve　an　appeal　to　the　compassion　of　higher　powers。

Stones　are　often　supposed　to　possess　the　property　of　bringing　on　rain；　provided　they　be　dipped　in　water　or　sprinkled　with　it；　or　treated　in　some　other　appropriate　manner。　In　a　Samoan　village　a　certain　stone　was　carefully　housed　as　the　representative　of　the　rain…making　god；　and　in　time　of　drought　his　priests　carried　the　stone　in　procession　and　dipped　it　in　a　stream。　Among　the　Ta…ta…thi　tribe　of　New　South　Wales；　the　rain…maker　breaks　off　a　piece　of　quartz…crystal　and　spits　it　towards　the　sky；　the　rest　of　the　crystal　he　wraps　in　emu　feathers；　soaks　both　crystal　and　feathers　in　water；　and　carefully　hides　them。　In　the　Keramin　tribe　of　New　South　Wales　the　wizard　retires　to　the　bed　of　a　creek；　drops　water　on　a　round　flat　stone；　then　covers　up　and　conceals　it。　Among　some　tribes　of　North…western　Australia　the　rain…maker　repairs　to　a　piece　of　ground　which　is　set　apart　for　the　purpose　of　rain…making。　There　he　builds　a　heap　of　stones　or　sand；　places　on　the　top　of　it　his　magic　stone；　and　walks　or　dances　round　the　pile　chanting　his　incantations　for　hours；　till　sheer　exhaustion　obliges　him　to　desist；　when　his　place　is　taken　by　his　assistant。　Water　is　sprinkled　on　the　stone　and　huge　fires　are　kindled。　No　layman　may　approach　the　sacred　spot　while　the　mystic　ceremony　is　being　performed。　When　the　Sulka　of　New　Britain　wish　to　procure　rain　they　blacken　stones　with　the　ashes　of　certain　fruits　and　set　them　out；　along　with　certain　other　plants　and　buds；　in　the　sun。　Then　a　handful　of　twigs　is　dipped　in　water　and　weighted　with　stones；　while　a　spell　is　chanted。　After　that　rain　should　follow。　In　Manipur；　on　a　lofty　hill　to　the　east　of　the　capital；　there　is　a　stone　which　the　popular　imagination　likens　to　an　umbrella。　When　rain　is　wanted；　the　rajah　fetches　water　from　a　spring　below　and　sprinkles　it　on　the　stone。　At　Sagami　in　Japan　there　is　a　stone　which　draws　down　rain　whenever　water　is　poured　on　it。　When　the　Wakondyo；　a　tribe　of　Central　Africa；　desire　rain；　they　send　to　the　Wawamba；　who　dwell　at　the　foot　of　snowy　mountains；　and　are　the　happy　possessors　of　a　rain…stone。　In　consideration　of　a　proper　payment；　the　Wawamba　wash　the　precious　stone；　anoint　it　with　oil；　and　put　it　in　a　pot　full　of　water。　After　that　the　rain　cannot　fail　to　come。　In　the　arid　wastes　of　Arizona　and　New　Mexico　the　Apaches　sought　to　make　rain　by　carrying　water　from　a　certain　spring　and　throwing　it　on　a　particular　point　high　up　on　a　rock；　after　that　they　imagined　that　the　clouds　would　soon　gather；　and　that　rain　would　begin　to　fall。

But　customs　of　this　sort　are　not　confined　to　the　wilds　of　Africa　and　Asia　or　the　torrid　deserts　of　Australia　and　the　New　World。　They　have　been　practised　in　the　cool　air　and　under　the　grey　skies　of　Europe。　There　is　a　fountain　called　Barenton；　of　romantic　fame；　in　those　wild　woods　of　Broceliande；　where；　if　legend　be　true；　the　wizard　Merlin　still　sleeps　his　magic　slumber　in　the　hawthorn　shade。　Thither　the　Breton　peasants　used　to　resort　when　they　needed　rain。　They　caught　some　of　the　water　in　a　tankard　and　threw　it　on　a　slab　near　the　spring。　On　Snowdon　there　is　a　lonely　tarn　called　Dulyn；　or　the　Black　Lake；　lying　in　a　dismal　dingle　surrounded　by　high　and　dangerous　rocks。　A　row　of　stepping…stones　runs　out　into　the　lake；　and　if　any　one　steps　on　the　stones　and　throws　water　so　as　to　wet　the　farthest　stone；　which　is　called　the　Red　Altar；　it　is　but　a　chance　that　you　do　not　get　rain　before　night；　even　when　it　is　hot　weather。　In　these　cases　it　appears　probable　that；　as　in　Samoa；　the　stone　is　regarded　as　more　or　less　divine。　This　appears　from　the　custom　sometimes　observed　of　dipping　a　cross　in　the　Fountain　of　Barenton　to　procure　rain；　for　this　is　plainly　a　Christian　substitute　for　the　old　pagan　way　of　throwing　water　on　the　stone。　At　various　places　in　France　it　is；　or　used　till　lately　to　be；　the　practice　to　dip　the　image　of　a　saint　in　water　as　a　means　of　procuring　rain。　Thus；　beside　the　old　priory　of　Commagny；　there　is　a　spring　of　St。　Gervais；　whither　the　inhabitants　go　in　procession　to　obtain　rain　or　fine　weather　according　to　the　needs　of　the　crops。　In　times　of　great　drought　they　throw　into　the　basin　of　the　fountain　an　ancient　stone　image　of　the　saint　that　stands　in　a　sort　of　niche　from　which　the　fountain　flows。　At　Collobrières　and　Carpentras　a　similar　practice　was　observed　with　the　images　of　St。　Pons　and　St。　Gens　respectively。　In　several　villages　of　Navarre　prayers　for　rain　used　to　be　offered　to　St。　Peter；　and　by　way　of　enforcing　them　the　villagers　carried　the　image　of　the　saint　in　procession　to　the　river；　where　they　thrice　invited　him　to　reconsider　his　resolution　and　to　grant　their　prayers；　then；　if　he　was　still　obstinate；　they　plunged　him　in　the　water；　despite　the　remonstrances　of　the　clergy；　who　pleaded　with　as　much　truth　as　piety　that　a　simple　caution　or　admonition　administered　to　the　image　would　produce　an　equally　good　effect。　After　this　the　rain　was　sure　to　fall　within　twenty…four　hours。　Catholic　countries　do　not　enjoy　a　monopoly　of　making　rain　by　ducking　holy　images　in　water。　In　Mingrelia；　when　the　crops　are　suffering　from　want　of　rain；　they　take　a　particularly　holy　image　and　dip　it　in　water　every　day　till　a　shower　falls；　and　in　the　Far　East　the　Shans　drench　the　images　of　Buddha　with　water　when　the　rice　is　perishing　of　drought。　In　all　such　cases　the　practice　is　probably　at　bottom　a　sympathetic　charm；　howeve