THE KING OF ELFLAND’S DAUGHTER
“Who is this that knows troll-talk?” said Lurulu.
And Orion told his name, and this meant nothing to Lurulu. But he squatted down and rummaged a little while in what answers in trolls to our memory; and during his ransacking of much trivial remembrance that had eluded the destruction of time in the fields we know, and the listless apathy of unchanging ages in Elfland, he came all at once on his remembrance of Erl; and looked at Orion again and began to cogitate. And at this same moment Orion told to the troll the august name of his mother. At once Lurulu made what is known amongst the trolls of Elfland as the abasement of the five points; that is to say he bowed himself to the ground on his two knees, his two hands and his forehead. Then he sprang up again with a high leap into the air; for reverence rested not on his spirit long.
“What are you doing in men’s fields?” said Orion.
“Playing” said Lurulu.
“What do you do in Elfland?”
“Watch time” said Lurulu.
“That would not amuse me” said Orion.
“You’ve never done it,” said Lurulu. “You cannot watch time in the fields of men.”
“Why not?” asked Orion.
“It moves too fast.”
Orion pondered awhile on this but could make nothing of it; because, never having gone from the
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