my companion, and it was as when you are joking, and put your fingers on one another's eyes, so great was the darkness. And all the slaves ran away and went and got into their huts, and those youths got up, and went and lay down. And the bird came down and ate the dates, and flew and went away.
And they were not yet awake, and the rain had not yet held up, and the storm was not yet gone, and they were sleeping when six o'clock struck, and they knew nothing of its dawning, and the rain would have been falling, and the darkness the same, and the storm the same blowing hard. And they slept till seven o'clock struck, and at eight o'clock a man was sent out of the town by their father, "Take this umbrella, and go to the plantation. How is it with these sons? We have no news of them yet, whether they are well or ill, or we shall get dates, or there are no dates. Ask their news, and come and tell us."
And he went in the rain to the plantation. And he went and got to the head-man's, and they were not up, he had fastened the door, and was asleep. And he cried, Hodi! Hodi!! Hodi!!! The head-man answered him, "Who are you?" And he said, "I am Hueduni," "Ah!" he said, "what have you been doing all night in this rain?" And he said, "You country people, mark you, you are simpletons, you have your clocks about your houses." And he said, "Eh! Hueduni, you are making game of us; how should we get a clock, we country people?" And he said, "You have clocks and more, not one, nor two." And he said, "Even to knowing what such a clock is, I don't." And he said, "Are there no cocks? they are the country clocks, mind you! When you hear the cock crowing you know it's dawn, or early morning; are not they your clocks, then?"
