'It was not as dignified a Dance as it should be. ESHUORO had
come howling for vengeance and full of machinations. His pro-
fessed wrongs are part of the story.

' Eshuoro is the wayward flesh of ORO--Oro whose agency
serves much of the bestial human, whom they invoke for terror.
OGUN, they deify, for his playground is the battle field, but he
loves the anvil and protects all carvers, smiths, and all workers
in metal.

'For this Feast of the Human Community their Council also
resolved that a symbol of the great re-union be carved. Demoke,
son of the Old Man, was elected to carve it. Undoubtedly Ogun
possessed him for Demoke chose, unwisely, to carve Oro's
sacred tree, araba. Even this might have passed unnoticed by Oro
if Demoke had left araba's height undiminished. But Demoke is
a victim of giddiness and cannot gain araba's heights. He would
shorten the tree, but apprentice to him is one OREMOLE, a fol-
lower of Oro who fought against this sacrilege to his god. And
Oremole won support with his mockery of the carver who was
tied to earth. The apprentice began to work above his master's
head; Demoke reached a hand and plucked him down . . . the
final link was complete--the Dance could proceed.'

-2-