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The night darkened. Our day's works had been done. We thought

that the last guest had arrived for the night and the doors in

the village were all shut. Only some said the king was to come.

We laughed and said "No, it cannot be!"

It seemed there were knocks at the door and we said it was

nothing but the wind. We put out the lamps and lay down to sleep.

Only some said, "It is the messenger!" We laughed and said "No,

it must be the wind!"

There came a sound in the dead of the night. We sleepily thought

it was the distant thunder. The earth shook, the walls rocked,

and it troubled us in our sleep. Only some said it was the sound

of wheels. We said in a drowsy murmur, "No, it must be the

rumbling of clouds!"

The night was still dark when the drum sounded. The voice came

"Wake up! delay not!" We pressed our hands on our hearts and

shuddered with fear. Some said, "Lo, there is the king's flag!"

We stood up on our feet and cried "There is no time for delay!"