_He died like the sun And the sorceress perched at the top of a fir pine Heard until evening The rumours of the great winds engulfed in the phial And the lying scaldas swear to this Mai Mai ramaho nia nia._ Croniamantal was silent for an instant and then added: "I shall from now on write only poetry free from all restrictions even that of language.[7] "Listen, old man!" MAHEVIDANOMI RENANOCALIPNODITOC EXTARTINAP # v.s. A. Z. Telephone: 33-122 Pan : Pan OeaoiiiioKTin iiiiiiiiiii "Your last line, my poor Croniamantal," said the Bird of Benin, "is a simple plagiarism from Fr.nc.s J.mm.s." "That is not true," said Croniamantal. "But I shall compose no more pure poetry. That is what I have come to, through your fault. I want to write plays." "You had better go to see the young woman of whom I spoke to you. She knows you and seems to be crazy about you. You will find her in the Meudon woods next Thursday at a place that I shall designate. You will recognize her by the skipping rope that she will hold in her hand. Her name is Tristouse Ballerinette." "Very well," said Croniamantal, "I shall go to see Ballerinette and shall sleep with her, but above all I want to go to the theatres to offer my play, Ieximal Jelimite, which I wrote in your studio last year while eating lemons." "Do what you want, my friend," said the Bird of Benin, "but do not forget Tristouse Ballerinette, the woman of your future." "Well said," said Croniamantal. "But I want to roar to you once more the plot of Ieximal Jelimite. Listen: "A man buys a newspaper on the seashore. From the garden of a house at one side emerges a soldier whose hands are electric bulbs. A giant 10 feet tall descends from a tree. He shakes the newspaper vendor, who is of plaster and who in falling breaks to bits. At this moment a judge arrives. With strokes of a razor he kills everybody, while a leg which passes hopping crushes the judge with a kick in the nose, and sings a pretty little song." "How wonderful!" said the Bird of Benin. "I shall paint the decoration, you have promised me that." "That goes without saying," answered Croniamantal.[8] XI. DRAMATURGY On the following day Croniamantal went to The Theatre, which was meeting at Monsieur Pingu's, the financier. Croniamantal succeeded in gaining entry by bribing the doorman and the butler. He entered boldly the hall where The Theatre, its satellites, its stool-pigeons and its hired thugs were gathered. CRONIAMANTAL Ladies and Gentlemen of THE THEATRE, I have come to read you my play entitled _Ieximal Jelimite._ THE THEATRE Good gracious, wait a minute, young man, until you have been informed about our methods of procedure. You are here in the midst of our actors, our authors, our critics and our spectators. Listen attentively and don't even speak. CRONIAMANTAL Gentlemen, I thank you for the cordial reception that you give me and I shall profit, I am sure, of all that I hear. THE ACTOR