With that the tears fell into the old man's beard. "Sorrow of Sorrows," he said, "but that will be the voice of the Queen of Heaven!" But Jesus said to his mother: "Take up the tears, and throw them into the dark night." And Mary did so: and lo! upon the wilderness, where no light was, and on the dark wave, where seamen toiled without hope, clusters of shining stars rayed downward in a white peace. Thereupon the old king of the desert said: "Heal me, O King of the Elements." And Jesus healed him. His sight was upon him again, and his gray ancientness was green youth once more. "I have come with Deep Knowledge," he said. "Ay, sure, I am for knowing that," said the King of the Elements, that was a little child. "Well, if you will be knowing that, you can tell me who is at my right side?" "It is my elder brother the Wind." "And what colour will the Wind be?" "Now blue as Hope, now green as Compassion." "And who is on my left?" "The Shadow of Life." "And what colour will the Shadow be?" "That which is woven out of the bowels of the earth and out of the belly of the sea." "Truly, thou art the King of the Elements. I am bringing you a great gift, I am: I have come with Deep Knowledge." And with that the old blind man, whose eyes were now as stars, and whose youth was a green garland about him, chanted nine runes. The first rune was the Rune of the Four Winds. The second rune was the Rune of the Deep Seas. The third rune was the Rune of the Lochs and Rivers and the Rains and the Dews and the many waters. The fourth rune was the Rune of the Green Trees and of all things that grow. The fifth rune was the Rune of Man and Bird and Beast, and of everything that lives and moves, in the air, on the earth, and in the sea: all that is seen of man, and all that is unseen of man. The sixth rune was the Rune of Birth, from the spawn on the wave to the Passion of Woman. The seventh rune was the Rune of Death, from the quenching of a gnat to the fading of the stars. The eighth rune was the Rune of the Soul that dieth not, and the Spirit that is. The ninth rune was the Rune of the Mud and the Dross and the Slime of Evil--that is the Garden of God, wherein He walks with sunlight streaming from the palms of his hands and with stars springing beneath his feet. Then when he had done, the old man said: "I have brought you Deep Knowledge." But at that Jesus the Child said: "All this I heard on my way hither." The old desert king bowed his head. Then he took a blade of grass, and played upon it. It was a wild, strange air that he played. "Iosa mac Dhe, tell the woman what song _that_ is," cried the desert king. "It is the secret speech of the Wind that is my Brother," cried the child, clapping his hands for joy. "And what will this be?" and with that the old man took a green leaf, and played a lovely whispering song. "It is the secret speech of the leaves," cried Jesus the little lad, laughing low.