{"id":"01KG8AKMH9Q8TQNCH496KHNPHY","cid":"bafkreihcgyix7grmgp6junxwx7ad4whir6ez7ehfbtm76o62pscnahh2ri","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":995,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:09.927Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 2","source_file":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","start_line":940,"text":"lines of sphinxes and griffins, and many limbed images, a band of them,\r\nin long flowing robes, began their morning chant.\r\n\r\n“Awake Rarni! awake Foloona!\r\nAwake unnumbered deities!”\r\n\r\n\r\nWith many similar invocations, to which the images made not the\r\nslightest rejoinder. Not discouraged, however, the attendants now\r\nseparately proceeded to offer up petitions on behalf of various tribes,\r\nretaining them for that purpose.\r\n\r\nOne prayed for abundance of rain, that the yams of Valapee might not\r\nwilt in the ground; another for dry sunshine, as most favorable for the\r\npresent state of the Bread-fruit crop in Mondoldo.\r\n\r\nHearing all this, Babbalanja thus spoke:—“Doubtless, my lord Media,\r\nbesides these petitions we hear, there are ten thousand contradictory\r\nprayers ascending to these idols. But methinks the gods will not jar\r\nthe eternal progression of things, by any hints from below; even were\r\nit possible to satisfy conflicting desires.”\r\n\r\nSaid Yoomy, “But I would pray, nevertheless, Babbalanja; for prayer\r\ndraws us near to our own souls, and purifies our thoughts. Nor will I\r\ngrant that our supplications are altogether in vain.”\r\n\r\nStill wandering among the images, Mohi had much to say, concerning\r\ntheir respective claims to the reverence of the devout.\r\n\r\nFor though, in one way or other, all Mardians bowed to the supremacy of\r\nOro, they were not so unanimous concerning the inferior deities; those\r\nsupposed to be intermediately concerned in sublunary things. Some\r\nnations sacrificed to one god; some to another; each maintaining, that\r\ntheir own god was the most potential.\r\n\r\nObserving that all the images were more or less defaced, Babbalanja\r\nsought the reason.\r\n\r\nTo which, Braid-Beard made answer, that they had been thus defaced by\r\nhostile devotees; who quarreling in the great gallery of the gods, and\r\ngetting beside themselves with rage, often sought to pull down, and\r\ndemolish each other’s favorite idols.\r\n\r\n“But behold,” cried Babbalanja, “there seems not a single image\r\nunmutilated. How is this, old man?”\r\n\r\n“It is thus. While one faction defaces the images of its adversaries,\r\nits own images are in like manner assailed; whence it comes that no\r\nidol escapes.”\r\n\r\n“No more, no more, Braid-Beard,” said Media. “Let us depart, and visit\r\nthe islet, where the god of all these gods is enshrined.”\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 2"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJNK0P10WKM3VB2S7JMWA","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKMH5MM8H6FEKYZZBKHQX","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:10.793Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:19.496Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}