And he had never before dug.
Wherefore, when he spat upon his hands and lay hold of the long-handled shovel wherewith they are wont to shovel, he struck his elbow upon the wall of the shaft wherein he stood, and he poured the earth and the broken rocks over against the back of his neck.
And he waxed exceeding wroth.
And he tried even yet again, and behold! the handle or the shovel became tangled between his legs, and he filled his ear nigh unto full of decomposed slate and the porphyry which is in that region round about.
And he wist not why it was so.
Now, after many days the shovelers with their shovels, and the pickers with their picks, and the blasters with their blasts, and the hoisters with their hoists, banded themselves together and each said to his fellow:
Go to! Let us strike. And they stroke.
And they that strake were as the sands of the sea for multitude, and they were terrible as an army with banners.
And they blew upon the ram's horn and the cornet, and sacbut, and the alto horn, and the flute and the bass drum.
Now, it came to pass that the younger son joined not with them which did strike, neither went he out to his work, nor on the highway, least at any time they that did strike should fall upon him and flatten him out, and send him even unto his home packed in ice, which is after the fashion of that people.