before the high and far-off times, o my best beloved, came the time of the very beginnings; and that was in the days when the eldest magician was getting things ready. first he got the earth ready; then he got the sea ready; and then he told all the animals that they could come out and play. and the animals said, ‘o eldest magician, what shall we play at?’ and he said, ‘i will show you. he took the elephant all-the-elephant-there-was and said, ‘play at being an elephant,’ and all-the-elephant-there-was played. he took the beaver all-the-beaver-there-was and said, ‘play at being a beaver,’