Hinds’ Feet on High Places

Set on the path eastward toward the sunrise and toward the mountains, they quickly advance to the foot of the mountains, which more and more appear to be almost vertical and impossible to traverse. Much-Afraid despairs when she realizes the “cliffs completely blocked the way before her, yet the path ran right up to them, then stopped” (65). Suffering points out the upward movement of a hart (deer) who is climbing the cliff and jumping over gaps effortlessly, and before Sorrow and Suffering can convince Much-Afraid to begin the climb, Craven Fear makes a surprise appearance: “Did you really believe, you poor little fool, that you could escape from me altogether?” (66). At a loss for what to do and too afraid to call upon the Shepherd, Suffering takes action and pricks Much-Afraid with a knife in order to goad her into calling for help.

The gambit works, and the Shepherd comes to the rescue, gently chiding Much-Afraid for her reticence and reminding her of what she really desires: the hinds’ feet that will make it possible for her to climb the High Places. Feeling ashamed, she builds another altar, this time finding a larger stone than normal, dark and sharp to the touch, which she proceeds to collect.