Why does the poet mean in the night of the scorpion by describe the peasants with lanterns making giant scorpion shadows?

well, it simply means the the lanterns carried by the peasants made shadows on the wall of the hut...which also seemed like big scorpion shadows to the poet.. who is picturised as a little boy, who's mother has been stung by a scorpion....it describes the Horror in the little child who was merely standing and watching his mother groaning in pain....