The Indian play "Hiawatha", in the land of the Ojibways, Wa-ya-ga-mug.

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Iagoo.
the great traveler, the great boaster.
THE INDIAN PLAY
HIAWATHA
INTRODUCTION
Should you ask me, whence these stories?
Whence these legends and traditions,
With the odors of the forest,
With the dew and damp of meadows,
With the curling smoke of wigwams,
With the rushing of great rivers,
With their frequent l'epetitions,
And their wild reverberations,
As of thunder in the mountains?
I should answer, I should tell you,
.. Fl'om the forests and the prairies,
From the great lakes of the orthland,
From the land of the Ojibways,
From the land of the Dacotahs,
From the mountains, moors, and fen-lands,
Where the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,
Feeds among the reeds and rushes.
I repeat them as I heard them
From the lips of awadaha,
The musician, the sweet singer."
Should you ask where awadaha
Found these songs so wild and wayward,
Found these legends and traditions,
I should answer, I should tell you,
.. In the bird's-nests of the forest,
In the lodges of the beaver,
In the hoof-prints of the bison,
In the eyry of the eagle!
" 11 the wildfowl sang them to him,
In the moorlands and the fen-lands,
In the melancholy marshes;
Chetowaik, the plover, sang them,
Mahng, the loon, the wild goose, Wawa,
The blue heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,
And the grouse, the Mushkodasa! "
If still further you should ask me
Saying, "Who was awadaha?
Tell us of this awadaha,"
I should answer your inquiries
traightway in such words as follow:
.. In the Vale of Tawasentha,
In the green and silent valley,
By the pleasant water-courses,
Dwelt the singer awadaha.
'Round about the Indian village
pread the meadows and thc cornfields,
And beyond them stood the fOl'cst,
Stood the groves of singing pine-trees,
Green in Summer, white in Winter,
Ever sighing, ever singing,
"And the pleasant water-courses,
You could trace them through the valley,
By the rushing in the Spring-time,
By the alders in the Summer,
By the white fog in the Autumn,
By the black line in the Winter;
And beside them dwelt the singer,
In the Vale of Tawasentha,
In the green and silent valley.
"There he sang of Hiawatha,
Sang the Song of Hiawatha,
Sang his wondrous birth and being,
How he prayed and how he fasted,
How he lived, and toiled, and suffered,
That the tribes of men might prosper,
That he might advance his people! "
Ye who love the haunts of ature,
Love the sunshine of the meadow,
Love the shadow of the forest,
Love the wind among the branches,
And the rain-showel' and the snow-storm,
And the rushing of great rivers
Through their palisades of pine-trees,
And the thunder in the mountains,
Whose innumerable echoes
Flap like eagles in their eyries,­Listen
to these wild traditions,
To this ong of Hiawatha!
Ye who love a nation's legends,
Love the ballads of a people,
That like voices from afar off
Call to us to pause and listen,
Speak in tones so plain and childlike,
Scarcely can the ear distinguish
Whether they are sung or spoken;
Listen to this Indian Legend,
To this Song of Hiawatha!
Ye whose hearts are fresh and simple,
Who have faith in God and ature,
Who believe that in all ages
Every human heart is human,
That in even savage bosoms
There are longings, yearnings, strivings
For the good they comprehend not
That the feeble hands and helpless,'
Groping blindly in the darkness
Touch God's right hand in that darkness
And are lifted up and strengthened,­Listen
to this simple story,
To this ong of Hiawatha!
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seE E I
THE GATHERI G OF THE TRIBES
On the Mountains of the Prairie,
On the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
He the Master of Life, descending,
On the red crags of the quarry
Stood erect, and called the nations,
Called the tribes of men together,
Filled the pipe -with bark of -willo-w,
With the bark of the red -willo-w;
Breathed upon the neighboring forest,
Made its great boughs chafe together,
Till in £la'me they burst and kindled;
And erect upon the mountains,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
Smoked the calumet, the Peace-Pipe,
As a signal to the nations.
And the smoke rose slo-wly, slo-wly,
Through the tranquil air of morning,
First a single line of darkness,
Then a denser, bluer vapor,
Then a sno-w--white cloud unfolding,
Like the tree-tops of the forest,
Ever rising, rising, rising,
Till it touched the top of heaven,
Till it broke against the heaven,
And rolled out-ward all around it.
From the Vale of Ta-wasentha,
From the Valley of Wyoming,
From the groves of Tuscaloosa,
From the far-off Rocky Mountains,
From the Northern lakes and rivers,
All the tribes beheld the signal,
Sa-w the distant smoke ascending,
The Puk-wana of the Peace-Pipe.
Do-wn the rivers, o'er the prairies,
Came the -warriors of the nations,
All the -warriors dra-wn together
By the signal of the Peace-Pipe,
To the Mountains of the Prairie,
To the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry.
And they stood there on the meado-w,
With their -weapons and their -war-gear,
Painted like the leaves of Autumn,
Painted like the sky of morning,
Wildly glaring at each other;
In their faces stern defiance,
In their hearts the feuds of ages,
The hereditary hatred,
The ancestral thirst of vengeance.
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
The creator of the nations,
Spake to them -with voice majestic
As the sound of far-off -waters
Falling into deep abysses,
Warning, chiding, spake in this -wise:-
"0 my children! My poor children!
Listen to the -words of -wisdom,
Listen to the -words of -warning,
From the lips of the Great Spirit,
From the Master of Life, -who made you!
" I have given you lands to hunt in,
I have given you streams to fish in,
I have given you bear and bison,
I have given you roe and reindeer,
I have given you brant and beaver,
Filled the marshes full of -wild-fo-wl,
Filled the rivers full of fishes;
Why then are you not contented?
Why then -will you hunt each other?
" I am -weary of your quarrels,
Weary of your -wars and bloodshed,
Weary of your prayers for vengeance,
Of your -wranglings and dissensions;
All your strength is in your union,
All your danger is in discord;
Therefore be at peace hencefor-ward,
And as brothers live together.
" I -will send a Prophet to you,
A Deliverer of the nations,
Who shall guide you and shall teach you,
Who shall toil and suffer -with you.
If you listen to his counsels
You -will multiply and prosper;
If his -warnings pass unheeded
You -will fade a-way and perish!
" Bathe no-w in the stream before you,
Wash the -war-paint from your bees,
Wash the blood-stains from your fingers,
Bury your -war-clubs and your -weapons,
Break the red stone from this quarry,
Mould and make it into Peace-Pipes,
Take the reeds that gro-w beside you,
Deck them -with your brightest feathere,
Smoke the calumet together,
And as brothers live hencefor-warJ ! "
From the river came the -warriors,
Clean and -washed from all their -war-paint;
On the banks their clubs they buri d,
Buried all their -warlike -weapons.
And in silence all the -warriors
Then departed each one home-ward.
SCE E II
THE I FANT HIAWATHA
Downward through the e ening twilight,
In the days that are forgotten,
In the unremembered ages,
From the full moon fell okomis,
Fell the beautiful okomis,
She a wife but not a mother.
he was sporting with her women,
winging in the swing of grape-vines,
When her rival, the rejected,
Full of jealousy and hatred,
Cut the leafy swing asunder,
Cut in twain the twisted grape-vines,
And okomis fell affrighted
Downward through the evening twilight,
On the Muskoday, the meadow,
On the prairie full of blossoms.
" See! a star falls! .. said the people;
, , From the sky a star is falling! "
There among the ferns and mosses,
There among the prairie lilies,
On the Muskoday, the meadow,
In the moonlight and the starlight,
Fair okomis bore a daughter.
And she called her name Wenonah,
As the first-born of her daughters.
And the daughter of okomis
Grew up like the prairie lilies,
Grew a tall and slender maiden,
With the beauty of the moonlight,
With the beauty of the starlight.
And okomis warned her often,
Saying oft, and oft repeating,
"Oh, beware of Mudjekeewis,
Of the West-Wind, Mudjekeewis;
Listen not to what he tells you;
Lie not down upon the meadow,
Stoop not down among the lilies,
Lest the West-Wind come and harm you!"
But she heeded not the warning,
Heeded not those words of wisdom.
And the West-Wind came at evening,
Walking lightly o'er the prairie,
Whispering to the leaves and blossoms,
Bending low the flowers and grasses,
Found the beautiful Wenonah,
Lying there among the lilies,
Wooed her with his words of sweetness,
Wooed her with his soft caresses,
Till she bore a son in sorrow,
Bore a son of love and sorrow.
Thus was born my Hiawatha,
Thus was born the child of wonder;
But the daughter of okomis,
Hiawatha's gentle mother,
In her anguish died deserted
By the West-Wind, false and faithless,
By the heartless Mudjekeewis.
By the shores of Gitche Gurnee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood the wigwam of okomis,
Daughter of the Moon, okomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them;
Bright before it beat the water,
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
There the wrinkled old okomis
ursed the little Hiawatha,
Rocked him in his linden cradle,
Bedded soft in moss and rushes,
Safely bound with reindeer sinews;
Stilled his fretful wail by saying,
" Hush! the aked Bear will hear thee! ..
Lulled him into slumber, singing,
" Ewa-yea! my little owlet!
Who is this, that lights the wigwam?
With his great eyes lights the wigwam?
Ewa-yea! my little owlet! ..
All the village came and feasted.
All the guests praised Hiawatha.
Scarce a twig moved
with his motion.
Scarce a leaf was
stirred or rustled.
SCENE III
THE BOY HIAWATHA
His education:
Chiabos teaches him to sing,
Iagoo teaches him to shoot.
Then he said to Hiawatha:
" Go, my son, into the forest,
Where the red deer herd together,
Kill for us a famous roebuck,
Kill for us a deer with antlers! "
Then, upon one knee uprising,
Hiawatha aimed an arrow;
Scarce a twig moved with his motion,
Scarce a leaf was stirred or rustled,
But the wary roebuck started,
Stamped with all his hoofs together,
Listened with one foot uplifted,
Leaped as if to meet the arrow;
Ah! the sin~jing, fatal arrow;
Like a wasp it buzzed and stung him I
Dead he lay there in the forest,
By the ford across the river;
Beat his timid heart no longer,
But the heart of Hiawatha
Throbbed and shouted and exulted,
As he bore the red deer homeward,
And Iagoo and Nokomis
Hailed his coming with applauses.
From the red deer's hide Nokomis
Made a cloak for Hiawatha,
From the red deer's flesh Nokomis
Made a banquet in his honor.
All the village came and feasted,
All the guests praised Hiawatha,
Called him Strong-Heart, Soan-ge-taha!
Called him Loon-Heart, Mahn-go-taysee I
Pau-puk-keewis teaches him to dance.
SCENE IV
THE YOUNG CHIEF
"As unto the bow the cord is,
So unto the man is woman;
Though she bends him, she obeys him,
Though she draws him, yet she follows,
Useless each without the other!
Thus the youthful Hiawatha
Said within himself and pondered,
Much perplexed by various feelings,
Listless, longing, hoping, fearing,
Dreaming still of Minnehaha,
Of the lovely Laughing Water,
In the land of the Dacotahs.
"Wed a maiden of your people,"
Warning said the old okomis;
"Go not eastward, go not westward,
For a stranger, whom we know not!
Like a fire upon the hearth-stone
Is a neighbor's homely daughter,
Like the starlight or the moonlight
Is the handsomest of strangers! "
Thus dissuading spake okomis,
And my Hiawatha answered
Only this: "Dear old okomis,
Very pleasant is the firelight,
But I like the starlight better,
Better do I like the moonlight! "
Gravely then said old okomis:
" Bring not here an idle maiden,
Bring not here a useless woman,
Hands unskillful, feet unwilling;
Bring a wife with nimble fingers,
Heart and hand that move together,
Feet that run on willing errands! "
Smiling answered Hiawatha:
" In the land of the Dacotahs
Lives the Arrow-maker's idaughter,
Minnehaha, Laughing Water,
Handsomest of all the women.
I will bring her to your wigwam,
She shall run upon your errands,
Be your starlight, moonlight, firdight,
Be the sunlight of my people! "
Still dissuading said Nokomis:
" Bring not to my lodge a stranger
F rom the land of the Dacotahs!
Very fierce are the Dacotahs,
Often is there war between us,
There are feuds yet unforgotten,
Wounds that ache and still may open! "
Laughing answered Hiawatha:
"For that reason, if no other,
Would I wed the fair Dacotah,
That our tribes might be united,
That the old feuds might be forgotten,
And old wounds be healed forever! "
She was thinking of a hunter.
Young and tall and very handsome.
Brought forth food and set before them.
'Vater brought them from the brooklet.
SCENE V
THE VILLAGE
Various customs and ceremonies are introduced, older than the coming of the White Man to this
continent,-how much older, no one knows.
SCENE VI
I DIAN WOOl G
On the outskirts of the forest,
'Twixt the shadow and the sunshine,
Herds of fallow deer were feeding,
But they saw not Hiawatha j
To his bow he whispered, .. Fail not! "
To his arrow whispered, "Swerve not! "
Sent it singing on its errand,
To the red heart of the roebuck j
Threw the deer across his shoulder,
And sped forward without pausing.
At the doorway of his wigwam
Sat the ancient Arrow-maker,
In the land of the Dacotahs,
Making arrow-heads of jasper,
Arrow-heads of chalcedony.
At his side, in all her beauty,
Sat the lovely Minnehaha,
Sat his daughter, Laughing Water,
Plaiting mats of flags and rushes j
Of the past the old man's thoughts were,
And the maiden's of the future.
She was thinking of a hunter,
From another tribe and country,
Young and tall and very handsome,
Who one morning, in the Spring-time,
Came to buy her father's arrows,
Sat and rested in the wigwam,
Lingered long about the doorway,
Looking back as he departed.
She had heard her father praise him,
Praise his courage and his wisdom;
Would he come again for arrows
To the F aHs of Minnehaha?
On the mat her hands lay idle,
And her eyes were very dreamy.
Through their thoughts they heard a
Heard a rustling in the branches, [footstep,
And with glowing cheek and forehead,
With the deer upon his shoulders,
Suddenly from out the woodlands
Hiawatha stood before them.
Straight the ancient Arrow-maker
Looked up gravely from his labor,
Laid aside the unfinished arrow.
Then uprose the Laughing Water,
From the ground fair Minnehaha
Laid aside her mat unfinished,
Brought forth food and set before them,
Water brought them from the brooklet,
Gave them food in earthen vessels,
Gave them drink in bowls of bass-wood,
Listened while the guest was speaking,
Listened while her father answered,
But not once her lips she opened,
ot a single word she uttered.
Yes, as in a dream she listened
To the words of Hiawatha,
As he talked of old okomis,
Who had nursed him in his childhood,
As he told of his companions,
Chibiabos, the musician,
And the very strong man, Kwasind,
And of happiness and plenty
In the land of the Ojibways,
In the pleasant land and peaceful.
"After many years of warfare,
Many years of strife and bloodshed,
There is peace between the Ojibways
And the tribe of the Dacotahs."
Thus continued Hiawatha,
And then added, speaking slowly,
"That this peace may las: forever,
And our hands be clasped more closely,
And our hearts be more united,
Give me as my wife this maiden,
Minnehaha, Laughing Water,
Loveliest of Dacotah women! "
And the ancient Arrow-maker
Paused a moment ere he answered,
Smoked a little while in silence,
Looked at Hiawatha proudly,
Fondly looked at Laughing Water,
And made answer very gravely:
" Yes, if Minnehaha wishes;
Let your heart speak, Minnehaha! "
And the lovely Laughing Water
Seemed more lovely, as she stood there,
Neither willing nor reluctant,
As she went to Hiawatha.
Softly took the seat besid~ him,
While she said, and blushed to say it,
"I will follow you, my husband!"
And she follows
where be leads her,
Leaving all things
for the stranger.
From the wigwam
he departed,
Leading with him
Laughing Water.
SCENE VI-Continued
INDIAN WOOl G
This was Hiawatha's wooing!
Thus it was he won the daughter
Of the ancient Arrow-maker,
In the land of the Dacotahs!
From the wigwam he departed,
Leading with him Laughing Water:
Hand in hand they went together,
Through "the woodland and the meadow,
Left the old man standing lonely
At the doorway of his wigwam,
Heard the Falls of Minnehaha
Calling to them from the distance,
Crying to them from afar off,
" Fare thee well, 0 Minnehaha! "
And the ancient Arrow-maker
Turned again unto his labor,
Sat down by his sunny doorway,
Murmuring to himself, and saying:
"Thus it is our daughters leave us,
Those we love, and those who love us!
Just when they have learned to help us,
When we are old and lean upon them
Comes a youth with flaunting feathers,
With his flute of reeds, a stranger
Wanders piping through the village,
Beckons to the fairest maiden,
And she follows where he leads her,
Leaving all things for the stranger!"
Pleasant was the journey homeward,
Through interminable forests,
Over meadow, over mountain,
Over river, hill and hollow.
Short it seemed to Hiawatha,
Though they journeyed very slowly,
Though his pace he checked and slackened
To the steps of Laughing Water.
Thus it was they journeyed homeward;
Thus it was that Hiawatha
To the lodge of old Nokomis
Brought the moonlight, starlight, firelight,
Brought the sunshine of his people,
Minnehaha, Laughing Water,
Handsomest of all the women
In the land of the Dacotahs,
In the land of handsome women.
SCENE VII
THE WEDDING FEAST
Sumptuous was the feast okomis
Made at Hiawatha's wedding;
11 the bowls were made of bass-wood,
White and polished very smoothly,
All the spoons of horn of bison,
Black and polished very smoothly.
She had sent through all the village
Messengers with wands of willow,
As a sign of invitation,
As a token of the feasting;
And the wedding guests assembled,
Clad in all their riches! raiment,
Robes of fur and belts of wampum,
Splendid with their paint and plumage,
Beautiful with beads and tassels.
First they ate the sturgeon, ahma,
And the pike, the Maskenozha,
Caught and cooked by old okomis;
Then on pemican they feasted,
Pemican and buffalo marrow,
Haunch of deer and hump of bison,
Yellow cakes of the Mondamin,
And the wild rice of the river.
But the gracious Hiawatha,
And the lovely Laughing Water,
And the careful old okomis,
Tasted not the food before them,
Only waited on the others,
Only served their guests in silence.
And when all the guests had finished,
Old okomis, brisk and busy,
From an ample pouch of otter,
Filled the red stone pipes for smoking
With tobacco from the South-land,
Mixed with bark of the red willow,
And with herbs and leaves of fragrance.
Then they said to Chibiabos,
To the friend of Hiawatha,
To the sweetest of all singers,
To the best of all musicians,
" Sing to us, 0 Chibiabos !
Songs of love and songs of longing,
That the feast may be more joyous,
That the time may pass more gaily,
And our guests be more contented! ..
And the gentle Chibiabos
ang in accents sweet and tender,
Sang in tones of deep emotion,
Songs of love and songs of longing;
Looking still at Hiawatha,
Looking at fair Laughing Water.
Then she said, "0 Pau-Puk-Keewis,
Dance for us your merry dances,
Dance the Beggar's Dance to please us,
That the feast may be more joyous,
That the time may pass more gaily,
And our guests be more contented! ..
Then the handsome Pau-Puk-Keewis,
He the idle Yenadizze,
He the merry mischief-maker,
Whom the people called the Storm-Fool,
Rose among the guests assembled.
First he danced a solemn measure,
Very slow in step and gesture,
In and out among the pine-trees,
Through the shadows and the sunshine,
Treading softly like a panther.
Then more swiftly and still swifter,
Whirling, spinning round in circles,
Leaping o'er the guests assembled,
Eddying round and round the wigwam,
Till the leaves went whirling with him,
Till the dust and wind together
Swept in eddies round about him.
Thus the merry Pau-Puk-Keewis
Danced his Beggar's Dance to please them,
And, returning, sat down laughing
There among the guests assembled,
Sat and fanned himself serenely
With his fan of turkey-feathers.
Songs and dances used at Ojibway weddings,
from earliest times, are introduced.
The wedding feast closes with the Gambling
Scene.
" Hark yoU" shouted Pau-Puk-Keewis
As he entered at the doorway;
" I am tired of all this talking,
Tired of old Iagoo's stories,
Tired of Hiawatha's wisdom.
Here is something to amuse you,
Better than this endless talking."
Then from out his pouch of wolf-skin
Forth he drew, with solemn manner
All the game of Bowl and Counters, '
Pugasaing, with thirteen pieces.
White on one side were they painted,
And vermilion on the other;
Two Kenabeeks or great serpents,
Two Ininewug or wedge-men,
One great war-club, Pugamaugun,
And one slender fish, the Keego,
Four round pieces, Ozawabeeks
And three Sheshebwug or duckiings.
All were made of bone and painted
All except the Ozawabeeks; ,
These were brass, on one side burnished
And were black upon the other. '
And the wedding guests a88ernbled.
Clad in all their richest raiment.
SCE EVIl-Continued
THE WEDDI G FEAST
In a wooden bowl he placed them,
Shook and jostled them together,
Threw them on the ground before him,
Thus exclaiming and explaining:
" Red side up are all the pieces,
And one great Kenabeek standing
On the bright side of a brass piece
On a burnished Ozawabeek;
Thirteen tens and eight are counted."
Then again he shook the pieces,
Shook and jostled them together,
Threw them on the ground before him,
Still exclaiming and explaining:
"White are both the great Kenabeeks,
White the Ininewug, the wedge-men,
Red are all the other pieces;
Five tens and an eight are counted."
Thus he taught the game of hazard,
Thus displayed it and explained it,
Running through its various changes,
Various changes, various meanings;
Twenty curious eyes stared at him,
Full of eagerness stared at him.
" Many games," said old Iagoo,
" Many games of skill and hazard
Have I seen in different nations,
Have I played in different countries.
He who plays with old Iagoo
Must have very nimble fingers;
Though you think yourself so skill£ul
I can beat you, Pau-Puk-Keewis,
I can even give you lessons
In your game of Bowl and Counters! "
So they sat and played together,
All the old men and the young men,
Played for dresses, weapons, wampum,
Played till midnight, played till morning,
Played until the Yenadizze,
Till the cunning Pau-Puk-Keewis,
Of their treasures had despoiled them,
Of the best of all their dresses,
Shirts of deer-skin, robes of ermine,
Belts of wampum, crests of feathers,
Warlike weapons, pipes and pouches.
Twenty eyes glared wildly at him,
Like the eyes of wolves glared at him.
Said the lucky Pau-Puk-Keewis:
"In my wigwam I am lonely,
In my wanderings and adventures
I have need of a companion,
Fain would have a Meshinauwa,
An attendant and pipe-bearer.
I will venture all these winnings,
All these garments heaped about me,
All this wampum, all these feathers,
On a single throw will venture
All against the young man yonder! "
'Twas a youth of sixteen summers,
'Twas a nephew of Iagoo;
F ace-in-a-Mist, the people called him.
As the fire burns in a pipe-head
Dusky red beneath the ashes,
o beneath his shaggy eyebrows
Glowed the eyes of old Iagoo.
" Ugh! " he answered very fiercely;
" Ugh! " they answered all and each one.
Seized the wooden bowl the old man,
Closely in his bony fingers,
Clutched the fatal bo-wl, Onagon,
Shook it fiercely and -with fury,
Made the pieces ring together
As he threw them down before him.
Red were both the great Kenabeeks,
Recfthe Ininewug, the wedge-men,
Red the Sbeshebwug, the ducklings,
Black the four brass Ozawabeeks,
White alone the fish, the Keego;
Only five the pieces counted!
Then the smiling Pau-Puk-Keewis
Shook the bowl and threw the pieces;
Lightly in the air he tossed them,
And they fell about him scattered;
Dark and bright the Ozawabeeks,
Red and white the other pieces,
And upright among the others
One Ininewug was standing,
Even as crafty Pau-Puk-Keewis
Stood alone among the players,
Saying, .. Five tens! Mine the game is ! II
Twenty eyes glared at him fiercely,
Like the eyes of wolves glared at him,
As he turned and left the wigwam,
Followed by his Meshinauwa,
By the nephew of Iagoo,
By the tall and graceful stripling,
Bearing in his arms the winnings,
Shirts of deer-skin, robes of ermine,
Belts of wampum, pipes and -weapons.
.. Carry them," said Pau-Puk-Keewis,
Pointing -with his fan of feathers,
"To my wigwam far to eastward,
On the dunes of agow W udjoo ! II
Hot and red -with smoke and gambling
Were the eyes of Pau-Puk-Keewis
As he came forth to the freshness
Of the pleasant summer morning.
All the birds were singing gaily,
All the streamlets flowing swiftly
And the heart of Pau-Puk-Keewis
Sang with pleasure as the hirds sing,
SCENE VII-Continued
THE WEDDING FEAST
Beat with triumph like the streamlets,
As he wandered through the village,
In the early gray of morning,
With his fan of turkey-feathers,
With his plumes and tufts of swan's down,
Till he reached the farthest wigwam,
Reached the lodge of Hiawatha.
Silent was it and deserted;
o one met him at the doorway,
No one came to bid him welcome;
" All are gone! the lodge is empty! "
Thus it was spake Pau-Puk-Keewis,
In his heart resolving mischief,­"
Gone is wary Hiawatha,
Gone the silly Laughing Water,
Gone okomis, the old woman,
And the lodge is left unguarded! "
With a stealthy step he entered,
Round the lodge in wild disorder
Threw the household things about him,
Piled together in confusion
Bowls of wood and earthen kettles,
Robes of Buffalo and beaver,
Skins of otter, lynx and ermine,
As an insult to okomis,
As a taunt to Minnehaha.
Full of wrath was Hiawatha
When he came into the village,
Found the people in confusion,
Heard of all the misdemeanors,
All the malice and the mischief
Of the cunning Pau-Puk-Keewis.
Hard his breath camethrough his nostrils,
Through his teeth he buzzed and muttered
Words of anger and resentment,
Hot and humming like a hornet.
"I will slay this Pau-Puk-Keewis,
Slay this mischief-maker!" said he.
" Not so long and wide the world is,
Not so rude and rough the way is,
That my wrath shall not attain him,
That my vengeance shall not reach him! "
Then in swift pursuit departed
Hiawatha and the hunters
On the trail of Pau-Puk-Keewis.
Pau-Puk-Keewis is finally surrounded at the
top ofNanabozh's Rock. Seeing that all means 01
escape are cut off, he asks the King of the Beavers
to change him into a beaver and leaps into the
water. His request is granted but the braves kill
the beaver.
The Scalp Dance.
The Restoration of Pau-Puk-Keewis to life, to
human form. and to all his tribal rights.
Oh, the long
and dreary
Winter!
Oh, the cold
and cruel
Winter!
SCE E VIII
THE DEATH OF MIN EHAHA
Oh, the long and dreary Winter!
Oh, the cold and cruel Winter!
Ever thicker, thicker, thicker
Froze the ice on lake and river,
Ever deeper, deeper, deeper
Fell the snow o'er all the landscape,
Fell the covering snow, and drifted
Through the forest, round the village.
Into Hiawatha's wigwam
Came two other guests as silent
As the ghosts were, and as gloomy,
Waited not to be invited,
Did not parley at the doorway,
Sat there wi.thout word of welcome
In the seat of Laughing Water;
Looked with haggard eyes and hollow
At the face of Laughing Water.
And the foremost said: "Behold me !
I am Famine, Bukadawin!"
And the other said: " Behold me !
I am Fever, Ahkosewin!"
And the lovely Minnehaha
Shuddered as they looked upon her,
Shuddered at the words they uttered,
Lay down on her bed in silence,
Hid her face, but made no answer;
Lay there trembling, freezing, burning
At the looks they cast upon her,
At the fearful words they uttered.
Forth into the empty forest
Rushed the Illaddened Hiawatha;
In his heart was deadly sorrow,
In his face a stony firmness;
On his brow the sweat of anguish
Started, but it froze and fell not.
Wrapped in furs and armed for hunting,
With his Illighty Low of ash-tree,
With his quiver full of arrows,
With his Illittens, Miniekahwun,
Into the vast and vacant forest
On his snow-shoes strode he forward.
"Gitche Manito, the Mighty! "
Cried he with his face uplifted
In that bitter hour of anguish,
"Give your children food, 0 Father!
Give us food, or we IllUSt perish!
Give Ille food for Minnehaha,
F or Illy dying Minnehaha! "
Through the far-resounding forest,
Through the forest vast and vacant
Rang that cry of desolation,
But there caIlle no other answer
Than the echo of his crying,
Than the echo of the woodlands,
" Minnehaha! Minnehaha! "
In the wigwaIll with Nokomis,
With those glooIllY guests that watched her,
With the Famine and the Fever,
She was lying, the Beloved,
She the dying Minnehaha.
" Hark!" she said, "I hear a rushing,
Hear a roaring and a rushing,
Hear the Falls of Minnehaha
Calling to Ille froIll a distance! "
" No, Illy child! " said old Nokomis,
"'Tis the night-wind in the pine-trees! "
" Look!" she said, " I see Illy father
Standing lonely at his doorway,
Beckoning to Ille from his wigwam
In the land of the Dacotahs! "
" 0, my child!" said old Nokomis,
" 'Tis the smoke that waves and beckons! "
" Ah! " said she, "The eyes of Pauguk
Glare upon Ille in the darkness,
I can feel his icy fingers
Clasping mine amid the darkness!
Hiawatha! Hiawatha! "
And the desolate Hiawatha,
Far away amid the forest,
Miles away among the mountains,
Heard that sudden cry of anguish,
Heard the voice of Minnehaha
Calling to him in the darkness,
" Hiawatha! Hiawatha!"
Over snow-fields waste and pathless,
Under snow-encumbered branches,
Homeward hurried Hiawatha,
Empty-handed, heavy-hearted,
Heard okomis moaning, wailing:
" Wahonowin! Wahonowin!
Would that I had perished for you,
Would that I were dead as you are!
Wahonowin ! Wahonowin ! "
And he rushed into the wigwam,
Saw the old okomis slowly
Rocking to and fro and Illoaning,
Saw his lovely Minnehaha
Lying dead and cold before him,
And his bursting heart within him
Uttered such a cry of anguish
That the forest Illoaned and shuddered,
That the very stars in heaven
Shook and trembled with his anguish.
Then he sat down, still and speechless
On the bed of Minnehaha, '
At the feet of Laughing Water,
At those willing feet, that never
More would lightly run to meet him,
Never more would lightly follow.
SCE E VIII-Continued
THE DEATH OF MIN EHAHA
With both hands his face he covered;
Seven long days and nights he sat there,
As if in a swoon he sat there,
Speechless, motionless, unconscious
Of the daylight or the darkness.
Then they buried Minnehaha;
In the snow a grave they made her,
In the forest deep and darksome,
Underneath the moaning hemlocks;
Clothed her in her richest garments,
Wrapped her in her robes of ermine,
Covered her with snow, like ermine;
Thus they buried Minnehaha.
And at night a fire was lighted,
On her grave four times was kindled,
For her soul upon its journey
To the Islands of the blessed.
From his doorway Hiawatha
Saw it burning in the forest,
Lighting up the gloomy hemlocks;
From his sleepless bed uprising,
From the bed of Minnehaha,
Stood and watched it at the doorway,
That it might not be extinguished.
Might not leave her in the darkness.
"Farewell!" said he, "Minnehaha!
Farewell, 0 my Laughing Water!
All my heart is buried with you,
All my thoughts go onward with you!
Come not back again to labor,
Come not back again to suffer,
Where the Famine and the Fever
Wear the heart and waste the body.
Soon my task will be completed,
Soon your footsteps I shall follow
To the Islands of the Blessed,
To the Kingdom of Ponemah,
To the Land of the Hereafter! "
SCE E IX
THE ARRIVAL OF THE BLACK-ROBE
From his wanderings far to eastward,
From the regions of the morning,
From the shining land of Wabun,
Homeward now returned lagoo,
The great traveler, the great boaster,
Full of new and strange adventures,
Marvels many and many wonders.
And the people of the village
Listened to him as he told them
Of his marvelous adventures,
Laughing answered him. in this wise:
.. Ugh! it is indeed lagoo !
No one else beholds such wonders! "
He had seen, he said, a water
Bigger than the Big-Sea-Water,
Broader than the Gitche Gurnee,
Bitter so that none could drink it I
At each other looked the warriors,
Looked the women at each other,
Smiled, and said, "It cannot be so I
Kaw I " they said, "it cannot be so I "
0'er it, said he, o'er this water
Came a great canoe with pinions,
A canoe with wings came flying,
Bigger than a grove of pine-trees,
Taller than the tallest tree-tops!
And the old men and the women
Looked and tittered at each other;
.. Raw! " they said, "we don't believe it! "
From its mouth, he said, to greet him,
Came W aywassimo, the lightning,
Came the thunder, Annemeekee!
And the warriors and the women
Laughed aloud at poor lagoo;
"Kaw!" they said,"what tales you tell us!"
In it, said he, came a people,
In the great canoe with pinions
Came, he said, a hundred warriors;
Painted white were all their faces,
And with hair their chins were covered I
And the warriors and the women
Laughed and shouted in derision,
Like the ravens on the tree-tops,
Like the crows upon the hemlocks.
.. Kaw! " they said, .. what lies you tell us I
Do not think that we believe them! "
Only Hiawatha laughed not,
But he gravely spake and answered
To their jeering and their jesting:
.. True is all lagoo tells us;
I have seen it in a vision,
Seen the great canoe with pinions,
een the people with white faces,
Seen the coming of this bearded
People of the wooden vessel
From the regions of the morning,
From the shining land of Wabun.
And the noble Hiawatha,
With his hands aloft extended,
Held aloft in sign of welcome,
Waited, full of exultation,
Till the birch canoe with paddles
Grated on the shining pebbles,
Stranded on the sandy margin,
Till the Black-Robe chief, the Pale-face,
With the cross upon his bosom,
Landed on the sandy margin.
Then the joyous Hiawatha
Cried aloud and spake in this wise:
.. Beautiful is the sun, 0 strangers,
When you come so far to see us !
All our town in peace awaits you;
All our doors stand open for you;
You shall enter all our wigwams,
For the heart's right hand we give you.
.. ever bloomed the earth so gaily,
Never shone the sun so brightly,
As today they shine and blossom
When you come so far to see us !
ever was our lake so tranquil,
or so free from rocks and sand-bars;
For your birch canoe in passing
Has removed both rock and sand-bar.
.. ever before had our tobacco
Such a sweet and pleasant flavor,
ever the broad leaves of our corn-fields
Were so beautiful to look on,
As they seem to us this morning,
When you come so far to see us ! "
And the Black-Robe chief made answer
Stammered in his speech a little,
Speaking words yet unfamiliar:
.. Peace be with you, Hiawatha,
Peace be with you and your people,
Peace of prayer and peace of pardon,
Peace of Christ and joy of Mary! -,
Then the generous Hiawatha
Led the strangers to his wigwam,
Seated them on skins of bison,
Seated them on skins of ermine,
And the careful old okomis
Brought them food in bowls of bass-wood
Water brought in birchen dippers, •
And the calumet, the Peace-pipe,
Filled and lighted for their smoking.
All the old men of the village,
All the warriors of the nation,
All the Jossakeeds, the prophets,
The magicians, the Wabenos,
And the medicine-men, the Medas,
Till the birch canoe with paddles
Grated on the shining pebbles.
SCENE IX-Continued
THE ARRIVAL OF THE BLACK-ROBE
Came to bid the strangers welcome;
" It is well," they said, "0 brothers,
That you come so far to see us! "
In a circle 'round the doorway,
With their pipes they sat in silence,
Waiting to behold the strangers,
Waiting to receive their message;
Till the Black-Robe chief, the Pale-face,
From the wigwam came to greet them,
Stammering in his speech a little,
Speaking words yet unfamiliar;
"It is well," they said, "0 brother,
That you come so far to see us ! "
Then the Black-Robe chief, the prophet,
Told his message to the people,
T old the purport of his mission,
Told them of the Virgin Mary,
And her blessed Son, the Saviour;
How in distant lands and ages
He had lived on earth, as we do;
How he fasted, prayed and labored;
How the Jews, the tribe accursed,
Mocked him, scourged him, crucified him;
How he rose from where they laid him,
Walked again with his disciples,
And ascended into heaven.
And the chiefs made answer, saying:
" We have listened to your message,
We have heard your words of wisdom,
We will think on what you tell us."
Soon my tas wi be completed.
Soon your footsteps I shall follow.
From his place
rose Hiawatha.
Bade farewell to
old Nokomis.
seE EX
THE DEPARTURE
From his place rQse Hiawatha,
Bade farewell to old okomis,
Spake in whispers, spake in this wise,
Did not wake the guests that slumbered:
" I am going, 0 Nokomis,
On a long and distant journey,
To the portals of the Sunset,
To the regions of the horne-wind,
Of the Northwest Wind, Keewaydin,
But these guests I leave behind me,
In your watch and ward I leave them;
See that never harm comes near them,
See that never fear molests them,
Never danger nor suspicion,
ever want of food or shelter,
In the lodge of Hiawatha! "
Forth into the village went he,
Bade farewell to all the warriors,
Bade farewell to all the young men,
Spake persuading, spake in this wis.e:
"I am going, 0 my people,
On a long and distant journey;
Many moons and many winters
Will have come and will have vanished,
Ere I corne again to see you.
But my guests I leave behind me;
Listen to their words of wisdom,
Listen to the truth they tell you,
F or the Master of Life has sent them
From the land of light and morning! "
On the shore stood Hiawatha,
Turned and waved his hand at parting;
On the clear and luminous water
Launched his birch canoe for sailing
From the pebbles of the margin
Shoved it forth into the water;
Whispered to it, "Westward! Westward! "
And with speed it darted forward.
And the people from the margin
Watched him floating, rising, sinking,
Till the birch canoe seemed lifted
High into that sea of splendor,
Till it sank into the vapors
Like the new moon slowly, slowly
Sinking in the purple distance.
And they said " Farewell forever! "
Said, " Farewell, 0 Hiawatha! "
And the forests, dark and lonely,
Moved through all their depths of darkness,
Sighed, "Farewell, 0 Hiawatha!"
And the wavell upon the margin
Rising, rippling on the pebbles,
Sobbed, "Farewell, 0 Hiawatha!"
And the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,
From her haunts among the fen-lands,
Screamed, " Farewell, 0 Hiawatha! "
Thus departed Hiawatha,
Hiawathd the Beloved,
In the glory of the sunset,
In the purple mists of evening,
To the legions of the horne-wind,
Of the Northwest Wind, Keewaydin,
To the Islands of the Blessed,
To the kingdom of Ponemah,
To the land of the Hereafter.
Thus departed Hia atha.
Duo-tone ReDroduction by
The Dean.Hicks Company
Grand Rapids. Michigan