The Song of Hiawatha

Then they summoned Chibiaboe From his grave beneath the waters, From the sands of Gitche Gumee Summoned Hiawatha's brother. And so mighty was the magic Of that cry and invocation, That he heard it as he lay there Underneath the Big-Sea-Water; From the sand he rose and listened. Heard the music and the singing, Came, obedient to the summons, To the doorway of the wigwam, But to enter they forbade him.

Through a chink a coal they gave him, Through the door a burning fire-brand ; Ruler in the Land of Spirits, Ruler o'er the dead, they made him, Telling him a fire to kindle

For all those that died thereafter, Camp-fires for their night encampments On their solitary journey To the kingdom of Ponemah, To the land of the Hereafter.

From the village of his childhood, From the homes of those who knew him, Passing silent through the forest, Like a smoke-wreath wafted sideways, Slowly vanished Chibiabos! Where he passed, the branches moved not, Where he trod, the grasses bent not, And the fallen leaves of last year Made no sound beneath his footsteps.

Four whole days he journeyed onward Down the pathway of the dead men ; On the dead-man's strawberry feasted, Crossed the melancholy river, On the swinging log he crossed it, Came unto the Lake of Silver, In the Stone Canoe was carried To the Islands of the Blessed To the land of ghosts and shadows.

On that journey, moving slowly. Many weary spirits saw he, Panting under heavy burdens, Laden with war-clubs, bows and arrows,

adows. ^^^V, flfi lowly, V \iJ

Robes of fur, and pots and kettles, And with food that friends had given For that solitary journey.

" Ay! why do the living," said they, " Lay such heavy burdens on us! Better were it to go naked, Better were it to go fasting, Than to bear such heavy burdens On our long and weary journey! "

Forth then issued Hiawatha, Wandered eastward, wandered westward, Teaching men the use of simples And the antidotes for poisons, And the cure of all diseases. Thus was first made known to mortals All the mystery of Medamin, All the sacred art of healing.

You shall hear how Pau-Puk-Keewis He, the handsome Yenadizze, Whom the people called the Storm-Fool, Vexed the village with disturbance j Vou shall hear of all his mischief, And his flight from Hiawatha, And his wondrous transmigrations, And the end of his adventures.

On the shores of Gitche Gumee, On the dunes of Nagow Wudjoo, By the shining Big-Sea-Water Stood the lodge of Pau-Puk-Keewis.

It was he who in his frenzy

Whirled these drifting sands together,

On the dunes of Nagow Wudjoo,

When, among the guests assembled,

He so merrily and madly

Danced at Hiawatha's wedding,

Danced the Beggar's Dance to please them.

Now, in search of new adventures, Prom his lodge went Pau-Puk-Keewis, Came with speed into the village, Found the young men all assembled In the lodge of old Iagoo, Listening to his monstrous stories, To his wonderful adventures.

He was telling them the story Of Ojeeg, the Summer-Maker, How he made a hole in heaven, How he climbed up into heaven, And let out the summer-weather, The perpetual, pleasant Summer; How the Otter first essayed it; How the Beaver, Lynx, and Badger Tried in turn the great achievement, From the summit of the mountain Smote their fists against the heavens, Smote against the sky their foreheads, Cracked the sky, but could not break it;

How the Wolverine, uprising, Made him ready for the encounter, Bent his knees down, like a squirrel, Drew his arms back, like a cricket.

" Once he leaped," said old Iagoo, * Once he leaped, and lo ! above him Bent the sky, as ice in rivers When the waters rise beneath it; Twice he leaped, and lo! above him Cracked the sky, as ice in rivers When the freshet is at highest! Thrice he leaped, and lo! above him Broke the shattered sky asunder, And he disappeared within it, And Ojeeg, the Fisher Weasel, With a bound went in behind him !"

" 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 otherj 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 ducklings. All were made of bone and painted, All except the Ozawabeeks; These were brass, on one side burnished, And were black upon the other.

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 Ozawabeekj Thirteen tens and eight are counted. w