The Song of Hiawatha

Then he climbed the rocky headlands, Looking o'er the Gitche Gumee, Perched himself upon their summit, Waiting full of mirth and mischief The return of Hiawatha.

Stretched upon his back he lay there; Far below him plashed the waters, Plashed and washed the dreamy waters; Far above him swam the heavens, Swam the dizzy, dreamy heavens; Round him hovered, fluttered, rustled, Hiawatha's mountain chickens, Flock-wise swept and wheeled about him, Almost brushed him with their pinions.

And he killed them as he lay there, Slaughtered them by tens and twenties, Threw their bodies down the headland, Threw them on the beach below him, Till at length Kayoshk, the sea-gull, Perched upon a crag above them,

Shouted: " It is Pau-Puk-Keewis I He is slaying us by hundreds! Send a message to our brother, Tidings send to Hiawatha! "

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 came through his nostrils,

Through his teeth he buzzed and muttered Words of anger and resentment, Hot and humming, like a hornet.

u I will slay this Pau-Puk-Keewis, Slay this mischief-maker !" said he.

u 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, Through the forest, where he passed it, To the headlands where he rested; But they found not Pau-Puk-Keewis, Only in the trampled grasses, In the whortleberry-bushes, Found the couch where he had rested, Found the impress of his body.

From the lowlands far beneath them, From the Muskoday, the meadow, Pau-Puk-Keewis, turning backward, ^

Made a gesture of defiance, Made a gesture of derision; m

And aloud cried Hiawatha, Jtoa*

From the summit of the mountains:

" Not so long and wide the world is.

Not so rude and rough the way is, But my wrath shall overtake you, And my vengeance shall attain you !"

Over rock and over river, Thorough bush, and brake, and forest, Ran the cunning Pau-Puk-Keewis j Like an antelope he bounded, Till he came unto a streamlet In the middle of the forest, To a streamlet still and tranquil, That had overflowed its margin, To a dam made by the beavers, To a pond of quiet water, Where knee-deep the trees were standing, Where the water-lilies floated, Where the rushes waved and whispered.

On the dam stood Pau-Puk-Keewis, On the dam of trunks and branches, Through whose chinks the water spouted, O'er whose summit flowed the streamlet. From the bottom rose the beaver, Looked with two great eyes of wonder, Eyes that seemed to ask a question, At the stranger, Pau-Puk-Keewis.

On the dam stood Pau-Puk-Keewis, O'er his ankles flowed the streamlet, Flowed the bright and silvery water,

And he spake unto the beaver, With a smile he spake in this wise:

" 0 my friend Ahmeek, the beaver, Cool and pleasant is the water; Let me dive into the water, Let me rest there in your lodges; Change me, too, into a beaver! "

Cautiously replied the beaver, With reserve he thus made answer : " Let me first consult the others, Let me ask the other beavers." Down he sank into the water, Heavily sank he, as a stone sinks, Down among the leaves and branches, Brown and matted at the bottom.

On the dam stood Pau-Puk-Keewis, O'er his ankles flowed the streamlet, Spouted through the chinks below him, Dashed upon the stones beneath him, Spread serene and calm before him, And the sunshine and the shadows Fell in flecks and gleams upon him, Fell in little shining patches, Through the waving, rustling branches.

From the bottom rose the beavers, Silently above the surface Rose one head and then another,

Till the pond seemed full of beavers, Full of black and shining faces.

To the beavers Pau-Puk-Keewis Spake entreating, said in this wise:

" Very pleasant is your dwelling, 0 my friends ! and safe from danger; Can you not with all your cunning, All your wisdom and contrivance, Change me, too, into a beaver ? "

" Yes ! " replied Ahmeek, the beaver, He the King of all the beavers,

" Let yourself slide down among us, Down into the tranquil water."

Down into the pond among them Silently sank Pau-Puk-Keewis; Black became his shirt of deer-skin, Black his moccasins and leggings, In a broad black tail behind him Spread his fox-tails and his fringes; He was changed into a beaver.

" Make me large," said Pau-Puk-Keewis,

" Make me large and make me larger, Larger than the other beavers."

" Yes," the beaver chief responded,

" When our lodge below you enter, In our wigwam we will make you Ten times larger than the others."

Thus into the clear, brown water Silently sank Pau-Puk-Keewis: Found the bottom jcovered over With the trunks of trees and branches, Hoards of food against the winter, Piles and heaps against the famine; Found the lodge with arching doorway, Leading into spacious chambers.

Here they made him large and larger,