66 And the meaning of the symbol, "I will come and sit beside you In the mystery of my passion!" Then two figures, man and woman, In the centre of an island; XV. HIAWATHA'S LAMENTATION. IN those days the Evil Spirits, Hiawatha, wise and wary, Answered ever sweet and childlike, "Do not fear for me, O brother! Harm and evil come not near me !" Once when Peboan, the Winter, Roofed with ice the Big-Sea-Water, When the snow-flakes, whirling downward, Hissed among the withered oak-leaves, Heeding not his brother's warning, Forth to hunt the deer with antlers Right across the Big-Sea-Water Sprang with speed the deer before him. With the wind and snow he followed, O'er the treacherous ice he followed, Wild with all the fierce commotion And the rapture of the hunting. But beneath, the Evil Spirits Lay in ambush, waiting for him, Broke the treacherous ice beneath him, Dragged him downward to the bottom, Buried in the sand his body. Unktahee, the god of water, He the god of the Dacotahs, Drowned him in the deep abysses Of the lake of Gitche Gumee. From the headlands Hiawatha Sent forth such a wail of anguish, Such a fearful lamentation, That the bison paused to listen, And the wolves howled from the prairies, And the thunder in the distance Starting answered "Baim-wawa!" Then his face with black he painted, With his robe his head he covered, In his wigwam sat lamenting, Seven long weeks he sat lamenting, Uttering still this moan of sorrow :"He is dead, the sweet musician! He the sweetest of all singers! He has gone from us forever, He has moved a little nearer To the Master of all music, To the Master of all singing! O my brother, Chibiabos! And the melancholy fir-trees Waved their dark green fans above him, Waved their purple cones above him, Came the Spring, and all the forest oked in vain for Chibiabos; ched the rivulet, Sebowisha, ched the rushes in the meadow. From the tree-tops sang the bluebird, ng the bluebird, the Owaissa, Chibiabos! Chibiabos ! is dead, the sweet musician!" From the wigwam sang the robin, ng the robin, the Opechee, Chibiabos! Chibiabos! e is dead, the sweetest singer!" is dead, the sweet musician! ilt a Sacred Lodge beside him, appease him, to console him," alked in silent, grave procession, earing each a pouch of healing, tin of beaver, lynx, or otter, lled with magic roots and simples, lled with very potent medicines. When he heard their steps approaching, iawatha ceased lamenting, illed no more on Chibiabos; I can blow you strong, my brother, I can heal you, Hiawatha ! “Hi-au-ha!” replied the chorus, Way-ha-way!" the mystic chorus. Friends of mine are all the serpents ! Hear me shake my skin of hen-hawk! Mahng, the white loon, I can kill him ; I can shoot your heart and kill it ! I can blow you strong, my brother, I can heal you, Hiawatha!" 66 66 Hi-au-ha!" replied the chorus. Way-ha-way!" the mystic chorus. "I myself, myself! the prophet! When I speak the wigwam trembles, Shakes the Sacred Lodge with terror, Hands unseen begin to shake it! When I walk, the sky I tread on Bends and makes a noise beneath me! I can blow you strong, my brother! Rise and speak, O Hiawatha!" "Hi-au-ha!" replied the chorus, "Way-ha-way!" the mystic chorus. Then they shook their medicinepouches O'er the head of Hiawatha, Danced their medicine-dance around him; And upstarting wild and haggard, aught he questioned, naught he an- Straightway from his heart departed swered, ut his mournful head uncovered, rom his face the mourning colors Jashed he slowly and in silence, owly and in silence followed nward to the Sacred Wigwam. There a magic drink they gave him, lade of Nahma-wusk, the spearmint, nd Wabeno-wusk, the yarrow, oots of power, and herbs of healing; eat their drums, and shook their rat tles; hanted singly and in chorus, [ystic songs like these, they chanted. "I myself, myself! behold me! is the great Gray Eagle talking; ome, ye white crows, come and hear him! he loud-speaking thunder helps me ; ll the unseen spirits help me ; can hear their voices calling, ll around the sky I hear them! All his sorrow and affliction. Then they summoned Chibiabos 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, To the kingdom of Ponemah, From the village of his childhood, Where he passed, the branches moved not, Where he trod, the grasses bent not, 66 Ay! why do the living," said they, Wandered eastward, wandered westward, Thus was first made known to mortals XVI. PAU-PUK-KEEWIS. You shall hear how Pau-Puk-Keewis On the shores of Gitche Gumee, On the dunes of Nagow Wudjoo, Danced at Hiawatha's wedding, Danced the Beggar's Dance to ple them. Now, in search of new adventures, From his lodge went Pau-Puk-Keew 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 i 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-Ke wis |