THE BASKET MAKER 



" And what flower did you wear, Se- 

 yavi?" 



" I, ah, the white flower of twining 

 (clematis), on my body and my hair, and so 

 I sang : 



" I am the white flower of twining, 

 Little white flower by the river, 

 Oh, flower that twines close by the river; 

 Oh, trembling flower ! 

 So trembles the maiden heart." 



So sang Seyavi of the campoodie before 

 she made baskets, and in her later days 

 laid her arms upon her knees and laughed 

 in them at the recollection. But it was 

 not often she would say so much, never 

 understanding the keen hunger I had for 

 bits of lore and the " fool talk " of her peo- 

 ple. She had fed her young son with 

 meadowlarks' tongues, to make him quick 

 of speech ; but in late years was loath to 

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