ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 



225 



Heard a rustling in the branches, 

 And with glowing cheek and forehead, 

 With the deer upon his shoulders, 

 Suddenly from out the woodlands 



Hiawatha stood before them. 



***** 



Thus continued Hiawatha, 

 And then added, speaking slowly, 

 " That this peace may last 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 lovely Laughing Water 

 Seemed more lovely, as she stood there, 

 Neither willing or reluctant, 

 As she went to Hiawatha, 

 Softly took the seat beside him, 

 While she said, and blushed to say it, 

 " I will follow you my husband!" 



* * * * * 



Pleasant was the journey homeward, 

 Through interminable forests, 

 Over meadow, over mountain, 

 Over river, hill and hollow. 



* * * * * 



Over wide and rushing rivers 

 In his arms he bore the maiden; 

 Light he thought her as a feather, 

 As the plume upon his head-gear; 

 Cleared the tangled pathway for her, 

 Bent aside the swaying branches, 

 Made at night a lodge of branches, 

 And a bed with boughs of hemlock, 

 And a fire before the doorway 

 With the dry cones of the pine tree. 



***** 



Thus it was that Hiawatha 



To the lodge of old Nokomis 



Brought the moonlight, starlight, firelight. 



Brought the sunshine of his people. 



THE WEDDING FEAST. 



Sumptuous was the feast of Nokomis 

 Made at Hiawatha's wedding; 

 All the bowls were made of bass wood, 

 White and polished very smoothly, 

 15 



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. 



THE TRANSFORMATION OF OSSEO. 

 lagoo's Story. 



" Hear the story of Osseo. 



***** 



In the Northland lived a hunter 

 With ten young and comely daughters 

 Tall and lithe as wands of willow; 

 Only Oweenee. the youngest. 

 She the wilful and the wayward, 

 She the silent dreamy maiden, 

 Was the fairest of the sisters. 



" All these women married warriors, 

 Married brave and haughty husbands ; 

 Only Oweenee, the youngest, 

 Laughed and flouted all her lovers. 

 All her young and handsome suitors 

 And then married old Osseo. 



***** 



"Ah, but beautiful within him 

 Was the spirit of Osseo. 



***** 



" Once to some great feast invited, 

 Through the damp and dusk of evening 

 Walked together the ten sisters, 

 Walked together with their husbands; 

 Slowly followed old Osseo, 

 With fair Oweenee beside him; 

 All the others chatted gayly, 

 These two only walked in silence. 



" At the western sky Osseo 

 Gazed intent as if imploring, 



***** 



"And they heard him murmur softly, 

 " ' Pity, pity me, my father ! ' 



" ' Listen ! ' said the eldest sister, 

 ' He is praying to his father ! ' 



***** 



"And they laughed till all the forest 

 Rang with their unseemly laughter. 



" On their pathway through the wood- 

 lands 

 Lay an oak by storms uprooted, 



