LIFE AND LOVE RETURN 265 



Moon waned and then disappeared, and in its place the Frog 

 Moon shone. 



LITTLE PINE'S LOVE SONG 



One sunny morning, while I was strolling along the beach, 

 I heard the sound of distant drumming, and presently a youth- 

 ful voice broke into song. It was The Little Pine singing to 

 his sweetheart. 



Now it was May time in the Northland. Tender grasses 

 were thrusting their tiny blades from under last year's leaves 

 and here and there the woodland's pale-green carpet was en- 

 riched with masses of varying colours where wild flowers were 

 bursting into bloom. Yet the increasing power of the sun had 

 failed to destroy every trace of winter — for occasional patches 

 of snow were to be seen clinging to the shady sides of the 

 steepest hills and small ice floes were still floating in the lake 

 below. But as summer comes swiftly in the Great Northern 

 Forest, spring loses no time in lingering by the way. Already 

 the restless south wind was singing softly to the "Loneland" 

 of the glorious days to come. 



The forest and all her creatures, hearing the song of spring 

 time, were astir with joyous life. Among the whispering trees 

 the bees were humming, the squirrels chattering, and many 

 kinds of birds were making love to one another. 



No wonder Shing-wauk — The Little Pine — sang his love 

 song, too, for was not his heart aflame with the spring time 

 of life? Perched high among the branches of a pine the youth 

 was relieving the monotony of his drumming by occasionally 

 chanting. At the foot of the thickly wooded hillside upon 

 which the pine stood the indolent waters of Muskrat Creek 

 meandered toward Bear Lake. On the bank near the river's 

 mouth stood the lodges, but neither Oo-koo-hoo nor Amik 

 seemed to be at home; and the rest of the family may have 

 been absent, too, for the dogs were mounting guard. 



