﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FE.ESCHE] 
  SOCIETIES 
  573 
  

  

  37. 
  The 
  hair 
  of 
  thy 
  head 
  

  

  38. 
  The 
  grass 
  that 
  grows 
  about 
  thee 
  

  

  39. 
  Thy 
  hairs 
  are 
  whitened, 
  ecka 
  

  

  40. 
  The 
  hairs 
  thai 
  grow 
  upon 
  lhy 
  head, 
  ecka 
  

  

  41. 
  O, 
  the 
  paths 
  (hat 
  the 
  linl 
  les 
  shall 
  lake, 
  ecka 
  

  

  42. 
  Whichever 
  way 
  they 
  may 
  lice 
  from 
  danger, 
  ecka 
  

  

  43. 
  They 
  shall 
  escape. 
  Their 
  shoulders 
  shall 
  lie 
  benl 
  with 
  age 
  as 
  they 
  walk 
  

  

  44. 
  As 
  they 
  walk 
  on 
  the 
  well-beaten 
  path 
  

  

  45. 
  Shading 
  their 
  brows 
  now 
  and 
  again 
  with 
  their 
  hands 
  

  

  46. 
  As 
  they 
  walk 
  in 
  their 
  old 
  age. 
  ecka 
  

  

  47. 
  He! 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  desire 
  of 
  thy 
  little 
  ones, 
  ecka 
  

  

  48. 
  That 
  of 
  thy 
  strength 
  they 
  shall 
  partake, 
  ecka 
  

  

  49. 
  Therefore 
  thy 
  little 
  ones 
  desire 
  to 
  walk 
  closely 
  by 
  thy 
  side, 
  ecka 
  

  

  50. 
  Venerable 
  One, 
  ecka. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  ritual 
  the 
  primal 
  rock, 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  the 
  opening 
  ritual, 
  

   that 
  which 
  rose 
  from 
  the 
  waters, 
  is 
  addressed 
  by 
  the 
  term 
  "venerable 
  

   man," 
  whose 
  assistance 
  is 
  called 
  to 
  the 
  "little 
  ones." 
  the 
  patients 
  

   about 
  to 
  be 
  ministered 
  to. 
  Line 
  7, 
  with 
  its 
  exclamation 
  of 
  sup- 
  

   plication 
  and 
  reverence. 
  He!, 
  opens 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  rock, 
  which 
  

   sits 
  from 
  all 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  the 
  winds, 
  those 
  messengers 
  of 
  life- 
  

   giving 
  force. 
  Note 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  phrase 
  "midst 
  of 
  the 
  winds" 
  in 
  

   the 
  ritual 
  of 
  Turning 
  the 
  Child 
  (p. 
  120). 
  The 
  small 
  grass 
  refers 
  

   to 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  heating 
  the 
  stones 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  sweat 
  lodge 
  as 
  a 
  

   "dwelling 
  place." 
  Again, 
  the 
  abiding 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  rock 
  is 
  referred 
  

   to 
  in 
  lines 
  15 
  and 
  16: 
  Immovable 
  the 
  rocks 
  have 
  remained 
  while 
  the 
  

   droppings 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  and 
  their 
  molting 
  feathers 
  have 
  fallen 
  season 
  

   after 
  season. 
  In 
  lines 
  20-25, 
  "Thou 
  water," 
  " 
  water 
  that 
  hast 
  been 
  

   flowing 
  from 
  time 
  unknown," 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  that 
  "these 
  little 
  ones 
  [the 
  

   people] 
  crave 
  thy 
  touch." 
  The 
  primal 
  rock 
  of 
  these 
  rituals 
  is 
  the 
  

   theme 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  songs 
  of 
  the 
  Pebble 
  society. 
  

  

  The 
  standing 
  house, 
  the 
  sweat 
  lodge, 
  is 
  next 
  spoken 
  of; 
  the 
  

   animals 
  who 
  have 
  given 
  it 
  a 
  covering 
  are 
  remembered 
  gratefully, 
  the 
  

   bent-over 
  boughs 
  are 
  mentioned 
  and 
  compared 
  to 
  the 
  bent 
  shoulders 
  

   of 
  the 
  old 
  men 
  whose 
  long 
  life 
  is 
  like 
  "the 
  well-beaten 
  path." 
  The 
  

   prayer 
  for 
  the 
  gift 
  of 
  life 
  for 
  the 
  "little 
  ones," 
  whose 
  health 
  is 
  

   desired, 
  is 
  curiously 
  and 
  poetically 
  blended 
  with 
  this 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  

   standing 
  house, 
  wherein 
  tiie 
  power 
  is 
  sought 
  by 
  which 
  they, 
  the 
  

   "little 
  ones," 
  "shall 
  desire 
  to 
  walk 
  closely" 
  by 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  long- 
  

   lived 
  rock, 
  and, 
  because 
  of 
  these 
  supplications 
  to 
  rock 
  and 
  ever- 
  

   flowing 
  water, 
  shall 
  secure 
  health 
  and 
  length 
  of 
  days. 
  These 
  ritu- 
  

   als, 
  naively 
  poetic, 
  reveal 
  how 
  completely 
  man 
  is 
  identified 
  witli 
  

   nature 
  in 
  the 
  mind 
  of 
  the 
  native. 
  

  

  