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 mj' husband!” 
Pleasant was the journey homeward, 
Through interminable forests, 
Over meadow, over mountain, 
Over river, hill and hollow. 
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. 
Iagoo 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. 
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. 
“ 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, 
Thus it was that Hiawatha 
To the lodge of old Nokomis 
Brought the moonlight, starlight, firelight. 
Brought the sunshine of his people. 
“And they heard him murmur softly, 
“ ‘ Pity, pity me, my father ! ’ 
“ ‘ Listen ! ’ said the eldest sister, 
‘ He is praying to his father ! ’ 
the wedding feast. “And they laughed till all the forest 
Sumptuous was the feast of Nokomis Rang with their unseemly laughter. 
Made at Hiawatha’s wedding; 
All the bowls were made of bass wood, 
White and polished very smoothly, 
“ On their pathway through the wood¬ 
lands 
Lay an oak by storms uprooted, 
