Saw the fire-fly, Wah-wah-taysee,
Flitting through the dusk of evening,
With the twinkle of its candle
Lighting up the brakes and bushes,
And he sang the song of children,
Sang the song Nokomis taught him:
Wah-wah-taysee, little fire-fly,

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Little, flitting, white-fire insect,
Little, dancing, white-fire creature,
Light me with your little candle,
Ere upon my bed I lay me,
Ere in sleep I close my eyelids!'

Saw the moon rise from the water,
Rippling, rounding from the water,
Saw the flecks and shadows on it,
Whispered, "What is that, Nokomis?"
And the good Nokomis answered:
"Once a warrior, very angry,
Seized his grandmother, and threw her
Up into the sky at midnight;
Right against the moon he threw her;
'Tis her body that you see there.”

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10

15

20

Saw the rainbow in the heaven,

In the eastern sky, the rainbow;
Whispered, "What is that, Nokomis?"
And the good Nokomis answered:

""Tis the heaven of flowers you see there;
All the wild-flowers of the forest,

All the lilies of the prairie,

When on earth they fade and perish,
Blossom in that heaven above us."

When he heard the owls at midnight,
Hooting, laughing in the forest,
"What is that?" he cried, in terror;
"What is that," he said, "Nokomis?"
And the good Nokomis answered:
"That is but the owl and owlet,
Talking in their native language,
Talking, scolding at each other."

Then the little Hiawatha

Learned of every bird its language,

Learned their names and all their secrets,

How they built their nests in summer,

Where they hid themselves in winter,

Talked with them whene'er he met them,
Called them "Hiawatha's Chickens."

Of all beasts he learned the language,
Learned their names and all their secrets,
How the beavers built their lodges,
Where the squirrels hid their acorns,
How the reindeer ran so swiftly,

Why the rabbit was so timid,

Talked with them whene'er he met them,
Called them "Hiawatha's Brothers."

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HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.

Gitche-Gumee (Git'che-Gu'mee) Minnie-wawa (Min'ne-wa'wa)

Hiawatha (Hē'a-wa'tha)

Nokomis (No-ko'mis)

Mudway-aushka (Mūd-wayaush'ka)

HELPS TO STUDY

1. Hiawatha was the hero of one of the Indian tribes. 2. In what kind of place did he live? What lullaby did Nokomis sing to him? 3. What things did she teach him about the moon? About the rainbow? 4. What did he learn about the birds and beasts? 5. The "Death-dance of the Spirits" was the northern lights. 6. What is the broad, white road in heaven?

THE LEAK IN THE DIKE

Many years ago there lived in Holland a little boy, who did a brave deed. His name was Peter. His father was a sluicer; that is, a man whose work it was to watch the sluices, or gates, in the dikes. He had to open and close these gates for the ships to pass out of the canals into the sea.

Even the little children were taught that the dikes must be watched every moment, and that a hole no longer than your little finger was a very 10 dangerous thing.

One lovely afternoon in the early fall, when Peter was eight years old, his mother called him from his play. "Come, Peter," she said, “I wish you to go across the dike and take these cakes 15 to your friend, the blind man. If you go quickly, and do not stop to play, you will be home again before it is dark.”

The little boy was glad to go on such an errand, and started off with a light heart. He stayed 20 with the poor blind man blind man a little while to tell