Sang the bluebird, the Owaissa, "Do not shoot us, Hiawatha!"

Up the oak tree, close beside him, Sprang the squirrel, Adjidaumo,

In and out among the branches,

Coughed and chattered from the oak tree,
Laughed, and said between his laughing,
"Do not shoot me, Hiawatha!"

And the rabbit from his pathway
Leaped aside, and at a distance
Sat erect upon his haunches,
Half in fear and half in frolic,
Saying to the little hunter,

"Do not shoot me, Hiawatha!"

But he heeded not, nor heard them,
For his thoughts were with the red deer;
On their tracks his eyes were fastened,
Leading downward to the river,
To the ford across the river,

And as one in slumber walked he.
Hidden in the alder bushes,

There he waited till the deer came,
Till he saw two antlers lifted,

Saw two eyes look from the thicket,

5

10

15

Saw two nostrils point to windward,
And a deer came down the pathway,
Flecked with leafy light and shadow.
And his heart within him fluttered,
Trembled like the leaves above him,
Like the birch leaf palpitated,

As the deer came down the pathway.
Then, upon one knee uprising,
Hiawatha aimed an arrow;

Scarce a twig moved with his motion,
Scarce a leaf was stirred or rustled;
But the wary roebuck started,
Stamped with all his hoofs together,
Listened with one foot uplifted,
Leaped as if to meet the arrow;
Ah! the singing, fatal arrow;

Like a wasp it buzzed and stung him!

Read the lines that describe Iagoo. From what kind of a tree did he make Hiawatha's bow? his arrows? Of what was

the cord? Why did he use a tip of flint? Why wing the arrow with feathers? Were the birds and squirrels afraid of Hiawatha now? What word would you use instead of “sing,” if the birds were afraid?

Tell in your own words how Iagoo made the bow and

arrow.

What is a ford across a river? Why did Hiawatha go there? Read two lines that show that the deer looked out for danger. Why did he point his nostrils to windward? Read the lines that tell how Hiawatha felt when he saw the deer coming. Read the lines that tell that the deer heard the least sound of danger. What two words are used to describe the sound made by the arrow?

60

THE LEGEND OF THE INDIAN CORN

HIAWATHA had fasted for three long days. He had prayed, not for great things for himself, but that good might come to his people. He had watched the birds and fishes, he had looked on the berries and fruits, and he felt that these were 5 not enough to give life and strength to his people. So he prayed that the Great Spirit would send them some gift whereby they could live.

The sun was just setting on the evening of the fourth day of Hiawatha's fasting, when a young 10 man stood in the door of his wigwam. He seemed to have sprung from the ground. He was dressed in green and yellow, and plumes of green fell over his hair, which was soft and golden.

"O Hiawatha," he said, "the Great Spirit has 15

heard your prayer, has heard how you prayed for the good of your people, and he will send an answer to that prayer. Rise and fight with me."

Weak and tired as he was, Hiawatha rose and 5 fought with the stranger, and the stranger was defeated. Once more the stranger youth came at sunset and fought with Hiawatha, and once more Hiawatha won the victory.

On the third evening the stranger said, "Yet 10 once more we shall struggle, Hiawatha, and I shall fall. Strip my garments and plumes from me, and make a bed in the earth for me to lie in, where the rain may fall upon me, and the sun may come and warm me. Cover me with a loose, light 15 covering of earth and let nothing trouble me. Come yourself and tend me till I wake again and spring up into the glad sunlight." Then the stranger disappeared.

The next night he came again. They fought 20 as before and the stranger fell. Hiawatha placed him in the earth as the youth had told him, and went home to his people, weak and faint from his long fasting.

Day by day he tended and watched the grave