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Lay down on her bed in silence；
Hid her face； but made no answer；
Lay there trembling； freezing； burning
At the looks they cast upon her；
At the fearful words they uttered。
Forth into the empty forest
Rushed the maddened Hiawatha；
In his heart was deadly sorrow；
In his face a stony firmness；
On his brow the sweat of anguish
Started； but it froze and fell not。
Wrapped in furs and armed for hunting；
With his mighty bow of ash…tree；
With his quiver full of arrows；
With his mittens； Minjekahwun；
Into the vast and vacant forest
On his snow…shoes strode he forward。
〃Gitche Manito； the Mighty！〃
Cried he with his face uplifted
In that bitter hour of anguish；
〃Give your children food； O father！
Give us food； or we must perish！
Give me food for Minnehaha；
For my dying Minnehaha！〃
Through the far…resounding forest；
Through the forest vast and vacant
Rang that cry of desolation；
But there came no other answer
Than the echo of his crying；
Than the echo of the woodlands；
〃Minnehaha！ Minnehaha！〃
All day long roved Hiawatha
In that melancholy forest；
Through the shadow of whose thickets；
In the pleasant days of Summer；
Of that ne'er forgotten Summer；
He had brought his young wife homeward
From the land of the Dacotahs；
When the birds sang in the thickets；
And the streamlets laughed and glistened；
And the air was full of fragrance；
And the lovely Laughing Water
Said with voice that did not tremble；
〃I will follow you； my husband！〃
In the wigwam with Nokomis；
With those gloomy guests that watched her；
With the Famine and the Fever；
She was lying； the Beloved；
She； the dying Minnehaha。
〃Hark！〃 she said； 〃I hear a rushing；
Hear a roaring and a rushing；
Hear the Falls of Minnehaha
Calling to me from a distance！〃
〃No； my child！〃 said old Nokomis；
〃'T is the night…wind in the pine…trees！〃
〃Look！〃 she said； 〃I see my father
Standing lonely at his doorway；
Beckoning to me from his wigwam
In the land of the Dacotahs！〃
〃No； my child！〃 said old Nokomis。
〃'T is the smoke； that waves and beckons！〃
〃Ah！〃 said she； 〃the eyes of Pauguk
Glare upon me in the darkness；
I can feel his icy fingers
Clasping mine amid the darkness！
Hiawatha！ Hiawatha！〃
And the desolate Hiawatha；
Far away amid the forest；
Miles away among the mountains；
Heard that sudden cry of anguish；
Heard the voice of Minnehaha
Calling to him in the darkness；
〃Hiawatha！ Hiawatha！〃
Over snow…fields waste and pathless；
Under snow…encumbered branches；
Homeward hurried Hiawatha；
Empty…handed； heavy…hearted；
Heard Nokomis moaning； wailing：
〃Wahonowin！ Wahonowin！
Would that I had perished for you；
Would that I were dead as you are！
Wahonowin！ Wahonowin！〃
And he rushed into the wigwam；
Saw the old Nokomis slowly
Rocking to and fro and moaning；
Saw his lovely Minnehaha
Lying dead and cold before him；
And his bursting heart within him
Uttered such a cry of anguish；
That the forest moaned and shuddered；
That the very stars in heaven
Shook and trembled with his anguish。
Then he sat down； still and speechless；
On the bed of Minnehaha；
At the feet of Laughing Water；
At those willing feet； that never
More would lightly run to meet him；
Never more would lightly follow。
With both hands his face he covered；
Seven long days and nights he sat there；
As if in a swoon he sat there；
Speechless； motionless； unconscious
Of the daylight or the darkness。
Then they buried Minnehaha；
In the snow a grave they made her
In the forest deep and darksome
Underneath the moaning hemlocks；
Clothed her in her richest garments
Wrapped her in her robes of ermine；
Covered her with snow； like ermine；
Thus they buried Minnehaha。
And at night a fire was lighted；
On her grave four times was kindled；
For her soul upon its journey
To the Islands of the Blessed。
From his doorway Hiawatha
Saw it burning in the forest；
Lighting up the gloomy hemlocks；
From his sleepless bed uprising；
From the bed of Minnehaha；
Stood and watched it at the doorway；
That it might not be extinguished；
Might not leave her in the darkness。
〃Farewell！〃 said he； 〃Minnehaha！
Farewell； O my Laughing Water！
All my heart is buried with you；
All my thoughts go onward with you！
Come not back again to labor；
Come not back again to suffer；
Where the Famine and the Fever
Wear the heart and waste the body。
Soon my task will be completed；
Soon your footsteps I shall follow
To the Islands of the Blessed；
To the Kingdom of Ponemah；
To the Land of the Hereafter！〃
XXI
THE WHITE MAN'S FOOT
In his lodge beside a river；
Close beside a frozen river；
Sat an old man； sad and lonely。
White his hair was as a snow…drift；
Dull and low his fire was burning；
And the old man shook and trembled；
Folded in his Waubewyon；
In his tattered white…skin…wrapper；
Hearing nothing but the tempest
As it roared along the forest；
Seeing nothing but the snow…storm；
As it whirled and hissed and drifted。
All the coals were white with ashes；
And the fire was slowly dying；
As a young man； walking lightly；
At the open doorway entered。
Red with blood of youth his cheeks were；
Soft his eyes； as stars in Spring…time；
Bound his forehead was with grasses；
Bound and plumed with scented grasses；
On his lips a smile of beauty；
Filling all the lodge with sunshine；
In his hand a bunch of blossoms
Filling all the lodge with sweetness。
〃Ah； my son！〃 exclaimed the old man；
〃Happy are my eyes to see you。
Sit here on the mat beside me；
Sit here by the dying embers；
Let us pass the night together；
Tell me of your strange adventures；
Of the lands where you have travelled；
I will tell you of my prowess；
Of my many deeds of wonder。〃
From his pouch he drew his peace…pipe；
Very old and strangely fashioned；
Made of red stone was the pipe…head；
And the stem a reed with feathers；
Filled the pipe with bark of willow；
Placed a burning coal upon it；
Gave it to his guest； the stranger；
And began to speak in this wise：
〃When I blow my breath about me；
When I breathe upon the landscape；
Motionless are all the rivers；
Hard as stone becomes the water！〃
And the young man answered； smiling：
〃When I blow my breath about me；
When I breathe upon the landscape；
Flowers spring up o'er all the meadows；
Singing； onward rush the rivers！〃
〃When I shake my hoary tresses；〃
Said the old man darkly frowning；
〃All the land with snow is covered；
All the leaves from all the branches
Fall and fade and die and wither；
For I breathe； and lo！ they are not。
From the waters and the marshes；
Rise the wild goose and the heron；
Fly away to distant regions；
For I speak； and lo！ they are not。
And where'er my footsteps wander；
All the wild beasts of the forest
Hide themselves in holes and caverns；
And the earth becomes as flintst