Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

“ Fly from men who are false and cruel, and quit the tumult of their dusty strife for this quiet, lonely shade. Over thee I will fling my arms, fairer than the lodge's roof. I will breathe a perfume like that of flowers over thy happy evening rest. In my bark canoe I'll waft thee over the waters of the sky-bine lake. I will deck the folds of thy mantle with the sun's last rays. Come and wander with me on the mountains, a fairy free!"
Leelinau drank in with eager ear these magical words. Her heart was fixed. No warrior's son should clasp her hand. ”

“ He then spoke in a language which Maidwa did not understand, the curtain of the lodge parted, and the Red Swan met his delighted gaze. It was a beautiful maiden that he beheld, so majestic and airy in her look, that he seemed to see a creature whose home should rather be in the free heaven, among the rosy clouds, than in this dusky lodge.
"Take her," the young magician said, "she is my sister; treat her well. She is worthy of you, and what you have done for me merits more. She is ready to go with you to your kindred and friends, and has been so ever since your arrival. ”

“ He had a plume of waving feathers on his head, and all his motions were graceful, reminding Wunzh of the deep green of the summer grass, the clear amber of the summer sky, and the gentle blowing of the summer wind. As Wunzh gazed at his visitor, he paused on a little mound of earth just before the door of the lodge.
"I am sent to you, my friend," said this celestial visitor, in a voice most soft and musical to listen to, "I am sent to you by that Great Spirit who made all things in the sky and on the earth. He has seen and knows your motives in fasting. ”

“ Your daughter and myself must now leave you. The Good Spirit, moved with pity, has allowed me to be your friend. I have done that for which I was sent. I am permitted to take with me the one whom I love. I have found your daughter ever kind, gentle and just. She shall be my companion. The blessing of the Good Spirit be ever with you. Farewell, my mother—my brother, farewell."
While the widow woman was still lost in wonder at these words, Monedowa and Minda his wife changed at the same moment and rose into the air as beautiful birds, clothed in shining colors of red and blue. ”

“ He was naturally much vexed with the owl, and had no sooner delivered over the duck to the housekeeper, than he flew in the owl's face and, venting an abundance of reproaches, would have torn the very eyes out of the White Owl's head in his passion.
"Softly, Peepi," said the Gray Eagle, stepping in between them. "Don't be in such a huff, my little brother, or show so revengeful a temper. Do you not know that we are to forgive our enemies? White Owl, you may go; but let this be a lesson to you, not to play the tyrant over those who may chance to be weaker than yourself." ”

“ The Mudjee Monedo had already visited her lodge to observe whether the boy was sufficiently grown to be challenged to the race; and so crafty in his approaches and so soft in his manners was the monedo, that the mother feared he would yet decoy the son in spite of all her struggles and make way with him as he had done with her husband and the seven elder sons.
And yet she strove with all her might to strengthen her son in every good course. She taught him, as best she could, what was becoming for the wise hunter and the brave warrior. ”

“ For a stripling, Manabozho was uncommonly wideawake. Every new sight he beheld in the heavens was a subject of remark; every new animal or bird, an object of deep interest; and every sound that came from the bosom of nature was like a new lesson which he was expected to learn. He often trembled at what he heard and saw.
To the scene of the wide open prairie his grandmother sent him at an early age to watch. The first sound he heard was that of the owl, at which he was greatly terrified. Quickly descending the tree he had climbed, he ran with alarm to the lodge.
"Noko! noko! grandmother!" ”

“ II. MANABOZHO, THE MISCHIEF-MAKER THERE was never in the whole world a more mischievous busy-body than that notorious giant Manabozho. He was everywhere, in season and out of season, running about and putting his hand in whatever was going forward. To carry on his game, he could take almost any shape he pleased; he could be very foolish or very wise; very weak or very strong; very poor or very rich—just as happened to suit his humor best. Whatever any one else could do, he would attempt without a moment's reflection. ”

“ Then Waupee, casting off his disguise, walked sorrowfully back to his lodge—but ah, the night seemed very long to lonely White Hawk! His whole soul was filled with the thought of the beautiful sister.
Betimes, the next day, he returned to the haunted spot, hoping and fearing, and sighing as though his very soul would leave his body in its anguish. He reflected upon the plan he should follow to secure success. He had already failed twice; to fail a third time would be fatal. ”

“ She ran after the tracks of the young man and his mother as fast as she could; so fast, indeed, that she was on the very point of overtaking them, when the dog, Spirit-Iron, coming close up to his master, whispered to him—"Snake-berry!"
"Let the snakeberry spring up to detain her!" cried out the young man. And immediately the berries spread for a long distance like scarlet all over the path, and the old Toad-Woman, who was almost as fond of these berries as she was of fat bears, could not avoid stooping down to pick and eat. ”

“ The bear-chief himself came forward, and with a majestic wave of his right hand, said that he did not wish to shed the blood of the young warriors; but that if Grasshopper consented, they two would have a race. The winner should kill the losing chief, and all his young men should be servants to the other.
Grasshopper agreed, of course—how little Pipe-bearer, who stood by, grinned as they came to terms!—and they started to run before the whole company of warriors who stood in a circle looking on. ”

“ Across this beautiful prairie, Minda had one morning made her way to gather dry limbs for their fire. And while enjoying the sweetness of the air and the green beauty of the woods, she strolled far away.
She had come to a bank painted with flowers of every hue, and was reclining on its fragrant couch, when a bird, of red and deep-blue plumage softly blended, alighted on a branch near-by and began to pour forth its carol. ”

“ The sister replied:
"I do not say no, my brother, to what you desire; we are not forbidden the society of our fellow mortals, but we are told to cherish each other, and to do nothing that shall not be agreeable to all our little household. Neither pleasure nor pain ought, therefore, to separate us, especially from our younger brother, who, being but a child and weakly withal, is entitled to a double share of our affection. If we follow our separate fancies, it will surely make us neglect him, whom we are bound to support by vows both to our father and mother." ”

“ He left the lodge, and before their laughter had ceased, returned with his trophy. He held aloft the head of the Red Sorcerer, still leering, at prospect of a thousand future murders. It was easily recognized, and the young men who had scoffed at Strong Desire shrank into the corners out of sight. Strong Desire had conquered the terrible Red Head! All doubts of the truth of his adventures were dispelled.
He was greeted with joy and placed among the first warriors of the nation. He finally became a chief, and his family were ever after respected and esteemed. ”

“ I wish to live among you."
"Yes," answered their chief. "Lie down." And Grasshopper in a moment found himself a beaver, and was gliding into the water, when a thought seemed to strike him, and he paused at the edge of the lake.
"I am very small," he said to the beaver in a sorrowful tone. "You must make me large." For Grasshopper was terribly ambitious and wanted always to be the first person in every company. "Larger than any of you; in my present size it's hardly worth my while to go into the water."
"Yes, yes!" said they. "By and by, when we get into the lodge it shall be done." ”

“ Grasshopper conducted the crowd to his friend, the chief of the village, and gave them into his hands, telling who they were and the manner in which they had come to life again. Meanwhile the twenty warriors, pipe-bearer, and all the people cried together:
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Grasshopper has killed the wicked Manito."
The chief was there with his counsellors, to whom he spoke apart.
"Who is more worthy to rule than you?" said the chief to Grasshopper. "You alone can defend us all."
Grasshopper thanked him and told him that he was in search of more adventures. ”

“ On arriving at the lodge of the hunter with whom they were to feast, they found the banquet ready, and as soon as their entertainer had finished his harangue—in which he told them his feasting was in honor of the Evening or Woman's Star—they began to partake of the portion dealt out to each one of the guests, according to age and character. The food was very delicious, and they were all happy but Osseo, who looked at his wife and then gazed upward, as if he were still looking into the substance of the sky. ”

“ Return immediately to your tribe, for under pretence of recovering one of the magic arrows which belong to you by your father's dying wish, your brothers have sent you off so that they may become possessed of your beautiful wife, the Red Swan. Speed home! You will find the magic arrow at the lodge-door. You will live to a very old age, and die happily. You can go no farther in these abodes of ours."
Maidwa looked, as he thought, to the west, and saw a bright light as if the sun was shining in its splendor, but he saw no sun. ”

“ The coming of the warriors to procure the cap for the sick maiden was a cheat, and they are now constantly making sport of the unhappy scalp—dancing it about from village to village—and on every insult it receives the poor old chief to whom it belongs groans with pain. Those who hold it are too powerful for the magician, and many have sacrificed themselves to recover it for him, but without success. The Red Swan has enticed many a young man, as she has you, to enlist them to procure the scalp, and whoever is so fortunate as to succeed, it is understood, will receive the Red Swan as his reward. ”

“ He lost no time in ordering her to cut up the fish and dry it; telling her that their spring supply of meat was now provided.
The sister now began to believe that her brother was an extraordinary boy; yet she was not altogether satisfied in her mind that he was greater than the rest of the world.
They sat one evening in the lodge, musing with each other in the dark, by the light of each other's eyes, when the sister said:
"My brother, it is strange that you, who can do so much, are no wiser than the Ko-ko, who gets all his light from the moon; which shines or not, as it pleases." ”

“ As he journeyed on in search of further adventures, Grasshopper came to a lodge in which were two old men, with heads white from extreme age. They were very fine old men to look at. There was such sweetness and innocence in their features that Grasshopper was very glad to accept their invitation to enter the lodge and tarry a while.
They treated him well, and when he made known to them that he was going back to his village, his friends and people, the two white-headed old men very heartily wished him a good journey and abundance of comfort in seeing his friends once more. ”

“ In the evening the Weendigo told the people that he should go out a-hunting; and he strided away toward the North. Toward morning he returned, all besmeared with blood, but he did not make known where he had been or of what kind of game he had been in quest; but the hunter and his wife had dreadful suspicions of the sport in which he had been engaged. Withal his hunger did not seem to be staid, for he took up the deer which the hunter had brought in and devoured it eagerly, leaving the family to make their meal of the dried meats which had been reserved in the lodge. ”

“ Comparing himself with this great man, he felt that he was no bigger than an insect. He seated himself on the shore and watched his movements.
When the large man had killed many beavers, he put them on a hand-sled which he had, and pursued his way home. When he saw him retire, the dwarf hunter followed, and, wielding his magic shell, he cut off the tail of one of the heavers and ran home with the prize.
The giant, on reaching his lodge with his sled-load of heavers, was surprised to find one of them shorn of its tail.
The next day the little hero of the shell went to the same lake. ”

“ As they were sitting in the lodge, surrounded by the friends and relatives, the mother of the Red Head regarded the face of her new daughter-in-law for a long time with fixed attention. From this scrutiny she was convinced that this singular and hasty marriage boded no good to her son. She drew him aside, and disclosed to him her suspicions.
"This can be no maiden," said she. "She has the figure and manners of a woman, but the countenance, and more especially the eyes, are beyond a doubt those of a man." ”

“ The manito was very pleasant with Monedowa, and after much other gentle-spoken discourse, he invited him to the racing-ground, saying it was a manly amusement, that he would have an excellent chance to meet there with other warriors, and that he should himself be pleased to run with him.
Monedowa would have excused himself, saying that he knew nothing of running.
"Why," replied the Mudjee Monedo, trembling in every limb as he spoke, "don't you see how old I look, while you are young and full of life? We must at least run a little to amuse others." ”