Jack London

“ The heart of the acorn is good?
{First Old Woman}
(Nodding.)
It is good food.
{Red Cloud}
When you have pounded and winnowed and
washed away the bitter.
{Second Old Woman}
As thou taught'st us, Red Cloud, when the
world was very young and thou wast the first man.
{Red Cloud}
It is a fat food. It makes life, and life is good.
{Shaman}
It was thou, Red Cloud, gathering the acorns
and teaching the storing, who gavest life to the
Nishinam in the lean years aforetime, when the
tribes not of the Nishinam passed like the dew
of the morning. ”

“ Let the Sun Men come!
Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!
We will kill the Sun Men when they come!
{People}
(As they join in the war dance.)
Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!
Let the Sun Men come!
Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!
We will kill the Sun Men when they come.
(The dance grows wilder, the Shaman and
War Chief encouraging it, while Red
Cloud and Dew-Woman stand sadly at
a distance.)
(Rifle shots ring out from every side. Up
the hillside appear Sun Men firing rifles.
The Nishinam reel to death from their
dancing.) ”

“ Because we are kind we are men and not little
turtles, and that is why we eat the little turtle
that is not strong because it is not kind.
{War Chief}
(Gesturing to be heard.)
The Modoc come against us in their strength.
Often the Modoc come against us. We cannot
be kind to the Modoc.
{Red Cloud}
That will come after. Kindness grows. First
must we be kind to our own. After, long after,
all men will be kind to all men, and all men will
be very strong. The strength of the Nishinam
is not the strength of its strongest fighter. ”

“ We did not know one acorn planted
Was mightier than an hundred fighting men.
We are not sad.
Our red work was when
The world was young and wild.
The world has grown wise.
No man slays his brother. ”

“ Dew-Woman are repeated the eternal figures
of the philosopher, the soldier, the priest, and
the woman--types ever realizing themselves
afresh in the social adventures of man. Red
Cloud recognizes the wrecked explorers as
planters and life-makers, and is for treating
them with kindness. ”

“ The roaring in the air was the thunder of the
Sun Man's return. Now will he destroy the
Nishinam. Such is the word.
{War Chief}
Hoh! Hoh!
(From right Deer Foot runs in.)
{Deer Foot}
(Breathless.)
They come! He comes!
{War Chief}
Who comes?
{Deer Foot}
The Sun Men. The Sun Man. He is their
chief. He marches before them. And he is
white.
{People}
There is a sign.
The Sun Man is white.
{Red Cloud}
Carries he the thunder in his hand?
{Deer Foot}
(Puzzled)
He looks hungry.
{War Chief}
Hoh! Hoh! The Sun Man is hungry. It
will be easy to kill a hungry Sun Man. ”

“ But we are not little turtles,
because we are kind. We do not leave our young
to the sun in the sand. Our women keep our
young warm under their hearts, and, after, they
keep them warm with deer-skin and campfire. ”

“ Young
women fill gourds with water from the stream and proceed
about their camp tasks. A number of older women are
pounding acorns in stone mortars with stone pestles. An
old man and a Shaman, or priest, look expectantly up the
hillside. All wear moccasins and are skin-clad, primitive,
in their garmenting. Neither iron nor woven cloth occurs
in the weapons and gear.
{Shaman}
(Looking up hillside.)
Red Cloud is late.
{Old Man}
(After inspection of hillside.)
He has chased the deer far. He is patient.
In the chase he is patient like an old man. ”

“ Deer Foot... Elk Man... Antelope. Run
through the forest, climb the hill-tops, seek down
the valleys, for aught you may find of this Sun Man.
(At a wave of the War Chief's hand the
three hunters depart in different directions.)
{Dew-Woman}
Let Red Cloud speak his mind.
{Red Cloud}
(Quietly)
Last night the earth shook and there was a
roaring in the air. Often have I seen, when the
earth shakes and there is a roaring, that springs
in some places dry up, and that in other places
where were no springs, springs burst forth. ”

“ We
shall plant your fat valley and grow food for ten
thousand men.
{Red Cloud}
Ever I counseled peace and planting.
{Sun Man}
Some day all men will counsel peace. No
man will slay his fellow. All men will plant. ”

“ And he was the first man.
{Shaman}
He planted the first acorns, and he is very
wise.
{Old Man}
(Repeating.)
He planted the first acorns, and he is very
wise.
(Cries from the women and a turning of
faces. Red Cloud appears among his
hunters descending the hillside. All
carry spears, and bows and arrows.
Some carry rabbits and other small
game. Several carry deer)
PLAINT OF THE NISHINAM
Red Cloud, the meat-bringer! ”