Then they rose up and departed Each one homeward to his wigwam, To the young men and the women Told the story of the strangers
Whom the Master of Life had sent them From the shining land of Wabun. Heavy with the heat and silence Grew the afternoon of Summer; With a drowsy sound the forest Whispered round the sultry wigwam, With a sound of sleep the water Rippled on the beach below it;
From the corn-fields shrill and ceaseless Sang the grasshopper, Pah-Puk-keena ; And the guests of Hiawatha, Weary with the heat of Summer, Slumbered in the sultry wigwam.
Slowly o'er the simmering landscape Fell the evening's dusk and coolness, And the long and level sunbeams Shot their spears into the forest, Breaking through its shields of shadow, Rushed into each secret ambush, Searched each thicket, dingle, hollow; Still the guests of Hiawatha Slumbered in the silent wigwam.
From his place rose Hiawatha,
Bade farewell to old Nokomis, Spake in whispers, spake in this wise, Did not wake the guests, that slumbered: "I am going, O Nokomis,
On a long and distant journey, To the portals of the Sunset, To the regions of the home-wind, Of the Northwest wind, Keewaydin. But these guests I leave behind me, In your watch and ward I leave them; See that never harm comes near them, See that never fear molests them,
Never danger nor suspicion, Never want of food or shelter, In the lodge of Hiawatha!"
Forth into the village went he, Bade farewell to all the warriors, Bade farewell to all the young men, Spake persuading, spake in this wise: "I am going, O my people, On a long and distant journey; Many moons and many winters Will have come, and will have vanished, Ere I come again to see you. But my guests I leave behind me; Listen to their words of wisdom, Listen to the truth they tell you, For the Master of Life has sent them From the land of light and morning!" On the shore stood Hiawatha, Turned and waved his hand at parting; On the clear and luminous water Launched his birch canoe for sailing, From the pebbles of the margin Shoved it forth into the water; Whispered to it, "Westward! westward!" And with speed it darted forward. And the evening sun descending Set the clouds on fire with redness, Burned the broad sky, like a prairie, Left upon the level water
One long track and trail of splendor, Down whose stream, as down a river, Westward, westward Hiawatha Sailed into the fiery sunset, Sailed into the purple vapors, Sailed into the dusk of evening.
And the people from the margin Watched him floating, rising, sinking, Till the birch canoe seemed lifted High into that sea of splendor,
Till it sank into the vapors
Like the new moon slowly, slowly Sinking in the purple distance.
And they said, "Farewell forever!" Said, "Farewell, O Hiawatha !" And the forests, dark and lonely, Moved through all their depths of darkness, Sighed, "Farewell, O Hiawatha!" And the waves upon the margin Rising, rippling on the pebbles, Sobbed, "Farewell, O Hiawatha!" And the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah, From her haunts among the fen-lands, Screamed, "Farewell, O Hiawatha !" Thus departed Hiawatha,
Hiawatha the Beloved,
In the glory of the sunset, In the purple mists of evening, To the regions of the home-wind, Of the Northwest wind Keewaydın, To the Islands of the Blessed, To the kingdom of Ponemah, To the land of the Hereafter!
Bemah'gut, the grape-vine. Belna, the pheasant. Big-Sea-Water, Lake Superior. Bukada/win, famine. Cheemaun!, a birch canoe. Chetowaik!, the plover. Chibia/bos, a musician; friend of Hiawatha; ruler in the Land of Spirits. Dahin/da, the bull-frog. Dush-kwo-ne/-she, or Kwo-ne/- she, the dragon-fly. Esa, shame upon you. Ewa-yeal, lullaby. Ghee/zis, the sun. Gitche Gu/mee, the Big-Sea- Water, Lake Superior. Gitche Man/ito, the Great Spir- it, the Master of Life. Gushkewaul, the darkness. Hiawatha, the Wise Man, the Teacher; son of Mudjekeewis, the West Wind, and Weno- nah, daughter of Nokomis. Ia/goo, a great boaster and story- teller.
Inin/ewug, men, or pawns in the Game of the Bowl. Ishkoodahl, fire; a comet. Jee/bi, a ghost, a spirit. Josslakeed, a prophet.
Kabibonok/ka, the North- Wind. Kagh, the hedgehog.
Kalgo, do not.
Kahgahgeel, the raven. Kaw, no.
Kaween!, no indeed. Kayoshk, the sea-gull. Keelgo, a fish.
Keeway/din,
Wind, the Home-wind. Kena/beek, a serpent. Keneul, the great war-eagle. Keno/zha, the pickerel. Ko/ko-ko/ho, the owl.
Kuntasool, the Game of Plum
Kwalsind, the Strong Man. Kwo-nel-she, or Dush-kwo-ne/she, the dragon-fly. Mahnahbe/zee, the swan. Mahng, the loon.
Mahn-go-tay/see, loon-hearted, brave.
Mahnomo/nee, wild rice. Malma, the woodpecker. Maskeno/zha, the pike. Melda, a medicine-man. Meenah/ga, the blueberry. Megissog/won, the great Pearl- Feather, a magician, and the Manito of Wealth. Meshinau/wa, a pipe-bearer. Minjekah/wun, Hiawatha's
Minneha/ha, Laughing Water; a water-fall on a stream running into the Mississippi, between Fort Snelling and the Falls of St. Anthony.
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