Latest / Guide to Mythology / 017 - Chapter 5 Part IV - Myths of the Sun Moon and Stars

Transcript

017 - Chapter 5 Part IV - Myths of the Sun Moon and Stars · Guide to Mythology

0:00
Speaker 1: Chapter five, Part four of A Guide to Mythology by
0:05
Speaker 1: Helen Clark. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
0:11
Speaker 1: Chapter five, Part four, Myths of the Sun, Moon and
0:17
Speaker 1: Stars o Ceo the Sun of the evening Star, North
0:24
Speaker 1: American Indian. There once lived an Indian in the North
0:29
Speaker 1: who had ten daughters, all of whom grew up to womanhood.
0:35
Speaker 1: They were noted for their beauty, especially o Weeny, the youngest,
0:41
Speaker 1: who was very independent in her way of thinking. She
0:45
Speaker 1: was a great admirer of romantic places, and spent much
0:49
Speaker 1: of her time with the flowers and winds and clouds
0:53
Speaker 1: in the open air. Though the flower were homely if
0:58
Speaker 1: it was fragrant, though the wind were rough, if it
1:02
Speaker 1: was healthful, and though the cloud were dark, if it
1:07
Speaker 1: embosomed the fruitful rain. She knew how, in spite of appearances,
1:13
Speaker 1: to acknowledge the good qualities concealed from the eye. She
1:18
Speaker 1: paid very little attention to the many handsome young men
1:22
Speaker 1: who came to her father's lodge for the purpose of
1:25
Speaker 1: seeing her. Her elder sisters were all sought in marriage,
1:30
Speaker 1: and one after the other, they went off to dwell
1:34
Speaker 1: in the lodges of their husbands but Owenye was deaf
1:38
Speaker 1: to all proposals of the kind. At last, she married
1:43
Speaker 1: an old man called Oco, who was scarcely able to walk,
1:48
Speaker 1: and who was too poor to have things like others.
1:52
Speaker 1: The only property he owned in the world was the
1:56
Speaker 1: walking staff, which he carried in his hand. Though oh
2:00
Speaker 1: thus poor and homely, Oseo was a devout and good man,
2:06
Speaker 1: faithful in all his duties, and obedient in all things
2:10
Speaker 1: to the good spirit. Of course, they jeered and laughed
2:15
Speaker 1: at Owenny on all sides, but she seemed to be
2:18
Speaker 1: quite happy, and said to them, it is my choice,
2:22
Speaker 1: and you will see in the end who has acted
2:25
Speaker 1: the wisest. They made a special mock of the walking staff,
2:30
Speaker 1: and scarcely an hour in the day passed that they
2:34
Speaker 1: did not make some disparaging reference to it. Among themselves.
2:39
Speaker 1: They spoke of Ozo of the walking staff in derision,
2:44
Speaker 1: as the owner of the big woods or the great timberman. True,
2:50
Speaker 1: said Owenne, it is but a simple stick, but as
2:55
Speaker 1: it supports the steps of my husband, it is more
2:58
Speaker 1: precious to me than all the forests of the north.
3:03
Speaker 1: A time came when the sisters and their husbands and
3:07
Speaker 1: their parents were all invited to a feast. As the
3:11
Speaker 1: distance was considerable, they doubted whether Oseo, so aged and feeble,
3:18
Speaker 1: would be able to undertake the journey, But in spite
3:22
Speaker 1: of their friendly doubts, he joined them and set out
3:26
Speaker 1: with a good heart. As they walked along the path,
3:30
Speaker 1: they could not help pitying their young and handsome sister,
3:34
Speaker 1: who had such an unsuitable mate. She, however, smiled upon
3:40
Speaker 1: Oseo and kept with him by the way, the same
3:44
Speaker 1: as if he had been the comeliest bridegroom in all
3:47
Speaker 1: the company. Oseo often stopped and gazed upward, but they
3:53
Speaker 1: could perceive nothing in the direction in which he looked,
3:58
Speaker 1: unless it was the faint glimmering of the evening star.
4:02
Speaker 1: They heard him muttering to himself as they went along,
4:06
Speaker 1: and one of the elder sisters caught the words, pity me,
4:11
Speaker 1: my father, poor old man, said she, he is talking
4:16
Speaker 1: to his father. What a pity it is that he
4:19
Speaker 1: would not fall and break his neck, that our sister
4:23
Speaker 1: might have a young husband. Presently, as they came to
4:28
Speaker 1: a great rock where Oseo had been used to breathe
4:32
Speaker 1: his morning and his evening prayer, the star emitted a
4:36
Speaker 1: brighter ray which shone directly in his face. Oceo, with
4:42
Speaker 1: a sharp cry, fell trembling to the earth, where the
4:46
Speaker 1: others would have left him. But his good wife raised
4:49
Speaker 1: him up, and he sprang forward on the path, and
4:54
Speaker 1: with steps light as the reindeer, he led the party,
4:58
Speaker 1: no longer decrepit and infirm, but a beautiful young man.
5:04
Speaker 1: On turning around to look for his wife, behold she
5:08
Speaker 1: had become changed at the same moment into an aged
5:12
Speaker 1: and feeble woman, bent almost double and walking with the
5:17
Speaker 1: staff which he had cast aside. Osio immediately joined her, and,
5:24
Speaker 1: with looks of fondness and the tenderest regard, bestowed on
5:29
Speaker 1: her every endearing attention, and constantly addressed her by the
5:34
Speaker 1: term of Nini musha, or my sweetheart. As they walked along,
5:40
Speaker 1: whenever they were not gazing fondly in each other's face,
5:45
Speaker 1: they bent their looks on heaven, and a light as
5:49
Speaker 1: if of far off stars, was in their eyes. On
5:54
Speaker 1: arriving at the lodge of the hunter with whom they
5:56
Speaker 1: were to feast, they found the banquet ready, and as
6:01
Speaker 1: soon as their entertainer had finished his harangue, in which
6:05
Speaker 1: he told them his feasting was in honor of the
6:09
Speaker 1: evening or Woman's Star. They began to partake of the
6:13
Speaker 1: portion dealt out according to age and character to each
6:18
Speaker 1: one of the guests. The food was very delicious, and
6:22
Speaker 1: they were all happy. But Osseo, who looked at his
6:26
Speaker 1: wife and then gazed upward as if he were looking
6:30
Speaker 1: into the substance of the sky. Sounds were soon heard,
6:35
Speaker 1: as if from far off voices in the air, and
6:39
Speaker 1: they became plainer and plainer, till he could clearly distinguish
6:45
Speaker 1: some of the words. My son, My son, said the voice,
6:51
Speaker 1: I have seen your afflictions and pity your wants. I
6:56
Speaker 1: come to call you away from a scene that is
6:59
Speaker 1: stained with bloe, blood and tears. The earth is full
7:03
Speaker 1: of sorrows, wicked spirits. The enemies of mankind walk abroad
7:09
Speaker 1: and lie in wait to ensnare the children of the sky.
7:14
Speaker 1: Every night they are lifting their voices to the power
7:18
Speaker 1: of evil, and every day they make themselves busy in
7:22
Speaker 1: casting mischief in the hunter's path. You have long been
7:27
Speaker 1: their victim, but you shall be their victim no more.
7:31
Speaker 1: The spell you were under is broken, Your evil genius
7:36
Speaker 1: is overcome. I have cast him down by my superior
7:41
Speaker 1: strength and It is this strength I now exert for
7:46
Speaker 1: your happiness. Ascend, my son, Ascend into the skies, and
7:51
Speaker 1: partake of the feast I have prepared for you in
7:55
Speaker 1: the stars, and bring with you those you love. Food
8:00
Speaker 1: set before you is enchanted and blessed. Fear not to
8:05
Speaker 1: partake of it. It is endowed with magic power to
8:09
Speaker 1: give immortality to mortals, and to change men to spirits.
8:15
Speaker 1: Your bowls and kettles shall no longer be wood and earth.
8:20
Speaker 1: The one shall become silver, and the other pure gold.
8:25
Speaker 1: They shall shine like fire and glisten like the most
8:28
Speaker 1: beautiful scarlet. Every female shall also change her state and looks,
8:35
Speaker 1: and no longer be doomed to laborious tasks. She shall
8:40
Speaker 1: put on the beauty of the starlight and become a
8:44
Speaker 1: shining bird of the air. She shall dance and not work.
8:49
Speaker 1: She shall sing and not cry. My beams continued the
8:55
Speaker 1: voice shine faintly on your lodge, but they have power
9:00
Speaker 1: to transform it into the lightness of the skies and
9:04
Speaker 1: decorate it with the colors of the clouds. Come oseo,
9:09
Speaker 1: my son, and dwell no longer on earth. Think strongly
9:13
Speaker 1: on my words, and look steadfastly at my beams. My
9:19
Speaker 1: power is now at its height. Doubt not delay not.
9:24
Speaker 1: It is the voice of the spirit of the stars
9:27
Speaker 1: that calls you away to happiness and celestial rest. The
9:32
Speaker 1: words were intelligible to Oseo, but his companions thought them
9:38
Speaker 1: some far off sounds of music or birds singing in
9:42
Speaker 1: the woods. Very soon the lodge began to shake and tremble,
9:48
Speaker 1: and they felt it rising into the air. It was
9:51
Speaker 1: too late to run out, for they were already as
9:54
Speaker 1: high as the tops of the trees. Oceo looked around
9:59
Speaker 1: him as the lodge passed through the topmost boughs, and behold,
10:05
Speaker 1: their wooden dishes were changed into shells of a scarlet color,
10:10
Speaker 1: the poles of the lodge to glittering rods of silver,
10:14
Speaker 1: and the bark that covered them into the gorgeous wings
10:18
Speaker 1: of insects. A moment, more and his brothers and sisters,
10:23
Speaker 1: and their parents and friends were transformed into birds of
10:28
Speaker 1: various plumage. Some were jays, some partridges and pigeons, and
10:34
Speaker 1: others gay singing birds who hopped about, displaying their many
10:39
Speaker 1: colored feathers and singing songs of cheerful note. But his wife,
10:46
Speaker 1: Ownie still kept her earthly garb and exhibited all the
10:51
Speaker 1: indications of extreme old age. He again cast his eyes
10:56
Speaker 1: in the direction of the clouds and uttered the peculiar
11:00
Speaker 1: cry which had given him the victory at the Rock.
11:05
Speaker 1: In a moment, the youth and beauty of his wife returned,
11:09
Speaker 1: her dingy garments, assumed the shining appearance of green silk,
11:14
Speaker 1: and her staff was changed into a silver feather. The
11:19
Speaker 1: lodge again shook and trembled, for they were now passing
11:23
Speaker 1: through the uppermost clouds, and they immediately after found themselves
11:29
Speaker 1: in the evening Star, the residence of Osseo's father. My son,
11:35
Speaker 1: said the old man, hang that cage of birds which
11:39
Speaker 1: you have brought along in your hand at the door,
11:43
Speaker 1: and I will inform you while you and your wife
11:46
Speaker 1: have been sent for. Osseo obeyed, and then took his
11:51
Speaker 1: seat in the lodge. Pity was shown to you resumed
11:56
Speaker 1: the king of the star on account of the contempt
12:00
Speaker 1: of your wife's sisters, who laughed at her ill fortune
12:04
Speaker 1: and ridiculed you while you were under the power of
12:08
Speaker 1: that wicked spirit whom you overcame at the Rock. That
12:13
Speaker 1: spirit lives in the next lodge, being the small star
12:18
Speaker 1: you see on the left of mine, and he has
12:21
Speaker 1: always felt envious of my family because we had greater power,
12:26
Speaker 1: and especially because we had committed to us the care
12:30
Speaker 1: of the female world. He failed in many attempts to
12:35
Speaker 1: destroy your brothers and sisters in law, but succeeded at
12:39
Speaker 1: last in transforming yourself and your wife into decrepit old persons.
12:46
Speaker 1: You must be careful and not let the light of
12:49
Speaker 1: his beams fall on you while you are here, for
12:53
Speaker 1: therein lies the power of his enchantment. A ray of
12:58
Speaker 1: light is the bow and arrow he uses. Osseo lived
13:03
Speaker 1: happy and contented in the parental lodge, and in due
13:08
Speaker 1: time his wife presented him with a son, who grew
13:12
Speaker 1: up rapidly and in the very likeness of Osseo himself.
13:17
Speaker 1: He was very quick and ready in learning everything that
13:21
Speaker 1: was done in his grandfather's dominions. But he wished also
13:25
Speaker 1: to learn the art of hunting, for he had heard
13:29
Speaker 1: that this was a favorite pursuit. Below to gratify him,
13:34
Speaker 1: his father made him a bow and arrows, and he
13:37
Speaker 1: then let the birds out of the cage that he
13:40
Speaker 1: might practice in shooting. In this pastime. He soon became expert,
13:46
Speaker 1: and the very first day he brought down a bird,
13:50
Speaker 1: but when he went to pick it up, to his amazement,
13:53
Speaker 1: it was a beautiful young woman with the arrow sticking
13:57
Speaker 1: in her breast. It was one of his younger aunts.
14:02
Speaker 1: The moment her blood fell upon the surface of that
14:05
Speaker 1: pure and spotless planet, the charm was dissolved. The boy
14:11
Speaker 1: immediately found himself sinking, although he was partly upheld by
14:16
Speaker 1: something like wings, until he passed through the lower clouds,
14:21
Speaker 1: and he then suddenly dropped upon a high, breezy island
14:25
Speaker 1: in a large lake. He was pleased on looking up
14:29
Speaker 1: to see all his aunts and uncles following him in
14:33
Speaker 1: the form of birds, and he soon discovered the Silver Lodge,
14:38
Speaker 1: with his father and mother, descending with its waving tassels
14:43
Speaker 1: fluttering like so many insects gilded wings. It rested on
14:48
Speaker 1: the loftiest cliffs of the island, and there they fixed
14:53
Speaker 1: their residence. They all resumed their natural shapes, but they
14:58
Speaker 1: were diminished to the size of fairies, and as a
15:02
Speaker 1: mark of homage to the King of the Evening Star,
15:05
Speaker 1: they never failed, on every pleasant evening during the summer season,
15:10
Speaker 1: to join hands and dance upon the top of the rocks.
15:15
Speaker 1: These rocks were quickly observed by the Indians to be
15:19
Speaker 1: covered in moonlight evenings with a larger sort of innes
15:25
Speaker 1: or little men, and were called mish Inni mok Inakong
15:31
Speaker 1: or little spirits, and the island is named from them.
15:35
Speaker 1: To this day. Their shining lodge can be seen in
15:39
Speaker 1: the summer evenings when the moon beams strongly on the
15:43
Speaker 1: pinnacles of the rocks, and the fishermen who go near
15:47
Speaker 1: those high cliffs at night have even heard the voices
15:51
Speaker 1: of the happy little dancers, and Ossio and his wife,
15:55
Speaker 1: as fondly attached to each other as ever, always lead
16:00
Speaker 1: the dance. The wandering Star a Chippewa legend a quarrel
16:09
Speaker 1: arose among the stars when one of them was driven
16:13
Speaker 1: from its home in the heavens and descended to the earth.
16:18
Speaker 1: It wandered from one path to another, and was seen
16:22
Speaker 1: hovering over the camp fires when the people were preparing
16:26
Speaker 1: to sleep. Among all the people in the world, only
16:30
Speaker 1: one could be found who was not afraid of this star,
16:34
Speaker 1: and this was a daughter of a Chippewa. She was
16:38
Speaker 1: not afraid of the star, but admired and loved it.
16:42
Speaker 1: When she awoke in the night, she always beheld it,
16:46
Speaker 1: for the star loved the maiden. In midsummer, the young girl,
16:51
Speaker 1: on going into the woods for berries, lost her way
16:55
Speaker 1: when a storm arose. Her cries for rescue were answered
17:00
Speaker 1: only by the frogs. A lonely night came when she
17:04
Speaker 1: looked for her star in vain. The storm overcast the sky,
17:09
Speaker 1: and at length caught her in its fury and bore
17:13
Speaker 1: her away. Many seasons passed during which the star was seen,
17:19
Speaker 1: dimmed and wandering in the sky. At length, one autumn
17:24
Speaker 1: it disappeared. Then a hunter saw a small light hanging
17:29
Speaker 1: over the water within the marshland in which he was hunting.
17:34
Speaker 1: He returned to announce the strange sight that said, the
17:39
Speaker 1: old wise man was the Star, driven from heaven, now
17:44
Speaker 1: wandering in search of our lost maiden, our beautiful child
17:49
Speaker 1: of the Chippewas, the daughters of the stars. North American
17:56
Speaker 1: Indian Wapi, or the white Hawk, lived in a remote
18:03
Speaker 1: part of the forest where animals abounded. Every day he
18:07
Speaker 1: returned from the chase with a large spoil, for he
18:12
Speaker 1: was one of the most skillful and lucky hunters of
18:15
Speaker 1: his tribe. His form was like the cedar, the fire
18:20
Speaker 1: of youth beamed from his eye. There was no forest
18:24
Speaker 1: too gloomy for him to penetrate, and no track made
18:28
Speaker 1: by bird or beast of any kind which he could
18:32
Speaker 1: not readily follow. One day, he had gone beyond any
18:37
Speaker 1: point which he had ever before visited. He traveled through
18:41
Speaker 1: an open wood, which enabled him to see a great distance.
18:46
Speaker 1: At length, he beheld a light breaking through the foliage
18:51
Speaker 1: of the distant trees, which made him sure that he
18:54
Speaker 1: was on the borders of a prairie. It was a
18:58
Speaker 1: wide plain, covered with long blue grass and enameled with
19:03
Speaker 1: flowers of a thousand lovely tints. After walking for some
19:08
Speaker 1: time without a path, musing upon the open country and
19:13
Speaker 1: enjoying the fragrant breeze, he suddenly came to a ring
19:18
Speaker 1: worn among the grass and the flowers, as if it
19:21
Speaker 1: had been made by footsteps moving lightly round and round.
19:26
Speaker 1: But it was strange, so strange as to cause the
19:30
Speaker 1: white hawk to pause and gaze long and fixedly upon
19:35
Speaker 1: the ground. There was no path which led to this
19:39
Speaker 1: flowery circle. There was not even a crushed leaf, nor
19:43
Speaker 1: a broken twig, nor the least trace of a footstep
19:48
Speaker 1: approaching or retiring to be found. He thought he would
19:53
Speaker 1: hide himself and lie in wait to discover if he
19:56
Speaker 1: could what this strange circle meant. Presently, he heard the
20:02
Speaker 1: faint sounds of music in the air. He looked up
20:06
Speaker 1: in the direction they came from, and as the magic
20:10
Speaker 1: notes died away, he saw a small object, like a
20:14
Speaker 1: little summer cloud that approaches the earth, floating down from above.
20:20
Speaker 1: At first, it was very small and seemed as if
20:24
Speaker 1: it could have been blown away by the first breeze
20:27
Speaker 1: that came along, But it rapidly grew as he gazed
20:31
Speaker 1: upon it, and the music every moment came clearer and
20:35
Speaker 1: more sweetly to his ear. As it neared the earth,
20:39
Speaker 1: it appeared as a basket, and it was filled with
20:43
Speaker 1: twelve sisters of the most lovely forms and enchanting beauty.
20:49
Speaker 1: As soon as the basket touched the ground, they leaped
20:52
Speaker 1: out and began straightway to dance in the most joyous
20:56
Speaker 1: manner around The magic ring. Struck Viking as they did so,
21:01
Speaker 1: a shining ball which uttered the most ravishing melodies and
21:06
Speaker 1: kept time as they danced. The White Hawk from his concealment, entranced,
21:14
Speaker 1: gazed upon their graceful forms and movements, he admired them
21:19
Speaker 1: all but he was most pleased with the youngest. He
21:23
Speaker 1: longed to be at her side, to embrace her, to
21:27
Speaker 1: call her his own, and, unable to remain longer a
21:32
Speaker 1: silent admirer, he rushed out and endeavored to seize this
21:36
Speaker 1: twelfth beauty who so enchanted him. But the sisters, with
21:42
Speaker 1: the quickness of birds, the moment they descried the form
21:46
Speaker 1: of a man, leaped back into the basket and were
21:50
Speaker 1: drawn up into the sky. Lamenting his ill luck, Woppie
21:56
Speaker 1: gazed longingly upon the fairy basket as it ascended, and
22:01
Speaker 1: bore the lovely sisters from his view. They are gone,
22:05
Speaker 1: he said, and I shall see them no more. He
22:10
Speaker 1: returned to his solitary lodge, but he found no relief
22:14
Speaker 1: to his mind. He walked abroad, but to look at
22:18
Speaker 1: the sky, which had withdrawn from his sight the only
22:22
Speaker 1: being he had ever loved, was painful to him. Now.
22:26
Speaker 1: The next day, selecting the same hour, the white Hawk
22:31
Speaker 1: went back to the prairie and took his station near
22:34
Speaker 1: the ring. In order to deceive the sisters, he assumed
22:39
Speaker 1: the form of an apossum and sat among the grass
22:43
Speaker 1: as if he were there, engaged in chewing the cud
22:47
Speaker 1: He had not waited long when he saw the cloudy
22:50
Speaker 1: basket descend and heard the same sweet music falling as before.
22:57
Speaker 1: He crept slowly toward the ring, but the instant the
23:01
Speaker 1: sisters caught sight of him, they were startled and sprang
23:06
Speaker 1: into their car. It rose a short distance when one
23:10
Speaker 1: of the elder sisters spoke, perhaps she said, it has
23:15
Speaker 1: come to show us how the game is played by mortals.
23:19
Speaker 1: Oh no, the youngest replied, quick let us ascend, and
23:25
Speaker 1: all joining in a chant, they rose out of sight. Woppie,
23:31
Speaker 1: casting off his disguise, walked sorrowfully back to his lodge.
23:37
Speaker 1: But ah, the night seemed very long to lonely White Hawk.
23:42
Speaker 1: His whole soul was filled with the thought of the
23:46
Speaker 1: beautiful sister Betimes. The next day he returned to the
23:51
Speaker 1: haunted spot, hoping and fearing and sighing, as though his
23:56
Speaker 1: very soul would leave his body. In its anguish, he
24:01
Speaker 1: reflected upon the plan he should follow to secure success.
24:06
Speaker 1: He had already failed twice. To fail a third time
24:10
Speaker 1: would be fatal. Near By he found an old stump,
24:16
Speaker 1: much covered with moss, and just then in use as
24:20
Speaker 1: the residence of a number of mice who had stopped
24:23
Speaker 1: there on a pilgrimage to some relatives on the other
24:27
Speaker 1: side of the prairie. The white hawk was so pleased
24:31
Speaker 1: with their tidy little forms that he thought he, too
24:35
Speaker 1: would be a mouse, especially as they were by no
24:38
Speaker 1: means formidable to look at, and would not be at
24:42
Speaker 1: all likely to create alarm. He, accordingly, having first brought
24:48
Speaker 1: the stump and set it near the ring without further notice,
24:52
Speaker 1: became a mouse, and peeped and sported about, and kept
24:57
Speaker 1: his sharp little eyes busy with the others. But he
25:00
Speaker 1: did not forget to keep one eye up toward the
25:04
Speaker 1: sky and one ear wide open in the same direction.
25:09
Speaker 1: It was not long before the sisters, at their customary hour,
25:14
Speaker 1: came down and resumed their sport. But see cried the
25:19
Speaker 1: younger sister that stump was not there, before she ran
25:25
Speaker 1: off frightened toward the basket. Her sisters only smiled, and,
25:30
Speaker 1: gathering round the old tree stump, they struck it in jest.
25:35
Speaker 1: When out ran the mice, and among them wopy. They
25:40
Speaker 1: killed them all but one, which was pursued by the
25:44
Speaker 1: younger sister, just as she had raised a silver stick
25:49
Speaker 1: which she held in her hand to put an end
25:51
Speaker 1: to it too. The form of the white hawk arose,
25:56
Speaker 1: and he clasped his prize in his arms. The other
26:00
Speaker 1: eleven sprang to their basket and were drawn up to
26:03
Speaker 1: the skies. Wopi exerted all his skill to please his
26:09
Speaker 1: bride and win her affections. He wiped the tears from
26:13
Speaker 1: her eyes. He related his adventures in the chase he
26:18
Speaker 1: dwelt upon the charms of life on the earth. He
26:22
Speaker 1: was constant in his attentions, keeping fondly by her side
26:27
Speaker 1: and picking out the way for her to walk. As
26:30
Speaker 1: he led her gently toward his lodge, he felt his
26:33
Speaker 1: heart glow with joy as he entered it, and from
26:37
Speaker 1: that moment he was one of the happiest of men.
26:41
Speaker 1: Winter and summer passed rapidly away, and as the spring
26:46
Speaker 1: drew near, with its balmy gales and its many colored flowers,
26:51
Speaker 1: their happiness was increased by the presence of a beautiful
26:55
Speaker 1: boy in their lodge. What more of earthly blessing was
27:01
Speaker 1: there for them to enjoy. Wapi's wife was a daughter
27:06
Speaker 1: of one of the stars, and as the scenes of
27:09
Speaker 1: earth began to pall upon her sight, she sighed to
27:13
Speaker 1: revisit her father. But she was obliged to hide these
27:18
Speaker 1: feelings from her husband. She remembered the charm that would
27:22
Speaker 1: carry her up, and while white Hawk was engaged in
27:26
Speaker 1: the chase, she took occasion to construct a wicker basket,
27:31
Speaker 1: which she kept concealed. In the meantime, she collected such
27:35
Speaker 1: rarities from the earth as she thought would please her father,
27:39
Speaker 1: as well as the most dainty kinds of food. One day,
27:45
Speaker 1: when Wapie was absent and all was in readiness, she
27:49
Speaker 1: went out to the charmed ring, taking with her her
27:53
Speaker 1: little son. As they entered the car, she commenced her
27:58
Speaker 1: magical song, and the basket rose. The song was sad
28:03
Speaker 1: and of a lowly and mournful cadence, and as it
28:08
Speaker 1: was wafted far away by the wind, it caught her
28:12
Speaker 1: husband's ear. It was a voice which he well knew,
28:16
Speaker 1: and he instantly ran to the prairie. Though he made
28:20
Speaker 1: breathless speed, he could not reach the ring before his
28:24
Speaker 1: wife and child had ascended beyond his reach. He lifted
28:29
Speaker 1: up his voice in loud appeals, but they were unavailing.
28:34
Speaker 1: The basket still went up. He watched it till it
28:38
Speaker 1: became a small speck, and finally it vanished in the sky.
28:44
Speaker 1: He then bent his head down to the ground and
28:47
Speaker 1: was miserable. Through a long winter and a long summer.
28:54
Speaker 1: Woppy bewailed his loss, but he found no relief. The
28:58
Speaker 1: beautiful spirit had come and gone, and he should see
29:03
Speaker 1: it no more. He mourned his wife's lost sorely, but
29:07
Speaker 1: his son's still more, for the boy had both the
29:11
Speaker 1: mother's beauty and the father's strength. In the meantime, his
29:17
Speaker 1: wife had reached her home in the stars, and in
29:20
Speaker 1: the blissful employments of her father's house, she had almost
29:24
Speaker 1: forgotten that she had left a husband upon the earth.
29:29
Speaker 1: But her son, as he grew up, resembled more and
29:33
Speaker 1: more his father, and every day he was restless and
29:37
Speaker 1: anxious to visit the scene of his birth. His grandfather
29:42
Speaker 1: said to his daughter, one day, go, my child, and
29:46
Speaker 1: take your son down to his father, and ask him
29:50
Speaker 1: to come up and live with us, But tell him
29:53
Speaker 1: to bring along a specimen of each kind of bird
29:57
Speaker 1: and animal he kills in the chase. She accordingly took
30:03
Speaker 1: the boy and descended. The white hawk, who was ever
30:07
Speaker 1: near the enchanted spot, heard her voice as she came
30:11
Speaker 1: down the sky. His heart beat with impatience as he
30:16
Speaker 1: saw her form and that of his son, and they
30:19
Speaker 1: were soon clasped in his arms. He heard the message
30:24
Speaker 1: of the star and he began to hunt with the
30:27
Speaker 1: greatest activity, that he might collect the presence with all dispatch.
30:32
Speaker 1: He spent whole nights as well as days, in searching
30:37
Speaker 1: for every curious and beautiful animal and bird. He only
30:42
Speaker 1: preserved a foot, a wing, or a tail of each.
30:47
Speaker 1: When all was ready, Wapie visited once more each favorite spot,
30:53
Speaker 1: the hilltop, whence he had been used to see the
30:56
Speaker 1: rising sun, the stream where he had boarded as a boy,
31:02
Speaker 1: the old lodge, now looking sad and solemn, which he
31:06
Speaker 1: was to sit in no more, And last of all,
31:10
Speaker 1: coming to the magic circle, he gazed widely around him
31:15
Speaker 1: with tearful eyes, and taking his wife and child by
31:19
Speaker 1: the hand, they entered the car and were drawn up
31:24
Speaker 1: into a country far beyond the flight of birds or
31:28
Speaker 1: the power of mortal eye to pierce. Great joy was manifested.
31:34
Speaker 1: Upon their arrival at the starry plains, the star chief
31:39
Speaker 1: invited all his people to a feast, and when they
31:43
Speaker 1: had assembled, he proclaimed aloud that each one might continue,
31:48
Speaker 1: as he was an inhabitant of his own dominions, or
31:53
Speaker 1: select of the earthly gifts, such as he liked best.
31:58
Speaker 1: A very strange confusion immediately arose not one but sprang forward.
32:04
Speaker 1: Some chose a foot, some a wing, some a tale,
32:09
Speaker 1: and some a claw. Those who selected tails or claws
32:14
Speaker 1: were changed into animals and ran off. The others assumed
32:19
Speaker 1: the form of birds and flew away. Wapi chose a
32:24
Speaker 1: white hawk's feather. His wife and son followed his example,
32:30
Speaker 1: and each one became a white hawk. He spread his wings, and,
32:35
Speaker 1: followed by his wife and son, descended with the other
32:39
Speaker 1: birds to the earth, where he is still to be found,
32:42
Speaker 1: with the brightness of the starry plains in his eyes
32:46
Speaker 1: and the freedom of the heavenly breezes in his wings.
32:53
Speaker 1: And of Chapter five