HIAWATHA’S CHILDHOOD
By the shore of gitchee Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood the wingwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the moon, Nokomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them;
Bright before it beat the water,
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-sea-Water.
…
There the wrinkled, old Nokomis
Nursed the little Hiawatha,
Rocked him in his linden cradle,
Bedded soft in moss and rushes,
Safely bound with reindeer sinews;
Stilled his freful wail by saying,
“Hush! The naked bear will get thee!”
Lulled him into slumber singing,
“Ewa-yea my little owlet!”
…
At th door, on sunner evenings
Sat the little Hiawatha;
Heard the whisperings of the pinr-trees,
Heard the lapping of the water,
Sounds of music, words of wonder;
“Minnie-wawa,” said the pine-trees,
“Mudway aushka,” said the water.
Saw the fire-fly, Wah-wah-taysee,
Flitting through the dusk of evening,
With the twinkle of its candle
Lighting up the brakes and bushes,
And he sang the song of children,
Sand the song Nokomis taught him:
Wah-wah-taysee, little fire-fly,
Little, flitting, white-fire insect,
Little, dancing, white-fire creature.
Light me with your little candle,
Ere upon my bed I lay me,
Ere in sleep I close my eyelids!
Saw the moon rise from the water
Rippling, rounding from the water,
Saw the flecks and shadows on it,
Whispered, “What is that, Nokomis?”
And the good Nokomis answered:
“Once a warrior, very angry,
Seized his grandmother, and threw her
Up into the sky at midnight;
Right against the moon he threw her:
‘Tis her body that you see there.’
Saw the rainbow in the heaven,
In the eastern sky, the rainbow,
Whispered, “What is that, Nokomis?”
And the good Nokomis answered:
‘Tis the heaven of flowers you see there:
All the wild-flowers of the forest,
All the lilies of the prairie,
When on earth they fade and perish,
Blossoms in that heaven above us.”
…
When he heard the owls at midnight,
Hooting. Laughing in the ,forest,
“What is that?” he cried in terror;
“What is that,” he said, “Nokomis?”
And the good Nokomis answered:
“That is but the owl and owlet,
Talking in their native language,
Talking, scolding, at each other.”
…
Then the little Hiawatha
Learned of every bird its language,
Learned their names and all their secrets,
How they built their nests in summer,
Where they hid themselves in winter,
Talked with them whenever he met them,
Called them “Hiawatha’s chickens.”
…
Off all beasts he learned the language,
Learned their names and all their secrets,
How the beavers built their lodges,
Where the squirrels hid their acorns,
How the reindeer ran so swiftly,
Why the rabbit was timid,
Talked with them whenever he met them,
Called them “Hiawatha’s Brothers.”
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