| Show lDJA MYTHS AND LEGEIVDS That mother love is fully understood and appreciated by our red brother is shown in many of their legends that have been handed down from one family fam-ily tribes to another among the different To apreciate some of these one would have to be familiar with Indian customs but many have an interest that appeals to all One tells us of a mother who had her dear litlc baby boy stolen from her by a wicken old witch or toadwoman The mother traveled for years in pursuit gaining a slight clue now and then just I enough to take her on through all sorts of hardships and danger At length she came to the land of the three Nokves or friendly old grandmothers grand-mothers who told her that the toad woman lived farther on at the ends of the earth and each one gave her a charm to bo used should the old witch pursue her on her return home with heron her-on as of course she did Then tho good mother used the first Charm which was the words Oh snakeberry root spring up and catch her The old woman tripped among the vines and stopped to eat the scarlet bal ries and the delay gave the good mother and her son a fine start again The other charm worked equally well the last one leaving the ugly toaflwoman slipping about on a hill of glass Whore she is to this day for all we know to the contrary But it all goes to show that the Indians think u good mother will go to the ends of the earth for her childs sake which is quite true They have tender motherly lullabies also as1 this one will prove It is called E WE YEA Swinging swinging lullaby Sleep thou sleep thou sleep thou Little daughter lullaby Swinging swinging lullaby Not alone art thou Your mother is caring for you Sleep sleep my little daughter Swinging swinging lullaby Here is another with JS little touch of humor in I or The poor little bee That lives in a tree The poor little bee That lives in a tree Has only one arrow In his quiver I The Birth of Arbutus that much welcomed herald of spring is poetically poeteaHy told The old winter king sat In front I of his lodge when n handsome young I man appeared before him The old frost I spirit at once began to boast of his powers I pow-ers I breathe and the streams cease to I floTv the leaves whirl away snow covers cov-ers the earth and both bird and beast fly before me I I breathe said the youth and flow YOUtl fow ers spring up I loose the stream from i their fetters the birds sing and all Nature I Na-ture rejoices for I am Soogroun the spirit of spring As the youth gazed upon the old man he melted before him Where the old mans lodge fire had armed the earth eartJ a small fragrant pink and white flower I peeped out of the ashes It was the nvuscofleed of the Indian the trailing arbutus of the pale face traing I Seegroun placed the fragrant blossom in his frontlet as the first trophy of his reign in the North and of the Resurrec tion of the Soul of the World There Is a wonderful story 0 the exploits i 1 ex-ploits oC an Indian Achilles called Kwa I 1 sind whose vulnerable snot was In his S head instead of his heel They have their Beauty and the Beast legend I but the beast is an old man to whom the lovely young Indian girl is i kind and good and who of course turns out to be a handsome brave a son of the Evening I Star The myth of the Morning Star is as beautiful and fanciful as anything to be found among civilized nations I Two children were obliged to separate I The sister to cn to the Place of the Breaking Light the brother to the rocks and hills When they were about to separate the I sister said When you look in the east I and see beautiful red clouds floating I foatng alone the sky believe that T am paint ing and adoring myself The brother replied I will dwell upon the rocks that look toward the C > t that I may beauty Kazc upon thee and delight in thy A sound of many winds now cama upon the ears of the two and soon the four spirits of the heavens came forth and bore away the sister wafting her to the place of the Br < akh1f waCln Light where she was changed into the Morning Star Her brother who was left on the earth dwelt among the rocks and hills that looked toward the east where he could see in the morning the red clouds wit which his sister adorned herself as she stood in her Mar lodzre in the sky LOUISE PHILLIPS I T THE ROOF TREE I Hcme no more home to me whither must I wander Huge my driver I go where I must Cold Slows the winter wind over lull and heather Thick In the drives dust the rain and my roof L Loved O wise men was the shade of my rooftree Tflie true word of welcome was spoken in the doO Dear firelight days of old with the faces n the Kind more folks of old you come again no II I Home was home then my dear full of kindly faces Home was hOme then iny dear happy for the cllid Fire and the windows bright glittered on the imooriand Song tuneful song fouilt a palace in the wild Kiow whoa day dawns on the brow of the tntoorland Done stands the fcouse and the chlm neystone Is cold Lone departed let it stand now the friends are all Tfae kind hearts the true hearts that loved the place of old Ill Spring shall come come again calling up the tmoorfmvl Spring shall bring e sun and rain brJnsr the bees and flowers Jted isliall the heather bloom over hill i and valley Soft foW the stream through the even flowing hours Fair childhood the day shines as it shone l my cldto S 2Pair shine the day on The house TOith open door jKrds coma and crop there and twitter in the chimney S But I go forerer and come again + no 1 more S Robert Louis Stevenson i |
