FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   >>  
tion: "Then a new canoe he fashioned"] And the innocent Wi-no-na Listened to his artful pleading; Went with him in search of pleasure, Glad to show him friendly feeling. While with idle stroke they floated To the fragrant lily-blossoms, He a string of pearls gave to her, Smooth and polished, pied and purple. 'Round her snowy neck she placed them With no thought of harm or cunning; And with simple, maiden speeches Filled the time as they sped onward. To each pearl had Chi-co chanted, Each had bathed in mystic water, Each held fast the same weird power, Till the time grew ripe for evil. On the waves they could not harm her, There the Sea-King ruled them ever; But when on the shore she landed They would work their evil mission. On the shore of Ro-a-no-ak Chi-co sent his boat with vigor. Lithe and happy she sprang shoreward, When,--from where her foot first lightly Pressed the sand with human imprint,-- On--away--towards the thicket, Sprang _a White Doe_, fleet and graceful. His revenge thus wrought in safety, Drifting seaward Chi-co chanted: "Go, White Doe, hide in the forest, Feed upon the sweet wild-grasses; No winged arrow e'er shall harm you, No Red Hunter e'er shall win you; Roam forever, fleet and fearless, Living free and yet in fetters." O fair maiden! born and nurtured 'Neath the shadow of disaster! Isle of Fate was Ro-a-no-ak, In the Land-of-Wind-and-Water. Nevermore to fill with gladness The sad heart of stricken mother; Nevermore to hear the wooing Of the brave and true O-kis-ko. Gone thy charm of youthful beauty, Gone thy sway o'er savage natures; Doomed to flee before the hunter, Doomed to roam the lonely island, Doomed to bondage e'en in freedom. Is the seal of doom eternal? Hath the mussel-pearl all power? Cannot _love_ thy fetters loosen? [Illustration] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote W: Governor White, of the lost colony.] [Footnote X: See Appendix, Note _n_.] [Footnote Y: See Appendix, Note _o_.] IV THE COUNTER-CHARM Man-te-o and all his warriors Long and far sought for Wi-no-na; Sought to find the sky-eyed maiden Sent by Man-to-ac, the Mighty, To the Cro-a-to-ans to bless them, And to make them wise and happy. As a being more than mortal, As a deity they held her; And when no more seen among them Lamentations filled the island. Through Wo-ko-kon's sandy stretches, Through the bog-lands of Po-mou-ik, Even unto Das-a-mon-que-peu, Hunted they th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   >>  



Top keywords:

Footnote

 

Doomed

 

maiden

 

Appendix

 

Through

 
chanted
 

fetters

 

island

 

Nevermore

 

natures


bondage
 

freedom

 

lonely

 

hunter

 

gladness

 

nurtured

 

shadow

 
disaster
 

eternal

 

youthful


beauty

 

stricken

 

mother

 

wooing

 

savage

 

Lamentations

 
filled
 
mortal
 

Hunted

 
stretches

Mighty

 

colony

 

Governor

 
Cannot
 

mussel

 

loosen

 

FOOTNOTES

 

Illustration

 
COUNTER
 

Sought


sought

 

warriors

 

forest

 

cunning

 

simple

 

speeches

 
Filled
 
thought
 

purple

 

onward