The league of the Iroquois and other legends : from the Indian muse

126 THE LEAGUE OF THE IROQUOIS.
Of Shin-ge-bis so brave and bold,
Or duck or man, as he might please ;
Him that, with all his storm and cold,
Kabi-bon-ok-ka could not freeze.
All stories of the vanished years,
The wondrous fireside Folk-songs old
Told to the maiden's willing ears ;
As but by Indian mothers told.
The while the reedy mats she made
Or lit the embers, falling dim,
Or wove the precious wampum-braid
And charmed the hour with thoughts of him ;
Or, Hayo-went-ha more to bless,
The little maiden by her side,
With patient hand of weariness
She dressed Skan-o-do's hairy hide.
And growing, more the maiden grew
The mother's joy, the father's pride ;
She all the wigwam fables knew,
Nor less her hand to labor plied ;
But when her little task was done,
So learned in all the stories old,
Her pretty tongue would prattle on
He-tell the tales the mother told.