Grew like wampum hard and yellow, Stripped the withered husks from off them, And made known unto the people This new gift of the Great Spirit. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW: Hiawatha beckoned (bek'knd): motioned to him to come compassion (kom pash'un): sorrow for the trouble of others conflict (kon'flikt): a fight craft (kraft): skill dishevelled (di shev'ld): in disorder encounter (en koun'ter): a struggle exertion (egz er'shun): effort fasting (fast'ing): going without food for a long time flared (flârd): gleamed, shone bright haggard (hag'gard): thin and weak Hiawatha (Hei wô thả) invisible (in viz'i bl): not to be seen maize (māz): Indian corn Mondamin (mon dā’min): the Indian word for corn palpitating (pal'pi tā'ting): trem- plumage (plūm'aj): feathers, plumes HELPS TO STUDY 1. Hiawatha's "shadowy dreams and visions" come because he is weak from fasting. What figure comes to him? 2. What is it like? 3. How does it look like the 5 growing corn? 4. What trial of strength does Mondamin ask of Hiawatha? 5. How many wrestling matches do they have? 6. What does the spirit tell Hiawatha the end will be? 7. What is he to do then? 8. What does this mean? 9. How does Hiawatha carry out the orders? 10. What happens at the last? 11. What gift has Hiawatha won for his people? 12. What valuable things besides maize did people from Europe first find here in America? REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What does Caldon-Low mean? What things did the little girl in the poem see there? What good deeds were they doing? 2. What poems written by Longfellow can you name? Where was he born? Where did he travel and study? Where did he teach? 3. Who was Hiawatha? Why did he fast? What happened to him during his fasting? What good gift did he win for his people? Maggie Tulliver was a bright and kindly little girl, whose life was not always happy at home, because some of her family did not understand her. She had somehow got strange notions in her head about the wonderful life the gypsies led, and she thought she would be happy with them in their free and wandering life. I At the next bend in the lane Maggie saw the little black tent with the blue smoke rising before it, which was to be her refuge from all the unpleasant things in civilized life. She even saw a tall female figure by the column of smoke, 5 doubtless the gypsy mother, who provided the tea and other groceries. 66 'My little lady, where are you going to?" the gypsy said in a coaxing tone. It was delightful, and just what Maggie expected; the gypsies saw at once that she was 5 a little lady, and were prepared to treat her so. Why, what a "Not any farther," said Maggie, feeling as if she were saying what she had rehearsed in a dream. "I'm come to stay with you, please." "That's pretty; come, then. 10 nice little lady you are, to be gypsy, taking her by the hand. Maggie thought her very agreeable, but wished she had not been so dirty. sure!" said the There was quite a group round the fire when 15 they reached it. An old gypsy woman was seated on the ground nursing her knees, and occasionally poking a skewer into the round kettle, that sent forth an odorous steam; two small shockheaded children were lying prone and resting on 20 their elbows. A placid donkey was bending his head over a tall girl, who, lying on her back, was scratching his nose and indulging him with a bite of excellent stolen hay. The slanting sun light fell kindly upon them, and the scene was really very pretty and comfortable, Maggie thought, only she hoped they would soon set out the tea cups. At last the old woman said, 5 "What! my pretty lady, are you come to stay with us? Sit down and tell us where you live." It was just like a story; Maggie liked to be called pretty lady and treated in this way. She sat down and said: 10 |