At the door on summer evenings Sat the little Hiawatha;Heard the whispering of the pine-trees, Heard the lapping of the waters, Sounds of music, words of wonder; "Minne-wa-wa!" said the pine-trees, "Mudway-aush-ka!" said the water.
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, Blossom 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?" "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 whene"er he met them, Called them "" Hiawatha"s Chickens."Of all the 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 so timid,Talked with them whene"er he met them, Called them " Hiawatha"s Brothers."From The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. LongfellowAuthor.-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), an American poet, wrote many beautiful and simple poems. He is often called the "Children"s Poet."General Notes.-This poem is part of a longer poem called The Songof Hiawatha, which is based on the legends of the North American Indians. It tells of the life of Hiawatha, a miraculous person sent among the Indians by the gods to clear the rivers, forests, and fishing-grounds,and to teach them the art of peace. Nokomis was Hiawatha"s oldgrandmother. What did she teach him?
Suggestions for Verse-speaking.-Divide the class into two parts. All speak the first five lines, and then divide for the lines about (a) the pine trees and (b) the water. The next three verses can each be divided : (a) What Hiawatha saw and said, (b) what Nokomis answered. The last two verses can be spoken almost line by line in turn by the two parts, the last two lines in each of these verses being spoken as a refrain by the whole class.