His father helped him build his lodge, and then left him. The first few days he wandered through the woods and over the mountains. He examined the flowers and trees. He wondered what plants were good for food and what were poisonous. When he returned to his lodge, tired with his rambling, he thought about all he had seen. He wished he could dream of something that would benefit his father and all his people. "The Great Spirit has given us all these things, but can I not learn some way by which we may live even if we have no fish or game?" With this thought he went to sleep. On the fourth day of his fasting he was faint and weak, and stayed in the wigwam. While lying there he fancied he saw a young man approaching. He was dressed in garments of green and yellow of many shades, and a yellow plume waved in his hair. "I am sent to you by that Great Spirit who made all things in the sky and on the earth. He knows your desire to help your people. You do not pray for yourself, but for others. I shall show you how you may do as you desire." He told Wunzh to rise and wrestle with him, as he must overcome him. Wunzh was weak, but his heart was filled with courage, and he wrestled stoutly. At length the young man said, "This is enough for to-day; I shall come again to try you." And, smiling, he departed. On the next day they wrestled, and on the third day, and both times the young stranger said he was conquered. "You have won your desire," he said. "To-morrow will be the seventh day of your fasting. When we wrestle then, you will prevail. You must then strip off my garments and throw me down, clean the earth of roots and weeds, make it soft, and bury me in the spot. Leave my body in the earth, and do not disturb it. Be careful never to let the grass or weeds grow on my grave, and once a month cover me with fresh earth.” It happened as the sky visitor had said. Wunzh conquered, and faithfully obeyed the words of the youth. He grieved to place the young stranger's body in the earth, but he felt confident his friend would again come to life. He never forgot to guard the soil, and keep it free from weeds and grass. Late in the summer, after his father had returned from a long hunt, Wunzh took him to the place where he had fasted. The wigwam was no longer there, but a tall and graceful plant, with brightcolored silken hair, with nodding plumes and stately leaves, and golden clusters on each side. "Behold!" cried Wunzh in joy, “it is my friend; it is Mondamin, the friend of man. The Great Spirit has heard my prayer, and no longer must we depend on hunting alone for our food. This the Indian corn shall be our food hereafter!" He then told his father what the youthful visitor had shown him. He stripped the leaves from the ear, and held it before the fire until the outer skin became brown, while the milk was retained in the grain. The whole family then united in a feast and gave thanks to the kind spirit who had given this great gift to men.-Edward Eggleston. NOTES 1. Wunzh. Pronounced Wunsh. 2. Great Spirit. The great god of the Indians. 3. Mondamin. Pronounced Mon-dā'-min. 4. Fast. It was a custom among many of the northern Indian tribes for the boys at the age of fourteen, or thereabouts, to go far into the depths of the forest alone, there build a rude lodge, or wigwam, and fast for several days. When the young warrior returned it was thought that the Great Spirit had in some way given him a life work to do and a guiding spirit who should be with him until that work should be finished. 5. Look up the meanings of the following: disposition, favorite, lodge, wandered, wondered, fasting, conquered, sky visitor, grieved, plumes, clusters, retained. EXERCISES 1. Among what Indians did this legend originate? 2. What was the custom by which the young warrior found out his life work? 3. What was the one great wish of Wunzh's heart? 4. What happened to Wunzh the fourth day of the fasting? 5. Describe the approaching young man. 6. For what reason did the Great Spirit send this young man to Wunzh? 7. Just what did the sky visitor ask Wunzh to do? 8. What did Wunzh and his father find as a result? 9. How, then, was Wunzh's wish gratified? 10. What does the description of the young man of this legend suggest to you? 11. What in life does the struggle suggest? 12. What was the benefit to the Indians of such a discovery? What later benefit to the whites? ADDITIONAL READINGS EDWARD EGGLESTON: Indian Corn. WHITTIER: The Corn Song. The Huskers. ROSSETTI: Songs in a Cornfield. A Green Cornfield. ELLEN EMERSON: Indian Myths. J. H. HARTZELL: The Fields of Corn. EDNA D. PROCTER: Columbia's Emblem. CELIA THAXTER: Maize for the Nation's Emblem. ROBERT E. LEE He was a foe without hate; a friend without treachery; a soldier without cruelty; a victor without oppression; and a victim without murmuring. He was a public officer without vices; a private citizen without wrong; a neighbor without reproach; a Christian without hypocrisy; and a man without guile. He was Cæsar without his ambition; Frederick without his tyranny; Napoleon without his selfishness; and Washington without his reward. He was obedient to authority as a servant, and royal in authority as a true king. He was gentle as a woman in life; modest and pure as a virgin in thought; watchful as a Roman vestal in duty; submissive to law as Socrates; and grand in battle as Achilles. Benjamin H. Hill. THE CITY MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE FOR many, many years, persons have quar reled over whether it is better to live in the country than in the town. In olden times, the city was the center of trade and progress. The country remained for the most part unchanged. One who lived in the city was thought to be particular and hard to please. One who lived in the country was thought to be industrious and contented. Æsop, the great story teller, related the following fable about "The City Mouse and The Country Mouse" in order to show, not how mice act, but how people act. One reason why we like Esop's stories is because we can learn a great deal about people in his simple fables of animals. THE CITY MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE A Country Mouse was once visited by a former friend of his, who lived in a neighboring city. The Country Mouse was rough and ready, but he loved his town friend and tried to make him feel welcome. He put before his friend some fine peas and wheat |