Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/297

 Folk-Lore Scrap-Book. 285

the same voice and the same call. Still she saw no one. She stopped and looked into the sky ; and, lo ! as she stood there motionless, Gisha Munetoa, the Master of Life, who spoke to her thus : —

" ' Wipe away the tears from thine eyes, my daughter, and listen to the message which I shall tell thee ; for I shall intrust many things upon thee, because I have seen thee loved above all the young women of thy nation. I wish thee to return to thy lodge and to thy village, which thou shalt find standing as in the days of peace.

" ' Now do these things which I shall tell thee as thou hearest them, and all shall come out well. First, pluck four stems from the long grass wav- ing at thy side, and then return the way whence thou hast come. On that way is the camp of the foe. Be not afraid, but enter straight into the camp as thou wouldst into thine own. Thou shalt find the chiefs and the warriors feasting. I shall direct thy footsteps to the place where the two head chiefs are eating. There sit thyself down and eat till thy hunger is gone. Warriors shall place food before thee, and thou shalt see everything that passes before thine eyes ; but no one shall see thee, nor shall any one know that thou art there. After thou art done eating, rise ; and as thou turnest thy back upon the chiefs and the warriors, and startest on thy way home, thou shalt see at thy feet a large wooden vessel. Lift up the vessel and bear it upon thy shoulders, for thou shalt find it light. And when thou hast come into the village of thy people, go and sit by thy lodge. There play upon the drum which thou shalt have, and, in time to the measure, sing the songs which I shall cause thee to sing. And while thy people sing with thee, show them how to dance to the new songs. Then tell them that there shall be no more war. Be brave in thine heart, my daughter ; for I shall be with thee in all that I have asked thee to do.'

"Gisha Munetoa disappears behind the clouds, and the girl, while think- ing over what she has heard, slowly plucks four grass-stems, which change in her hand into four Anoska drumsticks. She is then moved by a mys- terious power, and begins to retrace her steps ; she passes into the camp of the enemy, but is enveloped in a cloud of faint blue mist, and mingles v/ith the warriors unobserved, partaking of food placed before the appar- ently empty seat. When she has sated her hunger she rises, and, as she does so, observes at her feet the wooden vessel which she has been ordered to take up. She does so, and it is transformed into an Anoska drum, beautifully decorated with porcupine quills, beads, and eagle feathers. She lifts it to her shoulder and goes on to her viljage, which she finds de- serted, and, without any conscious volition, begins to beat the drum and chant an old war-song. Attracted by the sound, the warriors return, find the girl, and summon the people, who look with wonder on the maiden sit- ting alone and singing in time with the drum. By and by, three men, to whom she had handed the other three drumsticks, sit down by the drum with her. They followed the time she had set to the beating of the drum, and presently joined in the song she was singing. After she found that the men could play the drum and sing alone, she slowly lowered her voice until it was hushed. Then, handing her own drumstick to a man standing

�� �