Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/160

 144 WILLIAM D. GALLAGHER. [1830-40. THE SPOTTED FAWN.* On Mahketewa's flowery marge The Red Chief's wigwam stood, When first the white man's rifle rang Loud through the echoing wood. The tomahawk and scalping-knife Together lay at rest ; For peace was in the forest shades, And in the red man's breast. Oh, the Spotted Fawn ! Oh, the Spotted Fawn ! The Hght and life of the forest shades With the Red Chief's child is gone. By Mahketewa's flowery marge The Spotted Fawn had birth. And grew, as fair an Indian girl As ever blest the earth. a popular vocalist, and was first sung by him at a concert in Washington Hall, on Third street, Cincinnati. It be- came immediately a great favorite, and was published, with the music, by Peters & Field. Every body sang, re- peated, or talked about the " Spotted Fawn," and every body was shocked, as well as provoked to admiration by its superior aptness of rhythm and alliteration, when the following parody appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: "THE SPOTTED FROG. " On muddy Mill-Creek's marshy marge, When summer's heat was felt, Full many a burly bullfrog large And tender tadpole dwelt ; And there, at noonday, might be seen, Upon a rotted log. The bullfrogs brown, and tadpoles green. And there the Spotted Frog i Oh, the Spotted Frog ! Oh, the Spotted Frog ! The light and life of Mill-Creek's mud Was the lovely Spotted Frog ! " By stagnant Mill-Creek's muddy marge, The Spotted Frog had birth : And grew as fair and fat a frog As ever hopped on earth. She was the Frog-Chief's only child, And sought by many a frog ; But yet on one alone she smiled. From that old rotted log. Oh, the Spotted Frog ! Oh, the Spotted Frog! The light and life of Mill-Croek's mud M'as the lovely Spotted Frog ! She was the Red Chief's only child, And sought by many a brave ; But to the gallant young White Cloud, Her plighted troth she gave. Oh, the Spotted Fawn ! Oh, the Spotted Fawn ! The light and life of the forest shades With the Red Chief's child is gone. From Mahketewa's flowery marge Her bridal song arose — None dreaming, in that festal night. Of near encircling foes ; But through the forest, stealthily, The white men came in wrath ; And fiery deaths before them sped, And blood was in their path. Oh, the Spotted Fawn ! Oh, the Spotted Fawn ! " From muddy Mill-Creek's stagnant marge Her bridal song arose ; None dreaming, as they hopped about. Of near encircling foes ; But cruel boys, in search of sport. To Mill-Creek came that day, And at the frogs, with sticks and stones. Began to blaze away 1 Oh, the Spotted Frog ! Oh, the Spotted Frog ! The light and life of Mill-Creeks's mud Was the lovely Spotted Frog ! " On muddy Mill-Creek's marshy marge. Next morn, no frogs were seen ; But a mortal pile of sticks and stones Told where the fray had been I And time rolled on, and other frogs Assembled round that log ; But never Mill-Creek's marshes saw Again that Spotted Frog ! Oh, the Spotted Frog! Oh, the Spotted Frog! The light and life of Mill-Creek's mud Was the lovely Spotted Frog ! " The point of the parody is in the fact that •' Mill-Creek " (a small stream which empties into the Ohio River just below Cincinnati) is the common name for JIahketewa — a stream highly distinguished in the memory of all Cin- cinnati boys for ■' spotted frogs." The parody was pub- lished in all the papers, and became the rage. The authorship of it is yet unknown. It was ascribed to Re- becca S. Nichols, Lewis J. Cist, John P. Jenks. Cornelius A. Logan, W. U. Lytic, and others. Discussion in the newspapers about the authorship of the '' Spotted Frog" has perpetuated the interest for the " Spotted Fawn " which Mr. Duffield's superior merit as a vocalist first secured for it.
 * The Spotted Fawn was written in 1845, for Duffield,