The Acorn-Planter Part 2

{Red Cloud} In the night I sought her, proved her, Found her ease, content, and rest, After day of toil and struggle Man's reward on woman's breast.

{Dew-Woman} Came to me my mate and lover; Kind the hands he laid on me; Wooed me gently as a man may, Father of the race to be.

{Red Cloud} Soft her arms about me bound me, First man of the Nis.h.i.+nam, Arms as soft as dew and dawnlight, Daughter of the Nis.h.i.+nam.

{Red Cloud} She was life and she was woman!

{Dew-Woman} He was life and he was man!

{Red Cloud} and Dew-Woman

_(Arms about each other.)_ In the dusk-time of our love-night, There beside the marriage fire, Proved we all the sweets of living, In the arms of our desire.

{War Chief} _(Angrily.)_ The councils of men are not the place for women.

{Red Cloud} _(Gently.)_ As men grow kind and wise there will be women in the councils of men. As men grow their women must grow with them if they would continue to be the mothers of men.

{War Chief} It is told of old time that there are women in the councils of the Sim. And is it not told that the Sun Man will destroy us?

{Red Cloud} Then is the Sun Man the stronger; it may be because of his kindness and wiseness, and because of his women.

{Young Brave} Is it told that the women of the Sun are good to the eye, soft to the arm, and a fire in the heart of man?

{Shaman} _(Holding up hand solemnly.)_ It were well, lest the young do not forget, to repeat the old word again.

{War Chief} _(Nodding confirmation.)_ Here, where the tale is told.

_(Pointing to the spring.)_ Here, where the water burst from under the heel of the Sun Man mounting into the sky.

_(War Chief leads the way up the hillside to the spring, and signals to the Old Man to begin)_

{Old Man} When the world was in the making, Here within the mighty forest, Came the Sun Man every morning.

White and s.h.i.+ning was the Sun Man, Blue his eyes were as the sky-blue, Bright his hair was as dry gra.s.s is, Warm his eyes were as the sun is, Fruit and flower were in his glances; All he looked on grew and sprouted, As these trees we see about us, Mightiest trees in all the forest, For the Sun Man looked upon them.

Where his glance fell gra.s.ses seeded, Where his feet fell sprang upstarting-- Buckeye woods and hazel thickets, Berry bushes, manzanita, Till his pathway was a garden, Flowing after like a river, Laughing into bud and blossom.

There was never frost nor famine And the Nis.h.i.+nam were happy, Singing, dancing through the seasons, Never cold and never hungered, When the Sun Man lived among us.

But the foxes mean and cunning, Hating Nis.h.i.+nam and all men, Laid their snares within this forest, Caught the Sun Man in the morning, With their ropes of sinew caught him, Bound him down to steal his wisdom And become themselves bright Sun Men, Warm of glance and fruitful-footed, Masters of the frost and famine.

Swiftly the Coyote running Came to aid the fallen Sun Man, Swiftly killed the cunning foxes, Swiftly cut the ropes of sinew, Swiftly the Coyote freed him.

But the Sun Man in his anger, Lightning flas.h.i.+ng, thunder-throwing, Loosed the frost and fanged the famine, Thorned the bushes, pinched the berries, Put the bitter in the buckeye, Rocked the mountains to their summits, Flung the hills into the valleys, Sank the lakes and shoaled the rivers, Poured the fresh sea in the salt sea, Stamped his foot here in the forest, Where the water burst from under Heel that raised him into heaven-- Angry with the world forever Rose the Sun Man into heaven.

{Shaman} _(Solemnly.)_ I am the Shaman. I know what has gone before and what will come after. I have pa.s.sed down through the gateway of death and talked with the dead. My eyes have looked upon the unseen things. My ears have heard the unspoken words. And now I shall tell you of the Sun Man in the days to come.

_(Shaman stiffens suddenly with hideous facial distortions, with inturned eye-b.a.l.l.s and loosened jaw. He waves his arms about, writhes and twists in torment, as if in epilepsy.)_

_(The Women break into a wailing, inarticulate chant, swaying their bodies to the accent. The men join them somewhat reluctantly, all save Red Cloud, who betrays vexation, and War Chief, who betrays truculence.)_

_(Shaman, leading the rising frenzy, with convulsive s.h.i.+verings and tremblings tears of his skin garments so that he is quite naked save for a girdle of eagle-claws about his thighs. His long black hair flies about his face. With an abruptness that is startling, he ceases all movement and stands erect, rigid. This is greeted with a low moaning that slowly dies away.)_

CHANT OF PROPHECY

{Shaman} The Sun never grows cold.

The Sun Man is like the Sun.

His anger never grows cold.

The Sun Man will return.

The Sun Man will come back from the Sun.

{People} The Sun Man will return.

The Sun Man will come back from the Sun.

{Shaman} There is a sign.

As the water burst forth when he rose into the sky, So will the water cease to flow when he returns from the sky.

The Sun Man is mighty.

In his eyes is blue fire.

In his hands he bears the thunder.

The lightnings are in his hair.

{People} In his hands he bears the thunder.

The lightnings are in his hair.

{Shaman} There is a sign.

The Sun Man is white.

His skin is white like the sun.

His hair is bright like the sunlight.'

His eyes are blue like the sky.

{People} There is a sign.

The Sun Man is white.

{Shaman} The Sun Man is mighty.

He is the enemy of the Nis.h.i.+nam.

He will destroy the Nis.h.i.+nam.

{People} He is the enemy of the Nis.h.i.+nam.

He will destroy the Nis.h.i.+nam.

{Shaman} There is a sign.

The Sun Man will bear the thunder in his hand.

{People} There is a sign.

The Sun Man will bear the thunder in his hand.

{Shaman} In the day the Sun Man comes The water from the spring will no longer flow.

And in that day he will destroy the Nis.h.i.+nam.

With the thunder will he destroy the Nis.h.i.+nam.