i
she was born in a bark house. her mother, rising-sun, was surprised as she looked at the little face, for she felt that once before, long ago, she had seen that face, and presently the assurance came to her that the child was the image of her great-grandmother, rising-sun’s mother’s mother, whom she had often seen when she herself was a little girl. hanging-flower had been a great medicine woman in her day, and the fame of her art had spread far and wide; on one occasion, it was claimed, she had even cured a woman of insanity. rising-sun could not hesitate long: she wished to name the baby hanging-flower.
soon after this, when rising-sun had regained her health and vigor, she called on clear-as-a-brook, the keeper of names of the bear clan, to which rising-sun belonged. from her the mother learned that hanging-flower, a remote relative of rising-sun, of whom she remembered having heard, had recently died and that her name had been “put away in a box.” the mother knew now that nothing stood in the way of the realization of her desire: hanging-flower was to be the name of her little girl.
when the fall came, rising-sun began to get ready for the great green corn festival, and on the second day of the festivities she carried little hanging-flower to the long house where her name was ceremonially bestowed upon her, in the presence of all the people.
ii
the first summers of hanging-flower’s life passed uneventfully. rising-sun was a kind mother; for hours she talked to little hanging-flower in soft, soothing tones, and at night she sang her to sleep with her doleful, monotonous lullabies. when harvesting time came and rising-sun was busy in the cornfields with the other women, hanging-flower was wrapped and tied securely to her 100 carrying-board, which was then hung on a branch of an elm tree; there, gently swayed by the wind, hanging-flower slept, while her mother was hard at work.
iii
the summers passed, and hanging-flower was a baby no longer. her mother taught her the art of cooking; she also began to help when the corn was pounded in large, wooden mortars. soon she learned how to embroider. and as her fingers grew nimble and her eyes fond of the colored beads and wampum shells, she began to feel that the world of buds and flowers and leaves was her own, hers and her mother’s and of the other women;—the men knew nothing of such things.
once, when rising-sun’s brother was staying for a visit, hanging-flower overtook him at work on a small false face; for a long time she watched him unobserved, and when he was gone, she practiced carving on bits of wood and bark until she felt that she was as good at it as any man. but of this she never spoke nor did she show her work to any one, as she had been taught that carving was not woman’s work.
iv
the summers passed and hanging-flower became a maiden. her eyes were large, black and deep, and her hair which she wore in two large braids, fell heavily from her shoulders. as she passed along the road, some boys looked intently at her while others turned their eyes away and hurried their steps. but, one and all, she passed them by. hanging-flower had become a great dancer, and many a flattering comment was heard among the older men and women as they watched her dance with the others at the strawberry and raspberry festivals.
v
at the next berrying season hanging-flower joined a group of young men and girls and together they went off to the woods. old ringing-voice, the great story-teller, was with them.
every night, when the day’s work was done and the boys and girls returned to camp with their baskets heaped full of red, juicy berries,101 they would all sit around the fire, while quick-of-hand and she-works-in-the-house, who were reputed for their skill in cooking, prepared a delicious soup of corn meal, after which, berries in great quantities were eaten. then ringing-voice would light his pipe and leaning his back against a tree stump, the legs drawn up so that the knees almost touched his chin, he would begin to talk, in slow and measured phrases. it is here that hanging-flower first learned of the language of the animals and of the great warrior who had been so kind to the beasts and birds of the woods and the fields, and who was brought to life by their efforts after he had succumbed to the arrows of the sioux. she learned of the great medicine, ga’-n?-da, which the animals made of parts of their own bodies and gave to the warrior to be used as a cure for all sickness. she was thrilled as she listened to the story of pale-face, the pure youth, who started out alone and, wandering through the woods, met the pygmies and learned from them the pygmy or dark dance, which, her mother had told her, she would herself one day perform. and for many evenings in succession, the boys and girls were spellbound as ringing-voice recounted the great story of the foundation of the league, of deganawida and hayenhwáhtha, the great chiefs, who organized the league and prescribed the law and established the great peace.
one night, as they were sitting around the fire, and ringing-voice was absorbed in his tale, hanging-flower suddenly became aware that some one was looking at her. she turned her head and saw straight-as-an-arrow, the tall, slim youth, who was staring at her with large wondering eyes. she looked away, and not once during the long evening did she turn her head again.
evening after evening, while listening to the stories, hanging-flower felt his gaze fixed upon her. she never turned, she was afraid even to move, but she knew that his eyes were fixed upon her.
one night, when the moon was not shining and all was quiet in the camp, he came upon her like the wind. seized with terror, hanging-flower wanted to scream. her lips parted, but no sound came; her heart was beating fast and she lay there in the wet grass, hot and trembling.
when next spring came a baby was born to hanging-flower. it made no sound when it came, for it was dead. on the evening of that day, two forms, wrapped in blankets, slipped out of the bark 102 house; one was carrying a small bundle in her arms. quietly as shadows they glided along the road, until they reached the cemetery of the bear clan. and there the two women buried the little, nameless thing that had come unasked for and unwelcome. no one had seen them, no one knew; and after a while, hanging-flower herself forgot what had happened.
vi
some time later rising-sun paid a visit to her sister’s village. it so happened that the bean feast was being held at that time. rising-sun went to the long house with her sister and her people. there she saw fleet-of-foot, the great runner, and so charmed was she with his form, graceful as that of a deer, that she could not take her eyes off him. after the feast, rising-sun spoke to fleet-of-foot’s mother. she asked corn-planter to visit her at the home village.
vii
in a little while, corn-planter came to visit rising-sun. with her hostess she went to the fields where the corn was ripe and the women were busy harvesting it. she saw the long rows of bent backs, and the green and yellow cobs which would show for an instant over the left shoulders of the women, presently to disappear into the large baskets on their backs.
“that young girl in the third row,” exclaimed corn-planter, “seems to do work for two. look how her hands fly through the corn!”
“it is hanging-flower,” answered rising-sun, “my daughter. and a good wife she would make for fleet-of-foot, the runner.”
“let her cook a basket of corn bread,” said corn-planter, “fleet-of-foot will be ready.”
viii
that night rising-sun told hanging-flower that the time had come for her to be married, and that fleet-of-foot, the great runner, was ready to accept her basket of corn bread. saying not a word, hanging-flower got busy with the corn meal and before morning the basket of bread was ready. hanging-flower started on her way early, and by noon she had reached corn-planter’s village. the boys were running races when she arrived. with wide open eyes103 she stood, as fleet-of-foot rushed by her, as if carried by the wind. hanging-flower shut her eyes ... and it seemed to her that she heard the rustling of the pines; she felt herself lying in the wet grass, hot and trembling; and through the mist she saw two shapes wrapped in blankets, bending over a nameless thing which they buried in the ground....
when the races were over hanging-flower saw fleet-of-foot resting on a stump of wood in front of his mother’s house. then she stepped forward and placed the basket of corn bread before him on the ground. fleet-of-foot rose and said nothing. he only looked at hanging-flower with a sharp, piercing look and, taking the basket, entered the house. in a while corn-planter appeared in the doorway. she invited hanging-flower to step inside, and hanging-flower had her meal with corn-planter and her people. the sun was still high when she started on her way back and before nightfall she reached her village.
when hanging-flower fell asleep that night she saw some deer running among the trees. one of the deer was larger and fleeter than the others. hanging-flower was trying to catch it. again and again she felt herself flying through the air, in pursuit, but just as she was about to seize it, it eluded her.
in the morning of the following day fleet-of-foot arrived before the house where hanging-flower lived with her people. as she saw him enter, she rose to her feet. in his hand he held a necklace of blue and white wampum beads. presently he took them in both hands and placed them about her neck. then hanging-flower knew that she had a husband.
the long house in which hanging-flower had lived with her mother and several other families had been crowded for some time, and fleet-of-foot decided that they had to start a new home for themselves. many men and women, most of them relatives of hanging-flower, helped the young couple to build a small bark house, and before many moons had passed the house was ready and hanging-flower and fleet-of-foot began to live there.
as the summers passed, other couples came to live in the house, and extensions were built to it, to accommodate the ever-growing numbers. this continued for some time, until the house became a long house, like the others.
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ix
when the next berrying season came, a son was born to hanging-flower; and having consulted spring-blossoms, her mother’s mother, hanging-flower gave him the name glad-tidings. as hanging-flower was lying on her bed and her blood was hot in her, she heard the sound of rattles outside and she saw her brother take his turtle rattle and join the false faces, who were passing through the village. hanging-flower knew that glad-tidings was one day to become a chief, and that night she carved a little false face and hid it in her bag, for she had heard the rattles and she knew that some day her son was to be a leader of the false faces. hanging-flower was very beautiful, as she lay there on her bed. her large black eyes were even larger and deeper than usual; she had looked into the future.
x
many summers passed and glad-tidings had become a strong and handsome youth. he was very young, but the older men thought him wise and cool-headed. the women were wild over him, but he had no eyes for them. he would rather sit with the older men, always inquiring about ancient things and eager to learn the laws and traditions of his people.
one day, while hanging-flower was pounding corn back of her house, a piercing sound was heard on the road, gwā-á! gwā-á! gwā-á! hanging-flower shuddered, for she knew that a chief was dead. soon the news came that power-of-thunder, her brother, had been killed by a stray arrow during an encounter with the sioux.
spring-blossoms and rising-sun were dead and hanging-flower was the matron of her family now. when she heard the mournful news, she began to think of glad-tidings. he was young, but wise and strong, and there was no other man in the family who might be made chief in his stead.
in a few days a council of the family was called by hanging-flower. there were some men at the council, but mostly women, and although some other bear people were there, most of those present belonged to hanging-flower’s family. when they were all assembled, hanging-flower began to speak and as she spoke, all were silent. she spoke of glad-tidings’ youth, but recalled the many 105 indications of wisdom and character which he had given, and before closing, she nominated her son to be chief in place of power-of-thunder, her brother.
for many days after this, hanging-flower was busy calling on the other chiefs of her tribe. first she called on those who belonged to the brother clans and then on those who were of the cousin clans, and when her nominee was ratified by all these chiefs, she brought his name before the great council of the chiefs of the league, who also approved of her choice.
and so it came that before the corn was gathered in that fall, glad-tidings was made chief in place of his mother’s brother.
xi
some summers passed and strange rumors began to reach hanging-flower. first came full-moon, and in many words told the mother that glad-tidings was suspected of having made a dishonorable agreement with the sioux. he had promised, she averred, to exercise his influence with the warriors of his people so that they would not attack the sioux while the latter were fighting the algonquin. then crossing-of-the-roads came, fleet-of-foot’s brother, and he spoke in grave tones about the dishonor that glad-tidings’ act had brought upon his people. day after day, men and women came and spoke earnestly and vehemently to hanging-flower, and the tenor of the news they brought was always the same.
xii
hanging-flower was pale and haggard now, and from day to day she was losing weight. but one day she felt that she was mother no longer, but the matron of her family. she called on glad-tidings, the chief, and standing before him, admonished him in ceremonial terms to desist from his shameful ways, which were bringing dishonor upon his people. but should he persist, such were her parting words, she would call on him again, and then once more, accompanied by the chief warrior, and then she would depose him and he would be chief no longer.
the days passed and the rumors persisted. hanging-flower called on glad-tidings for the second time; and when she had spoken, he said nothing. in a little while, she called on him for the third 106 time, accompanied by the chief warrior. as both of them stood facing glad-tidings, the chief warrior said: “i will now admonish you for the last time, and if you continue to resist acceding to and obeying our request, then your duties as chief of our family and clan will cease, and i shall take the deer’s horns from off your head, and with a broad strong-edged ax i shall cut the tree down.” having spoken thus, the chief warrior “took the deer’s horns off glad-tidings’ head,” and handed them to hanging-flower, for from now on glad-tidings was chief no longer.
hanging-flower then went to the council house and informed the other chiefs, in person, that glad-tidings had been deposed. as she spoke, her heart broke, for she knew that “the coals had gone out on the fire” of her family, and the chieftainship was lost.
a few days after this, full-moon called on hanging-flower and informed her in many words that feathered-arrow, full-moon’s son, was to be chief in glad-tidings’ place and that the chiefs of the league had transferred the chieftainship to her family.
in the evening of that day hanging-flower, wrapped in a blanket, went outside of the village. for a long time she stood there, on the hill above the cornfields. her thoughts turned to the past and for a long time she was lost in memories.... but of the future she did not care to think.
alexander a. goldenweiser
