Passamaquoddy

Piche pamaosoinnoak wiwikitopʾnik Mequatoekak ospassio.

In the long time ago, When people ever lived In the red morning light Or ever the day of man had come; Before the sun had risen And ere the Eastern land Was peopled as to-day, Kulóskap, the great lord, Went far into the North Where all was snow and ice.

He came to a great lodge Wherein he found a giant, Truly a wondrous one The greatest of his race, For he was Winter. When The Indian god came in, He sat in silence down; Then gave as welcoming A pipe unto his guest; And as they smoked, the host Told stories to the chief— Tales of the olden time, In the old giant tongue. A charm was in the words, The enchantment of the frost, And so the giant talked on, Freezing with every word, Until Kulóskap fell Into a sleep like death. Six months he silent lay, Even as the bear or toad Lies quietly till spring:

Then, when the charm was gone, The Indian god awoke, Woke with his might renewed. Homeward he turned his way Unto the glowing South. At every step his foot Met with the growing grass, Warm breezes greeted him, And many a forest flower Rose up and talked in song.

He came into a dell Deep in the greenwood shade, Where many little fays, Fair little sun-ray elves, Were dancing in their joy. And their sweet fairy queen, Bright Summer, led the round— Summer most beautiful Of beings ever born. He caught fair Summer up, And, by a crafty trick, He kept her as his own; For, as he fled away, And as the elves pursued, He let behind him trail A long and slender cord Cut from a moose-hide. All Pulled gayly at the end; But as he ran, he let The cord run out, and they Were ever left behind, Because by magic power The moose-cord had no end! Even so the Lord escaped The Fairies of the Light, The Ladies of the Dawn!

Again as he returned He came unto the lodge Where grim old Winter lay, Who gayly welcomed him, Hoping to freeze the god Again into sleep, and hold Him very sternly there, Forever in his power. But hidden in his breast Kulóskap held the charm Of a great victory, For he had Summer there; Even as now to you I sing the summer song!

They sat them down and smoked. This time the Master told Tales of the ancient time In the old giant tongue Once spoken by the gods— Magic and wonder tales. This time he had the power; His spell was mightiest, And his strange wizardry The stronger of the two. Ere long the hut grew warm And then down Winter’s cheeks, His cheeks of hard gray stone, The melting ice-drops ran, Till he and all his home Fell down, and in a flood As water rushed away Adown between the rocks Into the roaring sea!

Then everything awoke. The seeds and wildflowers grew. The snow in rivers ran Bearing away the leaves Left from the Fall before; The fairies all came out And then Kulóskap turned Again unto the South, Leaving his captive there; Summer was in the land. L.