ENPages
them to cease their labors and disperse, the youths to their feasts, the maidens to the lodges of their fathers.
Yet was their training lacking in one respect. Many, many moons before, the noble warriors had digged from the ground a stone and with much wisdom and patience wrought therewith shoes nay wings, for their feet, wings whereof the appearance was bright and glistening and the wearing dangerous to those who knew not their ways. With these winged shoes did the braves, versed in their ways use, skim fleetly over the waters after the breath of the Great Spirit of the North had made them hard and smooth so that others, not so shod, could not even stand thereon.
But now the old braves were
passing away and this noble art was being forgotten by the tribe, so that of those at the Lodge of Learning some there were who had never known it and none there were who practised it daily. But when their journies led them over the waters they did cross on trees which they had felled and stretched from one side into the other or they did walk on the hardened waters themselves and slip and slide and stumble until they reached the farther side. And the Spirit of the Waters was grieved.
Then came from the North a brave, a youthful brave, dark, neither tall and sturdy as the oak nor short and slim as the seedling maple, but slender and graceful as the willow, a brave who knew the winged shoes and loves
them well.
And one day this youth saith unto a maiden "Come [there?] with me and we will take our wings and glide away over the waters. But the maid replied, "Much would it delight my heart so to go with thee but I cannot, for behold! I know not the ways of the wings." And the young brave sorrowed. Again he saith to another maiden, "take those thy wings and come with me on the waters." But she too answered, "I cannot, for lo! not for many winters have I used the wings and now I fear to fall." And many maidens did he ask and diverse were their answers but few could he find proficient in the art of the winged shoes. And he was grieved.
Than did he gather about him
other youths and a chief, who sorrowed with him, and the held a mighty pow-wow which lasted till the Sun-god hid his face and the brooding Shadow-bird enfolded the earth in its wings. Then when the Sun-god smiled again, he saith to the first maiden, "Take thou wings and come with me," and when again she replied "I cannot," a smile of exceeding sweetness brake over his face and he saith,"bring thou thy wings and I will teach thee." And when the second maiden saith "I cannot," he replied, "come thou with us and we will see to it that thou fall not." Thus gathered he together a goodly number of maidens and youths and together did they take [...] way to a sheet of water over which [...] God of the Frosts had passed. Then [...]
they don their magic shoes. Each brave did take under his care a maiden and tenderly did he direct her steps around the mystic circle; and when the maiden grew weary and quickly and gracefully sank down at his feet, gently did he raise her and guide her to a worthier resting place. Then when a maiden swiftly but unsteadily, with outstretched arms approached a group of sitting youths and maids, right gaily was she welcomed by the youth of her choice and longingly did the other warriors await their turns which, however, came not.
Round and round the circle they sped and at times as a brave passed with his dark -eyed companion those resting heard his eager voice pleading "just once more round."