🧚 Opening, part 11 · page 2

Yet still they tried to smoke.62 They shut the door of the wigwam Hoping to smother him.63 But he puffed and puffed away As if he had been on the top Of a mountain in a breeze, Till one said: “This is idle, Let us go and play at ball!”64

The place where they were to play Was the sandy stony plain Which lies on the bend of the river.65 And so the game began.66 Kulóskap discovered That the ball with which they played Was a hideous human skull, A living thing which snapped at His heels.67 Had the Master been As other men, the monster Would have bitten a foot away.68 Then he laughed aloud, and said: “So this is your style of foot-ball!69 Well and good!70 But let us all play With our own balls.”71 He stepped Up to a tree by the river, And broke off a hole or knot And it turned to a living skull, But one which was ten times greater, And ten times more terrible Than that which the sorcerers used.72 And the three brothers ran Before it as it chased them As rabbits are chased by a lynx; They were entirely beaten.73 Then Kulóskap stamped in the sand, And the waters rose and came rushing Fearfully from the mountains Adown the river bed; The whole land rang with their roar.74 Then the Master sang the song, The magic song which changes All creatures to other forms, Which changed the Three and their father Into the Chinames, A fish which is long and broad As a man, and they all went headlong Down in the flood to the ocean Where they must dwell forever And are caught unto this day.75

These three magicians wore Each one a collar of wampum Of purple beads and white, Wherefore the Chinames Has exactly round its neck Or below its head, the same, Distinctly marked and clear; They were mighty men in their day And great Mteolinwuk, But were tried before they went And that most bitterly.76

Yes indeed, Nsîwes, my brother, This story is really true, For Kulóskap was very great In his day--and a day will come When I myself shall go to him.77 L.78

FOOTNOTES:79

[37] This is an old story about Kulóskap.80

IV81

HOW THE MASTER SHOWED HIMSELF A GREAT SMOKER82

[_Passamaquoddy_]83

_Piʿche Kulóskap kʾchî skitap.84 _[38]85

Kulóskap the Great, Lord of Beasts and Men, Was ever a boon companion And a right valiant smoker.86 In all the world was no man Who loved a well-filled pipe Of good and fragrant tobacco So heartily as he did.87

Now in that happy time, The sun shone warmer and brighter, The summers were far longer In the land of the Wabanaki Than they truly are to-day.88 And the Indians raised _tomáwe_, That is to say, tobacco, Far better than the best Which ever is seen to-day.89 And they found a mighty solace In burning the gold-brown leaves.90

There came one day to the Master A great and evil magician Who sought to take his life, As the Master at once perceived; For he read the thoughts of men As though they were strings of wampum-- Seeing deep into every heart.91

Now this evil magician thought, By first amazing the Master Through some wonderful trick, to weaken The will which gave him strength; As they say a fish is frightened When he sees that his foe swims faster, And is too much alarmed to fight.92

So the sorcerer sat to smoke With a pipe whose bowl was bigger Than the head of any man, With a stem full ten feet long; But ever that of Kulóskap Grew to the size of a pumpkin, And then like the ten-foot boulder Which lies on the beach at Rye; And the smoke which rose from his puffing Was like that of a forest fire.93

Then the sorcerer filled his pipe Afresh with strong tobacco, Such as would kill if they breathed it A porcupine or a toad.94 And at one pull he burned it Leaving no spark behind; And at one whiff he sent it Out in one great round ball; Then sat and looked at the Master.95 And then the Lord Kulóskap, Whose pipe was many times greater, Also sent his tobacco Out in a puff as round-- Out in a mighty ball As hard as any flint, And, blowing it on the ground Which was of granite rock, Split it asunder, so That a valley yawned between them.96 Then they both sat in silence Until the Master said: “Do that--and then take my life.”97 But the wizard could do no more, And returned in shame and anger To the evil ones who had sent him.98 L.99

FOOTNOTES:100

[38] Long ago Kulóskap was a great man.101

V102

KULÓSKAP AND THE WITCH103

[_Passamaquoddy and Micmac_]104

_Nequt Kulóskap meiaoet Pechian kʾtakʾmikomnok.105 Nit kʾmʾtkinansnok Neke bʾsʾnboek kʾchî Kiwaʿkwik.106 _[39]107

When Kulóskap the Master Came into this world of ours, Or the Land of the Wabanaki, It was full of giants and monsters, Sorcerers, dwarfs and demons, Mighty beasts and men, Fiends and the Indian devils, And, worst of all, the witches, And worst among them Pûjinskwes, A word which means “The Pitcher.”108

She could be fair when she would, Fair as a rosy sky With stars still beaming in it In very early dawn; Or terrible as a storm, When it howls among the mountains, And lightens in the midnight.109

Now while the Master was young, And had not gained the power Which he won in riper age, Pûjinskwes sought his love.110 But he knew that she was evil, So he fled away from her wooing, And the wild-cat witch pursued him.111 It was a dreadful flight, Since to make their steps the longer Both took the giant form, Took it by magic power.112

It was an awful storm, A terrible storm in winter When the wind is chasing the clouds; It was like a frightful tempest In summer when the lightning Chases after the thunder.113 Deep lay the snow on the earth; Therefore they both wore snow-shoes; But, when they came to the shore, Kulóskap leaped from the mainland Over the sea between To the island of Grand Manan; And so he escaped from the sorceress; For the shoes which the Master wore Were round and out of the common; While those of the witch were long, Long it is said and pointed, And the marks of the two are still To be seen deep pressed in the rocks By the shore to this very day.114

But for days and years thereafter Pûjinskwes sought to slay him, And she had terrible power, The might of the Evil Witches Which came from the early time.115

Now ’tis the greater part Of the Indian art of magic To know what our foes are planning, Planning and plotting against us, And all their tricks and devices Which they scheme in the darkened paths, The darkened paths of Evil.116 In knowing this, Kulóskap Was the greatest and the first, And, knowing new arts of magic, Went far beyond them all.117 For before his time all sorcerers Went every one his way Unheeding the ways of others, Even in wickedness.118 But Kulóskap first of all Threw out his soul unto others To find what others knew.119