THE WINDS OF FIFTY WINTERS
53
"Gaze upon me, O my brothers,
My good red brothers,
And heed ye well my counsel!
The winds of fifty winters
Have blown about my head,
And, lo! my hair is white with snow!
The winds of fifty winters
Have blown about my head,
And, lo! much wisdom lodged therein!
And from the winds of fifty winters,
Their wisdom, storms, and snows,
Lo! I counsel ye:
Sign ye this treaty!
Take ye the presents!
Go ye to the North!"
My good red brothers,
And heed ye well my counsel!
The winds of fifty winters
Have blown about my head,
And, lo! my hair is white with snow!
The winds of fifty winters
Have blown about my head,
And, lo! much wisdom lodged therein!
And from the winds of fifty winters,
Their wisdom, storms, and snows,
Lo! I counsel ye:
Sign ye this treaty!
Take ye the presents!
Go ye to the North!"
In the council-grove long silence fell,
Save for a little laughing wind
That wandered in the pines.
Then, sinuous and supple as the wildcat,
Ah-nah-mah-keé, the "Thunder-Bolt," strode forward.
And stood a moment silent—
Straight as the Norway pine
That rears its head above yon timber;
And in his eyes the many little lightnings flashed,
But on the corner of his mouth a sunbeam played:
Save for a little laughing wind
That wandered in the pines.
Then, sinuous and supple as the wildcat,
Ah-nah-mah-keé, the "Thunder-Bolt," strode forward.
And stood a moment silent—
Straight as the Norway pine
That rears its head above yon timber;
And in his eyes the many little lightnings flashed,
But on the corner of his mouth a sunbeam played:
Thunder-bolt talks:
"O my brothers, my red brothers,
Brothers each and all,
Brothers each and all,
