Chapter V: Kulóskap and the Wise Wishers

[_Micmac_]

_Kes saak; kes saak._[22]

All of the olden time.
Now when ’twas noised abroad
That whoever sought the Master
Could obtain the wish of his heart,
There were three men who said:
“Let us seek the Lord and see
If this be truly so.”
So they left their home in the spring
When the bluebird began his song,
And walked till the autumn frosts,
And then into the winter,
Ever steadily onward
Till the next midsummer came;
And being in a forest
They found a winding path
Which they followed till they came
To a very beautiful river
Which led to a great fair lake;
And still they kept to the path,
Yet where it failed, the trees
Were blazed, or the bark removed
On the side of the trunk, but ever
Opposite to the place
Where the wigwam or village lies
Towards which the pathway leads,
So the mark can aye be seen
As the traveller goes to the goal,
But not while leaving it.

Then after a time they came
To a long point of land
Which ran into the lake,
Where, having climbed a hill,
They saw in the distance smoke;
Guided by this they came
To a large and beautiful hut;
And entering it they found,
Seated upon the right,
A handsome stately man
Like a chief of middle age,
And on the left a woman,
So old and so decrepit
That it seemed as if a century
Or more had made her life;
And opposite the door
Was a mat which seemed to show
That some other had there a place.

And the Master made them welcome
And spoke as if he were
Well pleased to see them there,
But asked not whence they came,
Or whither they were going,
As others are wont to do.

Ere long they heard the sound
As of a paddle outside,
And the noise of a canoe
When it is drawn ashore.

Then in there came a youth
Of beautiful form and features,
Well clad and bearing weapons
As if returned from the chase;
Who addressed the woman _Kejû!_
Which is in the Micmac, “Mother;”
And told her he had game.
So then, with sore ado,
For she was very weak,
The old dame tottered out
And brought in one by one
Four beavers; but she had
Such trouble to cut them up,
That the elder of the pilgrims
Said to the youngest, “_Nchígŭnŭm!_
My brother--do thou the work.”

And so they supped on beaver,
And then they stayed for a week,
Resting themselves in comfort,
For all were sadly worn,
And also utterly ragged;
But then there came to pass
A wonderful thing which showed
That they were in fairy land,
For the master said to the youth,
“Go wash the mother’s face!”
He did so--when all her wrinkles
Vanished, and she became
Very young and fair:
The travellers had never
In all their lives beheld
A maid so beautiful:
Her hair, once white and scanty,
Now hung to her very feet,
It was as dark and glossy
As any blackbird’s breast;
And, clad in fine array,
She showed a tall lithe form,
Graceful, in all points perfect.

Then the travellers said to themselves,
“Truly this Sagamore is
A very great magician.”
With him they all walked forth
To see the place where he dwelt,
They never had felt the sunshine
So soft and so sweetly tempered
By a cooling gentle breeze;
For all in that land was fair,
And day by day grew fairer
To all who dwelt therein:
Tall trees, with richest leafage
And many fragrant flowers,
Grew everywhere in groves
Without any lower limbs,
And clear of underbrush,
Wide as a forest; yet
The eye could pierce the distance
In any or every way.

Now when for the first time
They felt that they had come
Into another life,
An ever-enchanted land,
The Master gently questioned
And asked them whence they came,
And what it was they sought;
They said they sought Kulóskap,
And he answered, “I am he!”

Then they were awed by his presence,
For now a wondrous glory
And majesty showed in him.
For as the woman had changed,
So he, and he seemed divine.

Then the elder pilgrim said:
“Lo, I am a wicked man
Accursed with furious moods,
Given to wrath and reviling;
Yet I would fain be gentle,
Pious and meek and good.”

And the second said: “I am poor,
My life is very hard,
And, though I toil unceasing,
I can barely make a living,
And I would fain be rich.”

And the third replied, “Though proud,
I am of low estate,
Being despised and scorned,
While I long to be respected
And loved by every one.”

And to all of these the Master
Made answer, “So shall it be!”

Then, taking from his belt
His powerful _upsinai_,
That is his medicine-bag,
He gave unto each Indian
A little box and bade him
Keep it well closed, nor heed it
Till he should reach his home.
Then he led them to the wigwam
And gave them all new garments,
Exceedingly rich apparel,
The like of which the pilgrims
Had never seen before.

Then, when it was time to depart,
Since they knew not the way
Unto their home, he rose
And went with them for a distance.
A year had they been in coming,
But having put on his belt
He led them and they followed,
Till, ere the afternoon,
He took them to the top
Of a lofty mountain, from which
Afar off they beheld
Another, whose outline blue
Rose lofty o’er the plain.
Yet it seemed so far away
They thought ’twould be a week
Ere they should gain its top,
But the Master led them on,
And in the afternoon
Of the day when they first beheld it,
Lo, they were on the summit!
And looking from this afar,
All seemed familiar to them:
The plains and hills and river,
And wood and dale and valley--
It was their native land!
“And there,” said the Master to them
“There lies your village home.”

So he left them on the mountain,
And they went on their way.
Before the sun had set
They were among their people,
Each by his wigwam fire;
At first sight no one knew them,
Because of a wondrous change;
The like of their fair attire
Had never in those days
Been seen by any man.
But when they made themselves known,
All gathered round to behold them,
In wonder or silent awe,
Or to listen to their adventures,
And truly all were amazed.

Then each man opened his box,
And found therein an unguent
Exceedingly rich and fragrant,
With which they rubbed themselves
From head to foot completely.
And always from that day
The three smelt so divinely
That all who could draw near them
Were ever in delight;
And happy were the Indians
Who could get a single whiff
Of that celestial fragrance
Spread by them all around!

Now he who had been despised
For his deformity,
Leanness, weakness, and meanness,
Became as grand and stately,
As beautiful and graceful,
As the fairest pine of the forest;
There was in all the land
No man so much admired,
And his people were proud of him.

He who desired abundance,
Had it in fullest measure,
The wild deer came to his arrows,
The fish leaped into his nets;
As he gave freely to all,
All gave as freely to him.

And he who had been wicked,
Hasty and wild and cruel,
Became as meek and gentle,
Calm and ever forbearing
Making others like himself;
He had ever a blessing on him,
As there ever is upon those
Who make their wishes with wisdom,
For such folk shall be happy
Unto the end of their days.

FOOTNOTES:

[22] Long ago; long ago.