Chapter V: The Pʾmula or Air-Demon

[_Abenaki_]

_Noñwat agua ni alnoñbak pʾmigowak kʾpiwi._[50]

In days of yore some Indians were camping in the woods
And one of them when near a stream heard a strange sound o’erhead.
At once he looked and lo he saw a sprite of upper air,
Called by the Indians, Pʾmûla, alighting on a ledge.

The demon took a piece of yellow metal from his lips
And bent himself to drink and then, restoring to his mouth
The metal, spread his spacious wings and, rising, soared away.
The man perceived that power to fly lay hidden in this charm,
And so at once decided he would steal the thing away.
It was not long before he heard again the rush of wings.
This time, though, when the demon had alighted, he ran forth,
And, snatching up the yellow charm, said, laughingly: “Ha, ha,
My friend, do thou lie there a while, and I will fly about!”
Then the Pʾmûla told the man: “If thou wilt let me go,
I’ll give to thee another charm which aye will bring thee luck.”
The Indian at once believed the demon’s given word
And gave him back the yellow charm which brings the power of flight.
Soaring aloft the Pʾmûla at once was lost to view
But after a brief period returned and gave the man
The two great eye-rings of a snake, and once again was gone.
No sooner had the hapless wight these eye-rings in his hands,
Than every kind of snake and beast that roam the northern woods
Surrounded him, till, terrified, he rushed to his canoe.
E’en there a giant serpent’s head confronted him agape.
Then, quite beside himself with fear, he fled to thickest wood,
And when at length all out of breath and weary with the chase
He had to pause, he saw that still a host of snakes was there.
Then suddenly he thought: “This dread comes from the magic rings.”

So, raising up a heavy stone, he laid them safe beneath.
And there they lie unto this day all full of mystic power.
The Indian then ran away and saw no more strange sights,
But ever on his hunts abroad he killed sufficient food,
For all the forest creatures had no fear of him who once
Had had the serpent’s eye-rings from the demon of the air. P.

FOOTNOTES:

[50] Long ago some Indians camped in the woods.