orgotten, the West-Wind wooed a
lovely Indian maiden, but soon, cruelly and faithlessly, he deserted her
and she died of grief, leaving her baby son, Hiawatha, to the care of
his grandmother, old Nokomis.

Deep in the forest was Hiawatha's home, and Nature herself was his
schoolmistress. He learned all about the birds, how they built their
nests in summer, and where they hid themselves in winter, the names and
habits of all the wild beasts which roamed through the woods, and, best
of all, he learned their language and all their secrets.

Skilled in the craft of Indian hunters, and all the lore the wise men of
his tribe could teach him, Hiawatha grew from childhood into manhood,
and by much questioning learned from old Nokomis the story of his
mother's cruel desertion. Full of wrath, he determined to be revenged on
his father, Mudjekeewis, and in spite of his grandmother's warnings, the
youth set out on his long journey. Wearing his magic moccasins (or
deerskin shoes), with which he measured a mile every stride, Hiawatha
journeyed westward, ever westward, until at length he reached the
kingdom of Mudjekeewis, ruler of all the winds of heaven, who joyfully
welcomed the handsome youth. But anger rose in the heart of Hiawatha,
and, rending asunder a huge rock with his magic mittens, he flung the
fragments full at Mudjekeewis. For three days a terrible fight raged
between the two warriors, till at last Mudjekeewis cried: "Hold, my son,
it is impossible to kill me for I am immortal; I did but fight with you
to test your valor. Go back now to your people; live with them, work
with them, and free the land from all monsters and giants. And when
Death at last lays his icy hand upon you, you shall share my kingdom and
be ruler of the Northwest-Wind." Then all anger departed from Hiawatha
and he went on his homeward way; only once did he turn aside, to buy
arrow-heads from the ancient arrow-maker in the land of a neighboring
Indian tribe. But do you not think that arrow-heads could equally well
have been bought in his own village? It was to see the arrow-maker's
dark-eyed daughter, Minnehaha, that Hiawatha halted in the land of the
Dacotahs, and when he reached home he told Nokomis of the meeting with
his father and the great fight, but not a word did he say of arrows or
of the maiden.

Hiawatha had two beloved friends, the sweet-voiced singer, Chibiabos,
and Kwasind, strongest of all men. Even the birds could not sing so
sweetl