Mondamin

Summer passed and Shawondasee

Breathed his sighs o'er all the landscape,

From the South-land sent his ardours,

Wafted kisses warm and tender;

And the maize-field grew and ripened,

Till it stood in all the splendour

Of its garments green and yellow,

Of its tassels and its plumage,

And the maize-ears full of shining

Gleamed from bursting sheaths of verdure.

Then Nokomis, the old woman,

Spake, and said to Minnehaha,

" 'Tis the Moon when leaves are falling,

All the wild rice has been gathered,

And the maize is ripe and ready;

Let us gather in the harvest,

Let us wrestle with Mondamin,

Strip him of his plumes and tassels,

Of his garments green and yellow."

And the merry Laughing Water

Went rejoicing from the wigwam,

With Nokomis, old and wrinkled,

And they called the women round them,

Called the young men and the maidens,

To the harvest of the corn-fields,

To the husking of the maize-ear.