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to the Land of the Hereafter, a very remarkable idea to exist among

a tribe of Indians so long ago.

Learn the meanings and the pronunciations of the following words before you read the story:

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There was once a beautiful Indian maiden who died suddenly on the very day when she was to have been married to a handsome young warrior. He was very brave, but from the hour when she was buried, there was 5 no more happiness for him. He would go often to the spot where the women had buried her, and sit there for days grieving in silence. The other warriors of the tribe thought that he would have done better had he tried to amuse himself in the chase or to forget his 10 grief on the warpath. But hunting and war had no

charms for him. His heart was already dead within him.

He had heard the aged story-tellers of his tribe say that there was a path that led to the Island of Ponemah, the Land of the Dead. In his grief, he made up his 5 mind to seek this path and to follow it until he found his sweetheart. So he made careful preparations, and at daybreak, when all of the village were asleep, he started out alone to find the path that led to the Land of the Hereafter.

At first, he hardly knew which way to go. He was guided only by an old tale of the story-tellers which said that he must go southward. So he set out in that direction.

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For a while he could see no change in the face of the 15 country. Forests and streams and hills and valleys had the same look that they had around his village. There was snow on the ground when he started out, and it was piled and matted on the trees and thick bushes. At length, however, it began to grow less, 20 and finally disappeared altogether. The forest began to look more cheerful. Here the leaves had put forth their buds, and in a short time he found himself in the land of Spring. He had now left behind him the land of snow and ice. The air became mild and warm; 25 the dark clouds of winter rolled away from the sky; a pure field of blue was above him; and as he went on he saw flowers beside his path, and he heard the songs of birds. By these signs he knew that he was

going the right way, for they agreed with the stories told by the old people of his tribe.

At length he spied a path. He followed it. It led him through a grove, and then up on a long, high ridge, 5 on the very top of which stood a wigwam.

At its door stood a very old man with white hair, and whose eyes, though deeply sunken, were very bright. He wore a long robe of skins thrown loosely around his shoulders, and he leaned upon a long staff. It 10 was Chibiabos, the Keeper of the Gate of Death.

The young Chippewa warrior began to tell his story; but the old chief stopped him before he had spoken ten words.

"I have been expecting you," he said, "and had just 15 risen to welcome you to my abode. She whom you seek passed here but a few days ago, and being wearied with her journey, rested herself here. Enter my wigwam and be seated. I will then answer your questions and tell you how to find her."

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After a time spent in asking and answering questions, they both came out of the wigwam.

"You see yonder silver lake," said Chibiabos, "and the wide plains beyond it? It is the land of spirits. You stand upon its borders, and my wigwam is the 25 Gate of Entrance to the Land of the Hereafter. You must go through my wigwam, and then on to the shore of the silver lake, where you will find a White Stone Canoe. If you wish to find your sweetheart, you must get into the white stone canoe, take the paddles and

paddle westward to the Island of Ponemah. But you cannot take your body along. Leave it here with your bow and arrows, your bundle, and your dog. You will find them safe here on your return."

So saying, as if he had finished, he turned and entered 5 his wigwam.

Then the young warrior's spirit stepped out of his body, and bounded forward as if it had wings. As he flashed through the land of ghosts, he noticed that all things kept their natural shapes and colors. The 10 woods and the leaves, the lakes and the streams, were only more bright and lovely than he had ever seen them before. Animals bounded across his path with a freedom and a fearlessness that seemed to say to him, "There is no blood shed here." Beautiful birds lived 15 in the groves or swam upon the waters.

There was one thing, however, that seemed very strange to him. He noticed that his passage was not stopped by trees or any other objects. He seemed to walk directly through them. And then he knew that 20 they were only the spirits or ghosts of trees and that he was in the Land of Shadows.

When he had traveled swiftly for half a day in a country which was all the time becoming more and more beautiful, he came to the shore of a broad silver 25 lake, and in the far distance, in the middle of the lake, he could see a beautiful island. On the shore, he found a shining white stone canoe. He was now sure that he had come by the right path, for Chibiabos had told

him that he should find the canoe there. There also were shining white stone paddles.

He stepped into the canoe, and took in his hands the shining white paddles. Then something made him turn his head, and there beside him, in another white stone canoe, exactly like his own, he saw his sweetheart, and she was smiling at him.

They at once pushed out from the shore and began to cross the lake. But the waves seemed to be rising, 10 and at a distance seemed ready to swallow them up. However, as they would enter the edge of a great wave, it seemed to melt away, as if it were only the ghost of a wave. No sooner was one wave safely passed than another, higher still, rose before them. So they were all the time in fear. And what added to their fear was That the water seemed so clear that in its depths they could see great heaps of beings who had perished there, and whose bones strewed the bottom of the lake.

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But the Master of Life had decided to let the young warrior and his sweetheart pass through in safety, for in the land from which they had come, both of them had lived noble lives.

However, they saw many others struggling and sink25 ing in the waves. They saw old men and young men, old women and young women, of all ranks going down beneath the waves to the bottom. Some passed safely through the waves, which sank before them if they had done only good deeds; but all others went down in

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