Public-domain ebook
by Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth; De Vine, Alice L.
Language: en392 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Plays/Films/Dramas·Mythology, Legends & Folklore
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #67148.
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HIAWATHA.
A Spectacular Drama in Six Acts.
Delineating the Characteristics and Customs OF THE NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN.
Re-written, Revised, Arranged and Dramatized By A. L. DE VINE.
Entered According to Act of Congress in the Year 1895 By A. L. DE VINE. In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Copyrighted in Great Britain and British Possessions, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal and Switzerland.
INTRODUCTORY.
To ye whose hearts are fresh and simple Who have faith in God and Nature, Who believe that in all ages Every human heart is human, That in even savage bosoms There are longings, yearnings, strivings For the good they comprehend not, That the feeble hands and helpless, Groping blindly in the darkness, Touch God’s right hand in that darkness And are lifted up and strengthened,
Is submitted this portrayal of the primitive life of the American Indians in their native forest home. Fully realizing how rapidly the race is becoming extinct before the onward march of civilizing influences, and how little the people of this and other countries really know of such customs, dress, and peculiarities, it is believed this spectacular drama will be found historical, an educator to the young and interesting to ALL. In thus depicting the higher and better life of the Indian race, their mode of living, dress, pastimes, feats of skill, dances, wooings, wedding feasts, festivities, death scenes and legends, the author has adhered to the original language of the poem as closely as is consistent with a faithful dramatization thereof.
This is the first and only known drama of this kind or character in existence, and no other subject, throughout the wide and varied field of poetry, offers like opportunities to the facile pen of the skilled playwright.
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
ACT I. THE PEACE PIPE. Gitche Manitou (Great Spirit) descends from Heaven and admonishes the tribes to cease warfare and bloodshed—Indians discard weapons and war paint—Gitche Manitou promises to send Hiawatha as a guide—Fashions a Peace Pipe—Sets fire to the forest and vanishes in smoke.
ACT II. HIAWATHA’S CHILDHOOD. Tribe of Ojibways—Hiawatha a babe in Indian cradle—Nokomis swinging cradle—Indian lullaby.
ACT III. HIAWATHA’S WOOING. Scene 1—Hiawatha grown to manhood—Desires to wed Minnehaha, a Dakotah maiden—Discussion—Departs on journey—Nokomis sorrowing. Scene 2—Hiawatha in forest—Shoots a deer—Shoulders it. Scene 3—Tribe of Dakotahs—Minnehaha Falls—Wigwam of Arrow-maker—Hiawatha’s arrival and welcome—Wooing of Minnehaha—Departure of Hiawatha and Minnehaha—Climbing of Falls—Arrow-maker’s despondency—Tableaux.
ACT IV. WEDDING FEAST. Forest—Ojibway village—Arrival of Hiawatha and Minnehaha—Welcome—Festivities—Feasts, songs, feats of skill, games, dancing and specialties—Tableaux.
ACT V. FEVER, FAMINE AND MINNEHAHA’S DEATH. Winter—Tepee of Nokomis—Starvation—Minnehaha begs for food—Enter Famine and Fever—Hiawatha hunting food—Disheartened—Appeal to Great Spirit—Minnehaha’s sufferings and death—Lamentations—Hiawatha’s return—Grief—Indian funeral—Tableaux.
ACT VI. HIAWATHA’S DEPARTURE. Summer—Indian village—Canoe approaches from distance containing Minnehaha as angel—Music—Colored lights—Indians’ astonishment—Hiawatha awaits her coming—Joins her—Hiawatha’s farewell—Canoe disappears—Tableaux.
“HIAWATHA”
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.
Gitche Manito; the Indian Great Spirit and Father of all Nations. Hiawatha; the Prophet of Peace, of the tribe of Ojibways, sent to guide the Indian nations. Ancient Arrow-maker; Minnehaha’s Father. Chibiabos; the Singer. Pau-Puk-Keewis; the Dancer. Bukadawin; Famine. Ahkosewin; Fever. Minnehaha; Hiawatha’s Bride, a Dakotah Maiden. Old Nokomis; Hiawatha’s Grand-mother. Miscellaneous Indian Braves. Miscellaneous Indian Women.
SYNOPSIS.
Act 1st. The Peace Pipe. Act 2nd. Hiawatha’s Childhood.
} Scene 1st. Hiawatha’s Discussion Act 3rd. Hiawatha’s } with Nokomis and Departure. Wooing. } Scene 2nd. Hiawatha’s Journey. } Scene 3rd. Wooing of Minnehaha. { Home of Arrow-maker. { View of Minnehaha Falls.
Act 4th. Wedding Feast. Act 5th. Fever and Famine and Minnehaha’s Death. Act 6th. Hiawatha’s Reunion with Minnehaha and Departure.
ACT I.
THE PEACE PIPE.
From the red stone of the quarry With his hand he broke a fragment, Moulded it into a pipe-head, Shaped and fashioned it with figures; From the margin of the river Took a long reed for a pipe-stem, With its dark green leaves upon it; Filled the pipe with bark of willow, With the bark of the red willow; Breathed upon the neighboring forest, Made its great bows chafe together, Till in flame they burst and kindled; And erect upon the mountains Gitche Manito, the Mighty, Smoked the calumet, the Peace Pipe, As a signal to the nations, And the smoke rose slowly, slowly, Through the tranquil air of morning, First a single line of darkness, From the vale of Tawasenthena, From the Valley of Wyoming From the groves of Tuscaloosa, From the far-off Rocky Mountains, From the Northern lakes and rivers.
Behold it, the Pukwana! By this signal from afar off, Bending like a wand of willow, Waving like a hand that beckons, Gitche Manito, the Mighty, Calls the tribes of men together, Calls the warriors to his council!
Down the rivers o’er the prairies, Came the warriors of the nations, All the warriors drawn together By the signal of the Peace Pipe To the Mountains of the Prairie, To the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry. And they stood there on the meadow, With their weapons and their war-gear, Painted like the leaves of Autumn, Painted like the sky of morning, Wildly glaring at each other; In their faces stern defiance, In their hearts the feuds of ages, The hereditary hatred The ancestral thirst of vengeance.
Gitche Manito, the mighty, The Creator of the nations, Looked upon them with compassion, With paternal love and pity; Over them he stretched his right hand.
O my children; my poor children! Listen to the words of wisdom, Listen to the words of warning! From the lips of the Great Spirit, From the Master of life, who made you! I have given you lands to hunt in, I have given you streams to fish in, I have given you bear and bison, I have given you roe and reindeer, I have given you brant and beaver, Filled the marshes full of wild fowl, Filled the rivers full of fishes; Why then are you not contented? Why then will you hunt each other? I am weary of your quarrels, Weary of your wars and bloodshed, Weary of your prayers for vengeance, All your strength is in your union, All your danger is in discord; Therefore be at peace henceforward, And as brothers live together. “I will send a Prophet to you, Hiawatha will I send to you A deliverer of the nations, Who shall guide you and shall teach you Who shall toil and suffer with you. If you listen to his counsels, You will multiply and prosper; If his warnings pass unheeded You will fade away and perish! Bathe now in the stream before you Wash the war-paint from your faces, Wash the blood stains from your fingers, Bury your war clubs and your weapons, Break the red stone from this quarry, Mould and make it into Peace Pipes, Take the reeds that grow beside you, Deck them with your brightest feathers, Smoke the calumet together, And as brothers live henceforward!”
Then upon the ground the warriors Threw their cloaks and shirts of deer-skin, Threw their weapons and their war-gear, Leaped into the rushing river, Washed the war-paint from their faces. Clear above them flowed the water, Clear and limpèd from the footprints Of the Master of Life descending; Dark below them flowed the water, Soiled and stained with streaks of crimson, As if blood were mingled with it. From the river came the warriors. Cleaned and washed from all their war-paint, On the banks their clubs they buried, Buried all their warlike weapons.
And in silence all the warriors Broke the red stone of the quarry, Smoothed and formed it into Peace Pipes, Broke the long reeds by the river. Decked them with their brightest feathers.
A beautiful transformation. Scene and tableaux can be given here with the groups of Indians, Bright colored lights, soft Heavenly music, and GITCHE MANITO ASCENDING again to Heaven in a CLOUD of SMOKE.
(See following description.)
While the Master of Life, ASCENDING Through the opening of cloud-curtains, Through the doorways of the HEAVEN Vanished from before their faces, In the smoke that rolled around him.
ACT II.
HIAWATHA’S CHILDHOOD.
A short scene or acting tableaux, can be given here, the scenery to follow the description in the poem, HIAWATHA, a baby, in an Indian cradle swung between the trees which is being rocked by old NOKOMIS (his grandmother) while she is singing the Lullaby song, Little Owlet. (See following description.)
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