The weekly American banner. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1855-18??, 1856-07-04
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING.
VOL. 2--NO.

vUL.s 2--NU. {.
were it not for the direct testimony Of oar poet
to his eminence as magician -
"Then the grateful Hiawatha-
Called the Mama, the woodpecker." 70. 123),
Some have supposed that here, by atypographi-
cal error the definite article the has been substi-
tuted for the possessive pronoun his; which shows
the truth of Pope's remark, "Ten censure wrong
for one who writes amiss " They must have read
the foregoing pages very specifically who did
not discover that, not the woodpecker, but WaDo-
nah was the mother of Hiawatha. Indeed the
next line shows the inaccuraey Of this conjecture,
for the Mama was called, not from her perch, but
from his perch among the branches Of the mel.
ancholy pine tree" SIS 10 -
'eAnd 10 honor Of his service,
Stained with blood the tuft Of feathers
On the little head of Mama;
Even to this day he wears it,
Wears the tuit of crimson feathers
As symbol of his service. (p. l23)
"The grateful Hiawatha" had very conve-
nient way of rewarding those who rendered him
any important service, at which, if it satisfied his
benefactors, who hath right to cayil2 Thus the
guerdon Of the squirrel was promise that iu-
veniles should call him sTail-in-air;;n and here,
when the woodpecker enabled him to sIay his ter
rible antagonist, it is recompensed by having its
head stuck in a puddle of blood. Perhaps this
is the original Of head dying if this tradition be
true. The Mamas seem to think this was ample
compensation since they continue the fashion even
to this day; and it cannot be denied that there is
great propriety and poetical justice in having
this mark of distinction conferred upon the tutt
of feathers on the head of the woodpecker, since
he pointed out, as the only permeable target, the
corresponding tuft Of hair on the head of Megis-
sogwon. But this account must be rejected as
erroneous, unless it can be reconciled with one of
our OVID traditionary lyrics, in which the wood
pecker himself gives some account of the ensan-
guining of his crest. This legendary ode is Of
such interesting character that We will be par
doned for giving rather more of it than is alto
gether pertinent to the matter in hand 1t is as
| follows:
"Well," said the Blackbird to the Grow.
"What makes white folks hate us so p
because ever since old Adam was born,
It's been our trade to pull up ccrD.''
"Well," said the Woodpecker. settin' on
tree, sa# #E $50
II once courted fair lade; s -
She proved tickle, and from me fed,
| And ever since that my heads been red 4
These two accounts are not wholly irreconcia-
ble for the coloraton of the crest is not stated as
a Consequence, but concomitant OF the elopement
of the "far ladie;;" and ingenuity may conjecture
that this event transpired about the very time
when the woodpecker was rendering such efficient
aid and comfort to Hiawatha, and that having
received the honorary badge, the bloody crest, he
FASTENED with glowing pride and exultation, to
display his augmented charms, and announce his
newly acquired distinction, to the lady of his cleo
ton. Dreadful indeed must have been the revul-
sion of feeling when, arriving at her place of resi-
dence. where they had so frequently reciprocated
adjurations of constancy, he found that some rival
of more gaudy plumage, or more lofty pretentions
perhaps the coloquial and physiological parrot, or
grave paucioquent owl, had borne the prize away
Yet this hypothesis is not pei fectly satisfactory
since we have the sanguinary crest more pausiby
accounted for, in perfect keeping with the COMES
sion of the woodpecker hinselfby ornithologist
who having recently immigrated from Innisfail
" heard peculiar sound in tree hard by, and look
ing up, espied woodpecker dashing his head
with incredible rapidity against the tree. After
. gazing with absorbing interest for some time, tht
r ornithologist exclaimed, .Och hone but jst lool
a at Won silly baste knockn its head against the
e trav till it's all over budy!" This seems reason
e able. The woodpecker, wounded in the most sensl
tive point deserted by the object ofhis fondest ado
ration, attempted suicide by dashing outhis cere
: brum against the tree, but his strength being in
sufficient to crush the pericranum, be only lacer
n ated the integument, causing How OF artera
# blood, thereby enclimsoning his coronai plumage
Gas mark of his remembrance,
He adorned aud decked his pipe stem
oi With the crimson tuft of feathers, 81 s.ls
g With the blood.red crest of Mama. !" Up. 125)
III Not content with giving the crimson color +
the crest of his friend the woodpecker, Hiawath
still farther honors him by taking his scalp thu
beaut:6ed. as an ornament for bis pipe stem. Truly
W ~ the whites could have been persuaded, at q
early time that this appropriation Of their scalp
j was but an act of aboriginal courtesy, an expires
!, son Of the highest regard and most disti0guishe
= consideration, it might have prevented many an
,r serious misunderstanding. a~ E
l. Our readers will observe that our extracts hay
i not been taken in the order in which they star
a lin the volumes. but arranged with reference
l. their subject matter We regret that We ha'
!. mot space for more Of the ingenious, erudte 81
III !, aa a.nnotot t;osa ~ NJ pnnd;t INIT Va frn