The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-06-23
PREEII'Y /. legend.
STORY OF THE BEAUTIFUL
WATER LILY.
It's Origin as Told by the saranae
dians---Aseta, the Bud OF the Tribe
and Her Vow In the Name Of az
Creed.

. jtTss
What's in a name? 1t all depends. It.
you call one of the beautiful clear lakes
OF the Catskills, "Tupper's Lake" as it
Is now called, there is nothing in it's
name; but when the Indians lived on
Its shores and ished upon its waters
there was much in it's name, for because
OF It's beauty and it's many inlets, they
called it the Lake of the Clustered
Stars It. was on the bosom OF the
Lake OF the Clustered Stars that the
water-lily had it's birth, and this is the
way it happened: It was spring time,
and the Sun, chief of the tribe, had been
away at war. Then he returned, and
there was wild feasting to celebrate his
victories. All were full Of joy, except
one lovely maiden, the sweet singer Of
the tribe, called Oseetah; the Bird. She
stood far off, sad and quiet, for in her
heart she had made vow that, ac-.
cording to Indian creed, she must keep
or die, though no one knew Of it save
the Great Spirit, to- whom she had given
her secret thoughts. Slowly the Bird
WltndreW from the jewellers, and erept
TO the edge of the Clustered Stars,
Ihere' she sprung into her canoe. and
padded swiftly away under the curtain
OF the branches along the Shore. But
the chief had seen her. He guessed
her purpose, and running to- the lake,
he leaped into his canoe, and went after
her. On they flew; until the, Bird, see:
Ing that she was pursued, leaped' UPON
the snore and ran up to the edge Of a.
nigh Cliff. There she called out to the
Sun not to come to her, but to, let her
choose her own way out to the Spirit.
But the Sun did not hear or understand,
for he came bounding after her; i'm
tending to take her back to the village.
and persuade her to give up her VOW.
Then, seeing that she could not stop,
him, the Bird raised her face to, the
Sky, and sprung like an arrow downoii1-
to the lake below. The Sun leaped in,
after her, and swan with giant strokes
in search of her, but she was gone. and
at last he went slowly and sadly back
to his people, and told them what had
happened. Now the next day, at noon,
stranger came into the village, hold
ing in his hand a wonderful white flow
er, sweet and pure: Every one was
filled with amaZement No Indian had
ever seen such blossom before; and
their surprise was even greater, when,
the stranger told them that he had
found the bosom of the Clustered Stars
covered with such flowers, all around :
the base of the great high rock. Swift
ly they ran to see for themselves; and
there stood silent, looking at'theagreatt
white lilies floating on the water: Them
the wise man of the tribe waved his
hand and told them that because Osee--
tab, the Bird, had been true to her;vow..
the Great Spirit had given: her this
form; that the white was for herrgood-
ness, and the yellow cup for her faith =
and that, if they would watch, they
would see that she would open to the
Sun as he came up at daybreak, but
close her eyes when he left her at night.
So it is that the water-lly is to the
Indian the emblem Of good faith, and :
that they see in it the disembodied spir-
it Of Oseetah, the Bird, of the tribe Of"
the Saranacs. @r. 4;