Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-05-31
THE RED SWAN
An Ottawa Indian Legend
Transcribed from Recollections of the Late
Mrs H. S. Baird of Green Bay

Once upon a time a young Ottawa
was out hunting, and as he made his
way through the tangled, painless
forest he came upon the shores of a
beautiful lake. He saw there float
ing on the water a crimson swan, I'M
like any bird he Lad ever before seen.
1t was beyond arrow-shot, so he hid
behind Towering bush, and waited
for it TO come within range. Finally
the swan, which was sporting itself
gracefully, moved nearer his position.
ITO his bow he whispered, Fail not!'
To his arrow he whispered, 'swerve
not!'
Sent it singing on it's Grand
The swan flew upward, wounded,
taking its course toward the setting
sun, and leaving trail in the air of
exquisite red hue, which the young
man followed. He thought the
bird could not fly a great distance,
wounded as it was, so he made all
the speed he might, hoping soon to
overtake his beautiful prey. So in
tently was he absorbed, that he did
not note the passing hours until
nightfall, when he came upon a wig
wan. He looked in, and there saw
an old Indian and his daughter, a
very handsome maiden. The old man
was making arrows with finely
wrought flint points; the daughter
was beading pair of richly made
moccasins. They gave him the
usual welcome, pointed to the seat of
honor, saying: Come in, my son,
sit you here. My daughter, prepare
food for the stranger who has come
in upon u.s.
The young man entered reluctantly,
for he could not take hiss eyes for
long at time from the glowing trail
left by the flying swan. He sat
down near the door, and related to
them the adventure of the day, and
asked if they had seen the swan in
it's flight.
Yes replied the old man, I'VE
have seen it; but you are very far
from it, for it passed here quite early
in the day. | will give you something
to increase your speed, and you may
overtake it, if you faint not"
The young maiden, at the bidding
of her father, stitched up the rents
in the hunters moccasins, for the
way was rough, and he had travelled
at great pace. Relying upon the
promise of the old man that he should
overtake his prey, the young man was
easy in his mind, and spent the even
ing in conversation, for the father
and daughter were entertaining, and
took deep interest in his adventure.
The next morning he arose early, and
looking out saw that the red streak
left by the swan had not faded from
the sky. Before starting he begged
the old man to give him the daughter
for wife. The wise old red man
answered:
Prove yourself worthy of her by
overtaking the red swan If you do
this, she is yours"
With this he was off, following the
trail in the sky, for now he had a
double purpose in the pursuit. All
day long he trudged over hill and
through valley. making great speed,
for he had taken the potion, the gift
of the old man. Again he did not
note the fight of time, until the
evening shadows began to fall, when
he came quite unexpectedly upon
a wigwam. 1t was much the same as
the one in which he had been enter
tanned the night before, only the
maiden was more beautiful. He asked
| If they had noted the flight of the
wounded swan, and found it had passed
there at a little later hour than it
had the wigwam of the previous night.
BY this he knew that he was gaining
on his prey. The evening was pleas
antly spent, his moccasins were neat.
ly repaired, and he found himself
wooing the daughter, as he had done
by the other maiden. This brought
from the father the same answer:
prove yourself worthy of her by
overtaking the red swan. If you do
this, she is yours"
He arose earlier, saw the crimson
trail more brightly and started eager
| ly on his pursuit.
Thus nine days passed by, each
night he came upon a solitary wig
wan in the wilderness, in each of
which dwelt a father and daughter.
Each time he was kindly entertained,
each time his apparel was repaired
each time he wooed the daughter, and
each time the answer of the father
was the same:
Prove yourself worthy of her by
overtaking the red swan. If you do
this, she is yours"
Only in this was there any differ
ence: each maiden was more beauti-
full than the last one met; the swan
had passed at later hour each day,
and the glow covered a wider space
in the heavens. BY this food of red
light he knew his prize was very
near, and that he soon would be
Isrpremely happy by its possession.
On the tenth evening the sky was