The Ten Virgins (Twenty-Fifth Evening)

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Title:     The Ten Virgins (Twenty-Fifth Evening)
Author: Charles Alexander Eastman [More Titles by Eastman]

TWENTY-FIFTH EVENING

The strong sun of March still hovers over the deep blue lake, and last night's snow flurry has quite vanished from the pleasant, brown face of our Grandmother Earth, when the children arrive at Smoky Day's wide-open doorway. There is a tang in the air and a stir in the blood to-night that moves the old man to tell a tale of youth and adventure. And this is the tale:

THE TEN VIRGINS

There were once two brothers who loved one maiden, and it appeared that the younger brother was the favorite. One day, the jealous elder invited his brother to go hunting with him upon an island in the great lake, a day's journey in canoes from their village.

No sooner had they touched shore than the elder said:

"Do you go to the other end of the island, and I will drive the Deer toward you!"

The other obeyed; but although he waited a long time on the further side, no Deer appeared, nor did he see anything of his brother. At last he returned through the woods to the spot where they had landed; and behold! the canoe with his brother was almost out of sight on the blue waters of the lake.

The young man, thus abandoned, wandered about the island for many days, living upon the game which he found there in abundance. He had grown very lonely and tired of his solitary life, when one day a strange old man with long, white hair appeared on the shore.

"My son," said he, "you look unhappy! Tell me if there is anything you wish for."

"I want nothing except to cross the water to the mainland," replied the young man, "but I have no boat nor the means of making one."

"Get upon my back, and I will take you over in safety," returned the patriarch. Accordingly he took him upon his back and swam across the lake with his burden.

Now the young man was grateful to his rescuer and he no longer cared to return to his own people and to the brother who had betrayed him, therefore he went with the old man to his wigwam to hunt for him.

One day, when he was out hunting as usual, he thought he heard the far-off, musical sound of girls' laughter from the depths of the forest. He turned in the direction of the sound and soon came upon a broad trail, which he followed until he was overtaken by nine young men, all running eagerly along the same trail.

They at once made him join their company, saying that they had needed just one more to complete their number. The ten hastened on, and presently they overtook ten beautiful young damsels. Night fell, and they all went into camp together on the shore of the great lake.

The girls were very friendly and chatted pleasantly with the young men during the evening, until each party retired to sleep under a hurriedly made arbor of green boughs.

Very early in the morning the youths awoke; but lo! their companions had vanished, and they could see only the flash of a distant paddle where lake met sky at the far-off horizon line.

There was no boat, and they were about to go back in despair, when the young man who had last joined the party spied a little mussel shell at the edge of the water, and invited them to step in. At first they were doubtful and hung back; but in the end one ventured and stepped into the shell, which bore up his weight. Then another and another followed, until the ten men stood upon the shell, which had become a fine large canoe, and carried them all in safety to the opposite shore.

There they beheld the great white wigwam in which dwelt the ten virgins with their grandmother, who was a wicked old witch.

As soon as she saw the young men she took up handfuls of ashes to throw into their faces, and one after another fell senseless at her feet.

Last of all came the fortunate younger brother. He had borrowed the weapons of the old man with whom he lived, and it chanced that this man was a greater wonder-worker even than the witch. Therefore he had merely turned toward her his magic shield to keep off the shower of ashes, when the old woman lost all her power to hurt, and at once each lusty young man sprang quickly up to claim his bride.

[The end]
Charles Alexander Eastman's short story: Ten Virgins (Twenty-Fifth Evening)

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