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From “Songs of the Coast-dwellers”
HEAR me! I shout, “Ki-Ki-y!” | |
| See me! I shake my little spear! | |
| I am Leqa-a-to’q, the Little Son— | |
| The strong little, swift little, fierce Little Son of the Chief. | |
| Ki! Ki-Ki-y! | 5 |
| When I stamp my mighty little foot, my mother weeps; | |
| She fears me, she trembles; | |
| (Also old Bi’iq, my grandmother.) | |
| The earth trembles, the sea shakes; | |
| My little foot, stamping, rocks all the canoes of the world. | 10 |
| The clouds, like screaming windy birds, | |
| Fly, fly before my little willow-bow. | |
| The eagles screech, leaping to the pine-tops, | |
| When they see me fit my sparkling red-feathered little arrow | |
| To my gleaming bowstring. | 15 |
| Running on the beach above the glistening bay, | |
| For sport, I shake my tall little spear— | |
| Ok—Ki! see the great shadows on the sea! | |
| Kok-wats-Tyee, old Salmon-Chief, | |
| Beckons with his tail all other fishes | 20 |
| And dives to the bottom of the world! | |
| He fears me! Ki-Ki-Ki-y! | |
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| Tlet-la, the fisher, calls from his big canoe, | |
| Where my father’s twenty tribesmen paddle, | |
| “O Leqa-a-to’q! Little Son! we pray thee, | 25 |
| No longer shake thy frighting spear! | |
| If thou scare all the salmon from the sea, | |
| How shall we eat dried fish when winter dances? | |
| Thy tribe will die!” | |
| Ai!—the sweet smoked fish! I hide my spear; | 30 |
| Once more the sea is full of salmon, | |
| Swimming to the fishers’ nets. | |
| I run among the berry bushes, | |
| Crying my fierce “Ki-Ki-y!”— | |
| And laugh to see the wild wolves fleeing. | 35 |
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| See Me! I jump the highest log— | |
| Ki-Ki-Ki-y! | |
| My stuck-out little fingers pierced the sky! | |
| “Leqa-a-to’q!”……..Who calls?…….. | |
| (Ho! ’tis but my trembling mother.) | 40 |
| When the beach crawled longly down | |
| To the low sea, at morn, | |
| With my sharp hunting little knife | |
| I killed the fat Father of the Clams! | |
| ……“Leqa-a-a-to’q!”… (Ho? ai-ai?… Angrily she calls me!) | 45 |
| Farewell, slaves: | |
| I hear the loud voice of the Great Chief’s Great Woman calling,— | |
| The high voice of the Great Chief’s great Little Son’s great Mother. | |
| “Leqa-a-a-to’q—co-omes!” | |
| See Me! | 50 |
| Grinding, flashing, my long, white, many, fierce, little teeth, | |
| I run, I run, I run—Ki-Ki-Ki-y!— | |
| To eat my big little supper. | |
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