The Middle Five: Indian Boys at School — John Shaqi
The Middle Five: Indian Boys at SchoolLa Flesche, Francis
History
The Middle Five: Indian Boys at School
La Flesche, Francis
Indians of North America -- Juvenile literature
The woman went to the banks of the little stream that ran by the
village, and called in a shrill voice, "Oo-ma'-a-be! Oo-ma'-a-be!"
"I'm coming!" shouted a bareheaded, black-eyed little boy, just as he
shot a blue-joint grass arrow at a frog that had poked his head above
the surface of the water to see what was going on in the outer world.
Forgetting the call, the lad went stealthily on up the stream with
another arrow strung, looking for other frogs that might be hunting for
flies or mosquitoes, or enjoying the kisses of the warm sunshine in
some pleasant nook.
"What can the boy be doing?" said the woman to herself, then she called
again, this time emphasizing the first syllable of the name to indicate
that she was losing patience, "Oo'-ma-a-be!"
With reluctant steps the boy made his way toward his mother, peering
as he went into the tall grass to see if a grasshopper or any other
creature might be exposing itself to the arrows of a sport-loving lad.
"Why did you not come when I first called you?" asked the woman as she
took the child by the hand and led him with quickened steps toward the
little house.
As the mother and son entered, the father looked up with a pleasant
smile, and addressing the boy said, "Your mother went to call you
because she wants us to go to the house of the White-chests, where you
are to stay and learn to write. Now wash your hands and face, and make
yourself look nice, so they will be pleased with you; then we will go."
The mother had the water ready, and began scrubbing the face and neck
of the lad, while the candidate for scholarship was pressing his lips
tightly together and squinting his eyes to exclude the soap that
persisted in getting into them. Then followed the brushing of the hair,
which was equally irksome to the boy, and he unconsciously leaned
farther and farther away until he was pulled to again by the fond
parent.
When both face and hair shone, the mother kissed her boy and announced
to her husband that the child was ready. The father rose to go with
him, but the boy held back.
"What is it?" asked the father; "are you not willing to go?"
"I am willing to go," answered Oo-ma'-a-be, "but I want to put on my
embroidered moccasins and leggings and my little buffalo robe."
The husband and wife looked at each other smiling, and let the
youngster have his own way, so he was decked out in his gorgeous
costume. He folded himself up in his robe, which was beautifully
ornamented with porcupine quills of exquisite colors, he twisted his
body and neck to see if he looked well, then said he was ready to go.
In the school-room a class of big boys and girls were learning to read
in concert:--
"The boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but he had fled."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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