THE LOVE SONG

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 113, 3 August 1927, Page 11

THE LOVE SONG

PRIZE-WINNING STORY j Morning broke. The purple mist* 1 j parted and the hills stoM forth, their, j great slopes swept with golden light ! and blue shadows. * At their utmost height. etched i against the changing sky was the upj right figuie of an Indian chief, his bronzed face, passive as stone, turned ! toward the East in silent devotion. The Sun God was rising. One there was who heeded not thf* j call to worship. This. Rippling Water. ! a maid of wondrous beauty, a daughter j of the God himself, watched the war- , rior. Scarlet Arrow,.from the shadows. I as she had watched for many morns. ; j and her heart beat quickly at his great strength and stature, f A wild longing to make herseEf I visible swept her. and she ascend* d the high hills and paused behind him. Rippling Water knew well that death i alone awaited any mortal who gazed ‘ ; upon her face and yet. . . . : Suddenly Scarlet Arrow turned an d his eye kindled at the radiance of the , maid who stood before him. ! "Who are you, oh. child of beaut w that you turn to tire the blood W Scarlet Arrow?" | "Rippling Water!'* came the j answer. “See how my father’s eye : burns upon me!” she cried. “See how the stars pale before his great anger. ] I. Rippling Water, speak to the Earth Chief, Scarlet Arrow, and the gods are not pleased.” Even as she spoke, she grew dim to his eyes, and he heard her calling among the hills: “Scarlet Arrow! Scarlet Arrow!” He turned and descended into the valley and lo! there came a myriad chiefs from the wigwam. ""The Sun God has left his mark upon you, oh. Scarlet Arrow! You have gazed upon the beauty of Rip-, pling Water, child of the heavens.. Death shall come as the day passes." . j And they in turn, ascended the high # hills with their bundles of birch-wood i ! and against the sky they built a ! mighty beacon. Scarlet Arrow knew that he must die. but he had no fear, for before him f danced the face of Rippling Water and , he heard her voice calling from the ; trees, and the stream. The breeze seemed to sigh. 'Scarlei Arrow Rippling Water.” And all day long he heard it. At last the light passed behind the . hills and the shadows began to creep" down the valley. The blue smoke stole upwards from Scarlet Arrow’s last fire by the wigwam and down came the warriors to meet him. Together they led him to the spot where he had seen Rippling Water and where now towered the beacon. They bound him with clinging vines to the * column of birch-wood and stood about 4 him as the great chiff spoke. “Travel swiftly, Scarlet Arrow! He whose eye t>eholds the child of the Sun » is too great to linger in the wigwam. Scaret Arrow answered not. H«* • gazed down into the valley where the ; smoke-spirals curled upwards. Ho . smelt the birch-log burning and ; longed to see once more the face of Rippling Water. Then his voice echoed - among the valleys, its sweetness rose ! in the hush of twilight, a red flare shot » from the beacon to the sky, and the , warriors heard the words of the lovgsong of Scarlet Arrow: Far as the stars thou are to me As the morrow from the morn. ; As the purple peaks that, above the sea, «* Grow rosy in the dawn. . . .” Then for one moment they saw the ! wondrous face of the sun maiden and heard her voice: “My father has granted my wish. While ye die as the yellow leaves in * winter, the great chief, Scarlet Arrow. . shall live for ever.” When they looked toward the beacon, Scarlet Arrow had vanished. The sun fell behind the sea and the ruby glow of the dying fire glimmered on I the hillside, as the lo\e song floated back to them through the dusk. The strong warrior and the Sun . God’s daughter were together in the land of the happy hunter. —Sighing Wind (Phyllis Fitz Gerald, Xew Plymouth), aged 16.