Prevod
Iz vojne proti ljudstvu Tahawi se vrača Sonce, poglavar spodnjih Saranakov — vrača se k Jezeru zvezdnih kopic, ki so ga pozneje topoglavci poimenovali Tupperjevo jezero. Visok in nepremagljiv stopa med svoje ljudstvo, se po indijanski navadi hvali z zmagami in stresa skalpe, ki mu visijo na prsih. »Orel kriči,« vzklika. »Pozdravlja poglavarja, Žareče Sonce. Wayotah je ljudstvu Tahawi nagnal strah v kosti. Bežijo pred njim. Huh, huh! On je poglavar.« Odmaknjena od drugih stoji Oseetah, Ptica, s hrepenečim pogledom. Ljubi močnega mladega poglavarja, a ve, da je obljubljen drugi, in si ne drzne upati; vendar poglavar ljubi njo in po končani pojedini sledi njenim stopinjam do obale, kjer zagleda njen kanu, ki ravno zavija okoli rta nekega otoka. Tiho ji sledi in jo najde, kako sedi, maha z rokami in stoka. Poskuša jo objeti, toda ona se odmakne. Prosi jo, naj mu zapoje; ona mu veli, naj odide.
Spregovori z bolj ukazovalnim glasom in ji zapove, naj posluša svojega poglavarja. Ona se oddalji. On plane proti njej. Obrne k njemu žalosten obraz, steče do roba strme skale in mu z roko pomigne, naj ostane zadaj. Pohiti za njo. Tedaj skoči in izgine v globoki vodi. Sonce se požene za njo in z blazno močjo plava sem ter tja. Kliče jo. Odgovora ni. Počasi se vrne v vas in ljudem pove, kaj se je zgodilo. Ptičina starša sta strta in Sonce stoka v spanju. Opoldne pride lovec s čudno novico: na vodi rastejo cvetlice! Ljudje sedejo v kanuje in odveslajo k Brestovemu otoku. Tam, v zalivu, je mirna voda posuta s cvetlicami: nekatere so bele kakor sneg in z vonjem polnijo zrak, druge pa krepke in rumene kakor jezero ob sončnem zahodu.
»Razloži nam,« vzkliknejo in se obrnejo k staremu plemenskemu vraču, »saj včeraj tega še ni bilo.« »To je naša hči,« je odgovoril. »Te cvetlice so podoba, ki si jo je nadela. Belina je njena čistost, rumenina njena ljubezen. Videli boste, da se bo njeno srce zaprlo, ko sonce zaide, in se ob njegovem prihodu znova odprlo.« In mladi poglavar se je umaknil na samo ter sklonil glavo.
Izvirnik
Back from his war against the Tahawi comes the Sun, chief of the Lower Saranacs,--back to the Lake of the Clustered Stars, afterward called, by dullards, Tupper's Lake. Tall and invincible he comes among his people, boasting of his victories, Indian fashion, and stirring the scalps that hang at his breast. “The Eagle screams,” he cries. “He greets the chief, the Blazing Sun. Wayotah has made the Tahawi tremble. They fly from him. Hooh, hooh! He is the chief.” Standing apart with wistful glance stands Oseetah, the Bird. She loves the strong young chief, but she knows that another has his promise, and she dares not hope; yet the chief loves her, and when the feasting is over he follows her footprints to the shore, where he sees her canoe turning the point of an island. He silently pursues and comes upon her as she sits waving and moaning. He tries to embrace her, but she draws apart. He asks her to sing to him; she bids him begone.
He takes a more imperious tone and orders her to listen to her chief. She moves away. He darts toward her. Turning on him a face of sorrow, she runs to the edge of a steep rock and waves him back. He hastens after. Then she springs and disappears in the deep water. The Sun plunges after her and swims with mad strength here and there. He calls. There is no answer. Slowly he returns to the village and tells the people what has happened. The Bird's parents are stricken and the Sun moans in his sleep. At noon a hunter comes in with strange tidings: flowers are growing on the water! The people go to their canoes and row to the Island of Elms. There, in a cove, the still water is enamelled with flowers, some as white as snow, filling the air with perfume, others strong and yellow, like the lake at sunset.
“Explain to us,” they cry, turning to the old Medicine of his tribe, “for this was not so yesterday.”
“It is our daughter,” he answered. “These flowers are the form she takes. The white is her purity, the yellow her love. You shall see that her heart will close when the sun sets, and will reopen at his coming.” And the young chief went apart and bowed his head.
