Holbrook High School - Echo Yearbook (Holbrook, MA)

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8 THE ECHO BRAVE MAIKETA As Little Beaver and the old chief started for their lodge, the Indian boy ran on ahead, that he might swing from the tall, slim birch trees along the trail. Climbing to its top as the tree bent downward with his weight, he landed upon the earth, and the tree sprang back, standing upright once more. It was a game which all the Indian boys enjoyed by the hour — the game of the leaping birch. “Kayo, Kayo !” called the old chief warn- ingly. “The sun is now going to his wig- wam in the west; we must hasten. Ugh,” laughed the old man; “as we take the home- ward trail, I will tell you a story which you have never heard, about a boy named Mai- keta, which means ‘Little Warrioi.,’ and what happened to him because of a leaping tree. “Nobo, the old squaw, grandmother of Maiketa, was the most skillful weaver of basketry in all the village. Early and late she searched the forest, finding strange plants for making dyes, coloring the baskets she made. Later she wove them into pat- terns and animals, working them with dyed porcupine quills and beads. “When Peboan, the God of Winter, reigned and the winds shook the poles of her tepee, close to her fire huddled old Nobo; splint-making was Maiketa. Then when the robin piped outside in the forest and spring had come, it was time for Mai- keta to start on his yearly journey to trade the baskets of Nobo. His grandmother was far too old to take such a long journey. “So stringing the baskets on a large pole, he carried them over his shoulder. When Maiketa was leaving the village, a boy named Gomseti, or ‘the rattling gourd’ be- cause of his bad habit of talking too much when his elders would speak, met him just outgide the lodge hoping to frighten him. ‘You are over brave to start forth on a journey of two suns all alone. Do you not know that Kai, the great panther, is about? Only last night my brother and I heard his fearful cry in the darkness. We trembled with fear just to hear him al- though we were safe in the wigwam. I would never go so far off if I were you. Look out to-night when you make your lonely camp, for Kai,’ called the cowardly boy, loudly. “Maiketa, being strong of heart, was not frightened by the beasts of the forest, and often stopped to talk with them. Camping the first night near a pond, he watched old Ahmik, the beaver, and his army at work felling trees and building a new dam. At last lulled by the gentle songs of the Mukawis, the whippoorwiil, he fell asleep. “In the night he awoke feeling cold, so he threw some sticks on his dying fire. As he heard the ‘whu-hu-hu’ of a big owl calling down to him from a tree over his head, and seeing its great, golden eyes star- ing down in the darkness, he laughed. “Just then, peering into the brushes be- yond his camp fire, Maiketa saw another pair of gleaming eyes watching him. They were not those of a friend, for they were fierce and wicked. All at once Maiketa “Maiketa’s courage returned, for the boy was no coward, and gathering up his bas- kets again, he went on. Suddenly, about twilight, he heard a twig crack, and his ears, being sharp, caught the sound of pad- ded feet. Looking about he caught sight of Kai slipping in and out between the tree trunks, following. “Maiketa knew that he must think quick- ly if he would save himself from his enemy. Seeing a great fallen log nearby, he placed his baskets on the ground not far off. Seiz- ing a stout young tree of green wood, he took his knife and trimmed off all its small twigs and branches, leaving it a bare pole, as supple and as springy as his new ash bow. Putting all his weight upon it, he drew it down close to the fallen log, and hiding himself near the log, waited for Kai. Soon he heard the snarls. Kai was coming ! Maiketa raised his head to peep, and the panther leaped, landing on the very spot where the boy’s head had been the minute before. He gave Kai a loud thump upon his hood with the hickory stick. “Kai drew off for a minute, surprised and stunned by the blow. Soon he came creeping back towards the log and the bent tree, which had been held close behind the boy all this time. As soon as Maiketa saw knew that they were none other than those of Kai, the panther. Not losing courage, and hoping to frighten him, he threw on more sticks, making a high blaze. With a scream of anger, the panther leaped away; and Maiketa went to sleep again. “Kai, the panther, did not mean to let Maiketa get away, for his sides were thin from fasting. All the next day, not very far behind him, the panther followed. At noon, becoming more angry and impatient, and unwilling to wait for darkness, the pan- ther sprang out, wagging his tail angrily, and growling crossly. “ ‘Yeo, yeo,’ wailed the boy, thinking his time had surely come; ‘the panther will surely kill me. What shall I do?’ Then quickly he whirled his long stick about and hurled all his baskets into the face of Kai. The big yellow cat was so surprised and frightened at this, that he leaped away in- to the forest.

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THE ECHO 7 Si? $ 1 1 $ Hiforaturr ?)1 4 SiS $ i $ K5 LIVING CHARACTERS One hot summer day I sat on the veranda with one of Gene Stratton Porter’s books lying in my lap. I closed my eyes and sud- denly I heard a soft voice saying, “Please, let me out.” I looked around trying to decide where the voice was coming from. The voice spoke again, “Please, let me out.” This time it seemed to come from the book in my lap. I opened the cover and, much to my sur- prise, a figure rose from its midst. It grew and grew until it reached the size of a human being. I glanced up at its face and saw a beautiful girl. Her hair was a beautiful auburn; her complexion was per- fect; her eyes were a peculiar gray; her well formed lips were parted, and I caught a glimpse of pearly teeth. She was dressed in a badly faded gingham dress. I had not recovered from the shock of seeing this beautiful creature rise from the book when she spoke: “I am the heroine of that book, and I thought you would en- joy seeing me in person rather than read- ing about me. If you will open the book, my mother will come to assist me in telling the story to you.” I opened the book and another figure rose. This time it was a middle-aged woman whose white hair was loosely coiled on her neck. Her complexion was perfect and was browned by out-door exposure. She was dressed in faded gingham also. The girl began to talk. “I am the girl of the Limberlost and this is my mother. I fear that it will be impossible to tell my story here so I will take you to the Limber- lost Forest.” From somewhere in her clothes she brought out a brown stick which she held before my face and a beautiful forest took the place of the furniture. The girl and her mother then showed me their home and told of the various trials they had been through. They told me how the girl had earned her way through high school and how she had made a success of her violin playing. Suddenly the girl turned to me and said, “Of course, there is a hero. Open your book.” I did this and much to my amazement a group of people came before my eyes. As they grew, the forest vanished and I found myself in the midst of a gay society party. The two people who seemed to stand out were a handsome and an equally handsome woman. The scene changed to a secluded nook where the boy proposes and the girl says, “I shall never marry you.” Back to the forest, the girl is shown picking flowers. Nearby her side is seated a young man whom I recognized as the man of the ballroom. They were together quite a lot until one day the boy receives a tele- gram and he goes back to the society folks. Here the girl, who once refused him, tries to win him back but he has learned to love the girl of the forest. He returns to he - and finds her gone. After many hard- ships, they are at last united. As this was shown to me, there was a shrill whistle sounded and the characters whisked back into the book. The Girl turned to me and said, “Have you enjoyed the book?” I nodded and she said, “I must go now. Goodby.” She then lifted the cover of the book and vanished. I tried to call to her but she did not answer. I opened my eyes and realized that I must have been dreaming, for I was seated on the veranda. The book was lying in my lap so I opened the cover and saw a picture of the red-headed girl. Jesse Beers, ’28. A BROKEN REVERIE I lay and mused beneath a tree Whose sheltering arms made shade for me. I lay and watched with thoughtful eye The forest birds as they chanced by. What more could mortal man desire Than sit and list to Nature’s lyre? To think long thoughts that have no end, And see the swaying tree tops bend. But Hark! I hear a steely ring! The ax is at a woodland King! The tall three fade away like shades When falls the sun on hills and glades. The ax is working in the wood And leaving stumps where giants stood. The mighty monarch’s thunderous crash Condemns man’s heedless race for cash. B. Loud, ’27.

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THE ECHO 9 Kai within range of the bent tree, he put all his weight upon its top, until it would bend no farther. Just as the panther, with a yell of triumph, leaped towards the boy again, Maiketa let go of the stout green pole. It snapped back as swiftly as an ar- row flies from its bow, giving the panther a terrific blow between the eyes, as if he had been struck by a giant war god. “When in five suns Maiketa returned to the wigwam of his grandmother, Nobo, he was a warrior returned from the camp of the enemy. Everybody soon knew that Maiketa alone had slain Kai, the dreaded panther. He had brought back the pan- ther’s tawny pelt with which old Nobo would line his new smock to keep him warm when Peboan the God of winter returned.” Thus finished the old chief as the two came in sight of the lodge smoke. Robert White, ’28. THE POND The old pond by the village green Is fringed with willows grey, And round it bending ruches sigh, And merry children play. The white swan leads her stately brood Across its waters cool, And thirsty cattle pause to drink Beside the sunlit pool. The village lads set little boats Asail upon its breast, Its colors change from blue to gold As sunset paints the west. And little winds, that come and go, Sigh through the rushes green, That round its farthest borders weave A close and pretty screen. Reta Walls, ’28. “WHAT YOU WILL” One day as I was walking in an unknown land, I saw a magnificent castle with its highest tower hidden in the clouds. From the windows pretty colored banners were flapping gently in the breeze. As I ap- proached it, the drawbridge with a groan slowly came down to let me pass over the moat. I found myself in a great courtyard with nothing but big red roses. I went into the main entrance and saw I was in a great hall that was colored a very bright red. This hall was one hundred feet high and three hundred feet by one hundred feet in length and width. I began to search for inhabitants but found none after I had looked the castle all over except in one place. It was the highest tower. I was very curious so I started up the stairs. I climbed steadily for two hours and then a surprising thing happened. The stairs shut up like shutters on a blind which made a steep chute of stone. Of course gravity pulled me down very swiftly, for inside of two minutes I was at the bottom. I was so out of breath from the ride that I leaned against the wall. I fell through into a marvelous elevator like those in big stores. I looked to see where I had fallen through, but all around me was solid wall. I turned the lever of the elevator and at a high rate of speed it started for the top. After thirty minutes we came to an open- ing so I shut off the power and stepped into the same hall I had left thirty minutes ago. I was somewhat surprised but I was de- termined to get to the top so I went out in the courtyard, made a kite, and to the string I hitched a rope. The kite went up to the top, went around one of the braces, and fell back into my hands. One brace acted as a pulley and I pulled the string until the rope reached the top. I twirled the string three times and the rope tied itself to the brace. I started up the rope hand over hand. After doing this for three or four hours it grew monotonous, but just then I reached the top. My greatest surprise was yet to come. Sitting on a sofa was a ghost. He was a skeleton covered with a black robe. He had before him on the floor a big bowl. I jumped from the tower and started to run, but I began to fall. I grabbed hold of my suspenders and immediately, I was floating slowly downward hanging onto a parachute. At the last minute I looked at the tower only to see the ghost eating a doughnut. Frederick Crosby, ’29. SPRING Let me in. Good news I bring. Let me in, for I am spring. Softly sings the little stream. Life is an unending dream. All the flowers of earth are springing, All the birds of heaven are singing, All is washed in morning dew, All the old world is new. All is dancing, all delight, Never shone a sun so bright. Let me in. Good news I bring. Let me in, for I am spring. Ruth Houser, ’27.