Traditional medicine

The Last of the Mohicans. Cooper

In the wars between the British and French for the possession of American lands (1755-1763), opponents more than once took advantage of civil strife between Indian tribes. The times were difficult and cruel. Dangers lurked at every step. And it is not surprising that the girls, who were traveling, accompanied by Major Duncan Hayward, to the father of the commander of the besieged fort, were worried. Especially disturbing to Alice and Cora - that was the name of the sisters - was the Indian Magua, nicknamed the Sly Fox. He volunteered to lead them along a supposedly safe forest path. Duncan reassured the girls, although he himself was beginning to worry: were they really lost?

Fortunately, in the evening the travelers met Hawkeye - this name was already firmly attached to St. John's Wort - and not alone, but with Chingachgook and Uncas. An Indian lost in the forest during the day?! Hawkeye was much more wary than Duncan. He invites the major to grab the guide, but the Indian manages to slip away. Now no one doubts the betrayal of the Magua Indian. With the help of Chingachgook and his son Uncas, Hawkeye ferries travelers to a small rocky island.

Continuing the modest dinner, “Uncas renders all the services in his power to Cora and Alice.” It’s noticeable that he pays more attention to Cora than to her sister. However, the danger has not yet passed. Attracted by the loud wheezing of horses frightened by wolves, the Indians find their shelter. Shootout, then hand-to-hand combat. The first onslaught of the Hurons was repulsed, but the besieged ran out of ammunition. Salvation is only in flight - unbearable, alas, for girls. It is necessary to sail at night, along a rapid and cold mountain river. Cora persuades Hawkeye to run away with Chingachgook and bring please help. She takes longer than other hunters to convince Uncas: the Major and sisters end up in the hands of Magua and his friends.

The kidnappers and captives stop on a hill to rest. The cunning Fox reveals to Kora the purpose of the kidnapping. It turns out that her father, Colonel Munro, once cruelly insulted him, ordering him to be whipped for drunkenness. And now, in revenge, he will marry his daughter. Cora indignantly refuses. And then Magua decides to brutally deal with the prisoners. The sisters and the major are tied to trees, and brushwood for the fire is laid out nearby. The Indian persuades Cora to agree, at least to take pity on her sister, who is very young, almost a child. But Alice, having learned about Magua’s intentions, prefers a painful death.

Enraged, Magua throws his tomahawk. The hatchet pierces the tree, pinning the girl's voluminous blond hair. The major breaks free of his bonds and rushes at one of the Indians. Duncan is almost defeated, but a shot is fired and the Indian falls. Hawkeye and his friends arrived in time. After a short battle, the enemies are defeated. Magua, pretending to be dead and seizing the moment, runs again.

The dangerous journeys end happily - the travelers reach the fort. Under cover of fog, despite the French besieging the fort, they manage to get inside. The father finally saw his daughters, but the joy of the meeting was overshadowed by the fact that the defenders of the fort were forced to surrender, however, on conditions that were honorable for the British: the vanquished retained their banners, weapons and could freely retreat to their own.

At dawn, burdened with the wounded, as well as children and women, the garrison leaves the fort. Nearby, in a narrow wooded gorge, Indians attack the convoy. Magua kidnaps Alice and Cora again.

On the third day after this tragedy, Colonel Munro, together with Major Duncan, Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas, inspect the scene of the massacre. Based on barely noticeable traces, Uncas concludes: the girls are alive - they are in captivity. Moreover, continuing the inspection, the Mohican reveals the name of their kidnapper - Magua! After consulting, the friends set off on an extremely dangerous journey: to the homeland of the Sly Fox, to areas inhabited mainly by Hurons. With adventures, losing and finding traces again, the pursuers finally find themselves near the Huron village.

Here they meet the psalmist David, who, taking advantage of his reputation for being weak-minded, voluntarily followed the girls. From David, the colonel learns about the situation of his daughters: he kept Alice Magua with him, and sent Cora to the Delawares living next door, on the lands of the Hurons. Duncan, in love with Alice, wants to penetrate the village at any cost. Pretending to be a fool, changing his appearance with the help of Hawkeye and Chingachgook, he goes on reconnaissance. In the Huron camp, he pretends to be a French doctor, and he, like David, is allowed by the Hurons to go everywhere. To Duncan's horror, the captive Uncas is brought to the village. At first, the Hurons take him for an ordinary prisoner, but Magua appears and recognizes Swift Deer. The hated name arouses such anger among the Hurons that, if not for the Cunning Fox, the young man would have been torn to pieces on the spot. Magua convinces his fellow tribesmen to postpone the execution until the morning. Uncas is taken to a separate hut. The father of a sick Indian woman turns to the doctor Duncan for help. He goes to the cave where the sick woman lies, accompanied by the girl’s father and a tame bear. Duncan asks everyone to leave the cave. The Indians obey the “doctor”’s demands and leave, leaving the bear in the cave. The bear is transformed - Hawkeye is hiding under the animal skin! With the help of a hunter, Duncan discovers Alice hidden in a cave - but then Magua appears. The sly Fox triumphs. But not for long.

The “bear” grabs the Indian and squeezes him in an iron embrace, the major ties the villain’s hands. But from the excitement she has experienced, Alice cannot take a single step. The girl is wrapped in Indian clothes, and Duncan - accompanied by a “bear” - carries her outside. The sick self-proclaimed “doctor,” referring to the power of the Evil Spirit, orders the sick father to stay and guard the exit from the cave. The trick succeeds - the fugitives safely reach the forest. At the edge of the forest, Hawkeye shows Duncan the path leading to the Delawares and returns to free Uncas. With the help of David, he deceives the warriors guarding the Swift-Footed Deer and hides with the Mohican in the forest. The enraged Magua, who is found in a cave and freed from his bonds, calls on his fellow tribesmen to take revenge.

The next morning, at the head of a strong military detachment, the Sly Fox goes to the Delawares. Having hidden the detachment in the forest, Magua enters the village. He appeals to the Delaware leaders, demanding the surrender of the captives. The leaders, deceived by the eloquence of the Sly Fox, agreed, but after Cora’s intervention it turns out that in reality only she is the captive of Magua - all the others freed themselves. Colonel Munro offers a rich ransom for Cora, but the Indian refuses. Uncas, who unexpectedly became the supreme leader, is forced to release Magua along with the captive. In parting, the Sly Fox was warned: after enough time to escape, the Delawares would set foot on the warpath.

Soon military operations, thanks to the skillful leadership of Uncas, bring the Delawares a decisive victory. The Hurons are defeated. Magua, having captured Cora, flees. Swift-footed Deer pursues the enemy. Realizing that they cannot escape, the last of the surviving companions of the Sly Fox raises a knife over Cora. Uncas, seeing that he might not make it in time, throws himself from a cliff between the girl and the Indian, but falls and loses consciousness. Huron kills Cora. The fleet-footed Deer manages to defeat the killer, but Magua, seizing the moment, thrusts a knife into the young man’s back and takes off running. A shot sounds - Hawkeye settles with the villain.

Orphaned people, orphaned fathers, a solemn farewell. The Delawares have just lost a new leader - the last of the Mohicans (Sagamore), but one leader will be replaced by another; the colonel is survived by his youngest daughter; Chingachgook lost everything. And only Hawkeye, turning to the Great Serpent, finds words of consolation: “No, sagamore, you are not alone! We may be different in skin color, but we are destined to follow the same path. I have no relatives and I can say, like you, I don’t have my own people.”

In the wars between the British and French for the possession of American lands (1755-1763), opponents more than once took advantage of civil strife between Indian tribes. The time was difficult and cruel. Dangers lurked at every step. And it is not surprising that the girls, who were traveling, accompanied by Major Duncan Hayward, to the commander of the besieged fort’s father, were worried. Alice and Cora - that was the name of the sisters - were especially worried about the Indian Magua, nicknamed the Sly Fox. He volunteered to lead them along a supposedly safe forest path. Duncan reassured the girls, although he himself was beginning to worry: were they really lost?

Fortunately, in the evening the travelers met Hawkeye - this name was already firmly attached to St. John's Wort - and not just one, but with Chingachgook and Uncas. An Indian lost in the forest during the day?! Hawkeye was much more wary than Duncan. He invites the major to grab the guide, but the Indian manages to slip away. Now no one doubts the betrayal of the Magua Indian. With the help of Chingachgook and his son Uncas, Hawkeye ferries travelers to a small rocky island.

During the modest dinner, Uncas “provides all the services in his power to Cora and Alice.” It’s noticeable that he pays more attention to Cora than to her sister. However, the danger has not yet passed. Attracted by the loud snoring of horses frightened by wolves, the Indians find their shelter. A shootout ensues, then it comes to hand-to-hand combat. The first onslaught of the Hurons was repulsed, but the besieged ran out of ammunition. Salvation is only in flight. It is necessary to sail at night, along a rapid and cold mountain river. Cora persuades Hawkeye to run away with Chingachgook and bring help quickly. The major and sisters find themselves in the hands of Magua and the Indians.

The kidnappers and captives stop on a hill to rest. The cunning Fox reveals to Kora the purpose of the kidnapping. It turns out that her father, Colonel Munro, once cruelly insulted him, ordering him to be flogged for drunkenness. And now, in revenge, he will marry his daughter. Cora is outraged. And then Magua decides to brutally deal with the prisoners. The sisters and the major are tied to trees, and brushwood for the fire is laid out nearby. The Indian persuades Cora to agree, to take pity on her sister, who is very young, almost a child. But Alice, having learned about Magua’s intentions, prefers a painful death.

At dawn, burdened with the wounded, as well as children and women, the garrison leaves the fort. Nearby, in a narrow wooded gorge, the Indians attack the convoy. Magua kidnaps Alice and Cora again.

Here they meet the psalmist David, who, taking advantage of his reputation for being weak-minded, voluntarily followed the girls. From David, the colonel learns about the situation of his daughters: he kept Alice Magua with him, and sent Cora to the Delawares. Duncan, in love with Alice, wants to penetrate the village at any cost. Pretending to be a fool, with the help of Hawkeye and Chingachgook, changing his appearance, he goes on reconnaissance. In the Huron camp, he pretends to be a French doctor, and just like David, the Hurons allow him to go everywhere. To Duncan's horror, the captive Uncas is brought to the village. At first, the Hurons take him for an ordinary prisoner, but Magua appears and recognizes Swift-Footed Deer. The hated name arouses such anger among the Hurons that if it were not for the Cunning Fox, the young man would have been torn to pieces on the spot. Magua convinces his fellow tribesmen to postpone the execution until the morning. Uncas is taken to a separate hut. The father of a sick Indian woman turns to the doctor Duncan for help. He goes to the cave where the sick woman lies, accompanied by the girl’s father and a tame bear. Duncan asks everyone to leave the cave. The Indians obey the “doctor”’s demands and leave, leaving the bear in the cave. The bear is transformed - Hawkeye is hiding under the animal skin! The trick succeeds - the fugitives safely reach the forest. At the edge of the forest, Hawkeye shows Duncan the path leading to the Delawares and returns to free Uncas. With the help of David, he deceives the warriors guarding the Swift-Footed Deer and hides with the Mohican in the forest. The enraged Magua, who is found in a cave and freed from his bonds, calls on his fellow tribesmen for revenge.

The next morning, at the head of a strong military detachment, the Sly Fox goes to the Delawares. Having hidden the detachment in the forest, Magua enters the village. He turns to the Avar leaders, demanding to hand over the captives. Deceived by the eloquence of the Sly Fox, the leaders agreed, but after Cora’s intervention it turns out that in reality she is the only captive of Magua - all the others freed themselves. Colonel Munro offers a rich ransom for Cora, but the Indian refuses. Uncas, who unexpectedly became the supreme leader, is forced to release Magua along with the captive. In parting, the Sly Fox is warned: after enough time has passed for them to escape, the Delawares will set foot on the warpath.

Soon military operations, thanks to the skillful leadership of Uncas, bring the Delawares a decisive victory. The Hurons are defeated. Magua, having captured Cora, flees. Swift-footed Deer pursues the enemy. Realizing that they cannot escape, the last of the surviving companions of the Sly Fox raises a knife over Cora. Uncas, seeing that he might not make it in time, throws himself from the cliff between the girl and the Indian, but, stunned by the fall, loses consciousness. Huron kills Cora. The fleet-footed Deer manages to defeat the killer, but Magua, seizing the moment, thrusts a knife into the young man’s back and takes off running. A shot sounds - Hawkeye settles with the villain.

Orphaned people, orphaned fathers, a solemn farewell. The Delawares had just lost the leader they had found - the last of the Mohicans (Sagamore); but one leader will be replaced by another; the colonel is survived by his youngest daughter; Chingachgook lost everything. And only Hawkeye, turning to the Great Serpent, finds words of consolation: “No, sagamore, you are not alone! We may be different in skin color, but we are destined to follow the same path. I have no relatives, and I can say, like you, I don’t have my own people.”

Ticket 26.

Heroes, conflict and plot in “The Last of the Mohicans” by J. Cooper or Heroes, plot, images in “The Song of Hiawatha” by G. Longfellow.

J. Cooper "The Last of the Mohicans" 1826

Plot:

The action takes place in North America in 1757. Information has been received that an enemy army is approaching Fort William Henry. Reinforcements are moving into this fort. Major Hayward Duncan is given the task of delivering his daughters to the commander of Fort William Henry. He decides to take a shorter route rather than the main road. An Indian runner undertakes to accompany them.

Along the way, they were joined by David Gamut. Soon they got lost and came to the lake. On the shore they were met by two Indians (Uncas and Chingachgook) and a white hunter (Hawkeye). After talking with them, he finds out that the Indian accompanying them is leading them into a trap. They decide to catch the Indian, but the Indian escapes into the forest. Afterwards, they take refuge in a cave for the night so that by morning they can slip past the ambush. But in the morning they are attacked by the Hurons, and after a short fight, the Mohicans and the scout sail away along the river to call for reinforcements at Fort William Henry. The rest take refuge in a cave. But soon they are found and taken to the Huron camp. Along the way, they stop on a mountain, where they are overtaken by the Mohicans and a scout. It turned out that they did not go to the fort, but chased the prisoners and their captors.

Among the kidnappers was an Indian who had accompanied them before. It was Magua, but he slipped away again. They then headed to Fort William Henry. The fort was surrounded by significant enemy forces. There were a lot of mingas in the forests. The travelers broke through the encirclement to the fort and entered it.

A few days later a temporary truce was declared. Negotiations were held at which the commander-in-chief of the French army gave the British an intercepted letter, which stated that there would be no reinforcements, and the besieged decided to surrender. The next morning, the besieged set out from the fort. But in the gorge they were attacked by the Mings and swept away the English army. Alice was grabbed by Magua and ran from the battlefield, knowing that Cora would run after him. David ran after Cora, singing a song to calm the attackers. The Hurons thought he was crazy, so they left him alone. Thus, it also served as a shield for Cora. They mounted their horses and galloped away. A few days later, Uncas, Chingachgook, a scout, Hayward and Munro came to the battlefield. They were looking for the girls' bodies. Then they saw their tracks and decided to start searching the next day.

The travelers decided that Duncan would infiltrate the Ming camp under the guise of an envoy from the white leader of Canada and try to kidnap Alice. Duncan came to the Huron camp and pretended that he was a doctor. But during the conversation they brought in a captured warrior. It turned out to be Uncas. After the test that Uncas went through so that he would not be killed, he was brought to the hut where Magua entered. He recognized Uncas and decided that he would be executed at dawn. Meanwhile, one of the Huron leaders took Hayward to the cave where his sick daughter lay. On the way, one of the bears tamed by the Hurons followed them. They entered the cave, the leader showed his daughter and left. The bear approached Hayward, his head fell to the side and it turned out that it was not a bear, but Hawkeye in a bearskin.

They found Alice in the cave. But Magua suddenly appeared. He propped up the door from which he had emerged with a log, but then a scout in a bear skin grabbed him, and they tied him up. Hayward carried Alice to the Delaware camp, and Hawkeye went to rescue Uncas. After that, they also went to this camp. They were held captives in the Delaware camp. Soon the deception was revealed. Magua took twenty warriors and went to the Delaware camp. From there he took Cora and went back.

In the Delaware camp it turned out that Uncas was the leader of the Delawares. The prisoners were released, and they went with the Delaware army to the Ming camp. Twenty men, led by Hawkeye, went to the rear of the Huron army. But they were spotted, and an unequal battle began. Soon the main forces arrived, and the Delawares won in a difficult battle. Only Magua and his two warriors remained. They began to run away. Uncas, Heyward and the scout ran after them. They walked through the cave and came out the other side. In the cave, Magua took Cora, and they ran on. But after leaving the cave, she refused to go, and one ming killed her. At the same time, Uncas jumped from above and killed Minga. At that moment, Magua thrust a knife three times into Uncas’ chest. Magua jumped onto another rock, could not resist, slipped and hung above the ground. The scout shot him with a gun.

Uncas and Cora were buried, and Hayward took Alice back to her homeland. This is where the work ends.

Heroes:

Uncas, aka the Swift-footed Deer.

Chingachgook, aka the Great Serpent.

Scout Natty Bumppo, aka Hawkeye

Eye and Long Carbine.

Major Hayward Duncan, aka Generous Hand.

Girls Cora and Alice.

Their father is Colonel Munro.

Magua, aka the Sly Fox.

Psalmist David Gamut.

Uncas and Chingachgook are Mohicans. These are strong, strong Indians who can see well in the dark, know how to find any traces, can navigate well in the forests and hear any sound, even the quietest.

The main character of the novel is the hunter and tracker Natty Bumppo. Stern and fair, brave and noble, Bumpo is one of Cooper's most beloved heroes.

Magua is an evil, treacherous, cunning Indian, leader from the Huron (Ming) tribe. He, like Uncas, loves the girl Cora and is constantly trying to kidnap her.

Major Hayward Duncan is a brave, courageous Englishman who accompanies the girls Cora and Alice to Fort William Henry. He was in love with Alice.

Cora is a brave, beautiful, noble girl, the daughter of Munro and a black woman from the West Indian Islands.

Alice is kind, beautiful, tender girl, sister of Cora, daughter of Munro and Alice Graham.

Their father is Colonel Munro, an elderly man who loves his daughters very much, the commander-in-chief of Fort William Henry.

Psalmist David Gamut is a singing teacher who reveres songs sacredly; he always carried with him a book of holy songs.

Conflict:

The conflict between civilization and nature is transformed into a clash between the “unnatural” alien civilization and the natural skills and customs of the red-skinned aborigines, and the tragic fate of the Indians itself becomes one of the leitmotifs of the narrative.

“The Song of Hiawatha” by G. Longfellow

Plot : Its plot was based on American Indian folklore. In the introduction, the author recalls the musician Navadagu, who once in ancient times sang a song about Hiawatha: “About his wondrous birth, / About his great life: / How he fasted and prayed, / How Hiawatha worked, / So that his people were happy, / So that he walked towards goodness and truth." The supreme deity of the Indians, Gitchi Manito - the Lord of Life - “who created all nations”, traced the river beds along the valleys with his finger, molded a pipe from clay and lit it. Seeing the smoke of the Pipe of Peace rising to the sky, the leaders of all the tribes gathered: “The Choctos and the Comanches were walking, / The Shoshone and the Omogie were walking, / The Hurons and Mendens were walking, / the Delawares and the Mogoks, / the Blackfeet and the Pons, / the Ojibways and the Dakotas.” Gitchie Manito calls on the warring tribes to reconcile and live “like brothers,” and predicts the appearance of a prophet who will show them the way to salvation. Obeying the Lord of Life, the Indians plunge into the waters of the river, wash off the war paints, light their pipes and set off on their way back. Having defeated the huge bear Mishe-Mokva, Madzhekiwis becomes the Lord of the Western Wind, but gives the other winds to the children: the Eastern - to Webon, the Southern - Shavondazi, the Northern - to the evil Kabibonokka. “In time immemorial, / In time immemorial,” beautiful Nokomis, the daughter of the night luminaries, fell onto the flowering valley right from the month. There, in the valley, Nokomis gave birth to a daughter and named her Venona. When her daughter grew up, Nokomis warned her more than once against Majekivis's charms, but Venona did not listen to her mother. “And the son of sorrow was born, / Of tender passion and sorrow, / Of wondrous mystery - Hiawatha.” The insidious Madzhekivis soon left Venona, and she died of grief. Hiawatha was raised and raised by her grandmother. As an adult, Hiawatha puts on magic moccasins, takes magic mittens, and goes in search of his father, eager to take revenge on him for the death of his mother. Hiawatha begins a fight with Majekiwis and forces him to retreat. After a three-day battle, the father asks Hiawatha to stop fighting. Majekivis is immortal and cannot be defeated. He calls on his son to return to his people, clear the rivers, make the land fruitful, kill monsters and promises to make him the ruler of the North-West Wind after his death. In the wilderness of the forest, Hiawatha fasts for seven nights and days. He turns to Gitchi Manito with prayers for the good and happiness of all tribes and peoples, and as if in response, the young Mondamin, with golden curls and in green and yellow clothes, appears at his wigwam. For three days Hiawatha fights with the messenger of the Lord of Life. On the third day he defeats Mondamin, buries him and then continues to visit his grave. Over the grave, green stalks grow one after another, this is another embodiment of Mondamin - corn, food sent to the people of Gitchie Manito. Hiawatha builds a pirogue from birch bark, fastening it with the roots of temrak - larch, making a frame from cedar branches, decorates it with hedgehog needles, and colors it with berry juice. Then, together with his friend the strong man Kwasinda, Hiawatha swam down the Takwamino River and cleared it of snags and shoals. In the Gitchi-Gumi Bay, Hiawatha casts his fishing rod three times to catch the Great Sturgeon - Mishe-Nama. Mishe-Nama swallows the pirogue along with Hiawatha, and he, being in the belly of the fish, squeezes the heart of the huge king of fish with all his might until he dies. Then Hiawatha defeats the evil wizard Medjisogwon - Pearl Feather, who is guarded by terrible snakes. Hiawatha finds himself a wife, the beautiful Minnegaga from the Dakota tribe. At the wedding feast in honor of the bride and groom, the handsome and mocking Po-Pok-Kiwis dances, the musician Chaibayabos sings a tender song, and old Yagu tells the amazing legend about the wizard Osseo, who descended from the Evening Star. To protect the crops from damage, Hiawatha orders Minnegaga to walk around the fields naked in the darkness of the night, and she obediently, “without embarrassment and without fear” obeys. Hiawatha catches the Raven King, Kagagi, who dared to lead a flock of birds to the crops, and to warn him, he ties him on the roof of his wigwam. Hiawatha invents letters “so that future generations / It will be possible to distinguish between them.” Fearing Hiawatha's noble aspirations, evil spirits form an alliance against him and drown his closest friend, the musician Chaibayabos, in the waters of Gitai-Gumi. Hiawatha falls ill from grief, and is healed with the help of spells and magical dances. The daring, handsome Po-Pok-Kiwis teaches the men of his tribe to play dice and beats them mercilessly. Then, getting excited and knowing, moreover, that Hiawatha is absent, Po-Pok-Kiwis destroys his wigwam. Returning home, Hiawatha sets off in pursuit of Po-Pok-Kiwis. and he, running away, ends up on a beaver dam and asks the beavers to turn him into one of them, only bigger and taller than all the others. The beavers agree and even elect him as their leader. Here Hiawatha appears on the dam. The water breaks the dam, and the beavers hastily hide. Po-Pok-Kiwis cannot follow them because of his size. But Hiawatha only manages to catch him, but not kill him. The spirit of Po-Pok-Kiwis escapes and takes on the form of a man again. Running away from Hiawatha, Po-Pok-Keewis turns into a goose, only bigger and stronger than everyone else. This is what destroys him - he cannot cope with the wind and falls to the ground, but he runs again, and Hiawatha manages to cope with his enemy only by calling on lightning and thunder for help. Hiawatha loses another of his friends - the strongman Kwasinda, who was killed by pygmies who hit him on the crown of the head with a “blue spruce cone” while he was floating in a pie along the river. A harsh winter comes, and ghosts appear in Hiawatha's wigwam - two women. They sit gloomily in the corner of the wigwam, not saying a word, just grabbing the best pieces of food. Many days pass in this way, and then one day Hiawatha wakes up in the middle of the night from their sighs and crying. Women say that they - souls of the dead and came from the islands Afterlife, in order to instruct the living: there is no need to torment the dead with fruitless grief and calls to return back, there is no need to put any furs, no jewelry, or clay bowls in the graves - just a little food and fire for the journey. For four days, while the soul reaches the land of the Afterlife, fires must be lit to illuminate its path. The ghosts then say goodbye to Hiawatha and disappear. Famine begins in Indian villages. Hiawatha goes hunting, but is unsuccessful, and Minnegaga grows weaker day by day and dies. Hiawatha, filled with grief, buries his wife and burns the funeral pyre for four nights. Saying goodbye to Minnegaga, Hiawatha promises to meet her soon “in the kingdom of bright Ponim, / Infinite, eternal life.” Yagu returns to the village from a long hike and says that he saw the Big Sea and a winged pirogue “bigger than a whole grove of pine trees.” In this boat, Yagu saw a hundred warriors, whose faces were painted white and their chins covered with hair. The Indians laugh, considering Yagu's story to be just another fable. Only Hiawatha does not laugh. He reports that he had a vision - a winged boat and bearded, pale-faced strangers. They should be greeted with kindness and greetings - this is what Gitchi Manito ordered. Hiawatha says that the Lord of Life revealed the future to him: he saw “thick armies” of peoples moving to the West. “Their dialects were different, / But one heart beat in them, / And their cheerful work was in full swing: / Axes rang in the forests, / Cities in the meadows smoked, / On rivers and lakes / Floated with lightning and thunder / Winged pies ". But the future that has opened up for Hiawatha is not always bright: he also sees Indian tribes dying in the struggle with each other. Hiawatha, and behind him the rest of the Indians, warmly greet the pale-faced people who arrived on the boat and become familiar with the truths that are proclaimed by the pale-faced mentor, “their prophet in black clothes,” - to the beginnings of the Christian religion, stories “about Holy Mary the Virgin, / About her eternal Son." Hiawatha's guests fall asleep in his wigwam, exhausted by the heat, and he himself, having said goodbye to Nokomis and his people and bequeathing to heed the wise instructions of the guests sent from the kingdom of light, sails in his pirogue to Sunset, to the Land of Ponim, "to the Isles of the Blessed - to the kingdom / Endless, eternal life!

Heroes and images:

Hiawatha is a historical figure. He lived in the 15th century, came from the Iroquois tribe, and became one of the leaders of the Indian people. In folklore, Hiawatha is endowed with the features of a fairy-tale hero. And in Longfellow's interpretation, the story of Hiawatha becomes a poetic legend, a fairy tale in which fantastic fiction is intertwined with folk wisdom. The hero of the poem is an extraordinary creature, endowed with fabulous strength, extraordinary intelligence and courage. He devotes all his strength to the benefit of people. This is the image of a real folk hero. Hiawatha teaches the Indians the skills of hunting and farming, he invents writing, and reveals the secret of the art of healing.

He learns the secrets of nature, understands the voices of animals and birds, knows how to listen to the sound of the wind, the splash of the river. The poem creates beautiful pictures of the nature of North America and describes the life of Indian tribes. The authenticity of the description of clothing, weapons, and jewelry is combined with a bold flight of fantasy. The images of the heroes are poetic: the brave and gentle Chaibayabos, the simple-minded and courageous Kwasind, the slender and flexible Wenona, the beautiful Nokomis. All of them are energetic and courageous people who care about happiness and actively strive for it. In the final part of the poem, Hiawatha calls on his fellow tribesmen to live in friendship with the whites and listen to their wise advice. The ending of the poem is permeated with the spirit of forgiveness.

The American researcher of Iroquois folklore H. Hale, commenting on the image of Hiawatha created by Longfellow, notes its “components”: it combines the features of the legendary Iroquois leader Hayonwata, Taronhiawagon (the deity of the Seneca Indians) and the mythological hero of the Ojibwe Indians Manabozo. There is an argument that among the numerous “prototypes” that influenced the creation of the image of Hiawatha was Longfellow’s acquaintance, George Copway (1818-1863) - the leader of the Ojibwe Indians, and then a preacher and writer.

Hiawatha is not only mythological - he is also a romantic hero, embodying the ideal of the American romantics, their dream of a hero who is most fully fused with nature (Emerson). From childhood, Hiawatha learns to understand nature, to communicate freely with everything living and nonliving in it, and to know its language. His mind is capable of perceiving and comprehending nature. The relationships between Hiawatha and his wife and between Hiawatha and his friends are romanticized. Hiawatha combines the traits of a poet and a warrior - he is called upon to free the world from monsters, he is an example of kindness and nobility. In the image of Hiawatha, Longfellow seems to compress three times together: the mythological time of the first ancestors (the time of the birth of rituals and customs, the birth of writing and poetry), historical time (the unification of the Iroquois tribes) and ideal time (in which Hiawatha acts as a hospitable host who prepared his people to a meeting with white Christians, as if handing over their lands and their inhabitants new era settlement of America by Europeans). Thus, Hiawatha turns into a grandiose image of a folk hero, connecting the past, present and future.

The Last of the Mohicans, or the Narrative of 1757 is the second novel in James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking pentalogy. In it, hunter Nathaniel Bumpo, nicknamed Hawkeye, goes with his Mohican friends Chingachgook and Uncas on a dangerous journey through the northern forests. Natural elements will block their path, wild animals and ruthless enemies. However, the heroes will not be afraid of obstacles for the sake of a noble goal - saving the beautiful daughters of Colonel Munro.

“The Last of the Mohicans” was published in 1926, becoming the second in writing and internal chronology of the cycle. The plot is preceded by the events of the novel “St. John’s Wort, or the First Warpath.” True, the first part of the pentalogy was created much later - in 1841.

"The Last of the Mohicans" is one of Cooper's most popular works, describing historical events American territorial expansion and tragic fate indigenous people of the continent.

Colorful pictures of a virgin northern nature, original romantic images of the main characters, acute problems, heroic pathos and a dynamic adventure plot have repeatedly inspired talented fans of Cooper’s work for artistic adaptations. The novel was filmed by directors in the USA, Canada, France and Germany. The most worthy film version is the film of the same name by Michael Mann, shot in 1992. The main roles in the project were played by Daniel Day-Lewis (Nathaniel Bumpo/Hawkeye), Medeline Stowe (Cora Munro) and Russell Means (Chingachgook).

Synthesizing the American romantic tradition of the first decades of the twentieth century, Fenimore Cooper wrote a unique work of its kind. The prose writer became the founder of a new myth about the native American, created the archetypal image of the so-called “noble savage” and outlined the genre guidelines of the Western.

1757 The height of the French-English confrontation. The coastal area of the Hudson and neighboring lakes became the scene of bloody battles. As usual, their victims were not only soldiers, but also civilians. Entire Indian tribes were wiped off the face of the earth, and those units that survived either hid in dense forests or went over to the side of one of the colonialists.

Allied Indians posed a terrible danger to peaceful settlers. Deprived of shelter and family, driven from the graves of their fathers, these savage avengers dealt with the white-skinned strangers with all the cruelty of which their broken hearts were capable. Soon, the inhabitants of the American frontier (the border between developed and undeveloped territories) flinched at every rustle coming from the forest. The image of the red man became their nightmare, a ghost in the flesh, their ruthless judge and executioner.

During this turbulent time, Colonel Munro's daughters, Cora and Alice, decided to visit their parent in the besieged English fort William Henry, which was located on Lake Lane George in the province of New York. To shorten the path, the girls, accompanied by Major Duncan Hayward and an absent-minded music teacher, separated from the military detachment and turned onto a secret forest path. The Indian speedster Magua, nicknamed the Sly Fox, volunteered to show her. Magua, from the allied Mohawk tribe, assured travelers that along the forest path they would reach the fort in a few hours, while along the main road they would face a grueling journey of a day.

Cora and Alice look with suspicion at the silent guide, who only casts abrupt glances from under his brows and peers into the thick of the forest. Hayward is also haunted by doubts, but the appearance of an awkward music teacher who hurries to William Henry defuses the situation. Accompanied by girlish laughter and songs, the small detachment turns onto the fateful forest path.

Meanwhile, on the banks of a fast-water forest stream, the white-skinned hunter Nathaniel Bumpo, nicknamed Hawkeye, was having a leisurely conversation with his friend, the Indian Chingachgook, the Great Snake. The savage's body was covered with black and white paint, which gave him an eerily similar resemblance to a skeleton. His smoothly shaved head was adorned with a single tail of hair with a large feather. Chingachgook told the hunter the history of his people from the bright times when his forefathers lived in peace and prosperity, and until the dark hour when they were driven out by pale-faced people. Now there is no trace left of the former greatness of the Mohicans. They are forced to hide in forest caves and wage a miserable struggle for survival.

Soon the young Indian Uncas, nicknamed Swift-footed Deer, the son of Chingachgook, joins his friends. The trio goes hunting, but the planned meal is interrupted by the clatter of horse hooves. Bumpo does not recognize him among the forest sounds, but the wise Chingachgook immediately falls to the ground and reports that several horsemen are riding. These are people of the white race.

A small company actually appears at the river: a military man, a gangly man on an old nag, two charming young ladies and an Indian. These are Colonel Munro's daughters and their entourage. The travelers are quite worried - it won’t be long before sunset, and the end of the forest is not in sight. It seems their guide has lost his way.

Hawkeye immediately questions Magua's honesty. At this time of year, when the rivers and lakes are full of water, when the moss on every stone and tree tells about the future location of the star, the Indian simply cannot get lost in the forest. Who is your guide? Hayward reports that Magua is a mohox. More precisely, a Huron adopted by the Mohox tribe. “Huron? - exclaims the hunter and his red-skinned companions, - This is a treacherous, thieving tribe. A Huron will remain a Huron, no matter who takes him in... He will always be a coward and a tramp... You just have to be surprised that he hasn’t made you stumble across a whole gang yet.”

Hawkeye is about to immediately shoot the lying Huron, but Hayward stops him. He wants to personally capture the walker in a more humane way. His plan fails. The cunning Fox manages to hide in the forest thicket. Now travelers need to get away from the dangerous path as quickly as possible. The traitor will most likely bring upon them a warlike band of Iroquois, from whom there is no escape.

Hawkeye leads the young ladies and their escorts to a rocky island - one of the secret hideouts of the Mohicans. Here the company plans to stay overnight and leave for William Henry in the morning.

The beauty of young blonde Alice and older dark-haired Cora does not go unnoticed. Young Uncas is most fascinated. He literally doesn’t leave Cora’s side, showing the girl various signs of attention.

However, the exhausted travelers were not destined to rest in the stone shelter. Ambush! The Iroquois, led by the Sly Fox, still managed to track down the fugitives. Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas are forced to race for help while the Munro daughters are captured.

Cora and Alice are now in the hands of the Sly Fox. It turns out that in this way the Indian is trying to settle personal scores with Colonel Munro. Many years ago he ordered Magua to be flogged for drunkenness. He harbored a grudge and waited for a long time for the right time to pay back. Finally, the hour has come. He wants to marry the eldest Cora, but receives a decisive refusal. Then the enraged Magua will burn his captives alive. When the fire has already been laid out, Hawkeye arrives with help. The Hurons are defeated, Magua is shot, the beautiful captives are freed and go with their companions to the fort to see their father.

At this time, the French occupy William Henry. The British, including Colonel Munro and his daughters, were forced to leave the fortification. On the way, the convoy is overtaken by a warlike tribe from Magua. It turns out that the Indian only pretended to be dead in a fight on stone island. He kidnaps Cora and Alice again. The Sly Fox sends the first to the Delawares, and takes the second with her to the lands of the Hurons.

Hayward, in love with Alice, rushes to save the honor of the captive, and Uncas rushes to rescue his beloved Cora. With the help of a cunning plan in which Hawkeye takes part, the major steals Alice from the tribe. Swift-Footed Deer, unfortunately, fails to save Cora. The cunning Fox is once again one step ahead.

Uncas, at this point already the supreme leader of the Delawares, follows on the heels of the kidnapper. The Delawares, who had buried their tomahawks many years ago, were once again on the warpath. In a decisive battle they defeat the Hurons. Realizing that the outcome of the battle is a foregone conclusion, Magua takes out a dagger, intending to stab Cora. Uncas rushes to the defense of his beloved, but is a few moments late. The Fox's treacherous blade pierces Uncas and Cora. The villain does not triumph for long - he is immediately overtaken by Hawkeye's bullet.

Young Cora and Uncas, the Swift-Footed Deer, are buried. Chingachgook is inconsolable. He was left alone, an orphan in this world, the last of the Mohicans. But no! The Great Serpent is not alone. He has a faithful comrade who stands next to him at this bitter moment. Let his companion have a different skin color, a different homeland, culture, and lullabies were sung to him in a foreign, incomprehensible language. But he will be nearby, no matter what happens, because he is also an orphan, lost in the border zone of the Old and New Worlds. And his name is Nathaniel Bumppo, and his nickname is Hawkeye.

People of the World: Nathaniel Bumpo, Chingachgook

The novel “The Last of the Mohicans” stands out among the romantic works of Indian themes. Cooper, who grew up on the New York State frontier, witnessed a social phenomenon called "pioneering." That is why he was able to subtly feel the discord between the noble ideas of the pioneers and the harsh reality.

The heroes of his novel best traditions Romanticism is divided into positive and negative. However, this division is not based on race; the basis for differentiation is personal qualities and human actions. There are villains among the Indians as well as among the whites (on the one hand, the Hurons, the Sly Fox, on the other, the ruthless French and English colonialists).

Fundamentally important for the collapse of racial theory are the collective image of the brave Mohicans, Delawares and central characters Chingachgook and his son Uncas. The Indians depicted by Cooper are not only not inferior to civilized whites, but also superior to them in wisdom, dexterity, and the ability to live in unity with nature and read its signs.

Example to follow

The author's ideal - main character pentalogy Nathaniel Bumppo, who appears in The Mohicans under the name Hawkeye. This is a frontier image that incorporates the best features of Indians and whites. Bampo is a harmonious combination of nature and civilization, a bearer of such rare qualities as simplicity, selflessness, justice, honesty, valor, and spiritual power.

Chingachgook and Bumppo make the perfect heroic couple. They learn from each other, argue, but know how to listen. And most importantly, they go beyond the boundaries of racial prejudice and become people of the world. It is they, and not those who live in cities and boast about the latest discoveries of technology, who should be considered representatives of a civilized democratic society.

James Fenimore Cooper's novel “The Last of the Mohicans, or a Narrative of 1757”: summary

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Chapter I

I'm ready to find out the worst

And the terrible thing you could bring to me,

Ready to hear the painful news.

Answer quickly - has the kingdom perished?!

Perhaps, along the entire vast stretch of the border that separated the possessions of the French from the territory of the English colonies of North America, there are no more eloquent monuments of the cruel and ferocious wars of 1755-1763 than in the region lying at the source of the Hudson and near the lakes adjacent to them. This area provided such convenience for the movement of troops that they could not be neglected.

The water surface of Champlain stretched from Canada and jutted deep into the colony of New York; as a result, Lake Champlain served as the most convenient route of communication, along which the French could sail up to half the distance separating them from the enemy.

Near the southern edge of Lake Champlain, the crystal clear waters of Horikan, the Holy Lake, merge with it.

The Holy Lake meanders between countless islets and is surrounded by low coastal mountains. It stretches in curves far to the south, where it abuts the plateau. From this point began a multi-mile portage that led the traveler to the banks of the Hudson; here sailing along the river became convenient, since the current was free of rapids.

In carrying out their warlike plans, the French tried to penetrate the most remote and inaccessible gorges of the Allegheny Mountains and drew attention to the natural advantages of the region we have just described. Indeed, it soon turned into a bloody arena of numerous battles, with which the warring parties hoped to resolve the issue of ownership of the colonies.

Here, in the most important places, towering above the surrounding routes, fortresses grew; they were taken over by one or the other warring side; they were either torn down or rebuilt again, depending on whose banner was flying over the fortress.

While peaceful farmers tried to stay away from dangerous mountain gorges, hiding in ancient settlements, numerous military forces delved into virgin forests. Few returned from there, exhausted by hardships and hardships, discouraged by failures.

Although this troubled region did not know peaceful crafts, its forests were often enlivened by the presence of man.

Under the canopy of branches and in the valleys the sounds of marches were heard, and the echo in the mountains repeated either the laughter or the cries of many, many carefree young braves who, in the prime of their lives, hurried here to plunge into deep sleep long night of oblivion.

It was in this arena of bloody wars that the events that we will try to tell about unfolded. Our story dates back to the third year of the war between France and England, who were fighting for power over a country that neither side was destined to keep in their hands.

The stupidity of military leaders abroad and the disastrous inactivity of advisers at court deprived Great Britain of that proud prestige which had been won for her by the talent and courage of her former warriors and statesmen. The English forces were defeated by a handful of French and Indians; this unexpected defeat left most of the border unguarded. And after real disasters, many imaginary, imaginary dangers arose. In every gust of wind coming from the endless forests, the frightened settlers imagined wild screams and the ominous howl of the Indians.

Under the influence of fear, the danger assumed unprecedented proportions; common sense could not fight the alarmed imagination. Even the most courageous, self-confident, and energetic began to doubt the favorable outcome of the struggle. The number of cowardly and cowardly people increased incredibly; It seemed to them that in the near future all the American possessions of England would become the property of the French or would be devastated by Indian tribes - allies of France.

That is why, when news came to the English fortress, rising in the southern part of the plateau between the Hudson and the lakes, about the appearance of the Marquis of Montcalm near Champlain, and idle talkers added that this general was moving with a detachment “in which there are soldiers like leaves in the forest,” a terrible the message was received rather with cowardly resignation than with the stern satisfaction that should have been felt by a warrior who discovered an enemy close to him. The news of Montcalm's attack came in the height of summer; The Indian brought it at an hour when the day was already approaching evening. Along with the terrible news, the messenger conveyed to the camp commander a request from Munro, the commandant of one of the forts on the shores of the Holy Lake, to immediately send him strong reinforcements. The distance between the fort and the fortress, which a forest dweller walked within two hours, could be covered by a military detachment with its convoy between sunrise and sunset. Loyal supporters of the English crown named one of these fortifications Fort William Henry, and the other Fort Edward, named after the princes of the royal family. The veteran Scot Munro commanded Fort William Henry. It contained one of the regular regiments and a small detachment of volunteer colonists; it was a garrison too small to fight Montcalm's advancing forces.

The post of commandant in the second fortress was held by General Webb; under his command was a royal army of over five thousand people. If Webb had united all his scattered troops, he could have brought twice as many soldiers against the enemy as the enterprising Frenchman had, who ventured so far from his replenishment with an army not much larger than the English.

However, frightened by failures, the English generals and their subordinates preferred to wait in their fortress for the approach of a formidable enemy, without risking going out to meet Montcalm in order to surpass the successful performance of the French at the Duquesne Fort, give battle to the enemy and stop him.

When the first excitement caused by the terrible news subsided, in the camp, protected by trenches and located on the banks of the Hudson in the form of a chain of fortifications that covered the fort itself, there was a rumor that a selected detachment of one and a half thousand should move from the fortress to Fort William Henry at dawn. This rumor was soon confirmed; We learned that several detachments had received orders to quickly prepare for the campaign. All doubts about Webb's intentions were dispelled, and for two or three hours hurried running and anxious faces were heard in the camp. The recruit anxiously scurried back and forth, fussed and with his excessive zeal only slowed down his preparations for the performance; the experienced veteran armed himself quite calmly, unhurriedly, although his stern features and worried look clearly indicated that the terrible struggle in the forests did not particularly please his heart.

Finally the sun disappeared in a stream of radiance in the west behind the mountains, and when night enveloped this secluded place with its cloak, the noise and bustle of preparations for the campaign fell silent; the last light went out in the officers' log cabins; the thickening shadows of the trees lay on the earthen ramparts and the babbling stream, and in a few minutes the entire camp was plunged into the same silence that reigned in the neighboring dense forests.

According to the order given the previous evening, the deep sleep of the soldiers was disturbed by a deafening roar of drums, and the booming echo carried far in the damp morning air, echoing loudly in every corner of the forest; The day was dawning, the cloudless sky was brightening in the east, and the outlines of tall, shaggy pines appeared on it more and more clearly and sharply. A minute later life began to boil in the camp; even the most careless soldier rose to his feet to see the performance of the detachment and, together with his comrades, to experience the excitement of this moment. The simple training of the marching detachment soon ended. The soldiers lined up in combat units. The royal mercenaries flanked the right flank; more modest volunteers, from among the settlers, obediently took places on the left.

The scouts came out. A strong convoy escorted the wagons with their camping equipment, and before the first rays of the sun pierced the gray morning, the column set off. Leaving the camp, the column had a formidable, warlike appearance; this appearance was supposed to drown out the vague fears of many recruits who had to withstand the first tests in battle. The soldiers walked past their admiring comrades with a proud and warlike expression. But gradually the sounds of military music began to fade in the distance and finally froze completely. The forest closed in, hiding the squad from view. Now the wind did not carry even the loudest, piercing sounds to those remaining in the camp, the last warrior disappeared into the thicket of the forest.

However, judging by what was happening in front of the largest and most comfortable of the officers' barracks, someone else was preparing to set off. In front of Webb's house stood several beautifully saddled horses; two of them were apparently intended for women of high rank, who were not often found in these forests. The third had officer's pistols in the saddle. The rest of the horses, judging by the simplicity of the bridles and saddles and the packs tied to them, belonged to the lower ranks. Indeed, the rank and file, completely ready to leave, were obviously only waiting for the commander’s order to jump into their saddles. Groups of idle spectators stood at a respectful distance: some of them admired the pure breed of the officer's horse, others watched with dull curiosity the preparations for departure.

However, among the spectators there was one person whose manners and posture set him apart from the rest. His figure was not ugly, but at the same time it seemed extremely awkward. When this man stood, he was taller than other people, but when sitting, he seemed no larger than his brothers. His head was too large, his shoulders too narrow, his arms long and clumsy, with small, graceful hands. The thinness of his unusually long legs reached the extreme, his knees were prohibitively thick. The strange, even absurd costume of the eccentric emphasized the absurdity of his figure. The low collar of his sky-blue camisole did not cover his long, thin neck at all; the short skirts of his caftan allowed mockers to make fun of his thin, long legs. Yellow narrow nankeen trousers reached to the knees, here they were intercepted by large white bows, frayed and dirty. Gray stockings and boots completed the costume of the awkward figure. On one of the eccentric’s shoes was a spur made of false silver. From the voluminous pocket of his vest, heavily soiled and decorated with blackened silver braid, looked out an unknown instrument, which, among this military environment, could be mistaken for some mysterious and incomprehensible weapon of war. A tall triangular hat, like those worn by pastors thirty years ago, crowned the head of the eccentric and gave a respectable appearance to the good-natured features of this man.

A group of privates kept a respectful distance from Webb's house; but the figure we have just described boldly intervened in the crowd of the general’s servants. The strange man examined the horses without embarrassment, praising some and scolding others.

- This horse is not home-grown, it was probably discharged from abroad... maybe even from an island lying far, far away, beyond blue seas“,” he said in a voice that amazed with its euphonious softness, just as his entire figure surprised with its unusual proportions. – I will say without boasting: I can confidently talk about such things. I have visited both harbors: the one located at the mouth of the Thames and called after the capital of old England, and the one simply called New Haven - New Harbor. I saw how brigantines and barges collected animals as if for an ark, and sent them to the island of Jamaica; there these four-legged animals were sold or exchanged. But I have never seen such a horse. How does the Bible say this? “He impatiently digs the soil of the valley with his hooves and rejoices in his strength; he rushes towards the warriors. Among the sounds of trumpets, he exclaims: “Ha, ha!” He smells the battle from afar and hears the military cry.” This is ancient blood, isn't it, friend?

Having received no answer to his so unusual appeal, which was expressed with such completeness and power of a sonorous voice that it deserved some attention, he turned to the silently standing man, his involuntary listener, and a new, even more admirable object appeared before the gaze of the eccentric. He stopped his gaze in surprise at the motionless, straight and slim figure a fast Indian who brought sad news to the camp.

Although the Indian stood as if made of stone and seemed not to pay the slightest attention to the noise and animation that reigned around, the features of his calm face at the same time expressed a sullen ferocity, which would certainly have attracted the attention of a more experienced observer than the one who looked at him now with undisguised surprise. The Indian was armed with a tomahawk and a knife, and yet he did not look like a real warrior. On the contrary, his entire appearance was permeated by carelessness, which perhaps stemmed from some great recent stress from which he had not yet recovered. On the stern face of the native, the military coloring blurred, and this made his dark features involuntarily look even more wild and repulsive than in the skillful patterns created to intimidate his enemies. Only his eyes, sparkling like bright stars between the clouds, burned with wild anger. Only for one moment the gaze of the walker caught the surprised expression in the eyes of the observer and immediately, partly out of cunning, partly out of disdain, turned in the other direction, somewhere far, far away in space.

Suddenly the servants began to fuss, gentle women's voices were heard, and all this announced the approach of those who were expected so that the entire cavalcade would set off. The man, who had been admiring the officer's horse, suddenly retreated to his own short, thin horse with a tied tail, which was nibbling dry grass; He leaned with one elbow on the woolen blanket that served as a saddle and began to watch the departing people. At this time, a foal approached his nag from the opposite side and began to feast on her milk.

A young man in an officer's uniform led two girls to the horses, who, judging by their costumes, were preparing for a tiring journey through the forests.

Suddenly the wind threw back a long green veil attached to the hat of the one who seemed to be the youngest (although they were both very young); from under the veil a dazzling white face, golden hair, and sparkling blue eyes appeared. The delicate colors of the sky, still spilling over the pine trees, were not as bright and beautiful as the blush of her cheeks; the beginning of the day was not as bright as her lively smile, which she bestowed on young man who helped her sit in the saddle.

The officer treated the second rider with the same attention, whose face was carefully hidden by a veil. She seemed older than sister and was a little fuller.

As soon as the girls mounted the horses, the young man easily jumped into the saddle. All three bowed to General Webb, who came out onto the porch to see off the travelers, turned their horses and moved at a light trot to the northern exit of the camp. Some lower ranks let's go after them. While the departing riders crossed the space that separated them from the main road, none of them said a word, only the youngest of the horsewomen screamed slightly when an Indian speedster suddenly slipped past her and moved with a quick, light tread along the military road. The eldest of the sisters did not utter a sound when the Indian speedster appeared. In surprise, she released the folds of the veil and her face was revealed. Regret, admiration and horror flashed across her features. This girl's hair was the color of a raven's wing. They played on her untanned face bright colors, although there was not the slightest shade of vulgarity in it. Her features were distinguished by subtlety, nobility and amazing beauty. As if regretting her forgetfulness, she smiled, flashing a row of even teeth, the whiteness of which could compete with the best ivory.

Then, straightening her veil, she lowered her head and continued on her way in silence, like a person whose thoughts were far from everything around her.

Chapter II

Oh-la! Oh-la! Where are you? Oh-la!

Shakespeare. "Merchant of Venice"

While one of the two charming girls whom we have so briefly introduced to the reader was absorbed in her own thoughts, the younger, quickly recovering from her momentary fright, laughed at her fear and said to the officer who rode next to her:

– Tell me, Duncan, are such ghosts often found in these forests or was this performance organized in our honor? If so, then we should be grateful, but otherwise Cora and I will need all our courage before we meet the terrible Montcalm.

“This Indian is a fast traveler with our detachment and, according to the concepts of his tribe, a hero,” said the young officer. “He volunteered to take us to the lake along a little-known path that greatly shortens the path. Thanks to this, we will arrive at the place faster than following our detachment.

“I don’t like him,” the girl answered and feigned a shudder, although she was really scared. “Do you know him well, Duncan?” Otherwise, of course, you wouldn’t trust him.

“I would rather not trust you, Alice.” I know this Indian, otherwise I would not have chosen him as a guide, especially at such a moment. Magua is said to be a native of Canada, and yet serves our friends the Mohawks, who, as you know, are one of the six allied tribes. I was told that he came here by some strange accident that had to do with your father. It seems that the general treated this Indian cruelly... However, I forgot this idle chatter. It's enough that he's our friend now.

“If he was my father’s enemy, so much the worse for us,” the girl remarked, seriously alarmed. “Major Hayward, please speak to him, I want to hear the sound of his voice.” Maybe it's stupid, but I always judge a person by his voice.

“If I talk to him, it probably won’t lead to anything,” said Hayward. - He will answer me with some monosyllabic exclamation. It seems to me that Magua understands English, but pretends that he does not know our language. In addition, he is unlikely to want to have a conversation with me now, when wartime requires him to sacredly uphold the dignity of a warrior... But look, our guide stopped. Obviously, this is where the path begins, which we will have to turn onto.

Duncan was right. When the horsemen approached the Indian, who stood motionless, pointing to the thicket of bushes bordering military road, they saw a path so narrow that it was only possible to travel along it in single file.

“We have to take this path,” Hayward said in a whisper. “Don’t express any fears, otherwise you will bring upon yourself the very danger you fear.”

– Cora, don’t you think it’s safer to go with the detachment? - Golden-haired Alice asked her sister. - Although it will be more tiring...

“Alice, you don’t know much about the customs and habits of savages, and therefore you don’t understand in what cases you should be afraid,” objected Heyward. “If the enemy had already reached the portage, which is completely incredible, since our scouts would have reported this to us, he would obviously begin to surround our detachment, hoping to get more scalps. The path of the detachment is known to everyone, but our path is still a mystery, since we decided to go along it only an hour ago.

“Should we not believe this man just because his movements and habits are not similar to ours, and his complexion is darker than the skin of white people?” – Cora asked coldly.

Alice ceased to hesitate; She struck her Narragansett with her whip, was the first to part the branches and followed the walker along a dark, narrow forest path. Hayward looked at Cora with admiration; he did not even notice that her blond companion went deeper into the thicket alone. The servants, obeying the orders received in advance, did not follow them, but moved after the detachment. Hayward explained to the girls that this was done out of caution, on the advice of their cunning guide: the Indian wanted to reduce the number of tracks in case scouts from Canadian tribes wandered here. The thorny path was not conducive to conversation; Soon the travelers passed the wide edge of a dense forest and found themselves under the dark arches of large trees. The road has become more convenient; The walker, noticing that the young riders were now better able to control their horses, quickened his pace, and Cora and Alice had to start ambling the Narragansetts. Hayward turned around to say something to the dark-eyed Cora, but at that moment there was a distant sound of hooves clattering on the roots on the path. This forced the young man to stop his horse. Cora and Alice also pulled on the reins. All three wanted to know what was going on.

A few moments later they saw a foal, which, like a deer, rushed between the trunks of the pine trees; after him appeared the awkward figure we described in the previous chapter. The clumsy stranger approached as fast as his skinny horse could carry him. Until now, this figure had been out of sight of travelers. If he usually attracted the curious with his tall stature, then his “grace” as a rider deserved even more attention. Every now and then he spurred his nag with one leg, but all he achieved was that its hind legs walked at a light gallop, while the front legs made some vague, constantly changing movements, similar to a lame trot. Frequent changes from trot to gallop created optical illusion, as a result of which it seemed as if the horse was moving faster than it actually was; in any case, Hayward, an expert on horses, could not decide with what gait the poor animal was moving, driven by the spur of a persistent rider.

All movements of both the rider and the horse were unusual. With each step of the horse, the stranger rose in the stirrups and, either straightening his legs too much, or bending his legs excessively, suddenly grew tall, and then bent so that no one could positively judge his height. If we add to this that, under the influence of his spur, one side of the horse seemed to run faster than the other, and the movements of its shaggy tail constantly indicated which side was suffering from the spur, we complete the image of the nag and its rider.

The wrinkles that had appeared on Hayward’s beautiful, open, manly forehead gradually smoothed out, and he smiled slightly. Alice couldn't help but laugh. And even a grin flashed in Cora’s dark, thoughtful eyes.

– Do you want to see any of us? - Duncan asked as the strange rider rode up and stopped the horse. “I hope you haven’t brought us any bad news?”

“Exactly,” replied the stranger, waving his three-cornered hat to stir the stuffy forest air, and leaving the listeners to decide to what part of the question his remark applied. However, after cooling his hot face and catching his breath, the eccentric added: “They say you are going to Fort William Henry.” I am heading there too, and therefore I decided that we would all enjoy making this journey in pleasant company.

“You seem to have arrogated to yourself the decisive vote,” Hayward objected. - But there are three of us, you only consulted with yourself.

- That's it. The most important thing is to know your own desires, and when this is already known, then all that remains is to fulfill your intention. That's why I caught up with you.

“If you’re going to the lake, you’re on the wrong road,” Duncan said arrogantly. “The main road is at least half a mile behind you.”

“Exactly,” answered the strange horseman, not at all embarrassed by the cold reception. “I lived only a week in Edward and would not have asked which road I should take only if I had become dumb, and dumb I would have died for my chosen profession. “He chuckled slightly, as if his modesty did not allow him to openly admire his wit, which was completely incomprehensible to his listeners, and then continued: “It is imprudent for a man of my profession to behave too easily with people whom he is supposed to teach; this is the reason why I did not follow the detachment. Besides, I believe that a gentleman like you is certainly better able to guide travelers than anyone else. This consideration made me join your society. And finally, it will be more fun for me to travel with you: we can talk.

– What an arbitrary and rash decision! - Heyward exclaimed, not knowing whether to give vent to his irritation or laugh in the stranger’s face. – But you are talking about teachings and the profession. Who are you? Is it not a teacher who teaches the noble science of accusation and defense? Or are you one of those people who are always drawing straight lines and angles, saying that they are doing mathematics?

The stranger looked at Hayward with obvious surprise, then, without complacency, on the contrary, with the greatest and solemn humility, answered:

– I hope there are no accusations involved; I don’t think about protection, since, by the grace of God, I have not committed any great sin. I didn’t understand your hint about lines and angles at all; I leave the task of teaching others to those who are chosen to do this holy work. I make only claims to the bright art of psalmody, to the ability to offer praise and praise.

“This is obviously Apollo’s student,” Alice exclaimed, laughing, “and I take him under my special protection!.. Come on, Hayward, stop frowning.” Imagine that my ears yearn for gentle sounds, and let this eccentric stay with us. “Besides,” she added, hastily and sidewaysly looking at Cora, who was ahead of them, and who was slowly riding after the gloomy Indian, “in case of need, we will have an extra friend and ally.”

“Do you really think, Alice, that I would have decided to lead those I love along this unfamiliar path if I could have imagined that some danger awaited us?”

- No, no, I don’t think so. But this one strange man amuses me, and if there really is music in his soul, let’s not rudely push him away.

She pointed imperiously toward the road with her whip. Hayward met Alice's eyes and wanted to prolong this look, but, obeying the girl's will, he spurred his horse and after a few jumps he found himself next to Cora.

Alice beckoned the stranger to her and set her Narragansett at a light amble.

- I'm glad I met you, my friend. Biased relatives claim that I perform duets well,” she said jokingly. “So we could brighten up the trip by indulging in our favorite art.” In addition, it would be nice to hear the maestro’s opinion about my voice.

“Indeed, psalmody refreshes both spirit and body,” answered the stranger, driving closer to Alice, “and, of course, like nothing else in the world, it calms the worried soul.” However, for complete harmony four voices are needed. Obviously you have a pleasant, rich soprano voice; With a certain amount of effort, I can hit the highest tenor notes. But we lack contralto and bass. Of course, the officer of the royal army, who for so long did not want to accept me into his society, could sing the bass line... Judging by the tones that sounded in his conversation, he has a bass.

– Don’t judge rashly by external signs“They are deceptive,” the young girl objected, smiling. “It is true that Major Hayward sometimes speaks in low notes, but, believe me, his ordinary voice is much closer to a sweet tenor than to the bass you heard.”

– How much did he practice the art of psalmody? – Alice was asked by her simple-minded interlocutor.

Alice was inclined to laugh, but she managed to suppress the attack of merriment, and answered:

– It seems to me that Hayward prefers secular songs. The conditions of a soldier's life are not conducive to sedate pursuits.

– A euphonious voice, like all other talents, is given to a person so that he can use it for the benefit of his neighbors and not abuse it. No one can blame me for giving my talent the wrong direction.

– Do you only practice spiritual singing?

- That's it. Just as the psalms of David are superior to all other works of poetry, so the melodies on which they are set are superior to all secular songs. Wherever I stay, no matter what countries I travel through, neither during sleep nor in moments of vigil I do not part with my favorite book, published in Boston in 1744, entitled “Psalms, hymns and sacred songs of the Old and New Testaments, translated into English verses for the instruction and comfort of true believers in public and privacy, mainly in New England."

At these words, the eccentric took a book out of his pocket and, putting iron-rimmed glasses on his nose, opened the volume with the caution and reverence required by the handling of sacred objects. Then, without further reasoning or explanation, he put some strange instrument into his mouth. A piercing, high-pitched sound was heard. Following this, the psalmist took a note with his voice an octave lower and finally began to sing. Tender, melodic sounds began to flow; even restless movement the horse was not prevented from singing.

Oh, how gratifying it is -
Live in brotherhood and labor,
Like incense
Running down my beard!

The psalmist kept beating time right hand. Lowering it, he lightly touched the pages of the book; picking it up, he waved it with special skill. His hand did not stop moving until the last sound died away.

The silence of the forest was broken. Magua turned to Duncan and muttered a few words in broken English, and Hayward, in turn, spoke to the stranger, interrupting his musical exercises:

- Now, apparently, no danger is foreseen, but still, for the sake of simple caution, we should drive quietly. I must, Alice, deprive you of the pleasure, and ask this gentleman to postpone the singing until a more favorable time.

“Indeed, you are depriving me of great pleasure,” the girl answered with a sly grin. “Really, I have never heard such meaningless words sung so perfectly!” I was about to ask our companion about the reasons for such a strange discrepancy, but your thunderous bass, Duncan, interrupted the thread of my thoughts.

The young officer fell silent and looked towards the thicket, then looked sideways and suspiciously at Magua, who was still walking calmly and unperturbed. Seeing this, the young man smiled, laughing at his own anxieties: hadn’t he just mistook the glare of light on some shiny wild berries for the burning pupils of an Indian hiding in the foliage! Now the major rode calmly, continuing the conversation interrupted by the fears that flashed through his mind.

A union of six tribes - the Mohawks, Oneidas, Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas and Tuscaroras, related tribes that were at enmity with the Lenape tribes (Mohicans and Delawares). These six tribes went by different nicknames. They were often called Macuas, Mings, or Iroquois.