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THE I'ERARY OF 
 CONGRESS, 
 
 TwO Cc 
 
 pics 
 
 ?ecei»oe! 1 
 
 AUG 
 
 14 
 
 1903 
 
 Copy 
 
 class) 
 
 it"* 
 
 Entfy 
 
 -;« p3 1 
 XXe. No 
 
 IoIO 
 
 COPY 
 
 8 
 B. 
 
 
 .-. •.: •••: : *• •• :• 
 

 
 v' ft) 
 
 

The JLejrend of Misa-i-im-nono; us foundecl on fact. 
 In, Fox Lake , Lahe County , I llinois is located Crab 
 Apple Island, or in the Indian tongue lYlisk-i-mi-nono- 
 so called from its native growth of Apple trees. In the 
 summer of 1888 while transplanting- a tree we 
 found the grave of the Indian with his knives a.n<{, 
 charcoal" and took the hnives to the Cottage we haa 
 bullae d hu the waiei*^ This so impressed the writer 
 that the first part of the Leo/end including- the 
 
 app ea 
 
 ipp 
 
 ranee of vae. Indian was written. 
 
 Some lime afier,a seedling* Apple tree 
 planted bw Souxh-wmd produced an Apple ofdn 
 unknown vanetir with a sweetness never l<nown 
 before to Mortals thus fulfilling* South-winds 
 DTophecir which the writer has told as instructed 
 bif the Indian. 
 
 TKe Lotus beds mentioned arein, Qrass 
 Lake about {Wr^e miles up the Fox River from MisV 
 i-mi-nono* anci. the description of the localitu is 
 true to nature. The following; extracts from two 
 letters will explain, how tTie Leqfend was 
 completed and engrossed. 
 
 ~T\o~b e ft "T.^Pe ar c e^ 
 
Leduenwo-rik, Kansas. 
 March, 7* 1899. 
 My Dear Fatker. 
 
 I enclose witk tkis mju; completed poeiu 
 The Legend of Musk.- i-mi-nong'. If it crives irou. 
 pleasure mu object will be accomplisked . It us 
 crude and rouo-Vi,! know, but tke love wkxck lias 
 prompted ana followed tke Unes Is rriu love for i/ou. 
 
 Your Bov 
 To Franl^ I. Tearee, T^od. 
 
 Cfkxcacfo, 111. 
 
 CKxcajro, JuVij 7- 1899. 
 l%Dear 3oj 
 
 As a. sligTit return (or Vae tkouakt fulness 
 and love wV11.cn. prompted j^ou to write The Lecrend 
 of Misk-l- mi-noTil" I nave endeavored to engross 
 and illustrate it wilK rmj pen 6LS a birtk-dau 
 g"i>ft to iiou. Mou ^uou find inter woven In eack line 
 and pao'e ike love of 
 
 Your a r rec.lion.ate. 
 ToT^obert'T'Pearce falkev. 
 
 Leavenwo-rtk Kansas. 
 
.^¥^ 
 
 here the Locusts L^J 
 
 Droop their branche^^^^rjjp^wJt: 
 Last reflections in the^rt^rCor L 
 
 Kind Nature tkere has placed 
 And the Poplars to the Northward 
 
 Hold the wind in sweet submission 
 Bending but not breaking*, 
 
 Tempering* all his -playful antics 
 lhat the Locusts , looking- calmly 
 
 In the faintly rippled water, 
 May receive the breath of North-wind, 
 
 As a maiden, Pair and winso-me 
 Gaztnc/- on her own reflection 
 
 In the calm and joy o^ Summer, 
 Receives the kiss of Lover 
 
 As he stops his onward journey, 
 otops awhile to bide in sweetness 
 
 With his true love by the water: 
 So the North-wind fills with perfume 
 
 All the branches of the Locusts. 
 
In a certain, day in Summer 
 
 We were dicrgincr in the QTeen sod 
 Neath tKe flickering* shade of Locust, 
 
 Where the Poplars, tall and stately 
 Guard the treasures of the Island, 
 
 When we came u-pon an Indian 
 With his how, and knives and charcoal, 
 
 Laid to rest before the North-wind 
 Ever kissed the bending* Locust. 
 
 And we took his knives and charcoal 
 from the grave wherein we found them, 
 
 And we put them in the Cottacre 
 We had builded "by tKe water; 
 
 The bricrht and sparkling- water 
 That surrounded Apple Island 
 
 As the cool refreshing; moonbeams 
 Llotlae the Earth in "heat of Summer. 
 
\ was niglnt /'FpfTle moonbeams 
 
 Flickered tlnroucrn. ym| window. 
 All was silent save the croal<iucr 
 
 Of l"Ke bull f roars in tlae marsh-. 
 And the low and deathly moaning 
 
 Of tine Nor tin- wind in tine Poplars 
 San cr as Spirits long departed. 
 
 A low InaTsli laugk greets inu ears, 
 1 cannot quell mw rapid rising fears 
 
 For at mij head a form of bit - g one u ears 
 Swaxjs with the sicrhin|f of ike North-wind to and fro ; 
 
 His face is old and dried and thin, 
 His hands are bony, and within 
 
 Those hands I see the cold steel play 
 Of the old l<nnves we found to-dau. 
 
 What would'st thou withmij knlve^'Ke said, 
 And came one step nearer to mu bed . 
 
 Man, would'st thou live, hark unto me 
 Thou must give to the World mu history 
 
 And thou canst li 
 
 nve 
 
 Ti 
 
 is we 
 
 11 l sand. 
 

 u 
 
 te 
 
 j~i~~laid Kls knives upon m\j bed 
 / Qazed Long- and earnest at my face,, 
 You'll do' Ke said,tken took kis place 
 
 Al m_y ST.de and m a voice o( Lurid power 
 B e cra.r\j : 
 
 4 , 
 
 [id Ike wild rice and ike Lotus, 
 Wkere ike wild duck and tke wkile crane 
 Ma"ke tkeir nesl and Uve in comfort , 
 
 Wkere ike waters flowing Soutk-ward 
 Witk a current toward ike Ocearu, 
 Ever laurrki,nr/, ever sparkling 
 OeV tke Black Bass and tKe Pickerel, 
 
 Turn abruptly to tKe East-ward 
 Lose tkemselves mid Lotus blossoms; 
 
 Kockecl to sleep in mapac perfume 
 u tke early daus of Augmst , 
 Wken tke Sun was warm and kappi 
 
 I was "born amorvcr Ike Lotus. 
 
 PPii 
 
4, 
 
 : 
 
 + + 
 
 
 as I of Flower and River 
 Sun and Wind artd Lotus perf 
 
 urne 
 
 rriend was I of birds and fishes 
 
 Wall-e^ed Pil<e and Bass and Pickerel, 
 
 Sun-fish, Silver-bass and Dogr-fish, 
 Mascalorure and all the others. 
 
 Rail and Loon, and saucj Black- bird, 
 Crane and Duck , Shy p oh e and Mud-hen 
 
 As thei( came to rest and quiet 
 
 In the happy &&ys of childhood, 
 
 In the home of birds and fishes , 
 
 0n the ... cozu nooks of _ Grass Lahe 
 
 - 
 
 to** 1 
 
 '.'• : 'ii/ r - 
 
 I, 
 grew , a restless spirit 
 
 Made rne seek another home-nest. 
 So I Journev/ed down the River 
 
 To an Island in the Waters 
 rair to loolc upon, and covered 
 
 With a growth of precioxis Apples 
 
ien I came askore and tasted 
 Of the sweetness of tke Uland, 
 
 And a Voice witkm me wkispered 
 Tkis is yours to love and ckerisk 
 
 Apple I stand , MisK-i-mi-noYig. 
 
 came I "into m\j kingdom 
 
 Into peace and rest and comfort, 
 •ine to qpuard and keep forever 
 
 WitK mi( friends tke Birds and Flskes 
 All about to love and ckerisk; 
 
 And 1 drank tke sparkling* waters, 
 And I ate tke luscious apples, 
 
 And I lived in peace and comfort 
 Ikrougk tke krio-kt warm daijs of Summer, 
 
 Free from cares of Eartk and wottu. 
 

inter came and locked my Island 
 
 In the arms of Frozen Water. 
 Round my wicrwam rushed the North-wind 
 
 With his moans and groans and hisses: 
 Then I built my roaringr bon-fire 
 
 Bid defiance to the North-wind, 
 I a child of loving; Summer; 
 
 f ~T~. . . ^ 
 
 I ill he cried in mortal angler 
 twill blight thy perfect treasure, 
 
 I will come and kill thine Apple, 
 Make him shrink, and sour and dying- 
 
 lake his sweetness, crook his branches; 
 I will take from Mtsh-i-mi-noncr 
 
 All the love and joy forever, 
 I will drive you from your Eden , 
 
 I will pluck your Apple Blossom.' 1 
 
ken we fouo^Ki,- and 'round Ike bon-fire 
 Rusked tke embers In our f lo/hting*. 
 Cursed. I long* and loud ike NoTik-wind 
 
 Till at last Ke overcame me , 
 Blew vruj embers witk kis ice-breatk, 
 
 Kissed mij Apple ever skr inking* 
 From Tats lips of cleatk, destruction/. 
 
 1m T- 
 
 
 en a tkrill of warmtk ran tkrouok, we, 
 
 As I felt tke loreatk of Soutk-wind 
 Kiss nuj ckeek as tkougk. tke Summer 
 
 Had returned witk Lotus perfume, 
 Witk mjj friends tke Birds and Fisk.es. 
 
 As I faltered on tke border 
 Of tke Land of Happjj HuntLricr, 
 
 Soutk-wind spoke tkese words of Wbsdom. 
 
'ome dai[,Une will come to linger 
 In IKe love of Misk-i-mi-noncr, 
 Liberate tky soul from Nortk-wind, 
 
 Take tVvy knives from off iky bosom. 
 Brave and strong- and ever wilKrta' 
 Must kis kearl be to Kis fellows. 
 He will plant and trees will flounsk 
 WitK Ills care and tky protection ; 
 r lowers will blossom in trie Spring'- time , 
 
 He will love iky Birds and Fiskes , 
 Love tiny friends m kappy Summer; 
 
 Ever teauleous be tky Island 
 Witk kis love ana tky protection. 
 
 ^ome wattti day mid birds and blossoms 
 will resurrect tkine Apple, 
 It skall blossom witk a sweetness 
 Never known before to Mortals, 
 
ike tke Lotus flowers in Summer 
 t skall come.akope and promise, 
 As tke risingr Sun of morning, 
 
 As a sono 1 among- tke branckes, 
 As tke love of Mls^t-m^mon^. 
 
 en all men skall see and wonder 
 
 And tke Voice skall ever comfort; 
 S orrow, crrief, and care and wo rry , 
 
 Cannot karm witkin its perfume, 
 Those wko dwell witkin tke keauljj , 
 
 In tke love of Misk-i-mi-noncr. 
 
 ,l<e a dream mu cruest departed 
 Left kis knives to prove iruj stor^; 
 As a skadow m Ike moonlloki 
 
 H 
 
 e was ooYie,dn 
 
 d it 
 
 was mornin 
 
 ng. 
 
/ 
 
f 
 
4 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 018 392 076 5 
 
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