Old and young of all ages
and ranks, were there: some passed and some sank. It was only the
little children whose canoes seemed to meet no waves.
At length every difficulty was gone, as in a moment, and they both
leaped out on the happy island. They felt that the very air was food.
It strengthened and nourished them. They wandered together over the
blissful fields, where every thing was formed to please the eye and
the ear. There were no tempests--there was no ice, no chilly winds--no
one shivered for the want of warm clothes: no one suffered hunger--no
one mourned for the dead. They saw no graves. They heard of no wars.
There was no hunting of animals; for the air itself was their food.
Gladly would the young warrior have remained there forever, but he was
obliged to go back for his body. He did not see the Master of Life,
but he heard his voice in a soft breeze.
"Go back," said this voice, "to the land from whence you came. Your
time has not yet come. The duties for which I made you, and which
you are to perform, are not yet finished. Return to your people, and
accomplish the duties of a good man. You will be the ruler of your
tribe for many days. The rules you must observe will be told you by my
messenger, who keeps the gate.
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