The Girl Who Married The Pine-tree

: Folk-lore And Legends: North American Indian

Upon the side of a certain mountain grew some pines, under the shade

of which the Puckwudjinies, or sprites, were accustomed to sport at

times. Now it happened that in the neighbourhood of these trees was a

lodge in which dwelt a beautiful girl and her father and mother. One

day a man came to the lodge of the father, and seeing the girl he

loved her, and said--



"Give me Leelinau for my wife," and the old
an consented.



Now it happened that the girl did not like her lover, so she escaped

from the lodge and went and hid herself, and as the sun was setting

she came to the pine-trees, and leaning against one of them she

lamented her hard fate. On a sudden she heard a voice, which seemed to

come from the tree, saying--



"Be my wife, maiden, beautiful Leelinau, beautiful Leelinau."



The girl was astonished, not knowing whence the voice could have come.

She listened again, and the words were repeated, evidently by the tree

against which she leaned. Then the maid consented to be the wife of

the pine-tree.



Meanwhile her parents had missed her, and had sent out parties to see

if she could be found, but she was nowhere.



Time passed on, but Leelinau never returned to her home. Hunters who

have been crossing the mountain, and have come to the trees at sunset,

say that they have seen a beautiful girl there in company with a

handsome youth, who vanished as they approached.



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