Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
see ‘em, and he’d hear ‘em out to the end if they had anything under a peach tree and I was fiddling. Of a sudden Toby drops
on their minds. They had a good deal in those days. I came at his Aurora.
it by degrees, after I was adopted into the tribe. The talk up ‘“I am an oldish man, too fond of my own comforts,” he
in Lebanon and everywhere else that summer was about the says. “I will go to the Church which is in Philadelphia. My
French war with England and whether the United States ‘ud brother, lend me a spare pony. I must be there tomorrow night.”
join in with France or make a peace treaty with England. Toby ‘“Good!” says Red Jacket, looking at the sun. “My brother
wanted peace so as he could go about the Reservation buying shall be there. I will ride with him and bring back the ponies.
his oils. But most of the white men wished for war, and they ‘I went to pack the saddle-bags. Toby had cured me of ask-
was angry because the President wouldn’t give the sign for it. ing questions. He stopped my fiddling if I did. Besides, Indi-
The newspaper said men was burning Guy Fawkes images of ans don’t ask questions much and I wanted to be like ‘em.
General Washington and yelling after him in the streets of Phila- ‘When the horses were ready I jumped up.
delphia. You’d have been astonished what those two fine old ‘“Get off,” says Toby. “Stay and mind the cottage till I come
chiefs knew of the ins and outs of such matters. The little I’ve back. The Lord has laid this on me, not on you. I wish He
learned of politics I picked up from Cornplanter and Red Jacket hadn’t.”
on the Reservation. Toby used to read the Aurora newspaper. ‘He powders off down the Lancaster road, and I sat on the
He was what they call a “Democrat,” though our Church is doorstep wondering after him. When I picked up the paper
against the Brethren concerning themselves with politics.’ to wrap his fiddle-strings in, I spelled out a piece about the
‘I hate politics, too,’ said Una, and Pharaoh laughed. yellow fever being in Philadelphia so dreadful every one was
‘I might ha’ guessed it,’ he said. ‘But here’s something that running away. I was scared, for I was fond of Toby. We never
isn’t politics. One hot evening late in August, Toby was read- said much to each other, but we fiddled together, and music’s
ing the newspaper on the stoop and Red Jacket was smoking as good as talking to them that understand.’
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