Hiawatha in the Forest

When Hiwath was a small boy, he lived with his grandmother Nokomis. He always wanted to sing. “You must go the forest and listen to the birds and copy them”, said Nokomis. Each morning, at sunrise, Hiwatha would go to the forest and listen to the birds singing, but he never could retain their songs. “You must try once more”, said his grandmother. The following morning Hiwatha went back to the forest, he listened and listened to the birds, and tried to imitate their songs. Suddently he heard some beautiful music and it came from afar. Walking slowly, he followed the echo. Then he came upon a high waterfall, it was a waterfall that gave forth music. At once Hiwatha started to sing, and he called his song the laughing waters. Out of the wood of alder he carved a flute, and played his song. Ever after, when Hiwatha went to the forest, he would take his flute along, and would play and sing the song of the laughing waters to the warbling of the birds. “And that is how the Indians obtained their music”, said White Caribou Woman.

Source: Sacred-texts