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Ye ha he ya e he dha ye ha he ya e he dha ah ha ya e he dha ye ha he ya e he dha dha ha dhoe. Zon-zi-mon-de a-ma sha e dhe. Ah ha ya e he dha e ha he ya e ha dha dha ha dho. |
An old Omaha, interested to observe how some of the tribe would conduct themselves in their first battle, made his way toward the scene of conflict. It chanced that just as a Sioux warrior had fallen, pierced by an arrow, and the Omaha men were rushing forward to secure their war honours, this old man was discovered coming up the hill, aided by his bow, which he used as a staff. One of the young warriors called to his companions:—
"Hold! Yonder comes Zon-zi´-mon-de, let us give him the honours."
Then, out of courtesy to the veteran, each young warrior paused and stepped aside, while the old man, all out of breath, hastened to the fallen foe. There he turned and thanked the young men for permitting him, whom age had brought to the edge of the grave, to count yet one more honour as a warrior.[5]
The words of the song give the exclamation of the generous youth: "Zon-zi´-mon-de comes! Stand aside! He comes."