The Acorn-Planter

We crossed Sonoma's mountains
An hour or so ago,
And found this mighty forest
An hour or so ago.
Blow high, blow low,
Heigh hi, heigh ho,
And found this mighty forest
An hour or so ago.

Sun Man     (Glancing about at the slain and at the giant
forest.)     Good the day, good the deed, and good this
California land.

Red Cloud     Not with these eyes, but with other eyes in my
lives before, have I beheld you. You are the
Sun Man.

(The attention of all is drawn to Red
Cloud, and they group about him and the
Sun Man.)
Sun Man     Call me White Man. Though in truth we
follow the sun. All our lives have we followed
the sunset sun, as our fathers followed it before
us.

Red Cloud     And you slay us with the thunder in your hand.
You slay us because we slew your brothers.

Sun Man     (Nodding to Red Cloud and addressing
his own followers)     You see, it was no mistake. He confesses it.
Other white men have they slain.

Red Cloud     There will come a day when men will not slay
men and when all men will be brothers. And in
that day all men will plant acorns.

Sun Man     You speak well, brother.

Red Cloud     Ever was I for peace, but in war I did not command.
Ever I sought the secrets of the growing
things, the times and seasons for planting. Ever
I planted acorns, making two black oak trees
grow where one grew before. And now all is
ended. Oh my black oak acorns! My black
oak acorns! Who will plant them now?

Sun Man     Be of good cheer. We, too, are planters.
Rich is your land here. Not from poor soil can
such trees sprout heavenward. We will plant
many seeds and grow mighty harvests.

Red Cloud     I planted the short acorns in the valley. I
planted the long acorns in the valley. I made
food for life.

Sun Man     You planted well, brother, but not well enough.
It is for that reason that you pass. Your fat
valley grows food but for a handful of men. We
shall plant your fat valley and grow food for ten
thousand men.

Red Cloud     Ever I counseled peace and planting.

Sun Man     Some day all men will counsel peace. No
man will slay his fellow. All men will plant.

Red Cloud     But before that day you will slay, as you have
this day slain us?

Sun Man     You killed our brothers first. Blood-debts must
be paid. It is man's way upon the earth. But
more, O brother! We follow the sunset sun, and
the way before us is red with war. The way
behind us is white with peace. Ever, before
us, we make room for life. Ever we slay the
squalling crawling things of the wild. Ever we
clear the land and destroy the weeds that block
the way of life for the seeds we plant. We are
many, and many are our brothers that come after
along the way of peace we blaze. Where you
make two black oaks grow in the place of one,
we make an hundred. And where we make one
grow, our brothers who come after make an
hundred hundred.

Red Cloud     Truly are you the Sun Man. We knew about
you of old time. Our old men knew and sang of
you:
White and shining was the Sun Man,
Blue his eyes were as the sky-blue,
Bright his hair was as dry grass is,
Warm his eyes were as the sun is,
Fruit and flower were in his glances,
All he looked on grew and sprouted,
Where his glance fell grasses seeded,
Where his feet fell sprang upstarting
Buckeye woods and hazel thickets,
Berry bushes, manzanita,
Till his pathway was a garden,