Part VI: Hiawatha's Friends Summary

Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.

  • The narrator uses this section to talk about Hiawatha's two best buddies. The first one is named Chibiabos and he's a great musician and singer. The second is named Kwasind and he's the strongest man in the land. People are envious of the bond between the three, but no amount of gossip or double-dealing can break up the young men's friendship.
  • Even the songbirds in the woods are jealous of Chibiabos' music.
  • Kwasind, on the other hand, is always accused of being lazy by his parents and neighbors. It's clear that, with his strength, he could do a full day's work in ten minutes. But he likes to lie around and do nothing all day. Still, if you need a big rock moved, Kwasind is the guy to call.
  • One day, Kwasind even catches and kills the King of the Beavers just because people ask him to.
  • At this point, everything sounds hunky dory. So you just know something bad is going to happen…