{"id":6589,"date":"2007-06-25T21:59:54","date_gmt":"2007-06-26T01:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/?p=6589"},"modified":"2020-03-26T11:13:30","modified_gmt":"2020-03-26T15:13:30","slug":"tubal-cain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/archives\/6589","title":{"rendered":"“Tubal Cain”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poem by Charles McKay, found in the Independent Fifth Reader<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

You had to stand up and let your voice ring out with the hammer strokes of old Tubal Cain. \u2013 The Long Winter, Chapter 22, “Cold and Dark”<\/em><\/p>\n

     
\n
\nI<\/span>n The Long Winter<\/em> (Chapter 22, “Cold and Dark”), Laura Ingalls recites the following poem from the Independent Fifth Reader<\/em>; it can be found on page 313. Later on, in her dismay at the never-ending blizzards, Laura confuses “Old Tubal Cane” and “Old King Cole” when reciting. A copy of the Fifth Reader<\/em> can be found online HERE<\/a>. <\/p>\n

“Tubal Cain” was written by Charles MacKay (1814-1899).<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

OLD TUBAL CAIN<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Old Tubal Cain was a man of might,
\nIn the days when the earth was young;
\nBy the fierce red light of his furnace bright,
\nThe strokes of his hammer rung;
\nAnd he lifted high his brawny hand
\nOn the iron glowing clear,
\nTill the sparks rushed out in scarlet showers,
\nAs he fashioned the sword and spear.
\nAnd he sung,– “Hurrah for my handiwork!
\nHurrah for the spear and sword!
\nHurrah for the hand that shall wield them well!
\nFor he shall be king and lord.<\/em><\/p>\n

To Tubal Cain came many a one,
\nAs he wrought by his roaring fire,
\nAnd each one prayed for a strong steel blade,
\nAs the crown of his desire;
\n And he made them weapons sharp and strong,
\nTill they shouted loud in glee,
\nAnd gave him gifts of pearls and gold,
\nAnd spoils of forest free.
\nAnd they sung,– “Hurrah for Tubal Cain,
\nWho hath given us strength anew!
\nHurrah for the smith! hurrah for the fire!
\nAnd hurrah for the metal true!”<\/em><\/p>\n

But a sudden change came o’er his heart
\nEre the setting of the sun;
\nAnd Tubal Cain was filled with pain
\nFor the evil he had done.
\nHe saw that men, with rage and hate,
\nMade war upon their kind;
\nThat the land was red with the blood they shed,
\nIn their lust for carnage blind.
\nAnd he said,– “Alas, that ever I made,
\nOr that skill of mine should plan,
\nThe spear and the sword, for men whose joy
\nIs to slay their fellow-man!”<\/em><\/p>\n

And for many a day old Tubal Cain
\nSat brooding o’er his sword;
\nAnd his hand forbore to smite the ore,
\nAnd his furnace smoldered low;
\nBut he rose at last with a cheerful face
\nAnd a bright, courageous eye,
\nAnd bared his strong right arm for work,
\nWhile the quick flames mounted high;
\nAnd he sang,– “Hurrah for my handiwork!”
\nAnd the red sparks lit the air–
\n“Not alone for the blade was the bright steel made,”–
\nAnd he fashioned the first plowshare.<\/em><\/p>\n

And men, taught wisdom from the past,
\nIn friendship joined their hands,
\nHung the sword in the hall, the spear on the wall,
\nAnd plowed the willing lands;
\nAnd sang,– “Hurrah for Tubal Cain!
\nOur staunch good friend is he;
\nAnd, for the plowshare and the plow,
\nTo him our praise shall be.
\nBut while oppression lifts its head,
\nOr a tyrant would be lord,
\nThough we may thank for him the plow,
\nWe will not forget the sword.”<\/em><\/p>\n

     
\n
\n“Old Tubal Cain”<\/strong> (TLW 22, 24; PG)
\n     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charles McKay poem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[627],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6589"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6589"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13219,"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6589\/revisions\/13219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pioneergirl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}