Song No. 3

APPROACH TO THE TREE

Leaders:  Ev’ry one lift up the branch!

Response by all: Up it goes!

Song by all: Dancing, singing, we like leaves sway to and fro. 
                          Happy leaves!  Dancing leaves! 
                        Swinging as the breezes blow,
                          So will we ever be
                        Blithe and joyous as we go. 
                                     Hi-o!

[Music]

“Hi-o!” is the call given by the leaders for the dancers to pause.  When this call is heard, all the branches must be at once lowered and every person stand still.  After a brief pause the leaders will again sing the command, “Ev’ry one lift up the branch!” then comes the response, “Up it goes!” The song immediately follows, all the wands held high and waving in rhythm to the melody while the second advance is made.  Each one of these advances should be but a few steps, on account of the limitations of space.  The dancing steps, the rhythmic movements of the body and the swaying wands should give an undulating line suggestive of waving branches.  The available space on the grounds should be calculated so as to permit the four approaches accompanied by the dance-song to reach a point near the tree, yet far enough to permit the forming of two circles of dancers around its base.  At this point the company should divide into two parts, one part to form an inner circle and the other to form an outer circle.  These two circles are now to dance around the tree, one to go from right to left, the other from left to right.  At this time the leaders tie their wands to the trunk of the tree, but all the others retain their wands while they dance in these concentric circles.  All should sing the dance-song, keeping time with the feet and waving the wands to the rhythm of the music.  As the dance goes on, the time can be accelerated and the circles become wider and narrower, but in all these movements the rhythm of song and dance must never be broken—­for the rhythm stands for the binding force of a common, social and loving life.

Song No. 4

DANCE AROUND THE TREE

1

  Dance the leaves in sunlight,
  Dance the leaves in dark night,
  Leaves ever, ever dance on the tree,
      The Tree!

[Music]

2

  High we lift the green branch,
  Dance and wave our green branch,
  Each one is a green branch of the tree,
      The Tree!

3

  Now we all return them,
  Bind them to the tree stem,
  While we sing the glad word, Unity! 
      O Tree!

4

  Strong our hearts in daylight,
  Strong our hearts in still night,
  Thus the He-de Wa-chi bids us be,
      O Tree!

This dance-song can be repeated as often as desired.  When at last the leaders wish it to stop they must give the call, “Hi-o!” as they did for the pause in the Dance of Approach to the Tree.