Act I

There was a young girl of only nine years,
Who came to the prairie in spite of her fears;
Her mother and father were honest and true;
To follow and trust them was all she could do.

They crossed the wide prairie by wagon you see;
I know this quite well 'cause the driver was me!
Through wind and through weather, through Kansas we pressed,
Until we arrived at a place called Fort West.

The family in quite simple quarters did dwell;
Her father gave orders and men served him well.
But orders could not make a little girl see
A reason for loving that lonesome prairie.

A Christmas Eve party was given that night,
And all of Fort West looked cheery and bright;
An evergreen Christmas tree stood in the hall,
'Twas grand though it was only four feet tall.

The soldiers all danced and the ladies did twirl,
A dizzying sight for a shy little girl;
The music was gay but our newcomer said,
"I'd rather have quiet, I'll just go to bed."

She drifted off clutching her old china doll,
Her new prairie doll on the floor it did fall;
She slept and she dreamt of what she feared most;
Of prairie fires, Indians and wild coyotes.

Act II

The slumber of travelers can be very light;
They toss and they turn through much of the night.
The Lieutenant's daughter through visions and dreams,
Soon learned that the prairie is not as it seems.

The land it is flat but the sky is round,
'Mid all of the quiet there's life all around;
The water will nourish, the fire will cleanse,
A cycle of life that never ends.

The little girl wakens 'mid light streaming down,
A night full of images spin all around.
Her life is a dream but her dream is alive,
A spirit 'mid friends is bound to survive.