A member of the Crow Nation. (Wikimedia Commons)
There once lived a father, a mother, and two boys. The father knew his boys were clever, but also knew that they were lazy and would do anything to get out of honest work.
A cruel old woman lived at the top of a hill with her boiling kettle, and any time someone came too close, she’d snatch them up and cook them. Meanwhile, the father and his family had nothing to cook with. The father considered the ways by which he might steal the kettle from the cruel hag.
At last, he came to a devious solution. He called his boys to him and instructed, “By no means are you to visit the top of that hill, for there’s an evil woman there who will boil you alive.”
The boys were mischievous by nature, and of course had to disobey their father’s instructions. They went to the top of the hill and dumped the kettle over on the old woman while she slept, killing her. They proudly returned the kettle to their mother and father.
The father had to pretend to scold the two boys, even though his plan worked perfectly. He had another job for his sons: to bring back delicious snake meat for boiling in their new kettle. This time, he instructed the two, “By no means are you to go on the other side of that hill, for there is a dangerous monster who will do you great harm.”
Of course, the boys’ curiosity was so strong that they had to go over the hill and see what the great danger was. They found a monstrous green snake, bigger than either of them. Before the snake noticed the boys, they hatched a plan. The younger child would distract the snake while the other stabbed it in the heart through it’s back.
“Oh great snake, look here!” the younger boy shouted.
The snake turned around and took notice of the child, slowly slithering closer.
“Yes, great snake! Come nearer so I may pet your scales!”
The snake drew closer slowly and hungrily, but before he got too near, the older boy stabbed him in the heart. The children brought the snake back to their family, and again the father had to pretend to scold them.
On and on this went, and the two sons never suspected their father’s true intentions, content with their chore-free life.
Author’s note: In the original Crow myth, “Lodge-Boy and Thrown-Away”, two sons constantly disobey their father’s orders. The story is told from the perspective of the boys, so the father’s true intentions are obscure. I thought it was funny that after each time they broke a rule, the father would give them a new rule (which was quickly broken). I thought it would be interesting if having his rules broken was the father’s intent all along!
Bibliography. Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson. Web Link.
Dakota, I liked your version of this story. I found it a little harsh that the old lady had to die, but then I remembered that she snatched people up and ate them and decided she probably deserved what she got. I don't know if the father's techniques would win him parent of the year but it sounds like it was working for him!
ReplyDeleteHi, Dakota!
ReplyDeleteI like the ways in which you have rethought the original story, especially by flipping I so that the father expected the boy's disobedience. I think if you were to extend this story, it would be interesting to learn what might happen if the boys found themselves in some trouble that they could not escape. How would that make their father feel?