A movie poster for the 1913 film adaptation of the Native American legend Hiawatha.
On one fateful day, Nokomis, Hiawatha's grandmother, looked up from the ground pointed in the direction of the western sky and told her grandson some troubling news. There was an evil magician named Pearl-Feather who has been hoarding large sums of food and money, while also using his evil magic to spread disease amongst the population. Additionally, this Pearl-Feather had killed Hiawatha's grandfather. Hiawatha took on Nokomis' request and agreed to stop Pearl-Feather once and for all.
Hiawatha began trekking toward the direction of Pearl-Feather's lair, and after two days of walking, he came upon a large home in the middle of a lake with pitch black water. Upon approaching the shore, fiery snakes leapt out of the water, guarding the only walkway to his home in the middle of the lake. After being unable to come up with a way past them without fighting them, he realized something strange... How were these snakes on fire, but also in water? And at that exact moment, the snakes suddenly were extinguished, and left, almost as if they were also confused by their existence.
After walking a while, Hiawatha approached the door of the dreaded Pearl-Feather and gave it a quick knock. There was no response. Hiawatha turned to leave, and just before he left the vicinity of the house, he felt an evil presence and Pearl-Feather appeared from thin air. Hiawatha began trying to settle the incident peacefully. He explained to Pearl-Feather that his powers and wealth and riches could be used to improve the lives of others and work toward a communal good. Pearl-Feather was very hesitant, as he enjoyed doing evil things, but did realize that he was quite lonely out here on this lake and he really could change the trajectory of his life in the best way possible. Hiawatha and Pearl-Feather walked back to the village together. Upon arriving at the village, Pearl-Feather apologized and gave away his wealth to build up the community, and began using his magic to improve crop yields and vanquish disease. Perhaps violence is not always the answer after all.
Author's Note: In this version of Hiawatha story, I added an unconventional twist, given that the protagonist is often forced to use violence as a means to achieve his goals and do what he considers best for the ultimate and communal good. I focused on the retelling of his encounter with Pearl-Feather, an evil magician that hoards wealth and spreads disease, because I am the most familiar with this particular story in the realm of Hiawatha stories.
Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Published in 1855. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-song-of-hiawatha.html
Absolutely love this story! I really appreciate that you were able to keep it concise and easily readable while still employing all of the same themes that the original story possesses. You clearly have a gift for storytelling and it is evident in this specific tale. I might suggest adding a few pictures or additional dialogue in order to break up the story and make it easier for the audience to read. Otherwise, everything was flawless. Great job and can't wait to see the rest of your work.
ReplyDeleteHey Chase,
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting twist. I assume in the original there was fighting. I read a few similar stories this week about sons going out and killing the evil beasts or people. It's interesting that in most of them they were sent by a mother or grandmother. I enjoyed the way you changed the ending. Also, the part about the snakes was funny.
-Elyse
Hey Chase!
ReplyDeleteFirst off I think you did a great job with this story! Anytime you go back to retell an old story and add in a twist it can be really tricky. I think you made a good choice to take the focus off the violence in the original and by choosing to focus in on the magical aspect of this story. Well done!
Best,
- JD
Hey Chase,
ReplyDeleteI like how you ended your story with Pearl-Father learning the lesson that maybe violence isn't always the answer. I also liked the imagery of the snakes on fire in the water, what a cool thing to think about. You did a great job adding your own twist on a classic story! Good Job!