Week 11 Story: The Woman and the Bear

The Woman and the Bear

Hundreds of years ago, in a small village in the Norwegian forest, a strong, wise old woman named Sylvi lived by herself in a cottage. Sylvi's neighbors helped take care of her by periodically bringing her food, as she was too old to fend for herself. One day the village hunters brought something else to her doorstep: a bear cub! "We found this cub far away from its mother and have no idea what to do," explained the leader of the village hunters. "The only idea we had was to bring it to you, oh wise Sylvi, and see if you wanted to take care of this young creature."

Sylvi quickly agreed. She was full of compassion and had never raised a child of her own. The bear filled an emotional void in her life. Sylvi named the bear Ruben and loved him deeply. For years she nurtured the cub and fed him as he grew bigger and bigger. "Look at how Sylvi loves that bear!" town villagers would remark.

After about four years, Sylvi suddenly grew sick with a fever. She could not leave her bed, and other villagers helped take care of the now fully-domesticated bear. At the same time, the hunters in the village had been struggling to find food. The village had become desperate and was beginning to starve. Some began to whisper, "We should kill Ruben and eat him."

Ruben could sense something was wrong with both his adopted mother and the village-people. He decided to do something. One day, Ruben snuck away from the village to look for food. As he was looking, Ruben noticed something strange: other bears! As he got closer, he began to communicate with them. He realized something amazing: these bears were his long-lost family! Ruben snuggled up to the bears with affection and explained what had happened over the last few years. He also told them about the current situation in the village. Upon hearing how kind Sylvi had been to Ruben, the bears agreed to help. They led Ruben to a secret lake, only known to bears and other woodland creatures. The lake was full of fish!

Ruben returned to the village the next day. Sylvi had been deeply worried about her bear, but had started to recover from her fever. However, hunger in the village had continued to worsen. Ruben communicated to the hunters that they needed to follow him. The kind bear led them to the secret lake full of fish. The village hunters caught hundreds of fish that day and returned to the village with joy. A great feast was held, and Ruben brought his bear family to the feast to meet Sylvi. Sylvi's kindness in raising Ruben had ultimately led to the saving of the entire village. Bears and humans continue to live in friendship in this region.

THE END

Author's Note: I started with the story "The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son," which is part of the Eskimo Folk Tales unit. Story source: Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen (1921). The story tells of an old woman who mothers a bear. I kept the basic premise the same, but changed the setting and created an entirely new plot with different events and a new ending.

Image Info: European Brown Bear. Source: Wikimedia

Week 9 Story: The Secret Shapeshifter

The Secret Shapeshifter

I'll never forget one of the strangest events that ever occurred in my life. I'm just a normal man who lives in a rural area, but I'm not the important part of this story. One day I was walking around my property, just a few minutes off the highway in Arizona. Suddenly I saw him. A man, running quickly towards me. He was tall and bald with a large frame. As he got closer, I could tell he was distressed; his eyes, which were an almost otherworldly pale color, displayed great panic.

Arizona State Route 64 in Coconino County, Arizona.

Source: Wikimedia

Seeing me, he approached me and aggressively began to speak. "Can I hide?" he demanded to know.  "Please show me somewhere I can hide, evil people who want to do me much harm are chasing me."

Though I was confused and entirely unsure about this man, he had a childlike innocence about the way he asked for shelter. It proved very compelling, and I agreed to let him hide in my shed. Just a couple of minutes after he had locked himself inside of the shed, I noticed two men in dark suits and sunglasses sprinting towards me. They approached me and I could instantly discern their serious manner. One of the men began speaking to me.

"Sir, we need to know where this man is," he said, showing me a picture on his phone of the man hiding in my shed. "He likely convinced you to hide him."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I exclaimed, feeling sympathetic towards the seemingly helpless man I was sheltering. "I've never seen him before in my life."

"Sir, he's a dangerous shapeshifter. At any moment he can take any form and cause great damage. We are with the U.S. government and need to know his location. You are not in trouble, but we need to know immediately This is imperative for the safety of you and your community."

Adequately convinced, I sheepishly pointed towards my shed and handed over my keys to unlock it. The men in suits opened the shed, and handcuffed the shapeshifter. They all suddenly vanished from my sight, and I never saw any of them again...



Author's Note: This story is loosely adpated from "The Flying Ogre" story in the Chinese Fairy Tales Unit. I changed the setting, turned the flying ogre woman into a shapeshifting man, changed the other characters completely, and told the story from the first-person perspective. What I kept was the story structure of hiding some stranger and then having to give them up after learning more about who they are.

Story source: The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Week 7 Story: The Old Man's Riddle

The Old Man's Riddle

There once was a remarkably affluent man who lived in London. As the rich man went on his daily stroll through his favorite area of the city, he encountered a disheveled, elderly man sitting on a bench. This man on the bench had a powerful presence despite his clear poverty. His eyes told thousands of tales, quietly revealing a fascinating life. The rich man, being more humble and open than most who have great wealth, felt compelled to pause his walk and strike up a conversation with the elderly man. Though short with his words at first, the old man asked the rich man if he would like to be challenged with a riddle. The rich man agreed to the game, and the old man smiled with great amusement.

"Once there was a brilliant, kind, and beautiful daughter of a wealthy king," he began the riddle. "The daughter was in no hurry to leave the house of her father or to get married. However, the daughter did say that if she ever decided to marry a man, it would be to either a wise man, a clever man, or a brave man. Soon after she said this, a man of great wisdom approached her father, asking to marry the daughter. The wise man told prophetic fortunes and explained complex proverbs to demonstrate his wisdom. The father agreed, impressed by his wisdom. A brave man approached the king moments later, also asking to marry the daughter. The brave man told of his impressive feats on behalf of the kingdom and the king marvelled at the man's valor. The king agreed to let this man marry the daughter as well. Finally, a clever man also approached the king. The clever man told the king a riddle and entertained him with magic tricks and jokes. The king, impressed for a third time, agreed to let this man marry his wonderful daughter. The king then went to his daughter and explained the situation, allowing her to choose any of the three men to marry."

The set-up to the riddle being explained, the old man then asked the rich man "So, who should the daughter choose?"

The rich man answered "The wise man, of course. Bravery fades and cleverness bring little practical value. Yet true wisdom can sustain any relationship."

"You have answered correctly," said the old man, "now go on and ponder this truth."

Photo of St. Dunstans Hill in the City of London, UK.

Source: Wikimedia

Author's Note: Though I have completely changed the frame story and altered the outcome of the riddle, the idea for the riddle and its structure are based upon the "Goblins: Brave, Wise, Clever" story from Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder. In this original story, the feats of the three men are described in more detail, other family members are involved, and the correct answer to who the daughter should marry is the brave man.

Bibliography: Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder

Week 5 Story: The Bartender's Secret

The Bartender's Secret

by Derek Bixler

It was a warm September night in Laredo, Texas. I'll never forget it.

My life was in shambles. I wanted badly for my ranch just east of town to be a financial success, but four of my cows died just that week. At 57, my window of opportunity to glimpse the American dream was shrinking quickly. A close friend of mine got caught in a tornado less than three moths prior and died. I lost my house that same night and spent the little cash I did have building a new one. Not to mention that the house was for myself alone; though I was well-known around town, I never found love.

In a fuzzy state of mental darkness and dissatisfaction I drove my 1994 Chevy truck into town for a few beers. I slipped into a local bar and took a seat at the counter. Struck up a conversation with the bartender. He was quiet, older gentleman. Smooth skin and soft features. He had a peaceful glow about him. "Call me Sid," he nonchalantly instructed me.

I felt like I could trust Sid. There was something almost otherworldly about his presence. About 5 or so beers in, I started telling him about all my troubles. I recounted my recent problems and how they seemed to be a culmination of an unhappy life. I told him about how I never fulfilled my desires. I had hoped for so much and life had let me down. Sid's words changed my life.

"I once had it all," Sid started. "I was born into a wealthy family. Went to the best schools, inherited a fortune. My wife and children were beautiful. Yet I knew that one day I would grow old. All of the beauty and wealth would fade and I would eventually die."

Sid was compelling. He methodically continued, "I set off on my own. Isolated myself in nature. It was there I made a discovery about life: unhappiness is a product of desire. By letting go of my desires and passions, I have achieved peace."

Sid's word struck me. I left the bar and started to restructure my life. I let go of my hopes for my ranch, my desire for money, and my tortured passion for success. All became clear as I began to live by Sid's life philosophy. It's been almost a year now; I am content.



This story contained story features and elements from the The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922).  The bartender "Sid" is based off of Siddhartha, aka the Buddha. "Sid" relays to our unhappy narrator a loose version of the Buddha's life story and one of his realizations presented in the story of Siddhartha and the Hermit: that "Unhappiness is born of desire; that man is to be pitied who is a slave to his passions." The secret of the bartender? He was a reincarnation of the Buddha!

Image info: Picture of a bar in Jackson, Wyoming by Miguel Hermoso Cuesta. Source: Wikimedia

Week 3 Story: A Letter to Kentigern

A Letter to Kentigern

by Derek Bixler

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This imaginary letter is adapted from a story called "Saint Kentigern and the Robin" in The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown. In the story, a wise old Saint named Servan has his bird killed by a group of jealous students who are attempting to frame their classmate Kentigern. Kentigern is a successful student and beloved by Saint Servan. As Servan accuses Kentigern of killing the bird, Kentigern begins to pray and God raises the robin back to life. Servan quickly realizes the boy is innocent. Saint Servan then loves Kentigern more than ever before. This fictional letter from the perspective of Saint Servan takes place immediately following that story.

Dearest Kentigern,

Let this letter serve as my formal, sincere apology to your wise young soul. I had never quite realized the extent to which your classmates were jealous of the great pride I take in your success. It never would have occurred to me that they would scheme against you and attempt to frame you for a crime so painful to my heart as the killing of my little Redbreast Robin. That bird, as you know, joins me as a treasured companion as I sing daily songs of praise to our wonderful Creator. To kill this sweet creature was truly a despicable act and not one that I should have believed you would ever take part in. My great moment of distress upon seeing this bird without life led me to unreasonable conclusions. As a saint and trusted instructor, I must learn to keep my wits about me when evaluating painful situations. In contrast, I'm exceptionally proud of the way you handled that tough situation. Your presence of mind to offer sincere prayer paired beautifully with the gracious response from the Lord, as He raised my bird to life by means of your tears. I have harshly punished the shameful classmates who framed you and will treasure you as a pupil even more than before. Surely I won't soon forget, nor the saved bird, nor our God most of all, the thoughtful response you gave today. You will go on to be a respected saint in the church; I am sure of this. All of Scotland will someday remember you for your wisdom. I cannot wait to observe the progression of your life and am proud to be your teacher and friend. After what we have seen today, surely God will continue to watch over your every move. A child of great blessings you are, Kentigern. Grace and peace to you.

With great affection, a contrite heart, and sincere gratitude,

Saint Servan

A photo of Glasgow Cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland, the city

near where this tale of Saint Servan and young Saint Kentigern

takes place. Source: Wikimedia

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown (1900). From the UN-Textbook unit on Saints and Animals. Story link: Saint Kentigern and the Robin.

Week 2 Story: The Three Baseballs

Image via Steshka Willems on Pexels. Source: Pexels

The Three Baseballs

One warm, summer day in the 1950s, in a small town in central Nebraska, a mother was preparing for a trip into Omaha. She asked her three sons if they needed anything while she was visiting the big city. The older two boys, ages 15 and 14, gave her a long list of toys, pastries, and other such luxury items that they didn't really need. Her youngest son, age 11, responded that he didn't really need anything. 

"Are you sure?" asked the mother. 

"I'm sure," he responded, "but I would love to have just three new baseballs to play with."

So the mother set out for Omaha, determined to get him those three baseballs. After a long day of shopping, she realized it was getting late and left the city for home. It was beginning to get dark outside, and she took a wrong turn onto an old country road. She didn't panic and kept driving. A few minutes later, she passed a run-down store selling sports equipment and decided to stop to ask for directions. No one seemed to be at the store, but she saw a bucket of brand new baseballs outside. She realized that she had forgotten to get baseballs for her son! 

"I'll just take three and get back on the road," she thought to herself, "no one will even notice."

Just then, as she grabbed the baseballs, a large, tough-looking dog emerged from behind the store. The dog spoke forcefully, demanding her youngest son in return for the three stolen baseballs. The mother was distraught, yet quickly realized she had no power to change the situation.

She found her way back to the main road, returned home to her boys, and explained the situation. Her youngest son, John, was thankful for the baseballs and even seemed happy to go to the strange place; he loved sporting goods stores!

As John's mother dropped him off at the store, the dog appeared and commanded John to pet him for three hours. The dog slipped into the shadows after this, and John looked around the store for a while. John felt perplexed yet oddly calm.

A while later, the dog returned bearing an old hunting knife and told John to cut his tail off. John, who loved all types of animals, tried to refuse. "I could never do that!" he cried.

Yet the large, fierce dog insisted. As the tail fell off, some human-looking skin appeared to emerge through the dog's weathered back hair. The dog lit up with excitement! "Hurry, shave all of my hair off!" yelled the dog.

As John began to shave, something strange started to happen. The talking dog was turning into a small girl about his age! When the transformation was completed, there stood a kind-looking child. "The baseballs belonged to me, and so now you have to be my best friend," she said.

The girl's family, who had been worried for days, was soon found. She remained close friends with John for years to come.

Author's note: This story is a modern, American adaptation of a classic Czech fairy tale. The basic plot remains similar in structure, yet the characters and the details of the events have been changed!

Bibliography. "The Three Roses" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922). The story source can be found here.