Week 9 Story: Henry and the Magical River

 

Photo by Anders Ipsen

While Henry was hunting he decided to explore a new part of the woods he'd never visited before, excited by the idea of new scenery. He set off quickly, wanting to cover as much ground as possible before nightfall. 

After hours of hiking the woods, Henry stumbled upon to most beautiful waterfall he'd ever seen. The scene around the waterfall was green and luscious and Henry swore he'd never seen such vibrant colors in his life. The water was even more alluring than that greenery around it. It was so crystal clear that he could see every detail of the riverbed. As Henry looked at the water he found himself feeling drawn to it. 

Never taking his eye off the still water, Henry stepped forward, out of the treebank, and towards the water's edge. He felt completely memorized and unable to turn away. Reaching the bank, Henry knelt down and cupped his hands deciding he needed a taste of this magical water. Just as his hands were about to break the surface a large bird swooped down nearly knocking Henry flat on his back with surprise. Shocked, he stood up and looked around for the creature but when he couldn't find it he turned his attention back to the water. 

Henry was about to try drinking the water for a second time when the bird reappeared, forcing him to step back. Henry was irritated by the bird's interference but decided he'd try for a drink one last time. This time, when Henry knelt down the bird flew towards his face and Henry jumped out of the way before the bird collided with him. Angry, Henry immediately shot the bird down with his bow and arrow, killing the creature instantly. The bird fell into the water and the carcass started to sizzle and melt before Henry's eyes. He stared in amazement as the bird's body completely disappeared before his eyes. 

Henry felt horrible for what he'd done. He realized the bird had been trying to warn him of the poisoned water and tried to get him away from it. Realizing the danger of the river and the waterfall, Henry immediately left and went home.


Authors Note: I like this story so much I tried to stay as close to the original as possible. The original story was very vague so I gave the hunter in the story a name and tried to paint the scenery of the place he stumbles upon the way I imagined it. I also wanted to give it a magical, almost fantasy-like feel so I made the water to almost put a spell on Henry rather than him just being thirsty like in the original. 

Source: Tibetan Folk Tales: How the Raven Saved the Hunter by A.L. Shelton

Comments

  1. Hi, Natalie! This story really struck me as I hoped for a happier outcome for the bird. But then he died! I do feel you succeeded in making the man more sympathetic as he was bewitched versus just being thirsty, so fantastic job on that. While reading the story initially I imagined a crane for some reason as they're fairly large and can be found near water. I feel mentioning what type of bird it is straight off would help with picturing the events of the story. You did a great job describing the location and events, and I feel your choice of image matched perfectly to support it. Loved your story!

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