Storytelling: The Fox-Woman and the Hunter

There once was a hunter who lived alone in a cabin in the woods. He was a very kind man who longed for a companion. Sadly he had been victim of a childhood accident that left him an orphan and with his face badly deformed. No woman had ever taken the time to look past his physical appearance and get to know the man inside.

There once was a fox who was also a woman, or a woman who was also a fox, rather. She had been cursed by a jealous witch, forcing her to spend some time each day in fox form. She was really a very beautiful woman with bright eyes and a an alluring smile. Although she was very beautiful, she had a lingering musky odor due to the part of her life she spent as a fox. Because of this, she spent her life alone, choosing her fox form more often than her human form. Men could not stand her musky smell. She longed for love as well, and one day, she came across a lonely hunter which changed both their lives forever.

The fox woman had observed the poor hunter, leaving his house in the mornings to hunt and coming back home to an empty house. She felt bad for the man because she knew what loneliness was like. She thought she could make this man happy, and he could be the companion for which she was looking. She decided to give him a chance. She watched him leave his house one morning, and then she sneaked in and shed her fox-skin. She began tidying the house and washing the man's clothes and cooking him a meal. By the time the hunter came home she had turned his house into a warm, welcoming place- something he never thought possible. He was struck by her beauty instantly. She flashed him a smile when he crossed the threshold, confused by the situation but not scared. He saw her fox-skin hanging on a line in the washroom. "Is this yours?" the hunter asked.

The Fox-Woman in her Fox Form, online source

Looking ashamed, the fox woman simply answered, "Yes." She explained her story as the man listened intently. The fox-woman was worried he would send her away, but he only grabbed her hand and began explaining his own life story. She gave him the same amount of attention as she listened to him explain. When he finished, she flashed him that breathtaking smile that he had fallen in love with just hours before. She got up to serve him the meal she had made him, and the two ate dinner together, something that neither of them had done in years. The joy they both found in each other's company was beautiful. Once their meal was over, the fox-woman washed the dishes while her husband watched her, admiringly.

Once night fell, the fox-woman began to look worried. Her new man asked her what was bothering her, and she explained that she had to put her fox-skin on for three hours. She told him she would love if he would prefer, but he would not have this. The fox-woman put on her fox-skin and the two cuddled on the couch by the fire until she could return to her human form. The two retired to bed and lived happily ever after.

Bibliography: Fox-Woman from Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson, link to online source

Author's Note: The original story tells of a hunter who comes home after an outing to his house being taken care of as if he had a wife, but he does not have one. So, he goes off on a fake outing to determine who it was who did it. He watches a fox enter and thinks it is just looking for food, but when he goes in to check, he sees a beautiful woman and a fox-skin hanging. So, they live together for a while, but the man can't stand her musky smell, so she leaves an never returns. I didn't like this sad ending, nor did I like the fact that the man was so shallow that he did not appreciate her efforts. So, I decided to make my story all about what matters on the inside. This is why I added the detail about the man having a deformity and gave them a happy ending.

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Part B

I don’t like the gory stories. Killing and blood don’t interest me as far as stories go. The names are still distracting for me, but I do recognize that this is only a cultural thing. I try not to let it interfere with my impression of the story. I did like the justice found in some stories like the one that ends with the fact that the man who kills is punished in the end. I am very fond of justice, but I don’t necessarily want to read about people killing other people just to find justice in the end. Again, I see the value in teaching about not killing nor lying, but I hate that the woman who lied got killed for her punishment. Why kill someone in the story as a punishment if killing is in fact something we are trying to teach is bad? I still sometimes get uncomfortable with the idea of animals marrying humans. I get that it is for the sake of teaching a lesson or entertainment, but it does not make for a great story in my opinion. I definitely want to emulate these stories in that I want my stories to also teach valuable lessons, but I want to leave out the gory details. I also don’t like the way women are portrayed in these stories. They are portrayed as weak almost and needing a man’s help for their rescue. I do not get the vibe that they are being revered in these stories, which of course, I would prefer they were. These stories seemed to be darker than the ones before. I like more positive, happy stories! Perhaps I can rewrite one of these in a more positive light! I liked that the stories included lots of family interactions such as father/son and brother/sister. I think family stories are great because most people can relate to them on some level.

Inuit Family, online source

Bibliography: Eskimo Folk Tales by Knud Rasmussen, link to online source

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Part A

Some of the stories were told in very simple terms, which I admire sometimes, but I think I prefer the stories with a bit more detail. It helps immerse me in the setting better.  This would make them more believable to me if that is the goal. I like the stories that ended with hopeful endings the best. It is always better to leave on a positive note than a negative, in my opinion anyway. Some of the stories were just too weird for me. I must not have been ready for the supernatural stories. Animals communicating with humans is sometimes as fantastic as I want to get. I guess it is more about how those stories thrust the reader into the fantast world. I suppose this phenomenon would not be the same for someone a part of that culture, but it made the stories more confusing for me. I would have appreciated more background information to establish the setting. The names were too confusing to me, but of course, that is just a culture issue. I didn't like the stories where there were too many characters of which to keep track, and I also had a problem when there were too many things to follow within the story. I like one main story with a couple characters to get to know.

                                                                    Polar Bear, online source

I absolutely loved the story about the bear and the woman! It was such a fun idea that the bear ended up having a human like mind because the woman spoke to him in "human speech." It honestly gave me a Paddington vibe but in a much more "realistic" way. I did think it was cute that the bear played with the children, but it made me sad that soon everyone was too scared to play with him. It was a great story, but the ending was just so sad! I want to write a reunion story for the old woman and the bear. Or maybe just have the bear find a bear family in which to belong! Many of the stories ended with “And here ends this story,’ which I would like to include in my own. A few stories began with “There once was a wifeless man,” and one story even mentions that’s how “all” stories start. I think it would be fun to start my story with “There once was a childless woman,” because she fosters the bear. I liked that the stories promoted good values like honesty and loyalty, and I would like to give my bear story a theme of love, inclusion, and compassion.

Bibliography: Eskimo Folk Tales by Knud Rasmussen, link to online source