Tigris Eden

This week I am going to talk about an Native American folktale about a boy who becomes half wolf. 

This is my installment of Werewolf Wednesday. 

So I got this excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

So the story goes that an Indian Hunter grew tired of the wickedness and Unkindness in his village, so hie built a hut for his wife and three children out in a deep forest. They lived happily for Fours years and isolated from the world.  Finally he realized he was dying.  He told his wife that she would soon follow. He gave instructions to his two older children to never abandon the youngest child because the child was weak. His children gave him their word. 

After both parents died the children remained together, but the oldest who was now a young man desired to return the village.  He resented the burden of the his younger brother and wanted to go back to the village, but the sister argued against it. 

Determined to have his way the young man left nd never returned.  Then of course the sister grew weary of being burdened with her younger brother.  Then all of a sudden she announced that she was going to search for the other brother. She told the youngest that there was food in the hut and that she would return. 

But when she reached the village, she found her brother happily married.  She herself wanted to be a bride.  She did marry and forgot about the youngest brother. 

Back at the hut the boy ate all the food.  Then he went out to look for more food in order to stay alive.  When winter came and there were no more roots, he hid in trees all night and during the day he crept out to eat the leavings of the kills of the wolves.  Soon he sought their company.  He would watch while the wolves ate their prey.  The wolves shared food with him .

One day in the spring the eldest brother was fishing in his canoe in the great lake.  He heard the voice of a child singing. 

My brother, my brother!

I am becoming a wolf,

I am becoming a wolf!

When the song was done, the boy's voice howled just as the wolves howled.