Story: The Jealous Uncle

The Man Flying. Link

“What are we going to do?” The pregnant woman looked at her blinded husband with sorrow.

“I am such a useless man. I can’t even protect my wife and unborn child, and I can’t take revenge for my dead sons.” The blinded man hit his head and cried.

“Will your brother going to kill our child again? He had killed our two sons. Wasn’t that enough? Oh my poor children, they were not even five when he murdered them.” The pregnant woman sobbed helplessly.

“If I was not blinded during the hunt, we don’t have to live dependently on his mercy. I could have power to protect my children. I rather not having them in the first place instead of seeing my children go to their death.” The blinded man angered at his children’s murderer, his brother, and at his helpless state.

At their midst of misery, the brother’s wife visited their hut.

“My dear brother and sister, my husband knew of your pregnancy, and he planned to repeat his cruel act upon this unborn child. We have to protect this child at all cost. It’s all because of the old saying from the shaman that he fears that your son will kill him one day. This is the source of your sorrow and my misery. I wish I can stop him.” The brother’s wife entered into their hut with tear on her face.

“I know your hardship my sister. If it was not you who give us food, how can we live on the little portion that he gives to us? Now, I don’t know how I am going to save this child.” The pregnant woman replied.

“Sister, I have an idea. When this child is born, we will tell him that this child is a girl. We will raise this child as girl. Hopefully, we can fool him.” The brother’s wife suggested.

“Yes, yes, this can work. This has to work.” Both the pregnant woman and her blinded husband prayed silently for their future child.

Time flied, and the pregnant woman gave birth to a boy. The brother’s wife returned to her husband after visit the child and told him that the baby was a girl.

When the child was growing up, dressed and acted like a girl, his parents and aunt thought they have successfully fooled the evil brother. However, the child was unaware of his state and showed his body to his uncle, revealing his actual gender.

The evil brother was enraged at his wife for lying, but he was occupied in planning how to kill his 7 years-old nephew. No matter how hard his wife pleaded, the evil brother set out to imprison the boy in log so the boy can starve to death.

The brother’s wife snuck out to warn the boy and his parents on her husband’s plan, telling them to find some way to protect the boy.

The blinded man, then, told his son about the deaths of his older brothers.

“My son, may these tools help you survive. Although I am unable to fight your uncle directly, I will follow him tomorrow. I will try to save you if he raises his knife against you even it means my death.” The blinded man handed his son the knife, the sour cranberry, and the eagle-down.

On the next day, the blinded man followed his brother and his son to the wood, where his heard his brother locked his son in a log. After his brother left, the blinded man came near the log and told his son to rub the sour cranberry against the wood. The log then opened up and released the young boy. The blinded man took his son back to the village, but let his son faced the uncle alone while he stood afar.

The next day the evil uncle set out to push the boy off the cliff when he commanded the boy to collect the ducks and eggs. The blinded man hid nearby but could not stop the evil brother. Luckily, the boy used the eagle-down and flied up. He also collected many ducks and eggs that could feed his family for three days.

After seeing his nephew returned safely after pushing him off the cliff, the evil uncle planned to drown the boy when they were out catch clam. When the boy was ate by a large clam, the evil uncle left after seeing this, thinking the boy would die this time. The blinded man ran out and yelled to his son.

“Take out your knife and cut yourself free.”

The boy listened and survived the drowning.

After the third fail, the evil uncle was determined locked the boy up in box and released it into the ocean. He planned to stay until he sees no sign of the box.

At the night before, the blinded man and his wife took all their food and gave to their child.

“My child, as I know of my brother, he will not let you survive this time. These are all our food. Take them with you and run far away as you can. Don’t return until you are strong enough to defeat your uncle. Your mother and I can’t come with you this time because our crippled bodies can only slow you down. Remember, wherever you are, our love will be with you. It’s okay if you can’t return. As long as you are safe, we are happy.” The blinded man and his wife held their child for the last time.

As the next day came, the evil brother carried out his plan. As the box contained the boy drifted away, it landed on a different shore, where the boy found his haven and his new family.

As the time passed and the boy grew up to a young man, he was now married to the daughter of the Chief, whose village took him in. He returned to his old village and saved his parents. He also punished the evil uncle for mistreating his parents but not for killing him and his brothers. He threw his uncle in the same ocean that he was sent adrift by his uncle, but unlike him, his uncle drowned. Since then, the young man took his parents and aunt to his new village and supported them for the rest of their lives.



Author’s Note

I told the story with all the main details as the original version. I added the back stories on why the boy’s parents could not protect him and fight against the evil uncle, and I also added the explanation for why the uncle wanted to kill all his nephews. I also added a little details that the boy’s parents tried to help instead of don’t do anything but cry in the original version.



Bibliography. Stith Thompson. Tales of the North American Indians. Link