Story: Nightingale and Her Dog-Husband

The Girl and Her Dog-Husband and Children. Link

Nightingale did not know why it became this way. She blankly stared at the ashes of the burned huts, the broken land that trampled by the heartless villagers, and the dying dog that was bleeding to its death. That dog was her husband, Wolf. Just a few weeks ago, she was still a 17-years-old carefree girl, loved by her family and her tribe. Now, she was a young woman, who was abandoned by her people, to die with a dying husband in a form of a dog.

It all began in the season of harvest when Nightingale first found a wild dog. After taking in the wild dog, she grew attached to the animal. She would eat and sleep next to the animal, completely unaware that her affection to the animal would change her life dramatically. On the first full moon, her pet dog shifted its form into a grown man, and he slept with her. Yet, he changed back to his dog form at dawn. This continued every night. Much in love with him, Nightingale wanted to introduce her love to her family and people, but his shape-shifting was inconvenience. She asked her husband, Wolf, why he can’t walk in the human form during the day. He told her that his power came from the moon. He was stronger when the moon is fuller, but when there was no moon, he was unable to change into human form. He was worried that her people could not accept him for his being, but he could not leave her. As they tried to figure out the solution for this problem, another problem arose. Nightingale was pregnant. As time passed, she could not hide her belly. When her parents questioned her about her child’s father, she innocently told them he is her pet dog. Her parents enraged, but she told them that he could change into human form. So, her parents told her to prove it. At night, she asked her husband, Wolf, to change into human in front of her parents. To her misery, that night the moon was covered by the dark cloud. Wolf could not completely turn into human, and his transforming appearance was too horrid. Her parents thought he was an evil creature. They called out the villagers to kill him. Nightingale begged her parents and her people to believe her and set Wolf free, but they were deaf to her crying plead. She saw her people plunged sharp weapons into her husband’s body, and he crumbled down in pain. Afterward, they turned to punish her. Feeling disgraced by Nightingale and scared of the creature that she was carried, they decided to abandon her, letting her starve to death along with her dying husband. The villagers then took all the foods and their belongings to migrate far from this land. Before they leave, they set the whole village on fire, leaving not a trace of shelter for Nightingale and her husband.

The fire was put out by Wolf, who used that last of his power to save his wife, Nightingale. Knowing that he is dying, he crawled near to his love. Wolf regretted. He should have kept his love to her for himself. If he was not too selfish to make Nightingale loved him and not impregnated her with his child, she is still an innocent girl and not suffer this tragedy. But it was too late now. All he could do is wrapping his broken body around this shaking girl, protecting her in his last moment in life.

A Crow spirit flew by, seeing this scenery. It flew to get the medicine plant to help dying Wolf. As it tended Wolf’s wound, it told the girl to be strong. She still has her loving husband and unborn child. She should not give up on living. Due to the Crow’s help and encouraging words, Nightingale shook out of her misery and determined to heal Wolf and build a large family on this land that her people had abandoned her.

After Wolf healed up, every night he gathered woods and rocks to build a shelter and feed his pregnant wife. During the day, Wolf set out in his dog form to hunt for animal as Nightingale continued the work that her husband has done the night before. Luckily, they completed the shelter before the winter arrived when they welcomed their four boys and a girl. As their children grew up, Wolf taught Nightingale and their children how to farm and how to hunt. As an animal shape-shifter, Wolf was also a nature spirit, and he knew about the medicine and healing. Their children inherited the shape-shifting ability from their father, but they were able to change to human and dog form anytime they like due to mother. When they all grew up, the abandoned land was now filled with crops and shelters.

Unlike Wolf and Nightingale happy lives, Nightingale’s old tribe people suffer from a great famine and disease. Many people died, and so, the chief decided to migrate from this land and search for a source of food. As they passed by the land that they abandoned the Nightingale to die, instead of seeing wild grasses and trees, they saw a land filled with fruitful crops and the air filled with food aroma. Too hungry to move any further, the tribe entered the land, hoping to ask for food. To their surprise, greeting them was Nightingale and her children. She welcomed them in to the sturdy hut and feeding them food. The tribe was touched by her hospitality and ashamed of what they have done to her. The chief bowed his head in gratitude and remorse. Nightingale forgave them, and at night, Wolf appeared in human form and helped curing the people who suffered from the disease. Nightingale and Wolf welcomed the tribe to stay here with them. Ashamed of their old actions and deeply respected the generosity of Wolf and Nightingale, the tribe voted for their children to be the next chief. Since then, they all live happily together, and this tribe dressed in dog-like creature and dance every full moon during harvest time to express their gratitude to Nightingale’s dog-husband, Wolf.

Bibliography. Stith Thompson.  Tales of North American Indian. Link

Author's Note
The original version is about a young girl impregnated by her dog, who changed into man at night.  Her people ashamed of her, and so, they killed the dog and abandoned her to die.  She was saved by a Crow, and then, she gave birth to five children, who can change into dog form.  She raised them into great warriors and hunters.  Later, she invited the her people back to live with them.  In my version, I want emphasize her dog-husband like in title.  I want to create a version where the young girl does not have to suffer anything alone.