Poems and Short Stories

The Changing Fire

Ok this one was a combination of projects by my 8th grade american history teacher and my language arts teacher. In american history we were going over native americans 'indians', and in language arts we were learning how to write myths and such. So since my two teachers we pretty much like best friends, they combined the two into an activity where we had to write a story that the natives might've told (cuz you know they have certain beliefs and such) then all their classes would go into this room between both the classrooms and they had a tent set up (one that a native would sleep in) and a little fake fire right outside. Then they turned off all the lights and the little fire lit up and everyone gathered around it to listen to each students story. This was mine.

~Snowy

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     "A long time ago, in the eastern woodlands, there were no trees, just open grassland. There were many fires. In this place lived Sun Bear who was pale ginger and had a long tail, and Brown Bear, he too had beautiful long tail. Up in the treeless mountain lived White Bear who had a long flowing tail and could predict the near coming future.

      "One night, White Bear had a dream of flames and tongues of fire, whipping the grasslands she knew Sun Bear and Brown Bear lived. Then, a misty forest she never thought could be real flashed before her eyes, fast as lightning, the scene changed to ice and snow under paw and bitter cold slashed through her thick fur. She fluffed her fur in a way where just a slight cool breeze could get through. Hunger then slammed into her belly so hard she cringed at the pain and almost toppled over. Suddenly, colors erupted from the sky. Waves of blues and greens, teals and purples, pinks and yellows. Snow glittered down and stars speckled the background and the moon sparkled like a pearl against an indigo sky.

    "When White Bear awoke the next morning, remembering the flames, she quickly went down the mountain to the grasslands. To her horror, she could see smoke and flames rising over the hills with buffalo and caribou straining to keep ahead. Brown Bear and Sun Bear came sprinting through the smoke, Sun Bear covered in ashes. White Bear crouched down, herds charging past her, and prayed to the spirits to send rain. A buffalo ran straight for her running from the crackling flames. Immediatly, Brown Bear jumped in its path and reared up to his hind legs, slamming down on its head with all his weight and swatted it aside with full force. It ran for the only river with the rest of its herd. Sun Bear and Brown Bear soon joined joined White Bear. Just as they were giving up and the flames were reaching for them with acrid smelling smoke floating above, rain hissed down from the heavens, striking the evil spirits in the fire down. Sun Bear leaned towards White Bear and whispered 'My pelt is stained black with ashes instead of the color of light. I will be known as      Black Bear from now on.'

      "That night, White Bear dreamed of the beautiful forest, full of streams to stop fires, prey and...spirits. White Bear looked around and was surprised to see Black Bear and Brown Bear waking by her side. They gazed wide eyed at the trees. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a spirit approach. As it got closer she could see it was the Nature Spirit. White Bear was sure Black Bear and Brown Bear saw this too. It floated forward and spoke in her head with out actually speaking, Brown Bear and Black Bear heard it too 'You are here in this place because of Brown Bear's courage in saving you, White Bear, so that you may fulfill your destiny. Now I know what you all wish and I will give it to you if you agree to the price.

    "'What exactly is the price for our wishes?'Brown Bear asked.

"'If you wish for your homes to be restored from the fire then the price is your tails. Do you still wish for it?'

   "'I'm willing to, how about you?' Black Bear said.

    "'I'm fine with it,' White Bear said,'Brown Bear?'

    "'Okay, take them,' Brown Bear said.

    "At that, all their tails faded away leaving a stub in its place. 'If you wish for this forest, I'm afraid one of you will be banished to the ice. Do you still wish for this?' the spirit said somberly.

  "White Bear was about to volunteer to go when Black Bear said,'I don't want to lose you guys to the ice and I'm too small to go myself. After all you guys are twice my size. I don't think we should take the offer.'

     "'Do not worry, I will go. I will survive because of the color of my fur and how thick it is.' White Bear said slowly.

     "'No way, I'm the strongest, I'll go. Besides that, I don't want you to get hurt out there. No one will be there to help.' Brown Bear said quickly.

    "'No,'White bear said quietly,'I must go. No one else. It has been revealed that this is my destiny. No matter how much I wish I could change it. But I'll miss you,' she breathed brushing muzzles with Brown Bear.'I'm ready. you may banish me to the ice.' she said turning to the spirit. White Bear started to glow getting brighter and brighter until she vanished and the light ceased.

    "'Nooooooooo!' Brown Bear screamed as the last little sparks drifted to the ground making White Bear start to fade.'You can't leave me. You can't...I...I love you.' Hearing this, tears welled in White Bear's eyes as well as Brown Bear's and Black Bear's. Black Bear was huddled, weeping on the grassy ground, unable to speak, just whimper. White Bear whispered,'Do not fret my dear friends. We will see each other again.' With her muzzle still brushing Brown Bear's she whispered 'I love you too,' and faded to nothing. Brown Bear's tears raced down his face and fell to where White Bear had been standing a moment before while the spirit looked on with anguish on its face from that hard farewell.

    "'She's gone. Its time for you to return to your home...I...I'm sorry it ended this way but...It would have happened no matter what you did. It was her destiny. Good bye' the spirit said fading away with the rest of the forest. 'Farewell.'

    "Brown bear and Black Bear awoke in their homes surrounded by beautiful trees. There were no more fires, for there were too many streams for them to go far. And as for White Bear, she appeared on the ice and felt the cool breezes from her dream. She may have felt the hunger, but seeing the fires from her old home trapped in the sky of this frozen place, in a continuing dance, made the pain worth while. And she wasn't always hungry. The spirits granted her seals would swim in the water below the ice and through their breathing holes she would catch them and fill her empty belly.

     "So that is why bears do not have tails and why white bears do not live where other bears are, and why brown bears are so moody because they lost their love. That is also why black bears are black and how the forest came to be.

      "Can you tell us another story, grandma?" the children asked.

      "Maybe another time," the elderly tribal women replied in a shaky voice."Stretch your legs you've been sitting awhile. And if you are good I'll tell you how the turtle got it's shell."