This story was very interesting not so much for its content but because it was written in the form of a poem. I think I would like to write a story using this kind of format. The story describes some of the hunting practices of the Native American Iroquois tribe. The story is called the "Four Winds." The name of the story is what first caught my attention. I studied Cherokee language and culture for a year and a half. I find Native American culture to be very fascinating. I am going to copy an excerpt from the poem to show how beautiful this poetic style of writing is. The picture I have included is a book cover for a story about Hiawatha, an Iroquois Indian.
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Shades of Hiawatha
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Silently he stole upon him
Till the red nails of the monster
Almost touched him, almost scared him,
Till the hot breath of his nostrils
Warmed the hands of Mudjekeewis,
As he drew the Belt of Wampum
Over the round ears, that heard not,
Over the small eyes, that saw not,
Over the long nose and nostrils,
The black muffle of the nostrils,
Out of which the heavy breathing
Warmed the hands of Mudjekeewis
Bibliography:
The Song of Hiawatha. "Four Winds" written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855).
Hiawatha: Four Winds
I am so glad you like the poetry, Heather! Hiawatha is not a tribe; instead he is the hero of the poem, and the poem itself is the work of an American poet, Longfellow. The historical Hiawatha was a leader of the Iroquois confederacy; you can read more here: Hiawatha (he was probably Onondaga or Mohawk).
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