Week 10 Storytelling: With Brave Wings She Flies

In Nome, Alaska lived a young girl named Stella and her extremely over-protective father. They lived in a very small log cabin, just big enough for the two of them. It had two cozy bedrooms, decorated with animal hides and other ornaments. There was also a kitchen where they ate all their meals together, almost always consisting of meat the girl's father would kill. He loved to hunt, fish and basically anything outdoors. I think this is how Stella established her love to wander. She often set out at dawn when the sun was rising and didn't return until evening. Stella would explore the river banks, trudge through the snow and explore everything Alaska had to offer. Her father knew she was a brave soul, but often worried about her when she was away. He knew he couldn't stop her from being independent, so he let her do her own thing during the days. There was only one consistent rule for her: always be back at sunset for dinner.

Over time, Stella started feeling more and more disconnected with her life. She felt alone and not like the other girls. She had an urge to be free and have the ability to explore new things. Stella even started to notice changes in her body and mind that she worried a lot about. Her senses were more precise than ever before. She could pick out the sound of the fish jumping out of the rushing river, and sense a wolf's presence from almost a mile away.

At supper one evening, Stella said to her father, "I know there's more to this life than what I've seen. I just wish I knew what it was."

"You're still so young, Stell. Don't think too much," he replied.

Just a few days later, Stella's father sat at the kitchen table, waiting for his daughter to come through the rusting front door. It was later than she normally arrived, so he began to panic. After waiting a few grueling, stressful hours, hoping and praying for her arrival, he set out to find her. He searched all of her favorite spots... the river, the biggest snowbanks, and of course her favorite spruce tree. She was nowhere to be found. He was frantic, devastated and extremely hopeful she would turn up. "Maybe she just needed some time to herself. She will be back," he thought.

The days quickly turned into months and there was still no sign of her. Every day after supper, he sat in his rocking chair on the front porch, looking into the distance hoping one day he would see her heading home. He had so much hope in his eyes, but he couldn't help but shed a tear seeing her empty chair next to his. One night, just as the sun was setting, he noticed a shiny white owl sitting on the arm of her rocking chair. It was without a doubt the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. A little startled, he tried to remain calm so he wouldn't scare it away. As he admired its beauty, he couldn't help but notice the eyes looked strikingly like Stella's big, dark brown brown eyes. In that exact moment, he knew.

"I've missed you so much, Stella," he said.

(Photo from: Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson)

Bibliography: Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson

Author's Note: I read the Alaskan Legends by Katharine Berry Judson this week and I knew right away I wanted to write a story with Alaska as the setting. In the story The Raven Myth, Raven's Creation, a raven turns into a man, which inspired me to write about a human changing into animal form. When originally I thought of this idea, I didn't plan on it being a type of bird as the transformation, but as my ideas started to morph, I thought an owl would be perfectly suited for Stella's independence and curiosity. I believed a girl living with just one other family member, in an area with a very small population would be reasonable for a story like this because if it were in a normal, modern day town, people would think it was ridiculous that the man actually believed his daughter was the owl. My favorite part about this story is the moment when the father knows without a doubt that the owl is her daughter, just because of one simple look into her eyes. I think it shows a lot about the bond between a father and his daughter, no matter how far-fetched it may seem. I wanted to end the story with a feeling of peace, not just the feeling of grief Stella's father felt upon her disappearance.