Pass The Thought… Eh?

When I wrote this story, I felt a bit motivated to personalize it; after all, I am a fourth year English major. My story focuses, on gossiping, and the consequences of it by spreading false rumors. Why I think this story pertains to the course is because of the issue of trust in today’s society. In a capitalist society, exploitation, for personal gain, is still too common, and this story reflects, an ongoing problem in today’s world.

I have a great story to tell you

Once upon a time, in which the Earth was still young, there was once lived a frog, a raven, a fox and a bear. The four of them were the greatest of friends, they go through the woods, hunting, playing, living and laughing together every day, since they had been born. They had seemed inseparable, truly connected with each other, bonded by the preciousness of friendship and of the world around them. Upon one day, all of that changed.

On a mid-summer day, out in the forest, Bear came to the Raven, Fox and Frog, of splendid news.

“Gather round” he said to his friends “I have the most prosperous news, I would like to share.” Circling around the bear they eagerly anticipated, of the good fortune, that Bear was about to tell.

“I have found the most delicious of berries, behind the oak trees, and across the rapid river. They were red and supple, tasted of sweetness and were so filling in the body and soul. It was a wonderful sight to behold, for; I believe this place was untouched by anyone, ever. I found them yesterday, and stayed until my heart was ever delighted. I wish could bring back all the berries for you my friends, but I can’t. Tomorrow, after we rest for the night, we shall go to this paradise, and we eat, until we can’t no more.”

The news that Bear had brought them excited the three of them. They could already taste the berries. They envisioned the berries in their dreams, with its soft text texture, and sweet taste, and tomorrow they would be eating them, with their closest friends.

The sun was rising, on the next day, and the four of them sat out and went behind the oak trees and across the rapid river. When they finally reached to the land of berries, they found to their astonishment, that all the berries had been picked. They found the snakes, lizards, squirrels and crows had eaten them all. They had their bellies full, and their lips red, with a look of content on their faces. “The best thing, my tongue has ever tasted,” they all said.

“How could this be?” said Bear. “Surely no one knew, of this place!” He exclaimed. In searching for any berries, they came empty handed in which in disappointment and glum, they returned home, with their stomachs growling and their hearts broken. They had wanted to taste the berries that Bear described, but were unfortunate, to have the rest of animals in the forest to discover the berries as well.

Days had passed in the forest, and with the Fox, Raven and Frog, laughing and playing, Bear came to them with great news to share.

“Gather round” he said to his friends “I have the most prosperous news, I would like to share.” Circling around bear, again they eagerly anticipated, of the good fortune, that Bear was about to tell.

“I have discovered the most beautiful waterfall. The water flows so fluidly and is ever so secluded from anywhere else. It is the perfect place to play and laugh and share our food, for the rest of our lives. In a couple days’ time, I will take you up the Gray Mountain and through the bristly bushes to the secret waterfall.”

Excited for their new place to play, the four of them went up the Gray Mountain and through the bristly bushes to find the most beautiful of waterfalls. As they approached the waterfall, they could hear sounds of laughter and joy, and as they looked upon the waterfall, the rest of forest, had already reached the waterfall, and made homes near it.

“NO!” yelled Bear. “Impossible, no one could have known about this place, except for me.”

“Its alright, it is the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen” said Raven.

“Truly unlucky, how could we be so unfortunate twice in the most recent days?” said Fox.

“Maybe one day, we have a beautiful place like this to call home.” said Frog.

Bear then asked, the rest of the animals, how did they find the waterfall, but the animals kept shut who about had led them to magical place. The animals said “if we tell you who helped us find this place, then you might never share your secrets again with them, and therefore, we will never be informed of where such magnificent places exist.”

So again, in disappointment and glum, they returned home, with their hearts broken, but this time, bear thought back, and to his knowing, he had only told, Fox, Raven and Frog where, the waterfall was. Bear had realized that one of his closest of friends had betrayed him and told the rest of the animals of the forest where the waterfall was and possibly as well as where the berries were. In thought, Bear thought hard who could have done this, but could not make, any claims as to who it was.  Having no idea who it was, bear created a plan to expose who the secret teller was.

The next day, he pulled Frog, Raven and Fox aside, privately to share a secret. He had told them, separately of the longest and darkest cave, however, the bear had told of three different places where the cave was located. He told Frog that the cave was located near the rapid river. Raven was told that the cave was located on top of Red Mountain, and Fox was told that the cave was over the grassy hill.

Bear had told all three of them, “do not tell anyone though, it’s a secret between you and I for now.”

“I can keep a secret” said Frog

“I won’t tell anyone” said Raven

“I am the best at keeping secrets” said Fox

When the next day had risen, the whole animal kingdom including Fox, Raven and Frog had gathered around Bear, in anger and frustration. “Where is the cave?” said the animals. “The cave is not there!”

“Where did you go look?” asked Bear.

“We looked over the grassy hill but there is no cave there, only shrubs. So where is the cave?”

“I’m sorry to say this, but there is no cave.” said Bear. “There was never a cave over the grassy hill. Instead, I fabricated a lie, to see who informs you of my secrets.”

“It appears Fox, is the secret teller between us four” he said to only his friends.

“I am not, it wasn’t me” proclaimed Fox.

“But it is you,” said Bear, “I had only told you three of this cave, but only you that the cave was located over the grassy hill, I had told frog that the cave was near the rapid river and raven that the cave was located near Red Mountain.”

“No this cannot be” said fox.

“But it is” said the bear. “Why did you tell everyone my secrets?”

“I wanted the rest of the animal kingdom to be envious of us. I boasted to the rest of the animals of our fun and discoveries to create jealousy and to prove how great we are. I am sorry Bear, I never meant for our places to be taken away from us or take you for granted.”

In disappointment and shame, the fox had learned a lesson.

Be careful about the stories you tell and the stories you listen to — because once a story is told it can never be taken back.

While Chamberlain brings the notion of the “imaginary” and “reality” to discussion, in regards to the history of settlement in the lives of the Indigenous, I would like to discuss, in my post, the importance and differences of both “ways.” To begin with, I would like to discuss the “imaginary.” As Chamberlain puts it, the stories and storytelling of indigenous’ homes, or the “imaginary” “tells different truths about religions, sciences, histories, and the arts; these truths are the answers to our questions about where we came from and why we are here.”(par.2) As to summarize, these “beliefs” or “truths” gave indigenous people a sense of national pride, as their “beliefs” helped define their identity, history and culture, in regards to the formation of their home. These stories gave reality to who the indigenous people, shaped by their land, to which what they consider to be their “home.”

The “reality” portion does not focus on these “beliefs”, as a part of the history of settlement in the lives of Indigenous. Instead they focus and documented the supposed “truth” as “the peoples who arrived to make this land their home… they had left their homes behind. The peoples that these “settlers” encountered were at home on their land. The settlers did indeed make their home, and the Indigenous peoples became homeless in their own land.” (par.7) The reality, was that the land that the Indigenous people built their home on, was now being taken over by European settlers, so they can build their own home.

One of the key differences in the “imaginary” and the “reality” is how the “home” for the Indigenous people and European settlement was created. The stories, about the formation of their home, for the Indigenous people, was created by stories, and passed on through generations, by means of storytelling. The invasion of European settlement meant that the Indigenous people lost their culture, and history upon the land, they created their home on. The European invasion into the lands of the Indigenous people, made the Indigenous people lose their homes, and became “homeless.” At no fault of their own, the Indigenous people’s culture, history were forgotten, and their “beliefs” were forgotten for the “reality” of the European settlement. The European settlement pushed the boundaries of the Indigenous peoples’ homes and saw the land that they built their home on, being taken away from them, which, I argue is a possible consequence of understanding the history of settlement in Canada, in regards to using the “imaginary” and the “reality.”

Works Cited

Chamberlin, Edward. If This is Your Land, Where are Your Stories? Finding Common Ground. AA. Knopf. Toronto. 2003. Print.

Chamberlin, Edward. “Interview with J. Edward Chamberlin”. Writer’s Café.  Web April 04 2013.