Week 7 Story: Brother Bear
Denali National Park in Alaska
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After a long journey across the Alaskan wilderness that included meeting friendly moose and deadly hunters, the two bear friends Koda and Kenai decide to rest at the base of the mountain. Tomorrow they will meet the shaman Tanana at the top, where the lights touch the earth. It is said that the lights house the spirits that guide all living things.
"Let's see if there's fish to catch in this stream. I'm hungry as a bear!" said Koda.
Kenai rolls his eyes at the joke, "Okay, hopefully we find some, we'll need the energy to climb the mountain tomorrow."
"Oh I am ready. I get to see my mom, you get to see your brother and we can all live together," Koda said with confidence.
Kenai nodded his head but knew the younger bear cub didn't fully understand why they were journeying to the mountain where the land was closest to the northern lights. Kenai was there when his brother died, and was skeptical that the shaman would be able to bring him back.
The bears snack on freshly caught fish while exchanging stories about the funny things they've come across. Once the sun set, Koda and Kenai snuggle up under some brush and fall asleep.
The next day the sun's rays beam into Kenai's eyes, waking him out of his hibernation. Kenai looks over at Koda and says "Wake up Koda, we need to get moving." Koda grumbles in protest but once he remembers he gets to see his mom today he jumps right up.
"Come on Kenai, stop being lazy! We have to reach the top of the mountain," said Koda. Kenai shoots Koda an unamused look as they start up the mountain. All day they make their way up, stopping here and there to munch on berries.
By the time Koda and Kenai reach the top of the snowy mountain the sky is dark. They gaze up at the northern lights dancing across the sky. Out of nowhere, Tanana appears. The two bears and the human sit together while Tanana calls the spirits out of the lights in the sky. Koda and Kenai watch in slight fear and amazement. After a few moments they see shapes moving towards them. Koda shouts "Mom!" and runs towards her as she is set on the ground. They embrace and share happy laughs.
Kenai spots his brother and cautiously makes his way over. His hesitation quickly disappears though, overcome with emotion. Koda and Kenai could never have put into words how much they missed their family. Following the introductions they all sat together, sharing stories from the land and from the lights in the sky.
Not long before sunrise Tanana returns and both Kenai and Koda protest. They want more time. "Don't make my mom go away, I need her here," cried out Koda. Kenai comes over to comfort the young cub, "Don't worry Koda, we will see them again one day when it's our turn to live in the lights." Kenai's brother looks on, proud that he is no longer at war with himself.
After one last tearful goodbye, Tanana returns the spirits to the lights. As the sun rises over the mountain, Koda and Kenai make their way down. They decided at that moment they will continue traveling around meeting new and old friends, knowing one day they will see their loved ones once again.
Authors Note:
The story "The Forest and Its Ghosts" reminded me of the ending of the movie Brother Bear. The Mahabharata story takes place after the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas when the survivors find themselves deeply mourning the loved ones lost. Vyasa brings the ghosts back to visit with the living one last time. In the movie Brother Bear, two bears go on a journey to hopefully reunite one lost bear with his mom. I changed the basic storyline because it always gives me the feels and if you haven't already watched the movie I don't want to spoil it too much. In the Mahabharata the ghosts come from the Ganges, in my story they come from the sky. I also didn't include as many characters just because I couldn't keep them straight in my head.
Writing stories is still a struggle for me. I had difficulties trying to set up the storyline without including too many unnecessary details. Hopefully I got the idea across and if you haven't seen Brother Bear I definitely recommend.
Bibliography:
PDE Mahabharata: The Forest and Its Ghosts, Source
Hi Mariah!
ReplyDeleteI loved your rendition of this story, Brother Bear was one of my favorite movies growing up. I also appreciated your deep use of detail throughout the entire story. It felt like I could visualize this story like a movie in my mind while I was reading. The part when Koda cries about how much he needs his mom still hit me so hard. Great job!
Hi hi Mariah!!
ReplyDeleteThat moment from the Mahabharata was probably my favorite. I like how you had separate characteristics for the bears, although more differentiated names might have been useful. You might want to describe the spirits summoning in more detail, cause as it is, it's a bit confusing.
All in all though, good job, keep it up, I can definitely see a good story in there.
Mariah, I throughly enjoy the Alskan wilderness and I’m glad that you incorporated it into this story. The relationship you give Koda and Kenai is a special one and it is awesome to see their progression as they meet Tanana in the moutains. I really liked how they were able to meet their families one last time before saying goodbye. I read it as, once something is gone, you have to learn to let go of it.
ReplyDeleteMariah, for someone who claims to still be learning how to tell a story well, you seem to have found the ability to balance the right amount of plotline and description to keep your story moving without the burden of too much detail. Good job and keep it up! I found your adaptation of the Mahabharata story pleasant and interesting. Like you, I was often confused by the large number of characters (and the length and structure of their names for that matter) in the Indian Epic. Your story brings it down to a digestible level for simpler minds like mine.
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