Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales Unit- Reading B: The True Bride

• Story: In this story, their is a man and a woman who have a daughter. The wife died and the man married another woman who also gave the man another daughter. (This story is very much like Cinderella) The stepmother, always accused her stepdaughter of being lazy and was always angry with her. One day, in the heart of winter, the stepmother asked her stepdaughter to go out and gather berries, this being an unreasonable request, the stepdaughter did not want to go, but she was tired of her stepmother constantly nagging, so she went. SHe told her stepmother that she wold wonder until she was dead. She put some food into a basket and went on her way. While she was wondering, she wondered upon a cottage, that was full of three men. They asked her why she was out in the middle of winter, and she told them about her mother always nagging and how she needed berries. The men then gave her a snow shovel and told her to go onto the roof and uncover the snow. When she did, it was revealed that the roof was earth and full of giant strawberries. She filled her basket and then climbed down. The men then asked her if she needed anything else. SHe told them she was poor and needed new clothes. The youngest brother told her to spit and when she did, it revealed that she spit gold nuggets. The next brother made shoes for her out of the finest material. The third brother made a dress, out of the finest material, as the younger brother had done. The eldest brother, made her a robe that would never wear out. As the brothers made their object for her, her new clothing appeared on her body and her old clothes disappeared. When she returned how with her new clothing, the basket of berries and her new found ability of spitting gold, her stepmother was surprised and became angry with the girl. She then told her younger daughter to follow the tracks the elder daughter has left in the snow, so she too could have the ability to spit gold and get new clothes. The girl did, and when she came upon the four brothers cabin, they offered her the same opportunities, however, she refused to spit and acted as though she was above it, this caused the brothers to get angry and they gave her the ability of spitting toe nails instead of spitting gold. When she returned home, the mother was angry and told her not to spit again.
• My ideas: Much like the story of Cinderella, I want to put this in the stepdaughters perspective. This would transform this tale into an actual story. This would make the story more detailed and allow the characters to have more feelings and opinions that are expressed. This would also allow for more dialogue and thoughts to be added to the story. 



Cottage in the Woods: Photo Source ArchitectureImage

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  Bibliography: Thompson, Sith. Tales of the North American Indian's. Native American Marriage Tales Unit. The True Bride. 1929