Torn World;

The Acorn Coat myth

Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)

In this Southern fable, Father Bear finds food for his family.

Posted: 06/01/10 [No comments yet]

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This story is for supporters only! Here is a short excerpt to whet your appetite:

Long ago, when animals talked like people, a family of bears lived in the Great Wood. Mother Bear stayed near the den with her three little cubs. Father Bear prowled through the forest, keeping enemies far away.

When the bears came out in the spring, they were very hungry. Mother Bear hunted and hunted. She brought back rabbits and deer and all manner of food for her cubs, who were getting tired of milk. Then came summer, and the berries ripened. The whole family would sit on the side of a hill, eating berries as fast as they could. They began to fatten up.

With autumn came an unpleasant surprise. The fish, usually abundant in the cooling rivers, did not run thick this year. Only a few of them appeared, canny and hard to catch as they kept to deep water. Mother Bear began to worry. "If the fish do not come, we won't get fat enough before winter. We won't be able to grow a good warm coat," she grumbled.

Author's Notes

This story came out of the May 12, 2010 Muse Fusion. It was inspired by a prompt from LJ user xjenavivex. It explains the origin of Acorn Day as a Southern holiday celebrating fatherhood, and it is traditionally told on that occasion.

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