Yellow Feather & Shining Eyes

While we were on vacation my Mom read Jotham a story by Tomie dePaola about an Indian boy. Shortly after arriving back home I was playing with Jotham and Cia and Jotham said, "Mommy, tell me a story about an Indian." This is what I came up with:

Once there was a little boy named Yellow Feather, because his hair was like yellow like a bright yellow bird. Yellow Feather had a little sister whose name was Shining Eyes, because her eyes sparkled when she smiled. Now Yellow Feather was often told to look after his little sister and he did not like having to do this.

One day, his mother, Bakes A Lot of Cookies (I added this when I retold it later to Karis), said, "Yellow Feather, I want you to go play with Shining Eyes. Look after her and do not let her go down to the creek." Yellow Feather did not want to have to play with Shining Eyes. He would much rather play with his sticks and rock people but he walked off into the prairie with Shining Eyes. Now Shining Eyes, loved to explore, she was brave little girl, who didn't know there were things that could hurt her. While walking on the prairie Yellow Feather found a mound of sticks right next to a puddle of mud. For awhile, the two children played together in the mud but then Shining Eyes decided she wanted to keep walking. Now Yellow Feather saw Shining Eyes walk away and thought "I'll only play a few more minutes." But after a few minutes he had set up such a fort that he was more interested playing than he was in obeying his mother. He could here Shining Eyes off in the distance splashing in the creek and he thought, "Well maybe she is just getting clean." But then he heard a tremendous SPLASH and knew something had happened so he ran over the creek to find Shining Eyes.

When he arrived he couldn't find her. "Shining Eyes, where are you?" he called out. He started to run down the creek when he noticed on twinkling eye looking up at him. Now Yellow Feather was scared! Scared because, he had disobeyed and scared because, he didn't know how to swim. But Yellow Feather knew he must be brave and jump into the creek to save his sister. He jumped in and when he got to Shining Eyes he pulled her out of the creek and gave her a big hug. Shining Eyes looked at him, gave him a hug and said, "Thank you for saving me." And from then on Yellow Feather always looked out for his little sister.

So the funny part is when I finished, Jotham said, "Tell me another Indian story, without Shining Eyes." Guess my point was lost on him.