THE DEAD WIFE(20)
by Andrew Lang · from The Yellow Fairy Book
Adapted Version
A man lived in the forest. His wife lived there too. They lived far from town. No other people lived near them. They were happy together. They hunted every day. They found food. They shared their food. One day, his wife got sick. She felt very bad. She could not hunt. She went away. The man was alone.
The man was very, very sad. He cried many tears. He was so lonely. He missed his wife so much. He sat by the fire. He thought of her face. He took a piece of wood. It was a good piece. He carved a doll. He worked very slowly. He worked with his knife. The doll looked like his wife. He put her clothes on the doll. The clothes were soft. The doll sat by the fire. It looked like his wife was there.
Many days passed. Many weeks passed. A whole year passed. The man lived alone. He felt very lonely. But something changed. His home was warm. The fire was always lit. New wood was by the fire. Food was always ready. Hot food was on the table. Who helped him? He did not know. He was surprised. He wondered who helped.
The man hid behind a tree. He watched his home. He waited very quietly. He saw someone come. It was his wife! She was back. She was alive. She cared for his home. She lit the fire. She cooked the food. The Great Spirit brought her back. He was very happy. He could not believe it.
The man was so happy. He ran to her. He wanted to hug her. His wife spoke to him. Her voice was soft. "Do not touch me," she said. "You must not touch me. Not yet. We must go to our tribe. We must walk there. Then we can be together. We can be together always." The man listened. He understood.
They started their journey. They walked together. They walked for many days. The sun shone on them. The moon watched them. They walked to the tribe's camp. The camp was far away. They walked closer each day. They were almost there.
It was the last night. The next day they would arrive. The man was so happy. He was so excited. He forgot the rule. He forgot her words. He hugged his wife. He held her tight. He loved her so much. He wanted her close.
She changed right away. Her body became hard. She became the wooden doll again. The doll was in his arms. It was just wood. It was not his wife. His wife was gone.
The man was very, very sad again. He felt a deep sorrow. He dropped the doll. It fell to the ground. He ran to the tribe. He ran very fast. He cried as he ran. He told them his story. He told them everything.
Some people went back with him. They wanted to see. They found the doll. It was on the ground. They saw two sets of footprints. One was the man's. One was his wife's. They saw them clearly. Then there was only one set. The wife's prints stopped. The man's prints went on.
The man was sad for a long time. He was very, very sad. He always remembered his wife. He remembered the doll. He never forgot her. He never forgot the rule. He lived alone again. His heart was heavy.
Original Story
THE DEAD WIFE(20)
(20) From the Iroquois.
Once upon a time there were a man and his wife who lived in the forest, very far from the rest of the tribe. Very often they spent the day in hunting together, but after a while the wife found that she had so many things to do that she was obliged to stay at home; so he went alone, though he found that when his wife was not with him he never had any luck. One day, when he was away hunting, the woman fell ill, and in a few days she died.
Her husband grieved bitterly, and buried her in the house where she had passed her life; but as the time went on he felt so lonely without her that he made a wooden doll about her height and size for company, and dressed it in her clothes. He seated it in front of the fire, and tried to think he had his wife back again. The next day he went out to hunt, and when he came home the first thing he did was to go up to the doll and brush off some of the ashes from the fire which had fallen on its face. But he was very busy now, for he had to cook and mend, besides getting food, for there was no one to help him. And so a whole year passed away.
At the end of that time he came back from hunting one night and found some wood by the door and a fire within. The next night there was not only wood and fire, but a piece of meat in the kettle, nearly ready for eating. He searched all about to see who could have done this, but could find no one. The next time he went to hunt he took care not to go far, and came in quite early. And while he was still a long way off he saw a woman going into the house with wood on her shoulders. So he made haste, and opened the door quickly, and instead of the wooden doll, his wife sat in front of the fire.
Then she spoke to him and said, ‘The Great Spirit felt sorry for you, because you would not be comforted, so he let me come back to you, but you must not stretch out your hand to touch me till we have seen the rest of our people. If you do, I shall die.’
So the man listened to her words, and the woman dwelt there, and brought the wood and kindled the fire, till one day her husband said to her, ‘It is now two years since you died. Let us now go back to our tribe. Then you will be well, and I can touch you.’
And with that he prepared food for the journey, a string of deer’s flesh for her to carry, and one for himself; and so they started. Now the camp of the tribe was distant six days’ journey, and when they were yet one day’s journey off it began to snow, and they felt weary and longed for rest. Therefore they made a fire, cooked some food, and spread out their skins to sleep.
Then the heart of the man was greatly stirred, and he stretched out his arms to his wife, but she waved her hands and said, ‘We have seen no one yet; it is too soon.’
But he would not listen to her, and caught her to him, and behold! he was clasping the wooden doll. And when he saw it was the doll he pushed it from him in his misery and rushed away to the camp, and told them all his story. And some doubted, and they went back with him to the place where he and his wife had stopped to rest, and there lay the doll, and besides, they saw in the snow the steps of two people, and the foot of one was like the foot of the doll. And the man grieved sore all the days of his life.
Story DNA
Moral
Disobedience to divine instructions, even when driven by love, can lead to irreversible loss.
Plot Summary
A man living in isolation grieves his dead wife so deeply that he carves a wooden doll in her image. After a year, his wife is resurrected by the Great Spirit, but with a strict condition: he must not touch her until they rejoin their tribe. On the final night of their journey, the man, overcome with longing, disobeys the warning and embraces her. She instantly reverts to the wooden doll, leaving the man to a life of renewed and permanent sorrow.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to hope to renewed suffering
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This story reflects Iroquois spiritual beliefs and traditional ways of life, emphasizing respect for spiritual instructions and the consequences of human frailty.
Plot Beats (11)
- A man and his wife live in the forest; the wife dies, leaving the man grief-stricken and alone.
- The man, consumed by loneliness, carves a wooden doll in his wife's likeness and dresses it in her clothes.
- After a year, the man notices his home is being cared for (wood, fire, food) by an unseen helper.
- He hides and discovers his deceased wife, resurrected by the Great Spirit, performing these tasks.
- His wife explains her return is conditional: he must not touch her until they have rejoined their tribe.
- They prepare for a six-day journey to the tribe's camp.
- On the last night of their journey, the man's longing overwhelms him, and he embraces his wife despite her warning.
- His wife immediately transforms back into the wooden doll in his arms.
- The man, devastated, pushes the doll away and rushes to his tribe's camp to tell his story.
- Some tribesmen return with him to the resting place, finding the doll and evidence of two sets of footprints in the snow.
- The man lives out his days in profound sorrow.
Characters
The Man
A sturdy Iroquois man, likely of average height and a lean, muscled build from a life of hunting in the forest. His skin would be tanned from exposure to the elements.
Attire: Practical hunting attire made of tanned deerskin or other animal hides, possibly adorned with simple quillwork or beadwork. He would wear moccasins suitable for long journeys through the forest.
Wants: To alleviate his profound loneliness and bring his beloved wife back to him, or at least feel her presence.
Flaw: Impulsiveness and an inability to control his desires, leading him to break the Great Spirit's condition.
He begins as a devoted husband, descends into deep grief and loneliness, experiences a miraculous reunion and hope, but ultimately succumbs to his own impatience, leading to renewed and permanent sorrow.
Devoted, persistent, grieving, lonely, impulsive, regretful. He deeply loves his wife and struggles immensely with her loss.
The Wife
An Iroquois woman of average height and a graceful, capable build, accustomed to the physical demands of forest life. Her skin would be warm and tanned.
Attire: Traditional Iroquois women's attire, such as a deerskin dress or tunic and skirt, possibly decorated with porcupine quillwork or beadwork. She would wear soft moccasins.
Wants: To comfort her grieving husband and return to her life with him, under the Great Spirit's condition.
Flaw: Her existence is conditional and fragile, dependent on her husband's adherence to the Great Spirit's rule.
She dies, is replaced by a doll, then miraculously returns to life under a strict condition. Her arc is tragically cut short when the condition is broken, forcing her back to the spirit world.
Devoted, patient, obedient (to the Great Spirit's command), loving, cautious. She understands the delicate nature of her return.
The Wooden Doll
A life-sized wooden carving, roughly the height and size of a human woman. Its surface would be smooth but clearly wood-grained, perhaps darkened by smoke from the fire. It would lack any true facial features, merely a carved approximation.
Attire: Dressed in the actual clothes of The Wife, which would be traditional Iroquois deerskin garments, possibly showing signs of wear or ash from sitting by the fire.
Wants: None.
Flaw: Its inherent inanimate nature; it cannot truly replace a living being.
Created as a substitute, it briefly becomes animated by the Great Spirit, then reverts to its inanimate state, serving as a stark reminder of The Man's failure.
None, as it is an inanimate object. It serves as a symbol of grief and a vessel for the miraculous return.
Locations
Secluded Iroquois Longhouse
A rustic, elongated dwelling constructed from elm bark over a wooden frame, typical of Iroquois architecture, situated deep within a dense forest. Inside, a central hearth burns, casting flickering light on the packed earth floor and the bark walls. Animal furs and woven mats likely cover parts of the floor for warmth. The air would carry the scent of woodsmoke and dried herbs.
Mood: Initially warm and domestic, then shifts to lonely and melancholic, later mysterious and hopeful.
The man and wife live here, the wife dies and is buried here, the man creates the doll, and later the wife mysteriously returns to this home.
Dense Iroquois Forest
A vast, ancient forest characteristic of the Northeastern Woodlands, dominated by towering oak, maple, and pine trees. The ground is covered with fallen leaves, pine needles, and undergrowth. Sunlight filters through the dense canopy, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor. The air is crisp and carries the scent of damp earth and pine.
Mood: Wild, solitary, providing sustenance but also a sense of isolation.
The man hunts here, initially with his wife, then alone, experiencing bad luck after her death.
Snowy Forest Encampment
A temporary camp set up in a clearing within a snow-covered forest, likely composed of pine and birch trees. Fresh snow blankets the ground, tree branches, and any exposed surfaces. A small, crackling fire provides warmth and light, melting a small circle in the snow. Animal skins are spread on the snow for sleeping, and the air is cold and still.
Mood: Weary, hopeful, then tragically desolate.
The man and his revived wife stop here on their journey to the tribe, and the man tragically breaks his promise, causing his wife to revert to the wooden doll.