THE DEAD WIFE [\[20\]](#Footnote2020)
by Unknown · from The Yellow Fairy Book
![Cover: THE DEAD WIFE [\[20\]](#Footnote2020)](/library-files/english/unknown/the_yellow_fairy_book/the_dead_wife_20_footnote2020/images/cover/cover_001.png?v=1773763879078)
Adapted Version
A man and woman lived in a forest. They were happy. One day, the woman went away. She fell asleep always. The Man was very, very sad. He was alone now.
The Man felt so alone. He made a special place for her. He made a wooden doll. It was like his wife. He put her clothes on it. The doll sat by the fire.
The Man was alone for a long time. It was hard to do all things. He cooked and he hunted. He missed the woman very much. He was sad for a whole year.
One night, the Man came home. He saw wood by the door. A fire was warm inside. One more night, food was in the pot. He wondered who did this.
The Man hid. He watched his house. He saw a woman come in. It was the Woman! She came back! The Man was very surprised.
The Woman spoke. "The Great Spirit sent me," she said. "But you must not touch me. Not until with friends." This was a big rule.
They walked for many days. They wanted to go to their friends. They walked to their people.
One day, they stopped to rest. It was cold. Snow was on the ground.
The Man was so happy. He forgot the rule. He hugged the Woman. He held her tight.
Poof! The Woman was gone. Only the Wooden Doll was there. It was the doll he made.
The Man was very, very sad again. He ran to his friends. He told them what happened.
His friends came back with him. They saw the doll. They saw two sets of footprints. They knew his story was true.
The Man was sad for a long time. He knew the big rule. He wished he had listened. It is big to listen to rules. If you do not listen, special things leave.
Original Story
THE DEAD WIFE [20]
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
Disobeying sacred instructions, even out of love, can lead to irreversible loss.
Plot Summary
A man living in the forest loses his wife and, consumed by grief, carves a wooden doll in her image. After a year, his wife miraculously returns, granted by the Great Spirit, but with the strict condition that he must not touch her until they reach their tribe. During their journey, the man, overcome with emotion, disobeys the warning and embraces her. She instantly transforms back into the wooden doll, leaving the man to live out his days in renewed sorrow, his tale confirmed by the tribe who find evidence of the magical event.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to hope to despair
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects beliefs in spiritual intervention and the sacredness of divine instructions, common in many indigenous cultures.
Plot Beats (13)
- A man and his wife live in the forest; the wife dies, leaving the man desolate.
- The grieving husband buries his wife in their home and carves a wooden doll in her likeness to cope with his loneliness.
- He spends a year alone, struggling with household chores and hunting.
- One night, he finds wood and a fire, and later cooked meat, mysteriously appearing in his home.
- He hides and observes a woman, his wife, entering the house.
- His wife reveals she was returned by the Great Spirit but warns him not to touch her until they reach their tribe.
- After two years, they begin a six-day journey to the tribe.
- On the penultimate day, they stop to rest in the snow.
- Overcome with emotion, the man disregards his wife's warning and embraces her.
- His wife instantly transforms back into the wooden doll.
- The man, distraught, rushes to the tribe and tells his story.
- Some tribespeople return with him and find the doll and evidence of two sets of footprints in the snow, confirming his tale.
- The man grieves for the rest of his life.
Characters
The Man
A sturdy, lean man, accustomed to the rigors of forest life and hunting. His build would be practical for tracking and carrying game, suggesting strong legs and arms. His skin is likely weathered from exposure to the elements, possibly with a darker, sun-kissed tone common among indigenous peoples living in forested regions.
Attire: Simple, functional clothing made from animal hides and furs, appropriate for hunting and living in a forest environment. Perhaps a tunic and leggings made of tanned deerskin, possibly adorned with fringes or simple beadwork. He would wear sturdy moccasins for silent movement through the forest.
Wants: To alleviate his profound loneliness and bring his beloved wife back to life, or at least to have her presence with him again.
Flaw: His overwhelming grief and inability to control his impulses, particularly his longing for physical closeness with his wife, which leads him to break the Great Spirit's condition.
Starts as a devoted husband, becomes a grieving widower, finds temporary solace and hope with his wife's return, but ultimately succumbs to his weakness, losing her again and living out his days in renewed sorrow.
Devoted, persistent, lonely, grief-stricken, impulsive. He deeply loves his wife and is unable to move on after her death. His persistence in trying to bring her back is a testament to his devotion, but his impulsiveness ultimately leads to tragedy.
The Wife
Before her death, she was a capable woman, likely of a similar build to her husband, strong enough for the tasks of forest life and hunting. After her return, she appears as she did in life, but with a subtle, ethereal quality, perhaps a slight translucence or an unusual stillness, hinting at her temporary nature. Her skin would be natural, reflecting her indigenous heritage.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing made from tanned deerskin, similar to her husband's but perhaps with more decorative elements like beadwork or quill embroidery. She would wear a deerskin dress or tunic and leggings, with moccasins. The story mentions her clothes being used for the doll, implying her attire was distinctive.
Wants: To comfort her grieving husband and return to him, as permitted by the Great Spirit, under the strict condition of not being touched until they reach the tribe.
Flaw: Her existence is conditional; she is vulnerable to her husband's impulsive actions and the breaking of the Great Spirit's taboo.
Dies, is resurrected by the Great Spirit to comfort her husband, attempts to fulfill the conditions of her return, but ultimately vanishes again due to her husband's impulsiveness, returning to her spiritual state.
Devoted, obedient, cautious, compassionate. She cares for her husband even after death, following the Great Spirit's instructions carefully. She tries to warn her husband, showing her concern for him and her understanding of the consequences.
The Wooden Doll
Carved from wood, about the height and size of the man's deceased wife. Its features would be simple and unpainted, showing the natural grain of the wood. It would be dressed in the wife's actual clothes, giving it a semblance of life.
Attire: The actual clothes of the deceased wife: a deerskin dress or tunic, possibly with leggings and moccasins. The fabric would be worn and perhaps slightly dusty from sitting by the fire.
Wants: None, as it is an object. Its 'purpose' is entirely projected onto it by the man.
Flaw: Its inherent nature as an inanimate object; it cannot truly replace the wife.
Begins as a comfort object, briefly replaced by the returned wife, and ultimately becomes the tragic symbol of the man's failure and renewed loss when he embraces it instead of his wife.
Inanimate, but imbued with emotional significance by the man. It serves as a silent, passive placeholder for his grief and longing.
Locations
Secluded Forest Dwelling
A simple, single-room dwelling made of natural materials, likely logs and bark, nestled deep within a dense forest, far from other human settlements. It contains a central fire pit for warmth and cooking.
Mood: Initially a place of shared life and love, then profound grief and loneliness, later a mysterious return of warmth and hope, before becoming a site of renewed sorrow.
The wife lives and dies here; the husband grieves and creates the doll; the wife mysteriously returns to life here; they prepare to leave for the tribe.
Forest Path to the Tribal Camp
A winding path through a vast, snow-covered forest, leading towards the distant tribal camp. The ground is blanketed in fresh snow, with tracks of two people visible.
Mood: Weary and hopeful anticipation, turning to tragic despair and disbelief.
The man and his revived wife make their journey; they stop to rest one day's journey from the camp; the man breaks his promise, and his wife reverts to the doll.