Today was a good day. Mommy and Daddy took me to visit Uncle Kanen'tó:kon and his village! Uncle Kanen'tó:kon always has fun things for me to do.
Today, he gave me a trap and taught me how to catch animals! I caught a rabbit, all by myself!
It was very small and furry and soft, and it cried before Uncle taught me how to kill it.
Its eyes were big and round. It looked scared.
Uncle says that the best way is to kill it before it knew that it was caught. Then it won’t be scared.
He says that it is mean to hurt something for a long time and if you don’t let it go, you should kill it quickly.
Uncle looked weird when he said that. Like he was thinking about the pretty wolf that the evil man took.
Uncle must have loved the wolf a lot.
He says that wolfs are very smart and good hunters. But no one is a better hunter than Uncle!
He’s the bestest! He even caught a bear, and we’ll be eating bear tonight!
Uncle said that Mommy had taught him how to hunt when they were both littler.
Silly Uncle.
Doesn’t he know that Daddy never lets Mommy near the forest? Daddy says he’s afraid that Mommy will get lost and never return.
The forest is big. And scary when Uncle isn’t with me.
I don’t want Mommy to get lost in the forest and never return.
Maybe Mommy won’t get lost if Uncle is with him?
But Daddy doesn’t like Uncle. He says that Uncle wants to spread Mommy’s legs.
Why would Uncle want to spread Mommy’s legs? Mommy can poop on his own, not like Mr. Collin’s new baby.
I don’t like Mr. Collin’s new baby. He looks weird. All small and loud and pink.
But Mommy says that all babies are that way and that I was that way too.
Nuh-uh! Not Grandpa!
He’s all big and strong and quiet.
But Grandpa tells very sad stories.
He says that there once was an eagle and that the eagle had a good and kind mommy and a wise daddy. But then a bad man killed the nice mommy and the wise daddy thought that he had killed the eagle too.
The little eagle was all alone and left his nest. But more bad men found the eagle and tricked him. They made him kill nice people and spread chaos.
Grandpa always looks around when he says this. He must be scared that Mommy will be mad at him for telling me sad stories.
The eagle’s daddy found out, but he couldn’t save the eagle. The eagle had been too bad for him to save. So he and his friend caught the eagle and kept it in a nice house.
But then the eagle got sick. He fell into a deep sleep and couldn’t wake and the daddy was very scared because he thought the eagle was gonna die.
Grandpa always looks sad at this and stares at Mommy when he’s not looking.
Maybe Mommy was sick before he had me?
Grandpa says that the eagle woke up but lost his wings.
How do eagles lose their wings? Wouldn’t they die?
But the eagle got better and lived in the house with his daddy’s friend. And they had a little eagle after!
Eagles are pretty. I want to be an eagle when I grow up!
Continuing Fill 3 - His Mother's Son 2
Journal of Haytham Lee, age 9
Today was a good day. Mommy and Daddy took me to visit Uncle Kanen'tó:kon and his village! Uncle Kanen'tó:kon always has fun things for me to do.
Today, he gave me a trap and taught me how to catch animals! I caught a rabbit, all by myself!
It was very small and furry and soft, and it cried before Uncle taught me how to kill it.
Its eyes were big and round. It looked scared.
Uncle says that the best way is to kill it before it knew that it was caught. Then it won’t be scared.
He says that it is mean to hurt something for a long time and if you don’t let it go, you should kill it quickly.
Uncle looked weird when he said that. Like he was thinking about the pretty wolf that the evil man took.
Uncle must have loved the wolf a lot.
He says that wolfs are very smart and good hunters. But no one is a better hunter than Uncle!
He’s the bestest! He even caught a bear, and we’ll be eating bear tonight!
Uncle said that Mommy had taught him how to hunt when they were both littler.
Silly Uncle.
Doesn’t he know that Daddy never lets Mommy near the forest? Daddy says he’s afraid that Mommy will get lost and never return.
The forest is big. And scary when Uncle isn’t with me.
I don’t want Mommy to get lost in the forest and never return.
Maybe Mommy won’t get lost if Uncle is with him?
But Daddy doesn’t like Uncle. He says that Uncle wants to spread Mommy’s legs.
Why would Uncle want to spread Mommy’s legs? Mommy can poop on his own, not like Mr. Collin’s new baby.
I don’t like Mr. Collin’s new baby. He looks weird. All small and loud and pink.
But Mommy says that all babies are that way and that I was that way too.
Nuh-uh! Not Grandpa!
He’s all big and strong and quiet.
But Grandpa tells very sad stories.
He says that there once was an eagle and that the eagle had a good and kind mommy and a wise daddy. But then a bad man killed the nice mommy and the wise daddy thought that he had killed the eagle too.
The little eagle was all alone and left his nest. But more bad men found the eagle and tricked him. They made him kill nice people and spread chaos.
Grandpa always looks around when he says this. He must be scared that Mommy will be mad at him for telling me sad stories.
The eagle’s daddy found out, but he couldn’t save the eagle. The eagle had been too bad for him to save. So he and his friend caught the eagle and kept it in a nice house.
But then the eagle got sick. He fell into a deep sleep and couldn’t wake and the daddy was very scared because he thought the eagle was gonna die.
Grandpa always looks sad at this and stares at Mommy when he’s not looking.
Maybe Mommy was sick before he had me?
Grandpa says that the eagle woke up but lost his wings.
How do eagles lose their wings? Wouldn’t they die?
But the eagle got better and lived in the house with his daddy’s friend. And they had a little eagle after!
Eagles are pretty. I want to be an eagle when I grow up!