Hunter Book

The Hunter, by Mary Casanova retells a Chinese folktale about village in need and the hunter who desperately wants to provide nourishment to his community members. The hunter in the story goes out day after day searching for game, but the animals are alluding him. One day, he rescues a snake from the grips of a crane. At the time, he did not realize that this small snake was the daughter of the Dragon King of the Sea. In gratitude, the Dragon King grants the hunter one wish. The hunter asks for the power to hear the animals speak so he can better hunt them and provide for his village. The Dragon King grants the with with the stipulation that if the hunter should ever tell his secret to anyone, he would turn to stone. The hunter's new powers serve their purpose and the village grows strong and healthy again because of the nourishment provided. One day, the hunter overhears the animals chattering about the heavy rains coming that will surely flood the village and crumble the mountaintops. The hunter is faced with the dilemma of keeping his secret to save his own life or telling the villagers of the news he has learned from the animals. Surely they will not believe him without a source, and many will die in the floods.

This folktale contains the expected elements associated with traditional literature. There is magic and suspense and a dilemma that is solved with a strong moral to the story. The main characters consist of humans as well as talking, rationalizing animals.

This book has a strong message of looking out for the good of the community over the good of oneself and would make a great addition to many community building activities. This book can also be used in a more broad unit on folktales in which students can be asked to map the plot from beginning to climax to resolution and discuss the moral of the story. This folktale could also be used in a unit on Asian studies. Stories that have been told for generations, and sometimes centuries, give us a window into the beliefs, worries, and ideas of civilizations long past. We can compare these ways of thinking to modern, Western thought and see if students can find any similarities or differences.

Scholastic Books rates the interest level of this book at K-2 with a reading level of 3.1. With a deeper discussion in mind, however, this book and many other forms of traditional literature can be used successfully in the older grades as well.