“The Invisible Warrior” A Native American Folk Tale Schema “The Invisible Warrior” A Native American Folk Tale

Review Let’s review our schema about schema. Another word for schema is … Schema is… I can use schema to help me…

Activity Today we will read a folk tale called “The Invisible Warrior” to build schema for your Native American unit. I want you to do two things while we read: 1. Activate your schema for a story that is similar to “The Invisible Warrior.” 2. Think about what this tribe values. It will give you schema for this tribe.

A Native American Story The Invisible Warrior A Native American Story Retold by Lin Donn Illustrated by Phillip Martin

The Invisible Warrior Native Americans taught their children about good behavior by using folk tales, myths, and legends to make a point. This folk tale is from an Eastern Woodland tribe. Similar folk tales appear in many cultures, but each one reflects the culture of the people telling the story.

The Invisible Warrior A long time ago, there lived a great warrior. There were many stories about this strange and magical warrior. One story said he could make himself invisible. He could wander among the enemies of the tribe and hear all of their war plans.

The Invisible Warrior Another story told of his great loneliness. The only person who could see the invisible warrior was his sister. He loved his sister, but he wanted a wife who was gentle and truthful. He vowed he would not marry until he found a maiden, besides his sister, who could truly see him.

The Invisible Warrior He used a trick to see if the maidens could truly see him. He had his sister lead each maiden towards him as he pulled his sled. His sister asked each woman if she could see the invisible warrior. “Oh, yes!” each maiden replied. “What is he pulling? “His sled!” they answered. Everyone knew that!

The Invisible Warrior “How is the sled tied?” the sister would ask. One said with strong rope. Another said with strong vines. Still another said with strong leather. Since none of the answers were correct, the invisible warrior knew they had lied.

The Invisible Warrior Maiden after maiden attempted to marry the famous warrior, but none passed the test. The invisible warrior thought about talking to the chief. The chief had three daughters. Maybe he could marry one of them.

The Invisible Warrior The two oldest sisters were very cruel. The youngest, however, was kind and gentle. Jealous of her beauty, her sisters rubbed her face with hot coals, scarring her face. They cut her long hair. They made her do all the work, theirs as well as her own. If she refused, they told lies about her to their father. The youngest was too gentle and afraid to complain.

The Invisible Warrior All of the chief’s daughters wanted to marry The Invisible Warrior because he was magical. The two oldest sisters came to the meeting place. One said his sled was tied with a strong braid of human hair. The other said it was tied with mighty branches. Neither answer was correct, so the warrior sent them back to their father.

The Invisible Warrior When her work was done for the day, the youngest sister arrived at the meeting place, just as the sun was setting. When asked how his sled was tied, her face lit up with pleasure. “With a rainbow,” she answered softly. With joy, The Invisible Warrior knew he had found his wife at last.

The Invisible Warrior As time passed, the chief’s youngest daughter gave birth to a strong son. Her hair grew long. Her scars disappeared. Her life was full and happy.  

The Invisible Warrior To her, the warrior was not invisible; everyone could see, if they simply looked. Her warrior was the most wonderful man in the world! The invisible warrior and his wife lived happily together for the rest of their lives.

The Invisible Warrior As for the two ugly sisters, they lived together in a tent – unmarried, unloved, and ignored. As the years went on, many stories were told of the ugly sisters’ unhappiness. When maidens heard the stories, they vowed never to be mean again.

Questions Question: What fairy tale does this story remind you of? What trait does this tribe value in women? What new schema do you have from the story or the activity?