A Legendary Feather and Her Tale
by
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This is a tale about "Feather," perhaps the most beautiful of her kind. She began as most feathers do--a wee bit of down on a baby bird. And the little One Feather was attached to seemed to be stronger and more adventuresome than his nest mates. This was fine with Feather, because the more he grew and flew, she did, too. She also knew two more things for sure: her shape and coloring were just right for this fellow; and that being on the very tip of the right wing was one of the best spots to be on birds that fly at great speed. As the wind blew through her quill she was lifted so far upward she felt as though she was touching the sky, sweeping the clouds, dodging raindrops and, best of all, adding grace and elegance to her magnificent master...the bald eagle! Well sir, before long, the valiant bird sporting Feather, got into a big fight with a huge hawk. There were feathers and fuzz everywhere. To Feather’s dismay, she ended up on the heap because all this flurry made her lose her place. She was just floating around near the ground. Her own bird had become to agitated that he had flown away angrily and apparently didn’t miss her at all. Alas, Feather was without a home. She drifted in the breeze, twisting and turning. She was. indeed, "a feather in the wind", with no place to go and nothing to do. Oh my, what would become of her.
Yes, indeed, Feather’s joyous savior traveled around a lot. Eventually the two, once again, were right in the middle of familiar sounds: shouting, singing, and drums, again. But this time there was also marching with the added sound of guns, big guns. She was confused by this curious clamor, but was so tightly wedged in a vest pocket she couldn’t even peer out. However being so firmly entrenched made her feel safe considering the circumstances. This chap, who had virtually adopted her, really liked games of chance. He hadn’t had many opportunities to gamble since she was aboard, but now a game was going to take place. It seemed that the poor fellow ran out of funds before long and therefore needed to offer Feather as his wager Then he lost the game and she was forfeited! Feather was quickly snatched up by the winner, and before she could shed tears of fright she realized she was once again in a band--up high in the fresh air, because she was affixed in the man’s derby hat. Hearing the words "stick a feather in your hat and call it macaroni" didn’t set too well with Feather, She disliked being compared with pasta. Her carrier also played a funny sounding gadget and people kept repeating the name "Yankee Doodle", whoever he was. Once again she was in another heady spot But she felt through her very shaft that this was short-lived, so her overall discontent was a small matter. In fact, compared with what happened next it certainly was no matter at all. There was unrest and only big guns were important. Feather didn’t understand any of it, Why would she? She was a soft creature.
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About the Book
Reflecting the free spirit and openness found in the West. A Legendary Feather and Her Tale evolves from one of nature’s most elusive and admired creatures–the bald eagle. The story is a fantasy in allegorical form, with twelve short chapters featuring an invincible female feather as she travels through centuries to modern day. Witnessing, and even experiencing, Famous historical events, she moves quickly from one episode to another, as it is narrated in third person. Young audiences and/or readers get into the story by defining a word from each chapter, understanding alliteration and catching the many plays on words, all this, as well as choosing just one, two or all of the pictures to color. This would-be fable offers many ways for ten- and eleven-year-old children to interact. Feather’s traits and purpose provide an interesting subject for discussion, too, which might lead to a moral of the story .In any case, this tale, whether told or read, is a basic learning tool, while being open to both individual and group imaginations. Feather’s tale has been told to a number of fifth and sixth graders in Cheyenne, Laramie and Centennial in order to glean feedback from this age and grade group before the final editing took place.
About the Author
A graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Donna holds a BA degree in journalism and advertising. She was born and raised in Boulder and worked at The Boulder Daily Camera while attending the university. Her first post graduate job was with Cheyenne Newspapers, Inc. in Wyoming as a member of the display advertising staff as well as a special assignment feature writer for the editorial department. After six years she married and moved to Laramie, Wyoming where she taught journalistic writing classes at the University of Wyoming and produced a weekly shopping column for the Laramie Boomerang while her husband received his law degree. Over the years she served as a guest lecturer for the university and later she became a member of the faculty when she taught public relations and advertising copywriting classes for the Department of Communication and Mass Media at UW. She commuted from Cheyenne to teach over a period of eight years. In Cheyenne, she produced and hosted daily radio talk shows and a weekly television public affairs show. Concurrently she wrote a weekly, humorous, slice of life column for The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. In 1982, she opened her own PR/Advertising firm, Donna Smith & Associates, which she operated for sixteen years. Under the auspices of the agency, and while managing several large accounts, she presented workshops on marketing for small business owners; public and media relations for industry, institutions and nonprofit organizations; and classes on the mechanics of writing for the media at Laramie County Community College and Preston University. Both the Smiths are now retired and live at the base of the Snowy Range outside of Centennial, Wyoming. The couple has three grown children and the whole family continues to be avid outdoor enthusiasts. Donna says she focuses on fiction writing in her "spare time."