THE RETURN OF THE CHILD (ALGONQUIN)

An Algonquin legend about a young man who lost both his wife and child. So that the sorrow of the living will not haunt the spirit of the dead, Indian tradition limits the length of mourning. But Eshkebuc cannot tear himself away from the graveside, unable to sever the link between the living and the dead. His tears awaken his dead son but, though he appears healthy, the boy does not eat or smile or speak until the sap of the fir tree frees him from the bonds of death. (26 minutes)