The Foster-Child of the Deer
A Zuni story about a child abandoned in the wilderness who was adopted and raised by deer. The deer taught the child to live in harmony with nature, to understand the language of animals, and to know the sacred plants of the forest. When the child grew up and encountered human hunters, a conflict arose between the human and deer worlds. The deer-mother bid farewell to her foster-child, who was torn between two worlds — the human world of their birth and the deer world of their raising. The story teaches respect for deer and the proper relationship between hunters and prey. It is connected to Z