National Adult Literacy Database

September 16, 2002

The following story was written by Marlene Drapeau, from Mayo, Yukon. Marlene was born a member of the First Nations at Selkirk (Manitoba) on August 1, 1939 in a tent under the brightest star ever seen at that time of the year. Marlene was told that she was a beautiful baby with flaming red hair. Naturally, they expected her to have a bad temper, but she fooled them all. Instead, she grew up to be a very curious child who loved nature and had a strong tendency to pick flowers sometimes out of her Grandmother's choice flowerbeds. Marlene was born into a one-parent family, and since her mother needed to work, she was brought up by very strict grandparents. Her grandpa died when she was a few weeks old, so she became very much her Grandma's girl. She taught her to speak her native language - Northern Tutchone, and trained her in the ways of the native people. Marlene began school when she was eleven years old, but that did not last for long because her Grandma became ill and she had to stay home and take car of her. When she was thirteen years old, she had to go to work to help provide for her Grandma.

A Strange Companion - Book Report

by Marlene Drapeau

The setting of Strange Companion, written by Dayton O. Hyde, was in an area of Buffalo Park in The Territories north of Great Slave Lake. It tells the story of an aeroplane crash which took place there. The plane was piloted by an American biologist, Archie, who was studying the migration habits of the whooping crane.

Archie was accompanied, unknowingly, by a stow-away, a young boy David who ran away from home and his stepfather's farm in Alberta. However, it turned out that David was a blessing in disguise because as result of the crash. Archie suffered a broken leg and David became his sole provider and companion. The research of the whooping crane did not stop with this disaster however, because David gathered eggs of the whooping crane and together he and Archie succeeded in hatching a young crane which was called Rusty. Rusty turned out to be their close friend and companion.

One day while David was off searching for food, Archie took Rusty to walk along the edge of the nearby pond. A cow moose with her young calf was drinking at the pond and seeing Archie and the crane became furious. She was afraid they would hurt her baby. Archie was not able to walk well, he lost his crutches and was trampled to death in the water while Rusty hid in the trees. Dave was devastated when he returned to find Archie dead and Rusty no place to be seen. He buried his friend and Rusty appeared from the forest when the excitement died down. At least David was not alone. He and Rusty became more close then ever. They survived the harsh winter by taking refuge in an old deserted cabin and when the snow finally disappeared in the spring they once again became a part of the great outdoors.

David taught Rusty to fly in preparation for the time when he would fly south with the other wild birds. The time finally came and Rusty reluctantly flew off while David proceeded to walk towards the river. It was during this expedition along the river that he spotted a plane which was in search of him.

The pilot of the plane was accompanied by David's stepfather keish, who was overjoyed at finding the boy. They flew back to Edmonton and then arrived at the old farm nearby. The ordinary life on the farm was now more appealing to David after the difficult experiences he had gone through. This was a great story. The description which flowed throughout the story has to be the outstanding characteristic of this great writer, who by the way, was winner of the Dutton Animal Book Award. I loved this story.

[This story was taken with permission, from the Yukon Learn website, Story of the Month.]/p>