Kai and his Father-In-Law, Natanatas
"Kai and his Father-In-Law, Natanatas," collected by Jeremiah Curtin, is a Native American trickster tale following Kai Rabbit, his small brother Góshgoise, and Kai's treacherous father-in-law, Natanatas, through a series of deadly trials and supernatural contests. Kai arrives at Natanatas' home seeking to marry the old man's daughter, bringing Góshgoise with him. From the outset, Natanatas harbors murderous intentions toward his prospective son-in-law, viewing Kai as prey for himself and his many sons, some of whom dwell beneath the water and beneath the ground. Despite outward pretenses of welcome and cooperation, Natanatas devises one lethal scheme after another, each disguised as an ordinary request or domestic task. The first attempt on Kai's life occurs on the lake, where Natanatas feigns sleep while supernaturally summoning a violent wind to capsize their canoe and drown Kai, whose body would then be consumed by the old man's underwater sons. Kai is saved by a magical white eagle feather, which instructs him to twist strands of seaweed and ride them safely to shore. Returning to the house as though nothing has happened, Kai leaves Natanatas baffled and frustrated. Natanatas then sends Kai on a series of increasingly dangerous errands. He sends him to fetch reeds from an island in the middle of a lake, certain that Kai cannot reach it. He sends him to retrieve heavy stones from beneath a deep, fast-moving river. He sends him to climb an impossibly tall tree to gather feathers from an eagle's nest, during which the tree magically grows taller and taller as Kai ascends. Each time, the white eagle feathers intervene and instruct Kai to think of them, granting him the ability to float across water, dry up a river, or descend safely through the air like a drifting feather. Armed with the bow and arrows Natanatas constructs from these gathered materials, Kai is sent hunting with the secret purpose of having Natanatas' sons, transformed into deer, kill him. Natanatas instructs each disguised son to place his vital life force in his foot rather than his body, believing Kai will never think to shoot there. However, Góshgoise's brotherly devotion causes him to call out "Pets, pets, pets," meaning "Foot, foot, foot," alerting Kai to the correct target. Kai shoots each deer-son through the foot, killing him, while maintaining the pretense of ignorance before Natanatas. One by one, Kai destroys Natanatas' underground sons in this manner, leaving the old man grieving and bewildered. Natanatas then transforms his remaining sons into fish and lures Kai to the lake to spear them, hoping they will drag him underwater. Kai brings Góshgoise along, and together the brothers overpower the great fish and drag it to shore, thwarting the plan again. Natanatas next organizes a series of footraces along a narrow riverbank trail, instructing hidden sons to push Kai into the water from behind, where other sons wait to devour him. Each time Kai is shoved, the white eagle feathers rescue him by allowing him to float away through the air. Kai turns the tactic against his persecutors, pushing a brother-in-law into the water where the waiting sons, mistaking him for Kai, devour their own kin. When Natanatas himself is pushed into the water, his sons nearly eat him as well, though his spirit escapes. Scolding his sons for their failures, Natanatas urges them onward, but Kai continues to outmaneuver each assault until Natanatas' sons are entirely destroyed. With her father's sons dead and his schemes exhausted, Kai's wife openly condemns Natanatas, telling him she no longer respects or wishes to remain near him. She departs with Kai and Góshgoise, crossing a high mountain to a meadow beyond, where the three build a home and live there permanently. The tale presents Kai as a figure who succeeds not through aggression but through receptivity to supernatural guidance, brotherly loyalty, and consistent calm in the face of repeated treachery, while Natanatas is ultimately destroyed by the very violence he directs at others.
By Jeremiah Curtin · First published 1912 · Genre: Folklore, Fantasy, Adventure · 2,923 words
First lines
CHARACTERS / Kai Rabbit (Jack) / Góshgoise Rabbit (Small) / Natanatas
Kai and his little brother, Góshgoise, went to Natanatas' house. Kai wanted to marry Natanatas' daughter. He left Góshgoise outside. Old woman Natanatas gave Góshgoise seeds and roots, but he wouldn't eat them.
What this Textopian page supports
Kai and his Father-In-Law, Natanatas is listed on Textopian as a short story by Jeremiah Curtin, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Jeremiah Curtin
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Folklore, Fantasy, Adventure, Myth, Children's Literature
- Length: 2,923 words
- Structure: 1 section, 65 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Kai and his Father-In-Law, Natanatas by Jeremiah Curtin
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
- Stories Told By The Miller by Violet Jacob
- The History Of Aladdin by Anonymous
- The Santa Claus Brownies by Ethel Calvert Phillips
- The Story Of Yvashka With The Bears Ear by George Borrow
- The Trippertrots And The Old Mans Hat by Howard R. Garis
- A Magic Rose by Amy Ella Blanchard
Genres
- Folklore — The narrative is a collected folk tale by ethnographer Jeremiah Curtin, featuring traditional oral storytelling elements, mythical creatures, and culturally specific narrative conventions typical of indigenous North American folklore.
- Fantasy — The story contains magical elements including magical feathers that grant supernatural abilities, transformations, resurrection of the dead, and characters with extraordinary powers that defy natural laws.
- Adventure — The plot follows Kai through a series of dangerous quests and challenges orchestrated by his father-in-law, with escalating obstacles including trials on water, mountains, and forests that test his courage and resourcefulness.
- Myth — The narrative employs mythological archetypes such as the hero facing trials, supernatural allies, tests of worthiness, and the triumph of good over evil, with elements of creation and transformation common to mythological traditions.
Tags
folklore · mythology · indigenous stories · Native American · family relationships · father-in-law · cultural traditions · oral literature · anthropology · historical narratives · character study · social dynamics