The White Deer by James Thurber
"The White Deer" is a fairy tale set in the enchanting kingdom of King Clode, known for its magical forest. The narrative follows King Clode and his three sons—Thag, Gallow, and the sensitive and graceful Jorn—who are passionate about hunting. During a period of scarce game, a wizard enchants the court with tales of a mystical white deer living in the forest, which piques their interest. The king, wary from a past experience where a deer transformed into a princess, is torn between caution and temptation but ultimately leads his sons into the hunt for the elusive creature.
As the story unfolds, the white deer is indeed revealed to be a princess who cannot remember her identity due to a curse. She challenges the princes with perilous tasks, but only Jorn, who openly declares his love for her, is able to break the spell. This declaration reveals her true identity as Rosanore of Northland, who has been cursed along with her brother, Tel. Their tale culminates in the promise of a journey to Northland for marriage, while also addressing the fate of the jealous woman who cast the spell. The story reflects themes of love, courage, and the complexities of identity intertwined with magical elements.
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The White Deer
First published: 1945
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—magical world
Time of work: The medieval period
Locale: The realm of King Clode
The Plot
The White Deer, often called a novella, is a fairy tale. It takes place “once upon a time” in the kingdom of King Clode, which is distinguished by the fact that it contains an enchanted forest. The widower king and his three sons, Thag, Gallow, and Jorn, fill their bachelor lives with hunting and sport. The youngest son, Jorn, is sensitive and poetic as well as athletic and graceful. Although he rides along on the hunts, he avoids killing animals. Nevertheless, the hunters regularly deplete the area so completely that they must endure long periods of enforced idleness to await replenishment of the game. During such periods, Jorn flourishes, but the others pine and mope.
The adventure is set during one of these times of scarce game. A wizard comes to Clode’s court and tells the story of a white deer in the magic forest. Clode avoids this forest because the last time he hunted there, he and his father and brothers chased a swift and beautiful deer that, when they were about to kill it, trans-formed into a princess. Clode then had to return her to her father, undergo perilous labors in competition with his brothers, and then marry the princess when he won the competition. His brothers never returned from their quests. He would prefer to avoid a repetition of these events, but the wizard’s description of the white deer and his challenging of the hunters’ prowess prove to be irresistible temptations. Father and sons pursue the white deer in the magic forest and, just as before, when they have her cornered, she turns into a beautiful princess.
This time, the spell proves troubling, for the princess does not know her name and cannot remember her past. Still, she sets the three sons perilous labors and awaits the result. Meanwhile, Clode’s strange and ridiculous staff discovers that she may be a deer by nature and that she can become a princess if she is loved by a prince; otherwise, she will turn back into a deer again. The princes all are successful in their labors and return simultaneously. Thag and Gallow, however, are unwilling to declare love for her, especially after they learn that she may be a deer. Jorn, however, loves her and says so. This declaration breaks the spell. She is revealed to be Rosanore of Northland, cursed along with her brother, Tel, by a jealous woman who had wanted to marry her father. Tel has been present at Clode’s court, in the form of Quondo, a dwarf who knows but cannot tell about the spell. The story ends with the beginning of the journey to Northland for the marriage and with an account of the jealous woman’s punishment.
Bibliography
Fensch, Thomas, ed. Conversations with James Thurber. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1989.
Grauer, Neil A. Remember Laughter: A Life of James Thurber. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1994.
Holmes, Charles S. The Clocks of Columbus: The Literary Career of James Thurber. New York: Atheneum, 1972.
Kinney, Harrison. James Thurber: His Life and Times. New York: Henry Holt, 1995.
Kinney, Harrison, and Rosemary A. Thurber, eds. The Thurber Letters: The Wit, Wisdom, and Surprising Life of James Thurber. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.
Rosen, Michael J., ed. Collecting Himself: James Thurber on Writing and Writers, Humor, and Himself. New York: Harper & Row, 1989.
Tobias, Richard C. The Art of James Thurber. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1970.