Ratha's Creature
Encyclopedia
Ratha’s Creature is a novel by Clare Bell
. First published in 1983 by Atheneum-Argo, Margaret K. McElderry (hard-cover edition), it is being re-issued in July 2007 by Viking-Penguin's Firebird Books
, edited by Sharyn November
.
This novel is the first in the Ratha series, also re-titled as The Book of the Named.
self-aware leopards- and cougar-like prehistoric big cats. They have laws, languages, and traditions and live by herding the creatures, dapple backs (horses) and three horns (deer), they once hunted. Surrounding the Named are the more numerous non-sentient UnNamed, who prey on the clan’s herds. Mating between Named and UnNamed is forbidden, since the clan believes that the resulting young will be UnNamed animals.
Ratha, a young female, bucks the clan tradition of male dominance by training with the herding teacher, Thakur, to become a herder. All the herders are male except for Fessran, a strong-willed female who became a herder before Meoran took over leadership. Attacks by the UnNamed are driving Ratha's clan close to the edge of survival. Only her discovery and use of fire (“The Red Tongue” and the “Creature” of the title) offers the clan a chance to survive.
Meoran, the tyrannical male clan leader, opposes Ratha and drives her out of the clan. In exile among the UnNamed, Ratha meets a lone male and discovers that the clan is wrong about some of the UnNamed - he speaks very well and is as bright as any clan member. She dubs him "Bonechewer". He teaches her to hunt, the two mate and she has his young. When the cubs don’t develop according to her expectations, she realizes that they are probably non-sentient. She flies into a rage, attacking Bonechewer, biting and crippling the female cub, Thistle-chaser and abandoning her mate and the litter.
Returning to the clan at Thakur‘s bidding, Ratha re-acquires “her creature”, the Red Tongue. With it, she overthrows and kills Meoran. When the UnNamed attack again, she, Thakur and Fessran lead the clan in striking back with a new weapon, fire. The enemy flees in terror. After the battle, Ratha emerges as clan leader. She makes Fessran chief of the Firekeepers, those who build and tend fire for the clan. The Firekeepers also wield torches in battle. Ratha gives The People of The Red Tongue eacha torch, and they fight the UnNamed.
Ratha’s victory is bittersweet, however. Her mate, Bonechewer, was fatally injured in the fight and Ratha finds him dying. Despite everything, she still loves him and is wounded by his death. She is also troubled by the changes Red Tongue has made in her people. However, she knows that with the Red Tongue, the Named will survive.
An animated movie was made based on this book in the mid to late 80's for CBS Storybreak
, a show similar to the ABC "Weekend Special" or "After School Special", which created adaptations of modern and classic children's books. Clips are available on YouTube.
Clare Bell
Clare Bell is an author in the U.S. best known for her Ratha series of young adult fantasy novels about prehistoric big cats. These books, also called the Named series, are about intelligent self-aware large cats who have puma, cheetah and lion characteristics, and are based on fossil creatures...
. First published in 1983 by Atheneum-Argo, Margaret K. McElderry (hard-cover edition), it is being re-issued in July 2007 by Viking-Penguin's Firebird Books
Firebird Books
Firebird Books is an imprint of Penguin Group Inc., publishing mainly paperback reprint editions of science fiction and fantasy for teenagers and adults....
, edited by Sharyn November
Sharyn November
Sharyn November is an American editor of books for children and teenagers. She is Senior Editor for Viking Children's Books and Editorial Director of Firebird Books, which is a mainly paperback imprint publishing fantasy and science fiction for teenagers and adults...
.
This novel is the first in the Ratha series, also re-titled as The Book of the Named.
Summary
Ratha and her people (the Named) are a clan of a strongStrong
-People:*Strong *Strong Vincent , Union Army officer who played a major role in the Battle of Gettsyburg-Fictional characters :* Tom Strong, in comic book series* Captain Strong, in Superman comics series* Mr. Strong, in Mr...
self-aware leopards- and cougar-like prehistoric big cats. They have laws, languages, and traditions and live by herding the creatures, dapple backs (horses) and three horns (deer), they once hunted. Surrounding the Named are the more numerous non-sentient UnNamed, who prey on the clan’s herds. Mating between Named and UnNamed is forbidden, since the clan believes that the resulting young will be UnNamed animals.
Ratha, a young female, bucks the clan tradition of male dominance by training with the herding teacher, Thakur, to become a herder. All the herders are male except for Fessran, a strong-willed female who became a herder before Meoran took over leadership. Attacks by the UnNamed are driving Ratha's clan close to the edge of survival. Only her discovery and use of fire (“The Red Tongue” and the “Creature” of the title) offers the clan a chance to survive.
Meoran, the tyrannical male clan leader, opposes Ratha and drives her out of the clan. In exile among the UnNamed, Ratha meets a lone male and discovers that the clan is wrong about some of the UnNamed - he speaks very well and is as bright as any clan member. She dubs him "Bonechewer". He teaches her to hunt, the two mate and she has his young. When the cubs don’t develop according to her expectations, she realizes that they are probably non-sentient. She flies into a rage, attacking Bonechewer, biting and crippling the female cub, Thistle-chaser and abandoning her mate and the litter.
Returning to the clan at Thakur‘s bidding, Ratha re-acquires “her creature”, the Red Tongue. With it, she overthrows and kills Meoran. When the UnNamed attack again, she, Thakur and Fessran lead the clan in striking back with a new weapon, fire. The enemy flees in terror. After the battle, Ratha emerges as clan leader. She makes Fessran chief of the Firekeepers, those who build and tend fire for the clan. The Firekeepers also wield torches in battle. Ratha gives The People of The Red Tongue eacha torch, and they fight the UnNamed.
Ratha’s victory is bittersweet, however. Her mate, Bonechewer, was fatally injured in the fight and Ratha finds him dying. Despite everything, she still loves him and is wounded by his death. She is also troubled by the changes Red Tongue has made in her people. However, she knows that with the Red Tongue, the Named will survive.
An animated movie was made based on this book in the mid to late 80's for CBS Storybreak
CBS Storybreak
CBS Storybreak is a Saturday morning anthology television series that originally aired on the CBS network during the 1985 season. Hosted by Captain Kangaroo's Bob Keeshan , the episodes are half-hour animated adaptations of some of the most beloved children's books published at the time of airing,...
, a show similar to the ABC "Weekend Special" or "After School Special", which created adaptations of modern and classic children's books. Clips are available on YouTube.
Sequels
- Clan Ground
- Ratha and Thistle-chaserRatha and Thistle-chaserRatha and Thistle-Chaser is a young adult novel, third in the series The Book of the Named by Clare Bell. The series follows a group of sentient, prehistoric large cats called the Named, led by the female cat, Ratha. It also deals with their struggles against the group of non-sentient cats, the...
- Ratha's Challenge
- Ratha's CourageRatha's CourageRatha’s Courage is a novel by Clare Bell. It was published in 2008 by Imaginator Press.This novel is the final one in the Ratha series, also re-titled as The Book of the Named.-Plot summary:...