The Boy Who Danced With The Rabbits

The Collins family are early settlers to their Appalachian home at the base of Ben’s Knob Mountain in the valley Indians call Cho-E-Sto-E, a Cherokee word describing the valley as ‘the rabbit place’. Jeb and his full-blood Cherokee friend, Wolf, grow to manhood in this valley and the tales they spawn become legend. It is a time of self-preservation and living off the land, a time when Indians and settlers enjoy peace and a way of life which is considered proper. A time when God is supreme and folks depend on Him to aid in their ability to produce what is needed to survive. Hunting produces meat, farming produces crops, and the mountains hold favor for a boy who will see a time in history live its life—a time when “The Trail” will bring tears from the Cherokee as they were forced to leave their beloved mountains, and the valley where the rabbits danced.