A Smile for Sasquatch: A Missing Link Story

Gr 1-3–Sasquatch is lonely, wishing he had a friend. One day a woman prospector walks onto the scene. She befriends him by saying “Hello.” Sasquatch doesn’t know the word, but replies with “Hurlglak,” his phrase for welcome and hands her a huckleberry. This game goes on for awhile and Susan, his new friend talks to him about life outside of the mountains. One day, she leaves and he wishes that humans and sasquatches still lived together. “If only they used the same words,” he thought. He then decides to gather signs around the town to teach himself new words. Only then does he find himself a new friend, although it’s a skeleton from an abandoned wreckage. This does not soothe Sasquatch’s need for company but he does learn to read from a lost treasure of books. He finds a lost letter about the possibility that sasquatches still roam the earth from the famous Sir Lionel. Sasquatch builds a vessel to reach Sir Lionel but it unfortunately sinks. Finally he comes to the conclusion that he must send a letter to Sir Lionel about his exact location, but as soon as he puts the letter in the mail, he reconsiders. He definitely doesn’t want to end up attached to a leash the rest of his life. The prologue to the animated film Missing Link, this tale of unlikely friendship between beast and humankind written in a child friendly narrative. The idea that communication is the problem between man and sasquatch is a valuable lesson. So many things could be avoided or less misunderstood if people could communicate better with each other.