February 16, 2026
The Tale of Ol' Split Toe
Science & Nature/Environment Science Fiction/Time Travel Literature & Fiction/Action & Adventure
Date Published: 03-31-2026
Publisher: Mission Point Press
Split Toe witnesses two hundred years of conflict building between modern humans -- who fight to control the natural world -- and Mother Nature, who repeatedly reaches for balance. He wonders whether human ways will ultimately overpower Mother Nature, until he meets a boy who changes everything.
Copyright @ 2026 by Daniel S. Ellens
And here, within the ancient circle, the barrier between the physical world and the spirit pool was thin. He could hear them now, whispering to each other in the wind.
Waawaashkeshi breathed deeply, looked up into the tree foliage, and asked the spirits the question that was weighing on him.
“Was that really necessary? The hungry cougar? The human stalking me? This flea? The problem at the river? I nearly broke my neck. It is still sore.”
Waawaashkeshi stretched his neck upward and to the side in a circular motion, lifting his chin. He was speaking to himself. Listening for an answer that would come from within.
“Am I not a chosen deer? Why do you not protect me from such things?”
The spirit’s answer seemed to whisper through his mind like wind through the leaves.
“Waawaashkeshi, you know that physically, you are an ordinary deer. You learn from experience as any other living thing learns from experience. You are as big and strong as your kind can be. Your chances of survival are better than other deer because of your strength and the wisdom you’ve gained from your experiences. Your adversaries are mighty, which will only make you stronger … if you survive. Your judgment grows, like a river fed by many streams. You would never be able to understand what you must learn if you were not an ordinary deer who faces real suffering. You are not protected from the natural trials of life because trials are a part of life. Do you think you could understand the strength of the river without such a crossing? Do you think you would have found out about the living soil if you had not crossed the river? Knowing such things is important. Your experiences will guide you in the future. They will help you understand the natural world, the forest, and its inhabitants. They will help you survive. These are your lessons.”
Dan Ellens is an outdoor enthusiast who is passionate about connecting people with nature. He spends nearly half of each year in an isolated, electricity-free treehouse on Winterfield Pines Nature Sanctuary with woodstove heat, handpump water, and oil lamp lighting.
Dan has written four nonfiction books intended to inspire adventure, promote self-sufficient lifestyles, and connect people with nature.
While not in the wilds, Dan and his wife live in the small community of Salem, Michigan.
LinkedIn: Daniel S. Ellens
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