The Deer and the Serpent is the story of a fictional Cherokee boy of the 17th century. Ah Whi, The Deer, grows from an intelligent, curious child into the wise man of his town. Along the way, he learns the legends and myths of his people. Spear Finger, Raven Mocker, and the Little People are important among these, but it is Uktena, the giant serpent, who overshadows them all. A native copper pebble leads Ah Whi first to his manhood quest in a faraway land and ultimately to his search for Uktena. His mother's answer to a childhood question about her story, "Is that true?" may be fitting for The Deer and the Serpent. "Well, it may be. Nobody knows for sure, but it could have happened just like that."