Eagle Ribs Character Analysis in Fools Crow

An experienced horse-taker and warrior of the Lone Eaters band, and a member of Yellow Kidney’s horse raiding party against the Crow. He is a talented scouter and can slip in and out of enemy camps undetected. When Yellow Kidney disappears during the raid, Eagle Ribs has a dream about a white horse, the death horse, and a face he can’t quite identify. He suspects his dream means that Yellow Kidney is either dead or dying, but this isn’t confirmed until Yellow Kidney returns to the Lone Eaters’ camp moons later riding a scrawny and injured white horse.

Eagle Ribs Quotes in Fools Crow

The Fools Crow quotes below are all either spoken by Eagle Ribs or refer to Eagle Ribs. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The Individual vs. the Collective Good Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin edition of Fools Crow published in 1986.

“I have had a bad dream and it troubles me. I came and went so fast, I could make little of it. In my dream I saw a small white horse wandering in the snow. Its hooves were split and it had sores all over. It was wearing a bridle and the reins trailed after it. But it was the eyes. I looked into the eyes and they were white and unseeing. As I drew closer I saw across its back fingers of blood.”

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 35-6

Explanation and Analysis:

Eagle Ribs Character Timeline in Fools Crow

The timeline below shows where the character Eagle Ribs appears in Fools Crow. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Spirituality and the Natural World Theme Icon

...of four other men, has gathered and is ready to depart. Other than Yellow Kidney, Eagle Ribs is the most experienced horse-taker. Known for his strong scouting skills, Eagle Ribs can slip... (full context)

Dreams, Visions, and Storytelling Theme Icon

As Red Old Man’s Butte comes into sight, Eagle Ribs goes ahead to scout, as the area is popular among enemy tribes of the Snakes... (full context)

The next day, the men camp at the foot of Woman Don’t Walk Butte and Eagle Ribs goes out to scout for enemy war parties. Yellow Kidney, who is beginning to feel... (full context)

...The men are only two sleeps away from the Crow camps, and Yellow Kidney tells Eagle Ribs his plan to take the camp of Bull Shield, the Crow chief, and steal his... (full context)

Colonialism and Western Expansion Theme Icon

As Eagle Ribs scouts the area, he sees the Napikwan tents in the distance surrounded by traders’ wagons.... (full context)

Meanwhile, Yellow Kidney, Fast Horse, and Eagle Ribs ready themselves to enter the Crow camp. They plan to each go their separate ways,... (full context)

...and he is growing concerned because Yellow Kidney and Fast Horse have not yet returned. Eagle Ribs has found the young men near Elk River—he was able to get in and out... (full context)

Eagle Ribs hopes that Yellow Kidney and Fast Horse are simply waiting out the weather, but he... (full context)

Eight sleeps later, the men return home to the camp of the Lone Eaters. Eagle Ribs divides the horses up between the men, giving Yellow Kidney (or his widow) the most.... (full context)

The crowd looks to Eagle Ribs , but Yellow Kidney says that it was not his voice. They look for Fast... (full context)

...and Fox Eyes goes to meet him. White Man’s Dog notices that the scout is Eagle Ribs . He looks to Running Fisher, who is obviously frightened. “A-wah-heh,” says White Man’s Dog.... (full context)