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Story Hour
The Runic Fable Hour (An Animal Adventure)
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<blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 5497939" data-attributes="member: 67"><p><em>part two</em></p><p></p><p>The Crooked Woman patted Dog on the head, extolling his virtue in a voice as thick as syrup. “What a Good Doggy, you are!” Dog wagged his tail with exuberant enthusiasm. “Now you be a Good Doggy and wait right here while I get you a treat!”</p><p></p><p>The Crooked Woman disappeared into her cottage for a brief moment. Ugly Toad croaked in dismay and Turtle was filled with misgivings, but Dog made no effort to move from his spot at the door. When the Woman returned, Dog’s excitement could not be constrained; the Crooked Woman held a tray of freshly-baked ginger-bread men.</p><p></p><p>The Woman fixed her stare at Ugly Toad and asked, “Why have you returned to me, Ugly Toad?” Crow cackled by her side.</p><p></p><p>Toad panicked under the weight of the Crooked Woman’s gaze. “It was not my doing! Turtle made me return!”</p><p></p><p>Turtle looked at Toad and sighed. She was disappointed in Toad’s cowardice, but not surprised. Before she could protest, however, the witch threw her tray of cookie-men on to the ground, and they rose ominously, as if alive.</p><p></p><p>The Crooked Woman spoke soothingly to Dog again. “Be a <em>Good</em> Doggy, and chastise that <em>Bad</em> Turtle for me.” Dog leaped to the task, challenging Turtle to defy his new master at her own peril.</p><p></p><p>Turtle had no desire to confront Dog, and, anyway, sensed a great malevolent presence dominating his will. Instead, Turtle began to intone a rite that would bring clarity of mind and protection from evils for Dog, but, at that moment, she was swarmed by the wicked little ginger-bread men.</p><p></p><p>Seeing his friend so besieged by such delicious-smelling foes, Dog found the strength to shut out the Crooked Woman’s enchanting voice echoing within his head. Then Dog gently picked up Turtle in his mouth and shook her confectionery assailants loose. Once free, Turtle resumed her prayer and, soon, Dog's mind was fully his own, again.</p><p></p><p>By this time, Crow had taken wing and was harassing Toad from above. Seeing no other alternative, and with a last whimper for the ginger-bread men he would never sample, Dog lowered himself so that Ugly Toad could hop onto his back and fled into the Wilderness with his companions.</p><p></p><p>With the Crooked Woman’s cottage far behind them, Dog carried Turtle and Ugly Toad through the woods, but, the day fled as surely as had they. A dense fog rode in upon the darkness and all scents of the wood were devoured by the wicked trees around them, leaving only the scent of doom and fear. Dog was not accustomed to being lost, but here he was. But where <em>was</em> he?</p><p></p><p>To make matters worse, the fog seemed to be lulling them to sleep. Crow could be heard faintly, off in the distance, cackling in glee, but all else was serene silence. Turtle tucked herself into her shell to rest and Ugly Toad fell off Dog’s back. Her contented snore was larger than she was.</p><p></p><p>Dog wanted badly to join his companions in blissful slumber, and circled once…twice…No! He shook off the encroaching sleep, woke Turtle and Toad, and determined to press on, but whither? After some discussion, Turtle revealed that she knew a rite that would call for divine guidance. A few moments more and she was able to say with confidence, “Following Crow’s voice will lead us to weal.”</p><p></p><p>This was good enough for Dog, so off they went, but Crow’s voice seemed at some times in front of them, and at other times behind, and still other times to be off to one side or the other. Each time they changed their course, they grew a bit more drowsy. Soon, Turtle and Toad were sleeping peacefully again, and Dog was just about to…</p><p></p><p>Again, Dog shook off the sleep and roused the others. By now, the fog had thickened but the sky was starting to grow pale. Again, the slumber descended upon them and, this time, Dog curled up blissfully to sleep. By divine fortune, Turtle managed to remain vigilant, this time, and woke the others, herself.</p><p></p><p>Dawn came and chased the fog away.</p><p></p><p>With the fog gone, the natural scents of the forest returned, but Dog was, at this point, completely disoriented and lost. No scent was familiar enough to follow. Instead, he began to search for a stream to follow. As fortune would have it, Songbird was at the stream, taking a bath. With great excitement, Dog began to relate the details of their adventure, all in a single breath. When Songbird finally deciphered Dog’s stream of explanation, he led them out of the Wilderness, and home.</p><p></p><p>Once home, Toad made her way to the Pond where she spent the better part of a day sighing in dismay at her reflection. At last, Dog and Turtle had heard enough and took Ugly Toad up to Grandfather Owl for a dose of wisdom.</p><p></p><p>“Whooo disturbs my sleep?“</p><p></p><p>Dog was ready with his response. “First we found Ugly Toad by the Pond looking at her reflection and wishing she was not ugly she said she was ensorcelled by a a wicked witch and she was once beautiful and a princess and we took her to see the witch but we got attacked by the twig dolls and then the witch called me by my truename and made me want to eat gingerbread cookies that attacked us and we fled into the woods but a fog descended and we got lost and kept falling asleep but not all of us at the same time and Crow was taunting us and we followed his voice until morning and then the fog went away and we found Songbird and came home and now here we are.”</p><p></p><p>Owl took this in with some patience. At last he spoke. “Whooo you are can not be changed by wicked witches in the woooods. Whooo you are is whooo you are. A beautiful princess once is a beautiful princess still.”</p><p></p><p>Ugly Toad seemed dubious, but content with this wisdom. And that is how Ugly Toad sought out her lost Beauty and found something never lost at all.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rune, post: 5497939, member: 67"] [I]part two[/I] The Crooked Woman patted Dog on the head, extolling his virtue in a voice as thick as syrup. “What a Good Doggy, you are!” Dog wagged his tail with exuberant enthusiasm. “Now you be a Good Doggy and wait right here while I get you a treat!” The Crooked Woman disappeared into her cottage for a brief moment. Ugly Toad croaked in dismay and Turtle was filled with misgivings, but Dog made no effort to move from his spot at the door. When the Woman returned, Dog’s excitement could not be constrained; the Crooked Woman held a tray of freshly-baked ginger-bread men. The Woman fixed her stare at Ugly Toad and asked, “Why have you returned to me, Ugly Toad?” Crow cackled by her side. Toad panicked under the weight of the Crooked Woman’s gaze. “It was not my doing! Turtle made me return!” Turtle looked at Toad and sighed. She was disappointed in Toad’s cowardice, but not surprised. Before she could protest, however, the witch threw her tray of cookie-men on to the ground, and they rose ominously, as if alive. The Crooked Woman spoke soothingly to Dog again. “Be a [I]Good[/I] Doggy, and chastise that [I]Bad[/i] Turtle for me.” Dog leaped to the task, challenging Turtle to defy his new master at her own peril. Turtle had no desire to confront Dog, and, anyway, sensed a great malevolent presence dominating his will. Instead, Turtle began to intone a rite that would bring clarity of mind and protection from evils for Dog, but, at that moment, she was swarmed by the wicked little ginger-bread men. Seeing his friend so besieged by such delicious-smelling foes, Dog found the strength to shut out the Crooked Woman’s enchanting voice echoing within his head. Then Dog gently picked up Turtle in his mouth and shook her confectionery assailants loose. Once free, Turtle resumed her prayer and, soon, Dog's mind was fully his own, again. By this time, Crow had taken wing and was harassing Toad from above. Seeing no other alternative, and with a last whimper for the ginger-bread men he would never sample, Dog lowered himself so that Ugly Toad could hop onto his back and fled into the Wilderness with his companions. With the Crooked Woman’s cottage far behind them, Dog carried Turtle and Ugly Toad through the woods, but, the day fled as surely as had they. A dense fog rode in upon the darkness and all scents of the wood were devoured by the wicked trees around them, leaving only the scent of doom and fear. Dog was not accustomed to being lost, but here he was. But where [I]was[/I] he? To make matters worse, the fog seemed to be lulling them to sleep. Crow could be heard faintly, off in the distance, cackling in glee, but all else was serene silence. Turtle tucked herself into her shell to rest and Ugly Toad fell off Dog’s back. Her contented snore was larger than she was. Dog wanted badly to join his companions in blissful slumber, and circled once…twice…No! He shook off the encroaching sleep, woke Turtle and Toad, and determined to press on, but whither? After some discussion, Turtle revealed that she knew a rite that would call for divine guidance. A few moments more and she was able to say with confidence, “Following Crow’s voice will lead us to weal.” This was good enough for Dog, so off they went, but Crow’s voice seemed at some times in front of them, and at other times behind, and still other times to be off to one side or the other. Each time they changed their course, they grew a bit more drowsy. Soon, Turtle and Toad were sleeping peacefully again, and Dog was just about to… Again, Dog shook off the sleep and roused the others. By now, the fog had thickened but the sky was starting to grow pale. Again, the slumber descended upon them and, this time, Dog curled up blissfully to sleep. By divine fortune, Turtle managed to remain vigilant, this time, and woke the others, herself. Dawn came and chased the fog away. With the fog gone, the natural scents of the forest returned, but Dog was, at this point, completely disoriented and lost. No scent was familiar enough to follow. Instead, he began to search for a stream to follow. As fortune would have it, Songbird was at the stream, taking a bath. With great excitement, Dog began to relate the details of their adventure, all in a single breath. When Songbird finally deciphered Dog’s stream of explanation, he led them out of the Wilderness, and home. Once home, Toad made her way to the Pond where she spent the better part of a day sighing in dismay at her reflection. At last, Dog and Turtle had heard enough and took Ugly Toad up to Grandfather Owl for a dose of wisdom. “Whooo disturbs my sleep?“ Dog was ready with his response. “First we found Ugly Toad by the Pond looking at her reflection and wishing she was not ugly she said she was ensorcelled by a a wicked witch and she was once beautiful and a princess and we took her to see the witch but we got attacked by the twig dolls and then the witch called me by my truename and made me want to eat gingerbread cookies that attacked us and we fled into the woods but a fog descended and we got lost and kept falling asleep but not all of us at the same time and Crow was taunting us and we followed his voice until morning and then the fog went away and we found Songbird and came home and now here we are.” Owl took this in with some patience. At last he spoke. “Whooo you are can not be changed by wicked witches in the woooods. Whooo you are is whooo you are. A beautiful princess once is a beautiful princess still.” Ugly Toad seemed dubious, but content with this wisdom. And that is how Ugly Toad sought out her lost Beauty and found something never lost at all. [/QUOTE]
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