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Story Hour
The Runic Fable Hour (An Animal Adventure)
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<blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 5603341" data-attributes="member: 67"><p><em>part three</em></p><p></p><p>Dog and Turtle returned home and Songbird went on his way. The Moon rose, full and heavy over the dark Pond. It was golden and unusually large this evening…an unsettling omen. Dog and Turtle determined to brave the forbidden interior of the House, but how?</p><p></p><p>In the end, Dog created a distraction to give Turtle a chance to slip inside. He started barking, excitedly, “Come quick! Come quick! Come out! Come out!” Quite soon, he had forgotten that his excitement was merely a ruse.</p><p></p><p>The Humans came out, but with annoyance, rather than exuberance. It was time enough for Turtle to crawl inside, for Dog kept up his clamor for quite some time. Alas, however, Turtle could not traverse the hallway in time to discover if Boy was, indeed returned, before she was discovered and put outside by Woman. Dog and Turtle decided that they do not have time to attempt the trick, again.</p><p></p><p>In the morning, all seemed well. In the Hen-house, the Hens had Eggs. In the Orchard, the Trees had Buds. And, in the House, the Humans had Boy. They did not even seem to have missed him. It was as if Boy was never gone, at all.</p><p></p><p>But, something smelled wrong to Dog. It <em>looked</em> like Boy, but it was not. Dog was certain.</p><p></p><p>Therefore, Dog and Turtle and Songbird returned to Crooked Woman to explain that she was wrong. The Crooked Woman considered them for a moment before speaking. “It was not me who did this deed, but I think I know, now, who could do this thing. But, ere I say more, you must agree…to gain my aid, you must pay my fee.”</p><p></p><p>“And what,” growled Dog, “would that fee be?” (Turtle rolled her eyes, wondering if the rhyme was even intentional.)</p><p></p><p>“That, I cannot say,” replied Crooked Woman sweetly, “until time has come for you to pay.”</p><p></p><p>Dog was disinclined to agree to these terms, but they needed to know what had happened to Boy. Before Turtle could voice any objections, Crooked Woman began to chant. Her words had a sense of inevitability, an ominous finality. They followed Dog and Turtle long after they had left the Cottage.</p><p></p><p>Ah, but what had they gained? Witch spoke of a Doorway to the World of Fey. <em>When the orange moon shone full into the Pond, the two must enter, then.</em> This very night, the moon was full and great and golden. Once it rose high into the night, the Pond showed them its doppelganger. Turtle began to swim to the center of the Pond and Dog leaped in after. For a moment, nothing, and then…</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>The world they emerged into was lush and vibrant. Light streamed down between the net of leaves spread out to catch the sky. A Butterfly flitted by and Dog attempted to question it, but accidentally tried to eat it, instead. Turtle calmed him and the Butterfly settled down, out of reach. At this time, they saw that the Butterfly was not a Butterfly, but was a Sprite. What a strange and wondrous place this was!</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>What were they after?</em> Seek the Lord of Spring.<em> Oh, yes. They must find this fey entity! Turtle asked Sprite where this Lord of Spring could be, or if it had seen a Boy pass this way.</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>“How sad you must be to have lost such a thing! I cannot help you, I fear. I do not pay attention to sad things.” With that, the little flighty person flew away. A passing Squirrel chanced by, as well, but was no more helpful.</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>With nothing better to do, Dog started to mark the nearby Trees, until one such Tree took offense to this practice. “STOP THAT AT ONCE!” it bellowed in an oaken voice. Dog, startled, paused with his leg still in the air. After the initial shock, he slunk away with his tail tucked into an exclamation of shame.</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>“THAT IS BETTER!” Tree intoned. “I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TREES YOU ARE USED TO DEALING WITH, STRANGER, BUT, AROUND HERE, WE DEMAND A MODICUM OF RESPECT!”</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Turtle begged his pardon and Dog whined in agreement. “NOW, MY BRETHREN SAY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE LORD OF SPRING. WE SHALL POINT THE WAY!”</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>With that, Tree bent its limbs to a single direction; he pointed to another Tree. That Tree also bent its limbs toward another, and that to another. Dog and Turtle followed from Tree to Tree until, at last, they came to a Palace woven from living thorn and vine. Within, a Man--or perhaps a fleshy twig--awaited.</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>“I know why you have come," it said, "but do you? I will show you what you seek, if you wish it, but why don’t you leave well enough alone? The Young are happy. The Parents are happy. Everyone is happy--except for the two of you. Why are you not happy? You should be happy and <strong>leave well enough alone.</strong>”</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>The words seemed right, but the substance wrong. Turtle and Dog both declined the invitation. True to his word, the Lord of Spring took the two to see Boy playing in the sunlight, clearly in bliss. They could also see the stolen Eggs and Buds basking in the light. "Will you not," said the Lord of Winter, "leave them to this bliss?"</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Not a chance. Dog looked at Turtle with a mischievous grin. He ran up to Boy and yipped, while Turtle gathered the Eggs and the Buds.</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em></em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Boy was ecstatic at the sight of Dog and began to chase him about the field. Once Turtle had accomplished her task, Dog retrieved her and led the Boy into the woods in a merry game of tag, all the while, leading him ever closer to the pool, whence they had come. At the last, he leaped in, and Boy leaped after.</em></p><p></p><p>All was well, again. Boy was back. The Orchard-buds flowered on the Trees again. The Hens had their Eggs, as well. The world was set right as if the Lord of Spring had never come thieving.</p><p></p><p>But, sometimes in the depth of night, the wind spoke the words of the Crooked Woman: <em>When the year is old, but the moon is new--when one of you has yielded two, I will come to claim my due…</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rune, post: 5603341, member: 67"] [I]part three[/I] Dog and Turtle returned home and Songbird went on his way. The Moon rose, full and heavy over the dark Pond. It was golden and unusually large this evening…an unsettling omen. Dog and Turtle determined to brave the forbidden interior of the House, but how? In the end, Dog created a distraction to give Turtle a chance to slip inside. He started barking, excitedly, “Come quick! Come quick! Come out! Come out!” Quite soon, he had forgotten that his excitement was merely a ruse. The Humans came out, but with annoyance, rather than exuberance. It was time enough for Turtle to crawl inside, for Dog kept up his clamor for quite some time. Alas, however, Turtle could not traverse the hallway in time to discover if Boy was, indeed returned, before she was discovered and put outside by Woman. Dog and Turtle decided that they do not have time to attempt the trick, again. In the morning, all seemed well. In the Hen-house, the Hens had Eggs. In the Orchard, the Trees had Buds. And, in the House, the Humans had Boy. They did not even seem to have missed him. It was as if Boy was never gone, at all. But, something smelled wrong to Dog. It [I]looked[/I] like Boy, but it was not. Dog was certain. Therefore, Dog and Turtle and Songbird returned to Crooked Woman to explain that she was wrong. The Crooked Woman considered them for a moment before speaking. “It was not me who did this deed, but I think I know, now, who could do this thing. But, ere I say more, you must agree…to gain my aid, you must pay my fee.” “And what,” growled Dog, “would that fee be?” (Turtle rolled her eyes, wondering if the rhyme was even intentional.) “That, I cannot say,” replied Crooked Woman sweetly, “until time has come for you to pay.” Dog was disinclined to agree to these terms, but they needed to know what had happened to Boy. Before Turtle could voice any objections, Crooked Woman began to chant. Her words had a sense of inevitability, an ominous finality. They followed Dog and Turtle long after they had left the Cottage. Ah, but what had they gained? Witch spoke of a Doorway to the World of Fey. [I]When the orange moon shone full into the Pond, the two must enter, then.[/I] This very night, the moon was full and great and golden. Once it rose high into the night, the Pond showed them its doppelganger. Turtle began to swim to the center of the Pond and Dog leaped in after. For a moment, nothing, and then… [Indent][I]The world they emerged into was lush and vibrant. Light streamed down between the net of leaves spread out to catch the sky. A Butterfly flitted by and Dog attempted to question it, but accidentally tried to eat it, instead. Turtle calmed him and the Butterfly settled down, out of reach. At this time, they saw that the Butterfly was not a Butterfly, but was a Sprite. What a strange and wondrous place this was! What were they after?[/I] Seek the Lord of Spring.[I] Oh, yes. They must find this fey entity! Turtle asked Sprite where this Lord of Spring could be, or if it had seen a Boy pass this way. “How sad you must be to have lost such a thing! I cannot help you, I fear. I do not pay attention to sad things.” With that, the little flighty person flew away. A passing Squirrel chanced by, as well, but was no more helpful. With nothing better to do, Dog started to mark the nearby Trees, until one such Tree took offense to this practice. “STOP THAT AT ONCE!” it bellowed in an oaken voice. Dog, startled, paused with his leg still in the air. After the initial shock, he slunk away with his tail tucked into an exclamation of shame. “THAT IS BETTER!” Tree intoned. “I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TREES YOU ARE USED TO DEALING WITH, STRANGER, BUT, AROUND HERE, WE DEMAND A MODICUM OF RESPECT!” Turtle begged his pardon and Dog whined in agreement. “NOW, MY BRETHREN SAY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE LORD OF SPRING. WE SHALL POINT THE WAY!” With that, Tree bent its limbs to a single direction; he pointed to another Tree. That Tree also bent its limbs toward another, and that to another. Dog and Turtle followed from Tree to Tree until, at last, they came to a Palace woven from living thorn and vine. Within, a Man--or perhaps a fleshy twig--awaited. “I know why you have come," it said, "but do you? I will show you what you seek, if you wish it, but why don’t you leave well enough alone? The Young are happy. The Parents are happy. Everyone is happy--except for the two of you. Why are you not happy? You should be happy and [b]leave well enough alone.[/b]” The words seemed right, but the substance wrong. Turtle and Dog both declined the invitation. True to his word, the Lord of Spring took the two to see Boy playing in the sunlight, clearly in bliss. They could also see the stolen Eggs and Buds basking in the light. "Will you not," said the Lord of Winter, "leave them to this bliss?" Not a chance. Dog looked at Turtle with a mischievous grin. He ran up to Boy and yipped, while Turtle gathered the Eggs and the Buds. Boy was ecstatic at the sight of Dog and began to chase him about the field. Once Turtle had accomplished her task, Dog retrieved her and led the Boy into the woods in a merry game of tag, all the while, leading him ever closer to the pool, whence they had come. At the last, he leaped in, and Boy leaped after.[/I][/indent] All was well, again. Boy was back. The Orchard-buds flowered on the Trees again. The Hens had their Eggs, as well. The world was set right as if the Lord of Spring had never come thieving. But, sometimes in the depth of night, the wind spoke the words of the Crooked Woman: [I]When the year is old, but the moon is new--when one of you has yielded two, I will come to claim my due…[/I] [/QUOTE]
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