Fiddleeebod

Once upon a time the four daughters of Hemus, the woodsman, gathered in secret beside the well in the clearing at the far end of the forest.

‘Be ye all resolved and with me?’ asked Hermia, the eldest.

Hera, Herilda, and Herippa all nodded in silent agreement.

‘So be it then. Here I have them,’ said Hermia, holding out in her hand four silver beads.

The other three sisters crowded around to get a closer look.

‘Ye really and truly for sure saw the witch?’ asked Hera, the youngest sister.

‘How know ye they’ll really and truly for sure work? Just because ye brought her firewood doesn’t mean she hasn’t tricked ye, ye know,’ said Herilda, the doubting sister.

‘Really and truly for sure I will have a golden door and mirrors circled with diamonds and rubies,’ said Herippa, the vainest sister.

Hermia handed out the beads and said, ‘Place the bead on your tongue and close your eyes and count to three.’

The four daughters of Hemus did as Hermia instructed, and floof! in a poof! four geese flew high and true toward a magnificent palace surrounded by green gardens and gentle falls tumbling into pools of the purest healing water. The four geese sailed in serene beauty for days, and all the while Herippa, the vainest sister, grew more and more worried. She was about to complain about being a goose and not a gloriously gowned princess when floof! in a poof! the four sisters were gowned in glory and ruling the castle. This they did happily for a long time, and they might be doing it yet.

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Stories by Steve