‘Villages disappeared. Where they had thrived were empty fields of waving grasses and moaning winds,’ the storyteller began, rubbing his chin and looking around to engage in turn each of his young listeners. Then he whispered, ‘Hear me well if you would save this village from … the minstrel.’ The children shrank down, wide-eyed. The […]
Cloak Med of the North opened wide the dark green velvet cloak behind her and thrust her pale green membraned wings, first left, then right, through the pair of carefully measured cuts in the fabric. She drew the cloak about her and snapped shut the clasp at her neck. She turned her gaze to the […]
In a secret hollow deep in the great mound of trash on the edge of town, Maisie, the rag doll, called a meeting of all the abandoned toys. The toys worked their way through shoals of bent wire hangers and around innumerable tires and over crusty crumpled scattered newspapers to heed her call. When all […]
Once far away and long ago a dutiful young servant girl, scarcely 9 years of age, polished the silver candelabra in the music room. Molly, for that was the servant girl’s name, couldn’t help but hear the story being told by the governess to the young master and young mistress of the manor. For there […]
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,’ […]
this is a poem not about owls it’s also not about goats it’s mostly about the way cheese is made with a small offhand mention of boats oh milk oh rennin (boat)
‘I’m bored,’ said Wisp, the little shapeshifter. ‘Why don’t you be a horse? You had fun being a horse this morning,’ said Wisp’s mother, Vaporilla. ‘I’m bored with being a horse,’ said Wisp. ‘Well, what about a butterfly or a stork?’ suggested Wisp’s mother. ‘Or a liquid paste,’ added Wisp’s brother, Smokey. ‘Shut up, Smokey’ […]
One day a long time ago Simple Septimus, the stable boy, asked his master, ‘What is the sun?’ ‘A great ball of fire,’ replied the master. ‘Where does it go at night?’ said Septimus. ‘Underneath to its golden palace where it rests and takes refreshment. Now get back to work,’ said the master. I would […]
One day long ago in the cold north a farmer awoke when he heard mewing outside. ‘What’s that?’ he said. ‘Go to sleep. It’s the storm singing is all it is,’ said his wife. Nevertheless, the farmer arose, pulled on his boots, shrugged into his heavy hooded coat, and staggered out into the storm. His […]
He wove a sash of chocolate He wove a sash of ice When asked to choose which one to wear He said, ‘They’re both so nice. I’ll wear them stuck together with a paste made out of rice.’ And off he went down the lane trotting like a collie He paused beside a prickly bush […]
