Once during a time of uneasy peace, a storyteller roamed from village to village. This storyteller wore a tattered green cloak and a drooping gray stocking cap. When news of her approach arrived, the elders would send all the children to gather in the square while they themselves hid away in cellars, not making a […]
Once upon a time an old miller crafted new paddle staves to replace the many worn out staves of his waterwheel. Sacks of oats ready to be milled lined the walls of the long shed where he worked. After many hours of labor he decided to take a nap. He arranged three oat sacks to […]
‘I am very good at puzzles. I am the best,’ said Little Daphnis. The gatekeeper looked doubtful and smiled crookedly. ‘A scrap of a thing like you? Tell me another. Go off and leave the labyrinth to fools a good deal older than you.’ ‘I have a baling hook. It’s iron. The smith made it […]
‘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 […]
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 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,’ […]
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 […]
The Wish King’s daughter watched her father cross the Great Hall to select a wish from the wish bowl. Eyes narrowed, she studied his kind face. He reached into the bowl and plucked up a single scrap. He read the scrap and turned to the assembled villagers. ‘Damon, the harp maker,’ announced the Wish King. […]
Two little men, neither the one nor the other of ’em taller than a jar of jam, came out from the hollow under the tree where they lived and started off walking along the road, arguing furiously all the while. ‘You can’t, I tell you. You can’t, and that’s the end of the bargain,’ said […]
