Storytelling Week 14: The Leshy and the Soldier

Alexei was returning home from his time as a soldier to see his family for a brief time. As he traveled to his people, he remembered an old man whom he had befriended that lived nearby. So Alexei detoured to the old man's house. When he arrived, he found the man to be alone. Alexei thought this odd as the man had a wife and a daughter and many servants last Alexei saw him. This old man was lavishly wealthy, but still Alexei found him to be all by himself. When Alexei asked about it, the old man told him that his daughter vanished away three years ago, and his wife had died of a broken heart. The old man scarce himself believed he would live to see the coming winter, for his sorrow was so much he wished to die. 

Alexei comforted his friend, and told him that by the grace of God, one day he would return the old man's daughter. After sharing a meal and staying the night, Alexei venture out once more. He walked by a silently running stream with water that seemed still as it flowed. By the stream, he happened upon a strange creature carving a small statue. It had appeared human, as like a child, but with silver hair of an elder. Alexei silently thought of this oddity as he approached. The being ceased its whittling, and replied as if Alexei had spoken out loud, "Why shan't I have grey hair, for I am old indeed. I'm the man of the pines!"

Alexei became very frightened by this and asked, "What riddle is this?"

The creature sprung to his feet, and jumped behind a tree. Suddenly, he was behind Alexei and said with a chuckle, "Riddle? That is no riddle! It is I, the Leshy of the woods! I was born from the pine and from the pine is where I came. But should you want a riddle, of those I am no short supply."

"Why would I challenge you?" Alexei asked nervously as he spun to meet the creature's gaze. "I have heard the stories of you. Leading travelers astray and stealing children. I should have no dealings with devils!"

The Leshy again vanished and reappeared across the way. "Oh, I shall give thee a prize should you win. The daughter of the old man. She had been my betrothed for some time, but refuses to wed me. should you solve my riddles, she may be yours."

As he said this, he snapped his fingers and there appeared the young woman. Her face was pale and cold. She seemed like one who was dead yet she stood. Alexei saw that she was quite beautiful even in her dreadful state. Alexei puzzled for a moment. He spoke, "And what shall become of me should I fail your challenge?"

The Leshy began to laugh and bounce about, and he said, "Then I'll take you home and share you with the Chort. I will eat your flesh, and he will devour your soul!"

Alexei wished to flee, but he had given his word to bring his friend's daughter to safety. He agreed to the challenge.

The Leshy's face twisted into a vile grin as he muttered the words of his riddle, "I die every season, yet time makes me stronger. What am I?"

Alexei looked about, it took him only a moment to know the answer. He said with great confidence, "The answer is simple. A tree!"

The Leshy was unfazed and began his second riddle as he vanished into the trees. His voice echoed through the wood, "Your turn. Speak your riddle."

"What is it that belongs to you, but others use it more?" Alexei asked.

The wind blew through the trees as the Leshy thought. "Hm," he said at last, "Your name, Alexei."

He laughed a grim laugh and began his riddle. "To all things and men I appertain, and yet by some am shunned and disdained. Fondle me and ogle me til you’re insane, but no blow can harm me, cause me pain. Children delight in me, elders take fright. Fair maids rejoice and spin. Cry and I weep, yawn and I sleep. Smile, and I too shall grin. Come find me.”

Alexei puzzled at this. He looked about hoping to see a clue. Frantically he ran about, as the Leshy's laughter grew louder and darker. "The Chort and I will be quite pleased!" The Leshy teased.

Suddenly the answer came to Alexei. A reflection! He pulled out a small mirror he had in his bag, but it shattered! The Leshy was cheating. But then he remembered the stream! He ran over and looked deep into it. There he saw the Leshy hiding in the water. He grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

"Enough of these games! What begins and has no end? What is the ending of all that begins?"

Alexei knew he would stump the demon with this one. For as a man, Alexei knew the answer. Death. But because the Leshy is immortal, neither living nor dead, it knew not the answer. It became angry and transformed its shape into a frightful image. Alexei drew his sword to fight it. As he advanced to stab it, the Leshy hit him with its monstrous claw and sent him tumbling down. His sword flew from his hand. The horror turned to him and slowly advanced. But before it could end him, Alexei's sword poked through its neck. Alexei saw behind it that the daughter had awoken and stabbed the Leshy. It flailed and swung at her, but she ducked away. Alexei took the opportunity to jump up and grab the hilt of his sword still protruding from the demon's neck. With all his might he ripped the sword to the side and the Leshy's head came clean off. The body fell to the ground and sank into the dirt. The body was destroyed and the soul sent back to the pines.

Alexei returned the girl to her father, and later married her. For the rest of their days, they lived at peace and prayed the lord protect them from the evil forest spirits.

Author's Note: The original story was about a hunter going out and finding the Leshy in the woods and shooting it dead. Afterwards he found a woman it held captive and returned her to her family. I modified that story, so that Alexei was a returning soldier. I also drew out the scene between him and the Leshy, adding the riddles. In Russian folklore, Leshy are forest gods or demons (depending on who you ask) that go about kidnapping people and feeding them to the Chort (another demon). I wanted my Leshy to convey a more devilish behavior, offering a prize for playing a game of wits, only to cheat in the end.

Image: a picture of a Leshy, by P. Dobrinin. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).

Storytelling Week 13: The Witches' Return

Mary stepped her foot out of her car and felt a chill in the air. As she exited her taxi, she observed the manor she had recently inherited. Only a few months ago, she was struggling to pay rent for a one person apartment in South Chicago. Now she was standing at the threshold of her late aunt's estate in Northern Ireland just a few miles West of Belfast. She had never known her aunt Shelly, in fact she knew very little of her family at all. When Mary was a child, her parents had both drowned in a flood while she was safely at a baby sitter's house. Her godparents told her what they knew about her parents, but even they weren't very knowledgeable about her father's estranged sister. The news of her death was sad, but more so exciting for Mary as she was the sole remaining member of her family. Which meant she inherited all the wealth and estates of aunt Shelly.
The taxi drove away after Mary had payed the driver, but Mary felt as though she wasn't alone. She spun around hoping to catch the eyes she could feel burning their gaze into the back of her skull, but all she saw was an old well at the edge of the fence. Something drew her to this well, like one is drawn to edge of a cliff to take a peek at the bottom. The stones were crumbled and worn. A great big wooden lid was secured on top of the opening. Weeds had grown long around it, and vines inched their way up the cracks between the stones. Mary heard a small voice call her name. It sounded as though it was coming from the well. She thought at first that it was the wind, but again she heard it call her. She cautiously pushed the lid off with no small amount of straining. The darkness below felt as though it crawled up and out as Mary gazed into the well. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Mary let out a cry as she turned to see who stood behind her. It was a young man, with stubble on his chin and soft green eyes. He spoke with an Irish accent, "My apologies, miss! It wasn't my intention to frighten you."
Mary reeled back to catch her breath which she didn't realize she had been holding. "No, it's fine. I am just being jumpy. I'm sorry, who are you?" she asked politely.
"My name's John, though people round here call me Pip. I'm the grounds keeper for Miss Shelly's estate. Who are you?" he replied with a reciprocated politeness.
Mary relaxed at this, and smiled. "I'm Shelly's Niece. I was told I inherited this place from her."
"Ah, yes. Miss Mary. I thought you looked like her, with that red hair and sharp blue eyes! In fact your the spitting image of Miss Shelly when she was a young fair lass."
Mary blushed and replied, "Thank you, sir. I'll have to keep you around if you keep talking like that."
"I didn't know there was chance you wouldn't keep me around," Pip said surprised, "I've been here most of my life. Since I was a lad, Miss Shelly let me work for her."
"I'm sorry, Pip. I was only joking. Will you not give me a tour?" Mary asked.
Pip's face lit up with a smile, "Of course, Ma'am. Right this way!"
Pip led her through the main house where aunt Shelly lived. He told her that the house is well over 400 years old, though it had been renovated and expanded in the previous century. In the living room there was a great fireplace with two arm chairs facing toward it. In the back of the room was an antique table with twelve chairs sat around it. Mary thought it odd, since her aunt was known as a bit of a recluse, according to Pip. The rest of the house was well furnished and decorated with all kinds of Celtic artwork. After the tour, Pip retired to the secondary house that was a stone's throw from the main house.
Mary was left to herself in her new home. She lit the fireplace and sat down with a cup of tea in one of the arm chairs. Darkness soon fell on the estate. As she relaxed she felt a great weriness come over her. Mary attributed it to jet lag. When she about to nod off, she noticed a book on the side table beside the armchair. Curiously, she thumbed through the pages. It was her aunt's journal by the look of it. She knew she shouldn't read it, but she wanted to know her aunt's final thoughts before she died. Mary flipped to the final page that had writing on it. it read:

"Again the knocking has started. Open up, Open up, they said. I had no choice. The horns. One horn, two horn, three horn... twelves horns. Every night. Eating blood cake. Pippy can't help. I heard them talk about the well. and the mantle. I need the mantle. Pip threw it in the well, I saw him. I need to go get it or they will eat my blood for the rest of my life!"

Mary was regretful that she had read the book. Pip said her aunt spoke of strange women in the night and went on about some mantle, but they were just the ramblings of a old lonely woman. It made her sad that her aunt suffered so. She also remembered how Shelly died. Mary was told back in the States that Shelly had drowned. Could she have fallen in the well? These thoughts were worrisome, but not enough to keep the exhausted Mary from closing her eyes and drifting into a deep sleep.
                                                                               ...
Mary awoke to a loud knocking on the door. She put on her robe and walked all the way downstairs to the front door. Thinking it was Pip needing something, she opened the door. A woman with a horn growing from her head stepped in. She thanked Mary and walked over the the table with twelve seats. Mary wanted to protest, but she felt her mouth closed shut. Soon another knock came, and she was compelled to walk over and open it. A woman with two horns on her head entered and sat at the table. This continued again and again. Each time the number of horns grew until the twelfth woman entered with twelve gnarled horns. They began chanting and cutting themselves with knives. Mary watched horrified. The monstrous woman commanded her to make them a cake, and she obeyed. After that, they commanded her to bring them water. She went to the faucet in the kitchen, but no water came out. When she told them this, they hissed and cursed at her. She was thrown against the wall by a tremendous force. They sent Mary to get water from Pip's house. The witches were also very clear that she should not get near the well, or she would meet the same fate as the rest of her family.
Once outside, Mary felt autonomy again and fell to the ground weeping. Whatever was in her house, was there to stay. She went to Pip's house and went to the faucet. Still no water. Mary screamed in frustration and fear. What would they do to her if she again brought back no water? She went to awaken Pip, but he wouldn't stir. She noticed he had slices on his wrists that she hadn't noticed earlier, and his face was pale. Fearing that Pip was dead and that the witches would do the same to her, she hurried to the well to draw some water. That's when she heard the voice. A small whisper coming from the well. It beckoned to her. Then she remembered aunt Shelly's desire to get some mantle from the well. Mary figured if the witches were afraid of it, it only made since they'd warn her from going near the well. After what felt like an eternity, Mary climbed in and down. The water on the bottom was cold and the light of the moon was barely visible from down there. Mary shivered at the thought of her poor aunt drowning down there. Then she felt some kind of fabric floating in the water. The mantle! She wrapped it around her and tried to climb out. At first she struggled, but then a small force helped her out. "Go," a voice whispered, "I will help thee. Call forth the fire of old. For they hath avoided it far too long. Hell licks its lips for their taste."
Mary ran back into the house holding the veil in her hand. When the witches saw her enter the living room, they commanded her to stop. Instead, Mary took the veil and shouted, "Fire I call you! Take what is yours!" and she threw the mantle into the fire place. The witches screamed and the house shook violently. The twelve woman began to flee for the door, but it would not open. "Open up! Open up door!"
As they scratched and pleaded, the fireplace's flame grew and became like a great arm. It grabbed each one and pulled them in its heart. The screaming continued, but grew distant. Soon Mary was alone in the house. She went and sat down on the armchair and fell asleep. Mary woke up to Pip opening the curtains letting light flow through the room. She could smell the breakfast Pip had prepared for her in the kitchen. He prodded her to get up and eat, there was a lot of work to do as far as paper work went. Just a dream, Mary thought to herself as she got up to walk to the kitchen. Then she noticed something in the fire place. A small piece of fabric, black and burnt. She looked out the window, and saw the well, the lid slid off and placed beside it. Mary went to eat breakfast with Pip.

Author's Note: This is by far the longest story I've written yet. I really like horror stories, so I wanted to get the details in. This story is based on the tale of the horned women, in which an Irish wife and her family are plagued by witches forcing their way into the families home. In the original story, a spirit in a well instructs the woman on how to fool the witches to flee and she gains one of their mantles in the process. The story ends saying that the mantle protected the family for 500 years. I wanted to continue the story to the newest generation in which the witches are able to return and wreck havoc again. This time however, Mary is able to end their evil actions once and for all. I also made the ending purposefully unresolved as to whether she was dreaming or if all that actually happened.

Image: (First image)Creepy looking well posted by Alex Santosa; Source: Flickr
(Second image)An old well posted on Pixabay; Source: Pixabay

Source:Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892).

Week 12 Storytelling: Arthur Avenges Merlin

Arthur sat alone in the great hall. The round table was cleaned and polished, as the feast had been over for hours, and all the knights retired to their beds. The king noted the wind breezing through the vast room, occasionally biting at his ears. The fire by which he sat staved off the chill, though. It was not as big as it had been only hours before, there was but two logs melting away inside. The shadows danced around the room like performers, delivering a private show for Arthur. This was the first calm moment he had to himself in many days, perhaps even weeks. Before all this kingly business, he thought to himself, I scarce could get a passerby to look at me. He snickered as he considered the boy he once was, and the man that he had fought so hard to become.

Then the doors to the hall opened, and a gust of wind came through, blowing out many of the candles and swerving the fire from side to side. Arthur turned and saw a servant of his approaching with something in his hands. The item looked familiar.

"My lord the king," the servant addressed Arthur as he bowed low, "I have grim tidings for his majesty."

Arthur could've guessed it from the man's demeanor. He stood with his head bowed and eyes on the ground. He extended his hands and produced the item he carried. It was a pendent, in the shape of a swallow, made of pure gold. Arthur new what this meant. For he had such a pendant made special for his friend and mentor, the wizard named Merlin. Arthur took the pendant and felt such a sadness overcome him the likes of which he'd never known.

"How did it come to be?" Arthur asked softly.

"Some commoners found him under a stone. he had been trapped for some time, as the decay had already begin to set in. This was there as well."

The servant reached into his bag and produced a small parchment. Arthur took it as well and read the writing upon it.

It was Vivien

                                                                        ...

Several weeks had passed and Arthur sat once more in the hall. This time several of his knights accompanied him as they ate and told their stories of valor. Then a squire approached with a scroll and delivered it to Arthur's hand. Later, in his chambers, Arthur read the missive. It gave information on the whereabouts of the sorceress Vivien. For when he learned of Merlin's death at her hands, all his sorrow turned to rage and he sent out many servants and knights to track her down. Now was his chance to bring her to justice. For she murdered his friend.

Arthur set out with only his horse and his sword Excalibur. He rode for a day and then another. Then he reached a small hamlet that bordered a swamp. There the people warned him of the witch that had taken the swamp as her abode. Arthur feared not. For the Lord was with him. He left his horse with the villagers and ventured into the swamp on foot.

It felt as though he was being strangled as the air was nigh unbreathable, and smelt of rot. He knew it to be an enchantment Vivien had set. For he knew of her skill, as she had been a student of Merlin himself. Arthur's blood boiled as he thought of her betrayal. Merlin trusted and loved her more than any. He taught her all his ways. She killed him when she no longer needed him. Vivien must die, he thought.

"Why have you come, Arthur Pendragon?" a voice rang out from the dark tangled branches.

"To seek revenge for one I loved. Perhaps you know of him. His name was Merlin!" Arthur shouted with what breath he could muster.

A taunting laughter came from the woods as a woman appeared before him. She was slender and beautiful. Her long black hair hang down to the small of her back. There was no mistaking the witch called Vivien. She spoke, "He was an old man who was soon to die anyway. The fool annoyed me with his constant advances. I had learned enough from him, so I shut him away. Had he been as wise as he claims, he would've seen it coming. Now go, before I reunite you to him."

"You have confessed your guilt to me, "Arthur declared as he drew his sword. "I sentence you to death!"

At this Arthur lunged forward, but hit only air as the witch vanished before him. He turned only for his cheek to meet her clawed hand. He stumbled backward, pawing at his wound and slashing Excalibur at her. She pounced of him and set him supine in the mud. He scrambled to his feet pointing the sword tip at her. He lunged again to impale her, but she glided out of his way and sent her elbow into his forehead. Blood leaked from his wound as Arthur struggled to breath. Her super human dance became difficult to track as his vision became obscured by the blood. Then she was gone again. Arthur turned and once again met her strike. This time he was ready. He caught her hand mid swing and sliced at her. His blade married the flesh of her stomach, creating a painful wound. She screamed and stepped back.

Now the air was thickening and Arthur was gasping for air. He fell to his knees. As his sight was growing dark, he looked up and saw Vivien, now shape-shifted into an crow, trying to fly away. He brandished Excalibur and threw it straight at the witch. The blade found its mark, and the crow came tumbling down. Vivien transformed back into her human form before she hit the ground. The air immediately began to clear up. Arthur lumbered toward her as he regained his breath. He saw Vivien laying motionless on the ground. The blade stood erect as it had so many years ago. Only this time, instead of the stone, it was in the heart of Merlin's murderer. Arthur wiped away the blood from his brow and retrieved his sword.

The witch lay dead, and Merlin had been avenged.

Merlin and Vivien by Alfred Tennyson; Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note: This story is the continuation of the story of the Passing of Merlin. In it, Merlin is tricked into wandering into a tomb by his pupil and romantic interest Vivien, who then traps him with a stone. The story ends with her merrily wandering off. I wanted to tell the story of Arthur's reaction and quest for vengeance after learning of his friends death. I am aware that in some versions of the Arthur saga that Vivien is actually the Lady of the Lake that give Arthur the sword, but for the sake of my story I made her to be more of an evil witch.

Source: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902).

Week 11 Storytelling: The Great Flood and the Valley of Death

Once upon a time, there was a man that lived in a small house with his wife and children, as well as his brother and his family. He and his brother hunted across the fields in the day, and their wives would cook what they brought back for their families. One day, as the man was washing his face in a nearby river, a dog came to him. "Shoo, mutt! We have no room for you in my household!" he shouted to scare the dog away.

The dog remained unmoved. The man stood up and walked away, as the dog's stare was troubling him. The next day, after a long day of hunting, he returned to the river to fetch some water for his wife. There, again the dog appeared, a observed him closely. This happened every day for a week. Finally the man threw his hands up and said, "What? What is it you want from me, hound?"

"I am no hound."

The man looked about him, as the voice was not in his ears, but within his head. "What are you? A spirit? A ghost come to take me away?" he asked frantically.

"Nay," said the voice, "I am neither of those. I am a messenger. You must build a boat, for a great storm is coming that will wash away the world. You and your family will survive, but only if you do as I say."

So everyday after, the man would go to the river, where materials for building could be found. The dog would watch him daily. One day, as he was building, he ran out of twine to tie together some beams. He ventured home to find his brother and ask to borrow some. His brother, who did not approve of his foolish endeavors, told him to scavenge some twine from the valley. But as the man began that way, the dog appeared and warned him, "You must sleep now, for you have done all that needed to be done today. Rest now, for the valley holds nothing but death." He was confused by this, but followed the advise and went home.

Soon enough, the great raft was finished, though all the people in the surrounding area mocked him, for they had not seen the dog. Not even a day after the raft's completion, rain began to fall. The people hunkered under their roofs, as water was not known to fall in those days but come from the ground. The man and his family boarded the boat, but his headstrong brother refused. His brother told him that he would seek shelter in the valley where the his house was. As soon as he left, the water began to rise from the river, and the boat took off. There were many animals that had taken shelter on the boat as well, for the dog had given the man instructions for a boat that could fit them all. The sun did not shine on the Earth for many days, as it was perpetually raining. After some time, even the mountains were drowned by the deluge.

Then one day, the sun appeared from behind the clouds and the water began to recede. Some time after that, the man and his family and all the animal passengers walked on wet, muddy ground. The man thanked the Creator for bringing his family out of the flood alive.

Some days later, as he was walking the new earth, he heard the sounds of a dance. Surely, he thought, there cannot be anyone left after that flood! So he followed the sound which lead him to a valley. Looking down, he saw bones. Countless bones. Strewn across the entirety of the valley. He heard his brother calling him to join their dance. That is when he finally understood the dog's warning about the valley. He went home to his family, and began rebuilding the world.

Author's Note: The original story was more brief in that the man finds the dog which tells him to build a raft, he and his family jump on, it floods, then he has the experience of seeing the bones in the valley. I wanted to blend a little more detail into my retelling. I also borrowed elements from the Biblical story about Noah and his actions during the flood, as I'm tempted to say both the stories had the same source.

Source:Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).

Image: The Valley of Dry Bones (1873); Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 10 Storytelling: A Tale of the First Men and the First Death

I was the first man. Well, I was one among the first men during the beginning of the world. In that time, there was no sun and the only light we had was in our houses. You see, in the before time water could burn like oil, so we always had a light going to shelter us from the abyss beyond. I don't remember much of my childhood. I remember willow bushes and being cold. Then I recall my mother's face. She was the first warmth I had ever felt. Then I saw my father. Together they brought up my brothers and sisters. Clothing and feeding us food from the earth. Soon, more people came and grew up with us. Men became husbands and women became wives. More children were born. Soon my family grew very large.

As good as it was to have soon many relatives, I wanted a friend. Someone different from me, that had strengths and weaknesses that complimented my own. So I went out with a rope and began to hit it on the ground saying, "Hok! Hok! Hok!".

As I did, dogs formed from the snowy hills and came to me, so then my friends arrived. I played with my dogs for many days and they, too, multiplied. Soon I met my wife and had many children with her. My family grew ever larger. As the years went on, I grew older and older. I have now gone blind, and have become lame. I simply wish to die.

Two of my sisters who share my fate speak thus: "It is better to live in darkness, if we can be without death!"

"No!" I said, "For I would have my children to have light and my self be able to lie down."

As I spoke, my words became reality.

The sun began to rise above the horizon, and light streamed over the hills, melting away the snow. Everyone walked out of their homes and was stunned by the beauty.

Presently, I am standing in the light. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, my body and soul are warmed by its presence. I feel it calling me up to it. Am I to be the first to die?

My body remains laying on the warm ground as I lift myself toward the sun, the source of light and my own death. For with the sun comes time. But the darkness will soon fall on my children again, so I shall give myself as I light to them. Every night I will rise to smile on my children and keep the darkness that I knew in my life from them forever.

The souls of those who have died watching over the night sky; Source: Pixabay

Author's Note: The original story was about how the first men came to earth and grew in populations. Most of my story has similar details to the original, only mine is told as though being recounted by the first man to die. In the original, those who died went into the sky to become a star, which I hinted at near the end.

Source: Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen with illustrations by native Eskimo artists (1921).

Week 9 Storytelling: The Unfortunate Fate of Asinus

Have I ever told you the story of Asinus, the fool? No? Well it is a story of great compassion but also great betrayal...

Long ago, there lived a man named Asinus. In the time before I met him, he was wandering around in the land of Macedonia. He was a right fool, and a selfish one at that. Many times he was set to visit me, but always would find some distraction, by chance. Then one day, he fell into a pit. By whom this pit was dug, I'm unsure, but I had the utmost gratitude when I heard he was finally in a position in which I could find him. When I happened upon this pit, I found he was not alone; He had the company of a viper, a mouse, and a lion. Although these beasts did not frighten me, I delayed to go in the pit to him, as I figured he wasn't going anywhere. So I left on other business for a brief time. When I returned to the pit, I was annoyed to find that Asinus and all the others were gone. "How could this be!" I cried in alarm.

That is when the viper slithered by. I stopped it to ask how they all escaped. "The generous hunter happened upon us, sir. We begged him to free us, and free us he did! In return, we all gave him a gift. The lion pledged to bring the man a portion of his hunt to eat. The mouse would bring him valuables that it found on its travels. I surrendered a highly sought after anodyne for my venom." The viper explained.

"A cure for a snake bite? How quaint. I hope you don't give that out to every man who pulls you from a hole!" I said

"Nary a thought of it!" replied the serpent, "Besides, it only works if mixed with the blood of a traitor."

"And the man that shared the pit with you? What gift did he give the hunter?"

"He had nothing to give, so he pledged his servitude in exchange for his life."

"His life should not be his to give!" I said as the anger swelled inside.

I then searched out for this hunter who had saved the fool. I found a small hut not too far away, but it had been abandoned. He must have moved recently. Finally, after many weeks of searching, I found the hunter. He had grown rich with the gifts from the animals, and lived in a mansion. Before I could approach to question him regarding Asinus, he was arrested by some guards! I simply could not sit by and let my only lead be carried off to lord knows where. I followed them to a palace, where he was told the reason for his arrest. He was accused of stealing the local patrician's valuables to bolster his own wealth. And who had accused him? None other than that fool Asinus. 

It seemed this good man was about to die for a lie. I quickly found the viper and asked a favor of it to save his life. It agreed, and I bought it to the patrician's son. It bit him and infected him with its deadly venom. The patrician begged for someone to help him. The hunter caught wind of these events and offered his cure. However, he told them he needed the blood of a traitor to make it work. After hearing out the hunter's story, the patrician believed him and ceased Asinus.

That day, the hunter helped save the patrician's son, and Asinus... Well, I finally had a chance to catch up with him.

Author's Note: The original tale was of a hunter in Africa saving a snake, mouse, tiger, and man from a trap and each rewarding him with wealth, a snake bite cure, and servitude. The man he saves betrays him by claiming he acquired his wealth by dishonest means. In the end, the day is saved by the snake bite venom, much like my story ends. The main difference between these two stories is that my takes place in Macedonia during the days of Rome. I chose this setting because I'm a bit more familiar with it and I wanted to diverge more from the original. The other major change was the choice to have death narrate the story. I didn't want it to be entirely obvious that it was death searching out Asinus (which is later for fool), but give it a more subtle almost missable quality. 

Bibliography: West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917).

Image: The fate of Asinus. Crux Simplex by Justus Lipsius (1547-1606); Source: Wikimedia

Week 7 Storytelling: The Warrior, the Princess, and the Dragon

The warrior found himself wandering in the lands of the northern realms when he happened upon a trio on the road. He saw a crone and a codger and a beautiful young maiden. Her sight brought him to question why she and they should be upon this road. As he came near he saw that they cried with each other as though they were parting for a final time. "Hail, good people. Do you have want of aid?" he asked.

The old man turned to him, with tears welling in his eyes. He stood and stumbled to the warrior and said, "Aye, young swordsman. I was once the king of all this land, but a beast from hell has come upon us and we have lost all that we had. It devoured our warriors, our horses, and our surfs. It broke our castles, our strongholds, and our towns. The demon burned my sons but spared my wife and daughters. Since then, every fifth day, he would come back and devour another of my daughters. Three he has claimed, and now my final child now awaits the same fate. I have begged him to take my life instead, but he revels in my pain."

The warrior gave his word that on that very day the beast would die, but only if the princess would be his reward. She consented to wed him should her life be saved. So the warrior went from them, and began his work. He hunted one hundred stags and two hundred boars. He seasoned them with salts and spices he acquired on his travels to far away lands. The spices were known to be too much for even the mightiest man to eat.  He called upon the Lord and saints to bless the water of a nearby stream. As he finished his prayers a breeze swept through the land, and the sweet smell caught the attention of the great dragon that was on his way to eat the maiden. He turned and flew toward the feast the hero prepared.

The  warrior hid in the bushes as the hell-spawn ravaged the carrion. he ate until all the morsels were devoured, then let out a great roar. The pain from the spices made the serpent writhe and plead. It ran to the river and began to suck the water up. Only after the river was empty and the water no longer flowed was the beast at last satiated. It rolled onto its back and fell into a slumber, for it had eaten a great deal of flesh.

As the monster slept, the warrior fell upon it, striking at its heart. The dragon awoke quickly and lowered its jaw to bring fire upon the man. But his hell-fire was quenched by the blessed water of the stream. The dragon realized this only as the warrior's blade pierced into his heart. It let out one final roar as its life blood shot from the wound. 

On that day, the warrior wed the princess and built a new kingdom that was even great than his father-in-law's had ever been.

Saint George Killing the Dragon by Bernat Matorell (1434); Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes: The story this is based on was a Japanese legend about a warrior god fighting an eight headed serpent to rescue a goddess to marry. In that story, the warrior entices it with super strong alcohol and gets it drunk. I wanted to go in the same vein as that, but couldn't figure out where my warrior would get the alcohol. So I went with having him hunt a ton of animals and then trick the dragon into drinking holy water. 

Bibliography: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).

Week 6 Storytelling: The Clever Jackal

A long time ago, deep in the jungle, there live a tiger. This tiger was fierce and terrifying, able to kill any man that wandered into his domain. Because of this, all the animals feared him. But one day, the tiger fell upon a man hunting in the jungle and ate him whole, and began to feel ill. The tiger, believing that his end was near had his most trusted servant, the hyena send a message out that all animal were to come pay their respects to the tiger. So many came and said their final goodbyes.

Meanwhile, the jackal was lounging about his den when he suddenly remembered about the tiger and his illness. He realized how late he was going to be, as the tiger was on the other side of the jungle than he. So he devised a plan to escape the tiger's wrath.

A couple hours later, the jackal arrived in the tigers home. The hyena scuffed at him saying, "The jackal finally decides to see the king then? Where were you when we summoned you? Surely, you should be punished for your negligence to the great tiger!" (For the hyena and jackal had always been great enemies)

The jackal replied, "I heard the tiger's summons and went out immediately. However, seeing that the tiger is deathly ill, I saw it futile to come empty handed."

He produced several roots and herbs to give tot he tiger, "Eating these should cure you, my lord. However," he smiled, "You need to lay on the skin of a freshly killed hyena in order for the cure to work."

So the tiger slew the hyena and lay on his skin. Soon enough, he began to feel better. For his deeds the jackal was rewarded by the tiger and became a close friend to him.

...

One day the jackal laid in his den playing his drum, when the tiger came forth and asked him, "Nephew, I was betrayed by the cat. I sent him into a village to bring me fire so we could cook a deer, but he never returned. I swore to eat him because he forced me to eat the deer raw, now he won't leave the confines of the village. The very same village is guard by dogs with nooses they can use to hang me! You are like a dog, perhaps you can parlay with them on my behalf?"

The jackal went with the tiger to see these strange dogs and laughed when he beheld them. He told the tiger, "Uncle, you're too foolish! Those are not nooses for which to hang you. They are the dog's tails! They're just curly. Go forward and get the cat, the dogs won't hang you."

And he went back to his den.

...

Again the jackal was in his den, when the tiger came and said, "I need your help once more, Nephew! I left my cave to hunt this morning, and when I returned, a strange beast made a dreadful noise at me from within. He had hemp tied onto his chin and great big horns."

The jackal told the tiger, "If what you say is true, then the beast that haunts your home is of a kind that I eat quite often. Lead me there!"

So they ventured to the tigers cave and tied their tails together, so if the beast grabbed one they could pull eachother away. Then, a small goat jumped out and yelled, "Hum pakpak!" 

The tiger was so started, that he ran out. As he did, his tail scraped all the fur off the jackal's tail. The jackal let out a howl of pain, which frightened the little goat, who quickly ran out of the cave as well. The jackal returned to the tiger with tears we

lling from the pain. He said, "You owe me now double. For removing the beast from your cave and tearing the hair off my tail! You should give me this cave in compensation."

The tiger agreed, and on that day the jackal acquired the home of the mighty tiger.

Author's Notes: This story is the conglomerate of three different stories. The first is about a tiger falling ill from eating too much and the jackals convincing him to kill the hyena to cure himself. The second is about a cat that goes to a village to get fire but realizes quickly that life among humans is much more comfortable than life in the wild, and his tiger friends try to kill him. The third story is about a goat that escapes a village and takes up residence in a leopard's cave. I decided to put all three together and make the jackal the main focus. The jackal plays some role in all three stories, so I figured it be easy to retell them from his perspective more or less. I also wanted to end it with him winning something for all he did for the tiger.

Bibliography: Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Cecil Henry Bompas (1909)

Images: (Top) A drawing of a tiger, Source: Pixabay

               (Bottom) A side-stripped Jackal, Photo by Brenard Dupont; Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 5 Storytelling: Dan and His Luck

Dan was sitting in his chair, browsing his social media accounts. For a moment he glanced over to the classifieds, but quickly brought his eyes back to his screen. Maybe later, he thought to himself. He knew he needed money to pay several overdo bills, but he was too busy to get a job, in his view. I'll look through them tomorrow. 

Then his phone rang; It was his brother, Sherman, calling. Sherman was the owner of a successful restaurant in town. Dan had previously thought about working there, but hated the idea of working under his little brother. "Hey, Shermanistan! Whadup, brother?" Dan said with a forced enthusiasm.

Sherman's deep elegant voice replied on the other end, "Oh, not much. Just finishing up for the day, thought I'd invite you over for my house party tonight. I haven't seen you in so long, and knowing you, you probably need to get out of the house for a bit!". Sherman was always the brutally honest type.

"I don't know... I'm pretty busy right now," Dan replied, "I'll see if I can make it out there a bit later."

"Brother, come over! I'd like to see you."

"We'll see."

After a somewhat awkward silence, Dan heard Sherman sigh then say, "Alright, Dan. If you need anything, just give me a call. There's always a place here for you. And a job."

"Thanks. bye!" Dan said forcefully as he hang up the phone. He hated when Sherman talked down on him like that. I'm perfectly able to find a job on my own. I don't need his help, Dan thought bitterly. Sherman always seemed like everything went well for him. Dan had the exact opposite of that, and it drove him crazy.

After he cooled down a bit, he felt sorry for the way he snapped at his brother. He decided to make it up he'd go to the party. So he stood up, got dressed, and went on his way.

When he arrived at his brother's house, he saw a small woman cutting the lawn. She was elderly, but strong looking. She stood straight and proper as she moved the mower over the grass. Dan had never seen her before, and didn't know Sherman to be the kind of man to hire someone else to cut his own grass. As he walked by, she smiled and said, "Hello, Daniel."

Dan was thrown off for a moment. He forced a smile and said, "Hello, Ma'am." and continued walking toward the door. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he turned and asked, "Do I know you?"

"Oh, no. You know my sister, though. I am Sherman's luck, I watch over him. My sister belongs to you, but she is lazy and youthful. She sleeps under a bridge. The address by the bridge is 134 Proverb lane."

"Proverb lane? That's not too far from here! I'll go wake my luck, and then I'll have everything my brother has! Dan quickly ran to his bike and started peddling, but he got only a few feet before his chain broke and the bike ceased to work. I knew I should've replaced that earlier. I really need to wake my luck up! He thought.

As he walked down the street, he came across a young man staring at a small gold coin. The man looked distraught, so Dan asked him what the matter was. "My father died and only left me this stupid trinket. What am I to do with this!" The man replied.

Dan smiled, "I'll tell you what. I'm going to wake up my luck. When I do, I'll ask for some advise for you!" And he merrily walked on.

Soon after, he met a very beautiful woman sitting on the street curb. She was wearing an elegant dress and had her hair done up. Dan stopped and asked, "What is such a lovely young woman doing sitting on the curb?"

She said holding back tears, "I just got stood up again. I'm never going to find love!"

"I'm going to wake my luck! When I do, I'll ask if there's anyway I can help you." Dan said to reassure her, and started away once more.

In time, Dan was on a busy street when he met a poorly groomed man on the sidewalk. The man asked him, "I'm so hungry, but got no money for food. Anyway you can help me?"

Dan assured him that he would ask for help from his luck for the man.

Finally, Dan found his luck lying under the bridge. She stirred when he nudged her, and asked drowsily, "What is it? I want to sleep more."

Dan asked her, "Miss, I've come to get you to work. Also, I have several questions for you."

He asked her about the people he met on his way, and this was her answer:

"The young man with the coin, tell him that it is worth millions, as it is a relic from a long gone civilization. For the young lady, tell her that she must look for a man that will do something for her when he expects nothing in return and will care for her. For the poor man, tell him to rob the next fool who trusts a stranger. Now, go. I'll be with you."

So the man ran gleefully back to the young man, and told him about the coins value. The man was overcome with joy, and offered to give Dan a portion of this great discover, as he would've thrown it away otherwise. Dan replied, "No thank you, sir. I'm lucky now, and have no need to split money with you."

Dan then went to the young lady and informed her of what luck said. She said, "Well, you did that for me, and you seemed concerned for me. Would you like to meet up sometime?"

Dan declined stating, "Sorry, miss. You seem like a great lady, but I'm lucky now, and will surely meet my true love soon."

After that he went to where he met the poor man, and didn't see him. From an alley way, he heard his voice beckon him. So he went into the alley and found the poor man. Dan said, "My luck said, 'rob the next fool who trusts a stranger.'"

"Good advise," the poor man said as he pulled out a knife, "I think I'll follow it." and he stole what money Dan had left.

Infuriated, Dan went to find his luck, but she was gone. He went back his brother's home and knocked on the door. By now, the party was over and everyone was gone. His luck answered the door. Dan asked her, "Where were you? You told me all the advise for these other folk, but haven't helped me!"

"I was with you when you denied the money, turned down that lovely lady, and decided to walk into the alley. Believe it or not, I have very little to do with what happens to you. I can set you up for success, but your foolishness will get in the way!"

Dan opened his eyes. He found himself in his chair, his phone on the ground beside him. He had a missed call from Sherman. Dan got up and went to his brother's house. The party was going, and Sherman was talking with some of his friends. He turned and saw Dan approaching him. Before he could say anything Dan said, "I'd like to ask for a job."

Sherman blinked in surprise and said, "Well... of course! we can get you started as a dish washer and see where it goes from there! But let's not discuss this now. Here, meet some of my friends. This is David, Sam, Sherry, and Lisa."

Dan's eyes froze on Lisa. She was the girl from his dream. She gave him and shy smile. It was in that moment he realized, luck was with him, but it was up to him to make his dreams come true.

Author's Notes: The original story and mine differ in mostly the setting, the people he meets along the way, and the ending. The original setting was in ancient Persia, but I wanted to modernize this tale a bit. The people in the story originally were a gardener, a king who is secretly a woman, a thorn picker, and a wolf. I removed the thorn picker because his part of the story offers no opportunity for the protagonist to foolishly ignore. The king became Lisa, the beautiful girl, because I wanted to give the character a romantic interest that he would've been with because he likes her, not to become a king. The wolf and gardener became the man with the coin and the poor man, and they served the same function in my story. Except, the poor man didn't kill Dan, unlike the original story. The ending was a bit cheesy, I'll admit, but for good reason.  I understand waking up and it all being a dream is cliche, but Dan's luck is a symbol of himself, thus he is sleeping and only wakes up when he realizes he can't count on luck to make his life better. I hate it when the foolish characters die at the end of stories because I feel like there wasn't any growth, just death.

Bibliography:Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and Illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919).

Image: (Top) Dan starts on his Journey. 'Making Light of a Dark Situation' by Ross2085. Source: Flikr
(Bottom)Dan needs to wake up and make his dreams come true. 'Asleep at the Wheel' by Aaron Jacobs. Source: Flikr

Week 4 Story: The Guilt of David and the Sorrow of Bathsheba

The party had finally begun. All of the king's best warriors, were present.  Eleazar, Ishbaal, Shammah, Absalom, and David sat in the seats of honor, elevated above the other tables. Michal, Maachah, Abigail, and David's other wives sat off to the right whispering among themselves. Bathsheba, Sat on the left, holding David's new-born, among the king's daughters.She had asked him to let her sit among the other wives, but he refused claiming they held animosity for her. She knew this claim was valid. Ever since they married, she could hear them talking behind her back. Things like "She married the king so quickly after her husband's death." and "Well he only married her because of the love he had for Uriah. In fact, she should be a concubine if anything." and other insults were all too familiar to her. They weren't wrong, in her mind. She was the daughter of a soldier and the widow of a soldier. She held no right to be the king's wife. The child began to stir in her arms as the king rose with a cup in his hand.


"Friends, brothers! On this day, we celebrate!" he shouted as the audience cheered him on, "For on this day, the Lord has delivered us. He covered these brave men as they fought and repelled the Philistine invaders! Truly the Lord is a mighty lion!"

The audience roared with applause. Bathsheba couldn't help but filled with pride at her husband's ability to command respect. She knew the child in her arms would be a great man too. She looked down at him to comfort his squirming body, and when she looked back up, her eyes met David's. She could see his smile form underneath his thick black beard.

As the crowd cheered, Joab son of Zeruiah shouted "Surely the line of David will rule forever! Hail King David! Hail! Hail!"

The rest of the room began cheering "Hail". The men all rose and saluted their king. The band began to play a triumphant melody as the party began to grow in chaos. The wine was flowing and the laughter could be heard on the outer wall of the City of David. Gareb the Ithrite approached the king in merriment and bowed low. He remarked, "You have been blessed, my king. If only Uriah were alive to see this day, and know his sacrifice was not in vain."

Bathsheba heard this and quickly turned to David. She saw his smile fade, and his eye cast down. He never talked about him. She didn't like to think of it either. She became pregnant with the king's child while her husband was away at war. Uriah died on the front lines shortly after the king found out about the child. She didn't like to think of it, what hand the king might have had in her husband's death. "Yes, I'm sure he..." David started slowly trying to find his words.

"He would be proud." Bathsheba said reassuringly. David turned his head to her. He looked down to the child and his smile returned.

Then he turned again and faced the back of the room. That's when she heard two small cymbals clashing together from the front of the room near the entrance. A small child could be seen entering the room with a man behind him. Bathsheba had never seen him before, but David seemed familiar with him. "I bring a message for the king!" The man called out.

The clatter in the room died down, and an eerie silence fell upon them. The man made his way to the table of honor, and looked up to David. "Will the king hear me out?"

David looked about and replied, "Nathan, the king will always have time for a prophet of the Lord! Give me your message."

Bathsheba sat as Nathan told a story of a man with many sheep and lambs, and another with only one lamb that he loved. She sat rocking her child, and she not once looked up to the men talking. She just looked into her child's face. She remembered the night David sent for her to come to his bed chamber. She would've denied him, but she had been alone for so long and who denies a king? She missed her husband, but her new life was far better than her old. She snapped back to the conversation when she heard David cry out in anger, "Surely, this rich man should be put to death! Bring him here! He will repay the poor man tenfold for what he has done!"

Bathsheba looked to Nathan as he said, "That man stands here before us all. For you are the man!"

David stood did not move or speak, and the crowd stood silent as Nathan continued, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Why have you hated me? I gave you victory over all your enemies! I gave you the kingdom of Saul and the Wives' of Saul! Everything you do succeeded! But now you have despised my word and done evil in my sight. You stole Uriah's lamb from him." Nathan shouted and pointed at Bathsheba, "And when you couldn't convince him to go home and sleep with her, you had your lackeys send him to his death in battle and stole her for yourself."

Bathsheba could not believe what she heard. She saw Joab lower his head and quietly leave the room. She had hoped it wasn't true, but she knew from Joab's reaction that is was. He was the commander at Uriah's last battle. Suddenly, it made sense. She felt a deep unease in her stomach as the baby began to stir and whine.

Absalom began to raise up to approach Nathan, but David grabbed him and made him sit back down.

Nathan looked at Absalom and back to Daivd, "Now the Lord will strike all these from you. Your kingdom will be taken from you, your wives will be taken from you. All by someone close to you, someone you trust with your life. You betrayed Uriah's trust, and so too shall they betray yours! What you did in the dark, he will do before all Israel!"

Once Nathan finished, the silence was deafening. David stood and walked to Nathan. Bathsheba was certain he was about to end the man's life. But instead, he fell to his face, and cried aloud, "I have sinned against the Lord." and continued to sob in front of the crowd.



"Rise David Ben Yishai. The Lord has taken away your sin. You will not die, but someone must." Nathan said was sadness as he turned to Bathsheba.

Later, after Nathan and the party guests left, the baby began coughing in Bathsheba's arms. She pleaded with God for the child to return to good health for seven days. But on the seventh, his breath stopped. Heart broken, she wondered the halls of the palace at night, sobbing silently. That's when she heard her husband, whom she had not seen all week. He sang a song to God in his room. He sat naked upon the floor as he sang, "Clean my with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones you have crushed rejoice! Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquity."

He looked up and saw her watching him. He bade her to come in and sit with him. They sat in each other's embrace and that night conceived the child who would one day be the king of Israel.

Author's Note: I wanted to tell the story from the eyes of Bathsheba as she isn't really mentioned much in the original story, but it none the less effected her quite a bit. The setting of a grand party makes the rebuking of David by Nathan even more powerful as many people who were there (such as Joab) would've known about Uriah's assassination. I also wanted to emphasis David's humility in the story, as I feel like it wouldn't have been as powerful if it had been a private conversation. I also chose to throw in some of Psalm 51, as it is known to have been written after all this took place, so naturally David would be composing it in that time.

Bibliography: The King James Bible (2 Samuel & Psalms)

Image: Nathan confronts David, painted by Emanuel Granberg; Source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 3 Story: Shimon Remembers

It was another sunny morning on the Sea of Galilee. The breeze gently rippled the water and rustled through Shimon's hair. The gentle rock of the boat, back and forth, nearly sent Shimon into a slumber. For he and his friends, had been fishing throughout the night. He had hoped to have some time to think, to process all the events that had transpired over the last week. So much had changed. First the arrest in the garden, Yehuda betraying them all and turning their master over to the priests. Everything seemed lost when Shimon saw his lord getting nailed to that terrible cross. Then three days of hiding. Waiting for the Jewish leaders to come for him and the other disciples next. Shimon was loath to remember that first night around the fire. When that servant girl wouldn't stop questioning him. I had to deny knowing him... If I hadn't, I'd have been up there on that cross too, Shimon thought to himself. He had long since justified his actions, but still had an inkling of regret deep in his heart.

After those three days, the world seemed to turn around. The women came running up claiming that the lord had risen. Then he was there! Standing before them all. He even had Tau'ma feel the wounds he had suffered at the Roman's hand. Or was it at my hand? Shimon thought in contemplation. He set his head back to let his mind drift away from the troubling thoughts. He closed his eyes and went into a light sleep.

The familiar rocking of the boat sent his mind back to when it all started three years ago.

It was a morning much like the one Shimon was currently enjoying. he and his brother Andreas were casting their nets, as they had every day for the last 18 years. Shimon had once dreamt of being a priest, but he was not considered smart enough to join the elite group. So he was resigned to the life of a fisherman. Though he wasn't very good at it. Neither he nor his brother had caught anything at all, and they had been fishing all night. Shimon stood up and wiped the sweat from his head. Adonai, please teach my brother and me to fish, or else our lives will be meaningless! He prayed in his heart. That's when he saw him. A short man, wearing a common beggar's garb. A large crowd was following behind him. He pointed to Shimon and spoke, "You there! Having trouble? try throwing your nets over the right side of your boat." he said.

"Eh?" Shimon asked surprised by the suddenness of the command. "Lord, we've been fishing all night, and haven't caught a single..."

The man continued to stare expectantly at Shimon. "Fine," Shimon said humoring the man, "Andreas, let's do as he says. After all, he looks like a holy man."

The nets came back up full of fish. So many they caught, that Shimon had to call another boat, the one Yakov and Yochanan the sons of Zebedee were manning, to help pull them up, so they wouldn't capsize. The net nearly burst. Shimon looked to his brother in astonishment, then to the man. He fell to his knees and begged, "go from me, lord! I'm a sinful man, and do not deserve such blessings as the one you have given me this day!"

The strange man gave a big smile and replied, "Come with me! And I'll show you how to fish for people!" then let out a great laugh. Shimon could see in his eyes a sadness though. Like he was carrying a heavy burden.

Suddenly, Yakov nudged Shimon taking him from his dream, "Wake up, brother! A man is shouting for you."

Shimon stood up as he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. He was blinded by the bright sun, and could not make out who the figure was standing on the shore about a hundred yards away. "Shimon, have you caught anything?" the stranger called out.

"No, good sir, we haven't anything. We've been fishing all night!"

"Throw your nets over the right side of your boat!" The man commanded.

Natan'el, who was among them, said, "Surely, this man is joking. This lake is void of any fish!"

Shimon turned, "Just humor the man."

Then just as it was before, the net could barely be pulled onto the boat, for it was full of fish. The men all stood amazed by this wondrous event. That's when Yochanan leaned over to Shimon and whispered, "It is him!"

Shimon swiveled on his heel and again stared at the man. Now clearly, he could see his face. The short man now stood tall, as if he had been baring a great burden before and had only now shed the weight. His clothes were white and made of fine linen. Blood stained his side and the cuffs of his sleeves. "Yeshu..." Shimon said under his breath, "Rabbi!" he then shouted as he dove in the water.

Shimon swam all the way to shore, where his friend and teacher had prepared as small fire. They embraced, Yeshu didn't seem to mind Shimon's wet clothes. "I swam as quickly as I could when I saw it was you, Rabbi!" Shimon remarked as the other disciples came and bowed before their master.

The man looked deeply into Shimon's eyes, and shimon felt the sting of pain as he remembered his denial of Yeshu that night. But the master smiled and said "Bring the fish you caught! I'll cook you some breakfast, Peter."

And Shimon realized he no longer saw the sadness that he had seen in Yeshu's eyes before.

Author's Notes: I wanted to tell the two 'fishing with Jesus' stories found in the Bible in a back to back way to emphasis the change that following Christ brought onto Simon Peter. It's one of my favorite moments in all the Gospels when Peter jumps from the boat and swims to Jesus, when before he was afraid and asked him to leave. So I took some liberty in combining the two stories from Luke 5 and John 21. I wanted Simon to be the main character in this one, simply because he seems to undergo the most change between the two. I also decided to use the Hebraic names for all the disciples and Jesus because that's how they knew each other. They wouldn't have called them John, Simon, or James. They would've used the Hebrew names (or Grecian names in Andrew's case). Also, I tried to include other linguistic and cultural appropriate things, such as Simon using Adonai instead of Yahweh when speaking or praying, and calling Jesus Rabbi instead of by Yeshu. Another slight change I made was putting Jesus on the shore during the first encounter. In the biblical story found in Luke, Jesus is actually in the boat with Simon. However, I wanted the second encounter to reflect the first one more closely, so Jesus was on the shore calling both times.
Speaking of Jesus, I gave him a bit more of a friendly demeanor as he is far too often, in my opinion, portrayed as too solemn and gloomy. I wanted to show the loving and friendly side of him as well. I ended it right up before they had breakfast, though, if I had the word capacity, I would've loved to continue the story into the end of John 21.

Bibliography: Bible, New International Version (1978), Luke 5 and John 21.

Images: The top is an image of the disciples first meeting Jesus on the boat. The bottom is the second 'fishing trip' when Jesus cooks the disciples breakfast. Both photos were posted on Flickr by user Waiting for the Word; Source (Top): Flickr, (Bottom): Flickr

Week 2 Story- The Foolish Lion

The little lion cub pawed at his mother's leg as they were strolling through the field after having consumed a delicious morsel. "Mama, Mama, who is that?" He asked as his eyes tracked a distant figure moving on the other side of the field.

His mother stopped in her steps and let out a sigh, "That, my child, is an example. He was once the leader of my mother's pride, but now he is no more than a shade of who he was."

At this, she started away again. The cub broke sight of the old lion to turn and follow his mother. The sun beat down bright on his head. "If he is shade, then why is he not dark?" he asked as they continued their walk back to their den.

"No child," his mother chuckled lightly, "Not shade like that from a tree, but more like a ghost. He was great and powerful, once. We all feared his wrath. When he was hungry, he ate. When he was angry, he slew. And he was tired of killing and eating, he slept. He always got what he wanted."

The child stopped to turn around as his mother bent down to lap up some water from a stream. His eyes scanned the area until the figure came into sight from down stream. The child now saw that he was skinny, practically a walking skeleton. "Mother, how did the ghost die?" He asked.

"He isn't dead, yet. Or at least his heart still beats. A long time ago," She started as she sipped her final bit of water, "he was so head strong and passionate, he believed he deserved all that he desired. No lion dare deny him. Humans though, they are different."

"Different? How"

"They are sneakier and less concerned with honor. He was deceived by them."

"Did they trap him with their nets or pierce him with one of their darts?" The child asked fearfully.

"No, they used his own foolish heart to bring him down. One day he was prowling the roads, looking for a human to eat, as he was known to do. When he stumbled upon a humaness."

"A humaness? Are they like the one's that come with nets?" The child interrupt with curiosity and fear in his voice.

"Less hairy, and fairer typically." She replied, "Now, this humaness was beautiful even for a human. That old lion was smitten, and desired her beauty for himself. He demanded that she wed him, and join him with his other wives. She told him that she could not marry without her parents blessing. He begrudgingly followed her home to confront her family. He intended to intimidate them for permission. But they protested, 'For she is fair and gentle. We fear your stupendous claws may tear her skin and kill her. For her sake, would you remove them? Then you may wed her.'"

"He was displeased," The mother continued, "but he wanted the woman so greatly, that in the moment he did not think it that great a price to pay. So he allowed them to cut his claws. 'Now give me your daughter so I may wed her!' He growled. They again argued, 'We are worried that when you kiss her, your impressive fangs may harm her. If you cannot kiss her, how can you marry her?'"

"Again the lion was unsatisfied by their answer, but he understood the dilemma. 'Very well, you may remove my fangs. But you must let me marry her afterward!' So his teeth were pulled from his mouth. Before he could carry away his fiancé, her parents yet again protested. 'You are so mighty and large! If you go to embrace her, you might break her bones! How can we allow such a union? Perhaps if you lost some weight, we could consider it.'"

"'Alright.' The lion agreed, 'Then she will be mine or I shall devour you!' So he fasted for 3 months, eating only grubs that he found in the dirt. Finally, after that time had come to pass, he had become skinny and weak. 'I will marry your daughter now. Give her to me!' He demanded of her parents. But they laughed at him, 'Why would we grant a creature so pitiful as you to marry our daughter?' they chuckled. 'I am the king of beasts! Not to mention you promised me her hand!' he cried out in anger. 'We promised our daughter to a powerful beast with fangs and claws. You are no more than a common house cat!' and he went away in shame."

The mother began to walk toward the den where the rest of the pride lay. Her child followed closely behind. "You see child, when you let your passion and desires blind you, you lose whatever power you had. If you cannot rule your own heart, you cannot rule at all."

The child turned to take a final look behind. He caught a glimpse of the old lion digging at the dirt with his skeletal paw, bend down, and eat a grub that he unearthed. The cub turned his back to the old lion and went to join the rest of his family.

Author's Notes: This story is derived from a traditional story from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs, in which a lion falls in love with a woman and is tricked into removed his fangs and claws. I felt the original story ended a bit too abruptly, and wanted to expand on what happened to the lion afterward. Furthermore, I wanted to frame him as more of a selfish character so the story didn't seem quite so brutal. The original lesson was that love can tame the wild, but I wanted to take it in more of a 'following your heart won't always work out well' direction. I also added in the detail of the family asking the lion to lose some weight because even though a lion may be toothless and clawless, he could still just sit on you and kill you. It's written as a story being told by a mother lioness to her cub, which I found to be more thematically interesting than just a narrator talking.

Bibliography: "The Lion in Love" from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacob. Web Source

Image: A mother and her son; Credit goes to Tambako the Jaguar on Flickr; Source: Flickr