June 6 - Goatertainment - A tale!

My goat-goal this month is to post something interesting every day of my goat-dom.

Today I have a miniature story for you!

The Tale of Tor, Twillabee and the Briny Demon

Once upon a time, Tor the fisherman and his wife Twillabee lived happily at the edge of the forest. Day after day he returned from fishing in his little yellow boat, and he was so skillful and caught so many fish that one day he was seized by the Briny Demon, who squeezed him in his supple claws saying to him, “What gives you the right to take so many of my fish? From now on you will work for me to repay all that you have stolen!” With that, he dragged poor Tor down under the water.

Twillabee was worried when he didn’t come home that night, and the next morning she found his little yellow boat washed ashore. She rowed along his fishing routes, calling his name all day, but soon she began to fear that he had drowned. She stopped the boat and began to cry. When at last she had cried her last tear, she looked down into the water to bid Tor farewell. But there she saw a little sunfish poking his lips out of the water and looking at her in a rather peculiar way.

Leaning over to look at him, she heard his watery voice:

If you follow me, Miss Twillabee
You’ll find your Tor, his life restore!

With that, the little sunfish swam off and she hurried to follow. Eventually, looking down through the clear water she was shocked to see her husband scrambling around at the bottom of the sea, planting a seaweed forest. Nearby lurked the terrible Briny Demon, watching all the while and laughing a murky underwater laugh.

The little fish continued to swim until they were out of sight of the Briny Demon:

If I had feet and mighty lungs
I’d walk ashore and with my tongue
Guide you with a song and chorus
The help you need, ‘tis in the forest

At this, Twillabee remembered odd stories she’d heard as a little girl, about mysterious forest gods who would sometimes deign to consider the troubles of men. She rowed swiftly back to shore and flew deep into the forest; miles and miles she ran to the tallest stand of cedar, thinking that it seemed to be the noblest place for a forest spirit to reside. “Won’t you help us?” she cried, “A Briny Demon has stolen my husband, and forces him to work night and day in a place contrary to his nature.” The Forest Wraiths, who in fact were everpresent in the smallest twig and the most thunderous trunk, rustled and creaked among themselves while Twillabee sat nervously nibbling a sweet thistle at their feet.

This slippery one, with fractious deeds
Has caused both man and spirit grief
Behold, this gift of waxen seed
‘twill lift your man from underneath

At this, a heavy waxy seed rolled down from one of their trunks to rest at her feet. As soon as it was light, Twillabee rowed out to place where she had seen Tor in captivity. She dropped the seed, and watched it sink until it reached the bottom. Immediately it sprang apart, piercing roots down amongst the rocks and shooting a mighty tree toward the surface of the water. Twillabee scurried to move the boat as the tremendous tree came bursting and splashing through.

Tor began to climb, ignoring the futile thrashing of the Briny Demon, whose magic was powerless near the tree. But at the surface, Tor found that his lungs had lost their love of air, and he gasped in it as though he were drowning. Reluctantly, he slunk back into the water, clinging to the tree for safety. Twillabee blinked confusedly at the little sunfish, who had swam up to observe the hubbub.

The winds that chill
Have blessed breath
Some kisses will
Trade life for death

Guessing what he might mean, she lit out for the icy mountain that loomed over the forest. She climbed and climbed, till at last she dropped exhausted where clouds first touched land at its peak. Soon the Zephyr Spirits spoke to her, saying,

Your sunfish friend spoke words quite true
Our breath is born of coldest blue
It pleases us to send a kiss
Restoring him to breathing bliss

At this, they kissed Twillabee on the mouth with a puff of icy mountain air.

Invigorated, she hurried and tumbled down the mountain and out in her boat again, and found that indeed her kiss healed his lungs – he climbed into the boat and bent the oars to take them home. As Tor and Twillabee built the fire that night they were surprised by a visit from Incendius, whose hot whisper filled their little home.

Forest, wind and fire agree
This watery imp shall punished be
Search about among the tinder
Until you find my Vengeful Cinder

Poking around at the base of the fire, they swiftly found a crackling and hissing ember, different from the others glowing in the fire, which rolled out to lay at Twillabee’s feet.

The next morning, Tor went out to fish as usual, and soon the Briny Demon boiled up in a rage, reaching into the boat to capture him again. Twillabee sprang out from beneath a tarp, threw open a little leather pouch and flung the Vengeful Cinder at their foe. It slashed a steaming scar across the Briny Demon’s slithery body, and it fell wounded back into the sea, howling in rage. As they looked down into the water, the fish and sharks attacked the wound, consuming the Briny Demon entirely before its skeleton crumpled to the bottom. The little sunfish was nowhere to be seen, but Tor and Twillabee lived happily ever after.

The End