Forest Folk Tales: The Prince and the Pond
September 9, 2009 - 4:10am — Iaurdagnire
"This may sound... strange," Rev began in a weak voice. Dag couldn't help but notice how drab his coat was, and his eyes looked sore from weeping, "But I hear you know a lot of stories, Dag, and I was wondering if you could tell me one. A... distraction, I suppose-"
Dag nodded at his request and cut the grieving stag short,
"-You have no need to explain yourself to me, Revtheyr. Unfortunately news travels a little too fast in this forest; it's very difficult to keep one's business his own. Therefore, I do not wish to hear of any of it." Dag smiled his unmistakably knowing smile and bowed to lead him away from the bridge and to a bright patch of grass right on the pond's bank. The sun was shining at its brightest, and as they sat down grasshoppers fled from the sudden shadows cast over them. Once they were settled, Dag took his chin to the sky and closed his eyes, humming a thoughtful hum.
"Have you heard many folktales of the forest? If you have a favourite, I'd be delighted to tell it."
"I don't know very many." Rev replied sweetly and looked across the pond, his eyes being lost in its waters.
"Very well," Dag diverted his gaze into the blue, "then I shall tell you the story of the Prince and the Pond." He couldn't notice how his listener’s ears perked when he mentioned 'Prince'.
"This is the story of a lonely Prince, a Prince long before our time. He was a plane stag - much like the nameless - and he was large and sluggish, unable to cast spells. He was one of only ten deer existent in the forest, but unlike the others who woke, played and slept in each other's company all day long, he preferred to be alone. He spent most of his time sat in the sun, much like we are, overlooking this very pond.
"Pond," he asked one day, "do you ever wish you could be something else?"
The Pond sent a wave of water to the shore and sloshed back and forth against the bank, contemplating this question.
"No," the Pond replied at length, "I am happy the way I am."
"Oh." The Prince sighed and pushed his nose through the grass and over the edge so he could see himself. The Pond, who reflected back his sad and troubled face, bubbled,
"I suppose you are not happy with the way you are?"
"No," the Prince replied, "I am not like all my friends. I don't like to play or walk through the trees. I don't like pine-cones, or anything we eat, not really. I like sitting here, in the sun, and I like to swim. My friends stay with me sometimes to keep me happy, which is why I love them, but... I wish they could be like me, so we could like the same things truthfully and be together."
The Pond settled and arranged its lily pads,
"Why, you do not sound like a deer at all!" the Pond replied, "Come, walk to the shore. I think I can help you."
The Prince stood up and walked all the way around the Pond, under the willows and to the shore.
"Walk forward, Prince." The Pond beckoned, sending wave upon wave towards him. The Prince obeyed and walked into the water, slowly at first, then rushed in up to his neck, eager to swim. But then something peculiar happened. The Prince could feel water wrapping around his legs like a thousand vipers, and WOOSH! He was pulled under.
The Pond fell silent and plucked one of its lily pads. It placed it where the Prince once stood, and what climbed onto it?"
Dag looked over his shoulder at Rev who had got up to stretch. He met his eyes with a wrinkled nose.
"Well... A frog, I think."
"Indeed it was," Dag chuckled, "A huge, green frog dragged itself from the water and onto the lily pad.
"How do you feel?" Asked the Pond, a great pride in its voice, "To swim and sit in the sun all day, is this what your heart desires?"
"Yes!" the Prince croaked. Overjoyed by his transformation, he leaped into the cool water to swim right away. And in doing so, he met all manors of creatures. Fish, water boatmen, whirligig beetles, but there were no other frogs.
"Oh Pond, thank you!" The Prince exclaimed, "I am so happy! But Pond, I must tell the other deer I am here; otherwise they will worry about me."
"Very well," the Pond said, "but I cannot change you back. Instead, you must wait until they come to my shore to drink. Then you will be able to tell them."
So the Prince waited, on a lily pad in the sun, until his friends came to the water to drink. When they touched the water and waded in, the Prince slipped into the water also and began to swim towards them. But when he got there, they were not deer at all! They were frogs just like him!
"Everyone, look! The Pond turned you all into frogs, just like me!" The Prince somersaulted in the water with happiness, "We can all live here, together! Isn't it wonderful!" But his friends didn't want to be frogs, and some looked very frightened by their transformation.
"But I don't want to be a frog!"
"I don't want to be one either!" They cried.
One by one, they climbed out of the water. As they did so, they changed back into deer and ran away. The Prince hopped onto his lily pad and was very sad as he watched them disappear into the forest. He was happy as a frog, and couldn't understand why they didn't want to be one as well. He began to cry,
"Oh, Pond!" He sobbed, "What am I going to do? They'll never want to come into the water to see me now."
"But, little Prince, you wished for all deer to be like yourself. The spell has been cast: every deer that now enters my waters shall become a frog, as you are. Is that not what you wanted?"
Dag stopped and didn't speak for some time. Eventually, Rev stood up and cocked his head at the storyteller,
"... So what happened?"
"That's the end of the story." Dag replied, "The Prince could not answer the Pond’s question, as he could not say yes or no. One cannot wish for happiness without others being affected. To this very day, we all turn into frogs when we enter the pond to remind us that wishing for something is not a means for escape, nor a means to get what you cannot have. In the end, we will always revert back to our original state. For the Prince, it was true that he could sit in the sun and swim all day long, but it was also true that he would still remain alone with the Pond as his company, wishing that things were different."
"I see..." Rev's body wilted as he hung his head, "... Wishing things were different."
Dag raised his brow, hoping he had chosen the right story. He would challenge anyone not to have dark thoughts after the death of someone close to them, but on this occasion there was a life involved that had yet to be born. If he could give Rev hope that things would get better, well, only time would tell.
"Revtheyr, I would like to ask you a question that can be answered... If a Father gives his life in order for his fawn to live, what will the Mother beg for after his life is taken?"
It didn't take long for Rev to answer,
"... For his life to be returned."
With that, Dag rose onto his hooves with an approving look on his face.
"There are no bargains to be made in life, no matter how many people believe it to be so. What will be is what will be. Though mistakes can be made in our choices, the highest of powers can do nothing to the one who will endure his own path and make a life from the ashes created along the way. Remember that."
Without saying another word, Iaurdagnire bowed to his audience and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke to leave Revtheyr with his thoughts.
What happened to the Prince in the end? Well, mistakes happen in whatever life you lead, and I wonder if one of them would involve a misplaced hoof and a fall into the Pond… it will always be up to you to continue the story and say ‘hello’ to someone, or something new.
If only for a passing visit.
... That was beautiful.
That was beautiful.
<33
Virgil
Thank you =3 <3
Wow, another spectacular
Keep up the fantastic work. Iaurdagnire. ~<3
..I love Dag as a
This is beautiful<3
Very nicely done
---
Click My Creatures Please!
Shimmy -> *basks in shimmy
Saosin -> Suits him doesn't it ^^ thank you <3
Seed -> I'm glad you like it as Seed's story session is the next one ;D
So beautiful~ If you hadn't
If you hadn't noticed, Rev has been seeking Dag out ACTIVELY now - not just by coincidence. :: Nod ::
and my friends are my strength."
So I see! ;D Which reminds
Which reminds me, when I get round to finishing Dag's bio I need to add Rev into his quaint little friends list =)
<33333 I love Forest fairy
| Light the Sky |
*rolls around in <3's* Thank
Thank you Light! XD
That was fantastic!! Dag
Awww, awesome! 8O Omygod,
If you'd still be interested in letting Cata participate in your "Leader" tale, maybe we could arrange some date and time for our deer to meet so you're having your screenshots? If you maybe need my msn for it, it's in my profile.
Cata & Paya & Pi'yu
Cata & Paya & Pi'yu
Ookani -> Thank you! Cata ->
Cata -> I need to update my original blog don't I XD' of course Dag would like to tell your deer the Leader Tale! I'll update my entry later with details as I still need to arrange for Dag to meet Beliar for a story =)
[Sir Dag]
Maybe you should! ^^ Please
Cata & Paya & Pi'yu
Cata & Paya & Pi'yu