Week 5 Story: Emergency

It was a typical day for Lottie. Wake up and get ready for work. Avoid the wandering eyes and hands on the subway. Decide between the potentially empty stairwell or the crowded elevator. Either way, there could be danger, but that is just life for Lottie. 

Finally, make it to the office, dodge the nosy person from accounting. Avoid the water cooler at all costs. Everyone congregates there - talk and touch become unavoidable. By timing it just right, Lottie can slide into her office and have the door shut before her assistant is back from gathering the morning's mail. 

No open door policy at this office. That could lead to small talk, and then people would touch things in her office, and they wouldn't leave. Better if they just emailed. When lunch rolled around, Lottie was afraid she forgot her thermos of tomato soup. If she had to leave the office during the day, she'd run into to someone. Then she'd have to talk, maybe go out to eat. Other people would touch her plate, her silverware. What if they wanted to go somewhere with salads? She might choke on a raisin or a piece of lettuce. Thankfully the soup turned up. She was able to drink her lunch—no choking or dropping food on herself today. 

The rest of the workday passed. Lottie stayed in her office well past five. The timing was just as important as in the morning - leave too early, and someone may still be working. Leave too late, and she'd run into housekeeping and be on the night trains with the talkative bar crowd. 

Disaster. The accounting team was meeting late with another office. So many greetings and handshakes and offers of lunch to turn down. What an awful end to the day. Lottie walks quickly to the elevator before the accountants can gather their things. Blessed silence on the way down. Lottie closes her eyes and just breathes for a moment. She tries to calm her racing heart, slow her breathing.

Wait. It's very silent. Lottie opens her eyes. It's dark. Why is it so dark? The emergency lights come on. The elevator is dimly lit, the panel dark, the doors closed tight. Trapped, just dangling in the elevator shaft. 

Of all the luck. She picks up the emergency phone. Of course, there is no text option. She takes a shuddering breath and prepares herself to speak to another person. A voice comes over the line, "We are experiencing heavy call volume, please leave a message." Lottie sighs in relief and speaks calmly and clearly, "Hello, I am alone. The panel says this is elevator number 3 in the west shaft. I was coming down from the 42nd floor. Thank you so much!"

 

 

Lottie sits back and smiles as she is utterly alone for the first time since she left her house that morning. Empty elevators are actually quite serene. The distant shouting of the accounting team does disturb the peace just a bit. Perhaps she'll luck out, and they'll rescue that elevator first. A woman can dream.

 

 

(Image information: "Emergency Phone" by haven't the slightest is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0)

Author's Note: This story was inspired by Fear from the Turkish Fairy Tales unit. In the original story a young man doesn't know fear and sets out to find it. He is faced with a variety of unusual situations - fighting a sea monster, hands rising from a grave, almost being strangled. None of these cause him fear. He is finally startled and briefly experiences fear when a bird flies out of a soup pot. I felt like turning the story around and having a character who was afraid or felt anxiety about just about everything in their day. People in the subway, crowded elevator, choking on a raisin, small talk at work. Only to be headed home, end up in what most people would consider a situation to actually fear and just be like "Actually, this is fantastic."

Story source: Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales by Ignacz Kunos, with illustrations by Willy Pogany (1913).

Week 4 Story: I, Agamemnon

I listened to this prophet tell me to send the girl back to her father. Then he had the gall to say I should also send back the money and the animals I had won as well? Who did this fool think he was talking to - philosophers drunk on wine? If there really was a curse on the girl, then we should get rid of her, but the money, the coins, and jewels, those are mine. 

"You expect me to return what I have gained? Who are any of you to tell me, Agamemnon, what to do? I rule over all Greeks. I have earned these things by my name and status. None of you are above me."

The assembled Greeks looked at me, most in fear of my rage. They were right to be afraid. Others looked on in awe at my might. Everyone seemed appropriately cowed, except for Achilles. He spent too much time fighting to use his brain and know his place.

 

Achilles spoke, "Why do you always claim so much? You sit here, cozy in your tent while we fight and die. You don't risk yourself, you don't lead from the front. Why should we even listen to you anymore if you won't risk what others do and won't share with those who take the risks?"

This Achilles brought men to fight, it's true. But he is far too outspoken. People are listening and watching. I cannot let this stand. 

"You are not king here, Achilles. Since I cannot keep this cursed girl, I'll just take the one you have. It is my right as king to take what I like when I like. If you don't like that, I'll come take her, your life and your money."

Achilles stormed out of my tent after that. But everyone else seemed impressed with how I handled him. I'll send someone to collect that woman of his a little later. I hope he fights me about it. It will give me a great excuse to end him and take his gold and take over his ships. This turned out to be a pretty good day after all. 

 

 

 

 

Image information: "Mosaic depicting Achilles confronting Agamemnon from the House of Apollo in Pompeii Roman 1st century BCE-1st century CE" by mharrsch is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Week 3 Story: Grasshoppers in Winter

Once there was an owl who lived high in an old oak tree. Over the years, the owl had seen many other animals and insects come and go, for owls live longer than squirrels or crickets. This owl had seen many summers. He just wanted to sleep during the day and hunt when night came. Being perched so high in the tree, this usually wasn't a problem. 

Towards the end of summer, a grasshopper began visiting the bottom of the owl's oak tree. Every afternoon the grasshopper would make his music for hours and hours. He'd hop from one place to another and generally just enjoy himself quite loudly, which disturbed the owl's sleep. 

After a few days of this, the owl was incredibly irritated. He was tired, his hunting was off, and he was just having a bad day. He called down to the grasshopper, "Excuse me! Some of us are trying to sleep. Please keep it down!"

The grasshopper was shocked! He didn't even know anyone lived in the oak tree. "Hello up there! I'm sorry my music is bothering you, but why are you asleep on this lovely day? Don't you know the summer is ending?"

"What do I care about the summer?" cried the owl. "I just want to sleep, so I can find something to eat tonight. Go make your music somewhere else and leave me alone!"

The grasshopper was not unreasonable and hoped the owl would talk things over with him. "Perhaps I could make music at different times? I'll only be here a short time longer. I'm sure we can make something work until summer is done!"

The owl wanted to hear no more of this talk from the grasshopper. "I am the owl, this is my tree, and I told you to leave! I don't want to make something work, and I don't care that you're only planning to stay by my tree for a little while, I want you to go now!" 

"Oh no, Mr. Owl, you misunderstand me. The summer is ending, and it's getting colder. Soon I won't be anywhere. I make my music to remember happier days. Grasshoppers don't live through the winter. That's why I care so much about the summer."

The owl was briefly shocked into silence. He knew the other creatures in the forest came and went with the seasons, but he had never stopped to think that some of the animals only knew one season. "Make your music then," said the owl. "Just try to keep it down in the middle of the day."

The weeks went by, and the grasshopper made his music. The owl learned to sleep through the noise, just as he learned to sleep through all the other noises from the forest. The days grew shorter, and the nights grew colder, but it didn't bother the owl. The grasshopper's song grew shorter and quieter, but the owl didn't notice. 

One day the owl woke up, and it was cold. There was snow on the ground. The forest was quiet. As the owl left his oak tree to hunt, he noticed grasshopper in the snow, silent and still. He called out to grasshopper, "Hello down there! Are you enjoying your first winter?"

 

 

Owl in winter

"Great Gray Owl Morning" by Leslie Abram is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 

 

The grasshopper made no reply for grasshoppers do not live in the winter. The owl remembered this talk with the grasshopper at the end of summer. Not one to let food go to waste, the owl picked up the grasshopper and started off the night with a quick snack. Perhaps next summer, a new grasshopper come to would share the space around the oak tree. 

If you consider things from a different perspective, you may find it easier to compromise.

 

 

 

Week 2 Story: Farmer, fruit, fae

One day a farmer planned to head to market to sell their crops. Most of the farmer's children requested many trinkets, toys, and ribbons. However, the farmer's youngest child, used to being left out by their older siblings and unheard by their parents, asked only for a pear.

After the farmer finished business for the day and purchased toys for the children, it was already getting dark. The horse and cart were quickly packed up, and they headed for home. The farmer had been up before dawn and was tired. In the dark forest, it was easy to lose your way. It was not long until the farmer was lost.

As the night wore on, the farmer became more confused and finally decided to find somewhere to stop for the night. Better to stay in one place until sunup than risk the horse on an uncertain path. After finding a clearing in what seemed to be an abandoned orchard, the farmer set up a makeshift camp. The fruit on the trees made a passable supper, and what luck! There were pears to fulfill the request of the youngest child. 

Just before the farmer went to sleep, there was a cracking and creaking in the trees nearby. Out came a bear, angry, growling, and ready to attack. The farmer was shocked to see a bear in this part of the forest but quickly took up a log from the woodpile. To the farmer's surprise, the bear did not immediately rush and attack, but instead spoke.

"Why are you in my orchard, stealing my fruit and burning my wood?" huffed the bear. The farmer sensing an opportunity for a bargain, overcame their shock and replied, "Well, you see, I lost the path in the darkness. I stopped here for the night and ate enough fruit to sustain myself. I gathered enough wood to keep me warm through the night."

The bear considered the farmer's response. "What you say about the wood you gathered is true. But about the fruit, you have lied. You have pears you have not eaten, those you have stolen from me, and for that, you will die!"

Before the bear could leap at the farmer, using teeth and claws to bite and rend, the farmer cried out, "Wait! The pears I forgot again! They are for my youngest child, a daughter, Marie. My elder children ask for trinkets, toys, and many other gifts every time I go to town. Marie only asks for small things, fruit or flowers, perhaps. They're things I can gather even in the forest because she is kind and knows I sometimes forget in town."

"If your daughter is so kind, then leave the pears." the bear demanded. "Send her back for them herself, and we will see how kind she really is - will she return to save your life?"

The farmer did not feel as if this was a fair burden to put on Marie but also felt this was not a decision to be made without involving family. "I will agree to this," said the farmer. "But if Marie does not want to come back, I will, and that's the end of it."

The bear agreed, the farmer returned the pears and headed for home while it was still dark. The ribbons and trinkets the eldest children asked for were used to mark the path so someone could find their way back to the bear's orchard. It was just after dawn when the farmer turned the cart into the yard. Marie was pacing outside, clearly worried something had happened.

"Mama!" Marie shouted. "You've been gone all night. What happened? Are you okay? Is the horse okay?"

"I lost the path. I stopped and thought to bring back pears, but the trees belonged to someone. They want you to return for the fruit yourself, in exchange for my life. It is not my choice to make, and I will go back myself. The path is marked with the ribbons your brother and sister asked for - it will be easy for either of us to find our way back to the orchard."

Marie thought it over for just a moment. "No. No, I asked for the fruit, even knowing everything else my siblings had asked for. I'll go. I cannot deal with them without you. Better to take my chances with an angry orchard owner than stay here."

Marie and her mother talked and embraced. Then Marie left to follow the trail back to the orchard. Without a horse, it was again dark before she arrived back at the fruit trees. Her mother's trail markers ended, and she found the remains of the fire. Marie coaxed the fire back to life and waited. Soon there came a cracking and creaking in the trees nearby.

"Are you the farmer's daughter who only wanted pears?" came the mumble from the shadows.

"Yes, I'm Marie, and the farmer is my mother."

"I am going to step into the light. Please do not scream." And the bear stepped closer to the fire.

Marie only nodded. "Yes, mother told me the being who owned the orchard was a bear, perhaps under an enchantment. What do you need from me?"

"Actually, I am enchanted; I've tried to break it many times over the years, but it was done by a fairy. As a bear, I've just found that older humans are stringy, and younger humans are far more delicious. Please don't run, it will only make us both very tired in the end." And the bear stalked towards Marie, ready to eat.

"I see," Marie said very calmly. "Mother said it may come to this. She was the one who enchanted you after all. She's sent me with the family sword and staff. Please don't run, my aim isn't very good, and I would hate to enchant any of your lovely trees."

And with that, the beast was no more.

Image information:

"Hutton in the Forest - pears" by kimhollingshead is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
"the dark forest" by danoxster is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 

 

 

Author's Note: So I started with Beauty and the Basilisk and just kind of went off from there. I really didn't like that at the end the basilisk was just more and more demanding, then basically got to say oh, I'm human now we are getting married. So in my version the beast (basilisk) just doesn't get very far at all.

Bibliography: "The Three Roses" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922) Web Source.