Unicorn Farm - Bits

Bits and bobs and leftover ends that might evolve into stories of their own one day.

***

Unicorns
"We're looking for the unicorns!" Thora said. The apprentices murmured and dragged their feet. Nobody but Susan had ever seen a unicorn around.
"Don't you trust me?" Thora asked, but nobody was bold enough to say so to her face, even if not a few actually doubted her words.
First came the ominous sound of thundering hooves in the distance, then a shuffling of unshod hooves. The velvet green and blue eyes and the slick white skin shone in the still morning air.
"Yes" Thora said, "these are real, true unicorns. Why did you think we called this place Unicorn Farm. Of course we have unicorns here, it would not be appropriate else. It's a comforting thought that they have returned. And I'm happy to be able to introduce you to them - and the other way around."

Later in the day they sat on the fence, watching the unicorns graze and drank milkshakes. It was unicorn milkshakes, white, with a silvery sparkle and blue and green dots inside. The Nisser really did those things well. It was hot, the sun shone from a clear blue sky, and Thora surprised them all by wearing a hat. And old green sun helmet. "It belonged to my grandfather," she said proudly. Nobody dared to laugh, but the apprentices sure found the helmet funny. Seeing Thora in that contraption was like seeing Torben knitting, or Susan turning a somersault on a broomstick. At the same time unthinkable and a bit ridiculous. During the break their eyes were drawn to poor Thora's head more often because of her peculiar choice of headgear. A straw-hat, or even a sun bonnet would have been more her style than that old thing smelling of wars and jungles. 5 kommentarer:

***

Treasure Hunting - or Monsters?
The water lapped at the sandy shore, as the apprentices gathered in the early morning of a new week. "We're in for an adventure," Jon explained. "Tonight, the full moon rose and gave us a spring flood, and it is windy - even stormy from the exact right direction. The water rose higher than it had in living memory. And in half an hour it will go as low as it will ever go. We can make it to the cave and back if we do not linger. And if we do not meet with any unforeseen obstacles." Susan found meagre solace in the fact that it would be full daylight before they would arrive at the cave. The opening winked in the distance, enigmatic and threatening. They walked in pairs, with a rope between them and kept a good distance, wands at the ready. Susan noticed, that her neighbour's hand holding her wand shook just as much as her own. The water, still not at its lowest, swirled around their ankles, cold, salty and clear in the slanting rays of the rising sun. They were all set for destruction of the evil being in the cave.

***

Christian IV - a History Lesson
Susan, Heidi, Lis and Tage is doing their homework on witchcraft through the ages. Sandra and Kai are in the room as well, listening and watching the four children studying and eating biscuits. Kai groaks and Susan and Heidi now and then pass him a biscuit.

"Listen to this," Lis said, "It was a hard time for witches: 'The persecution of witches, both male and female, gained momentum during the reign of Christian IV. He gave a decree - the witchcraft act of 1617 - that all witchcraft was forbidden'." Lis was reading aloud from the book on history of magic in Denmark and Norway.
"He was a stickler for unification, that one," Tage said. "I read a bit of this yesterday and looked him up in the big encyclopedia. He also had several Jesuit spies - as he called them - killed. In fact he has any and all not orthodox protestant expelled or killed. Catholics, Anabaptists, Pietists, all had to get out of his kingdom. And he burned a lot books not on his allowed lists."
"He's always made to be a hero and a great king in normal school," Susan said. "What with his building of nice castles, vigorous hunting games, and successful or at least righteous wars with Sweden. But his treatment of people not agreeing with him seems to have been harsh and rigorous."
"With his seal on that act he was the reason many good people died," Sandra said. "Before his time almost no witches were burned or beheaded, and as soon as he died, it went down to almost zero again. He was not a good king for us."

***

Beechnuts
  Wading through the beechmast Susan enjoyed the crunching sound. She spied an unusually plump beecnut and bent to retrieve it. She peeled the triangular shining shells off the interior nut and popped it into her mouth,. The bitter-sweet, tangy taste of the nut filled her mouth. It was enjoyable, but she knew better than to eat a lot of them. She had done so the previous year, as a result getting a grandfather tummy-ache and felt miserable for days after. This year she would be more sensible. She re-wound her muffler, as the wind penetrated to her skin. She loved these windy, crisp autumn days in the woods.
  A squirrel ran up the tree, startling her. She heard footsteps form afar and froze behind her bush. Her eyes went to and fro, investigating the source of the sound. The footsteps were odd, soft, padding. She almost laughed with relief; it was not a human being, but a fox!
  Somewhere Susan had read that soaking the beechmast would leech the bitter taste, making them more stomach and palate friendly. She wanted to try and gathered a small bagful of the triangular nuts.
  After the bike home she threw her outer clothing on the bedstead and went into the kitchen. She peeled all the nuts at the small, cosy table and put them in a bowl. After a rinse, she poured almost boiling water over them and left them to soak. Contrary to her normal haphazard ways Susan did not forget to strain and soak the nuts two more time and the result was delicious, less bitterness and more taste. But she still got a stomach-ache.