We're all stuck indoors!
Hopefully you've found plenty of ideas to keep busy.
Here's a couple of my tales from the Creative Kid Tales Story Collection 2 to keep you entertained on those rainy days. Send me a drawing from the story and see it here!
The Brightflower
A snow fable
A snow fable
The Brightflower was dying.
At least, that was the rumour Ashria heard whispered around the campfires as she stirred the village pots at the foot of the mountain.
‘The dark grows longer.’
‘The cold bites harder.’
‘The petals are falling. The last one will take the Sun.’
‘We all shall die.’
‘Who will go and see?’
‘Not I.’
‘Not me.’
Legend said that a spirit with piercing horns and devil’s footprints lived on the mountain. No man had been to tend the Brightflower since it came. And now, Ashria’s little brother Jaemon was sick and as pale as the winter sky. Ashria wished her mother was still here to help, but Mother had gone to the Land of No Shadows and would never come back.
Ah! But Mother could still speak through dreams. Every night she whispered, ‘It is not Jaemon’s time to die. He needs the sun.’, and each time Ashria answered, ‘I don’t know what to do.’
One bitter night, as Ashria cried for Jaemon, Mother pleaded all night long. ‘Be brave Ashria. Climb the mountain. Save the Brightflower or there will be no warmth left in the world.’
‘I’m scared.’ she told Mother, but even so, she slipped away in the gray light of dawn.
She climbed for hours and hours. ‘I’m at the very top of the world,’ she thought. Darkness fell. The village fires burned small and bright below. Still she walked, until her hair wore stars of frost and her bones froze. She sought shelter in a comfortless cave where Mother whispered again. ‘Believe in yourself Ashria. You are strong and good. I love you and am always with you. Don’t turn back or more than Jaemon will die.’
Startled by a noise, Ashria awoke. ‘Who’s there?’
Peering out she saw small print like split-in-two hearts scattered across the snow. And, there, a snowy white stag! She had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life.
But as she marvelled at the great creature, she saw with horror what it was about to do.In the watery sunlight, the Brightflower sparkled softly at the Stag’s feet. Only a single petal remained.
‘Stop! Please. Don’t eat the last petal.’
The Stag startled. He turned soft brown eyes on her and studied her with seeming curiosity. ‘No-one has spoken to me for a very long time, Child. Why are you not frightened?’
Ashria was frightened, but she answered with her truest words. ‘I am afraid. I am afraid that if the Brightflower dies the dark will last forever. My people will suffer. Surely there is something else you can eat?’
The Stag looked longingly at the last petal. ‘The Brightflower is my only hope.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Ashria.
‘Watch.’ The Stag turned a slow graceful circle in the snow.
Ashria gasped. ‘You have no shadow!’
The Stag bowed his head. ‘A long time ago I was concerned only with my own thoughts and beauty. I believed I was the most magnificent beast that walked. I wanted everyone to look at me. The King of the Mountains warned me against my vanity but I did not listen, so my shadow was banished. My people did not understand how I walked with no shadow. I was cursed to become a wandering spirit, caught between the mountain and the Land of No Shadows.’ A single tear rolled down his cheek. ‘I am so lonely.’
Ashria looked at the forlorn beast, whose antlers weren’t horns, and whose footprints weren’t the devils. ‘And now all men are afraid of you too. Why must you destroy us just because you are destroyed?’
The Stag’s eyes filled with sorrow. ‘Shadows cannot exist without light. I believed that if I ate one petal each year I would become the light and my shadow would surely find me. I would be whole again. I am so sorry, Child, I did not understand I was taking the light from the world as well.’
Ashria’s heart burst with pain. She knelt before him and cried her heartfelt plea. ‘It was not us that cursed you. I beg you, let the Brightflower grow again. Then the sun will rise and my brother Jaemon won’t go to the Land of No Shadows before his time is due.’ Her tears fell onto the Brightflower’s last shimmering petal. She thought of Mother, who had taken her shadow with her. She thought of Father and the villagers and Jaemon who was pale as the sky. ‘If you promise to save it, I will give you my shadow so you can go home again.’
The Stag lowered his head to hers and gave a great sigh. He spoke, as softly as a snowflake floating on the wind. ‘That is a gift more than I can accept. You do not deserve to lose your shadow. I should have been more like you. I promise I will leave the Brightflower alone.’
With those words, the sky seemed suddenly clearer, the sun warmer than it had for weeks. The ground gave a sigh. A new Brightflower pushed through the earth, releasing from its very core the graceful shadow of the Stag. The shadow leapt away and bounded across the snow before coming to settle at the hooves of the Stag.
‘The Brightflower is born again! It has returned your shadow. You have saved us, Ashria cried.
The Stag bowed his head humbly. ‘No child, it was your bravery and selfless act that saved everyone. I will carry your kindness with me always. Now let me take you home.’
The Stag lifted Ashria gently onto his back.
‘I will bring Jaemon to visit.’ Ashria whispered into his warm, white fur. ‘You will not be lonely anymore.’
‘Thank you, Child. And in return, you can tell your people that there will always be warmth in the world. The Stag and his shadow who live on the mountain will protect the Brightflower forever.’
And Mother whispered again, ‘I love you Ashria.’
Written by Fiona C Lloyd Illustrated by Megan Higginson
Taken from the Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2 compiled by Georgie Donaghey.
At least, that was the rumour Ashria heard whispered around the campfires as she stirred the village pots at the foot of the mountain.
‘The dark grows longer.’
‘The cold bites harder.’
‘The petals are falling. The last one will take the Sun.’
‘We all shall die.’
‘Who will go and see?’
‘Not I.’
‘Not me.’
Legend said that a spirit with piercing horns and devil’s footprints lived on the mountain. No man had been to tend the Brightflower since it came. And now, Ashria’s little brother Jaemon was sick and as pale as the winter sky. Ashria wished her mother was still here to help, but Mother had gone to the Land of No Shadows and would never come back.
Ah! But Mother could still speak through dreams. Every night she whispered, ‘It is not Jaemon’s time to die. He needs the sun.’, and each time Ashria answered, ‘I don’t know what to do.’
One bitter night, as Ashria cried for Jaemon, Mother pleaded all night long. ‘Be brave Ashria. Climb the mountain. Save the Brightflower or there will be no warmth left in the world.’
‘I’m scared.’ she told Mother, but even so, she slipped away in the gray light of dawn.
She climbed for hours and hours. ‘I’m at the very top of the world,’ she thought. Darkness fell. The village fires burned small and bright below. Still she walked, until her hair wore stars of frost and her bones froze. She sought shelter in a comfortless cave where Mother whispered again. ‘Believe in yourself Ashria. You are strong and good. I love you and am always with you. Don’t turn back or more than Jaemon will die.’
Startled by a noise, Ashria awoke. ‘Who’s there?’
Peering out she saw small print like split-in-two hearts scattered across the snow. And, there, a snowy white stag! She had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life.
But as she marvelled at the great creature, she saw with horror what it was about to do.In the watery sunlight, the Brightflower sparkled softly at the Stag’s feet. Only a single petal remained.
‘Stop! Please. Don’t eat the last petal.’
The Stag startled. He turned soft brown eyes on her and studied her with seeming curiosity. ‘No-one has spoken to me for a very long time, Child. Why are you not frightened?’
Ashria was frightened, but she answered with her truest words. ‘I am afraid. I am afraid that if the Brightflower dies the dark will last forever. My people will suffer. Surely there is something else you can eat?’
The Stag looked longingly at the last petal. ‘The Brightflower is my only hope.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Ashria.
‘Watch.’ The Stag turned a slow graceful circle in the snow.
Ashria gasped. ‘You have no shadow!’
The Stag bowed his head. ‘A long time ago I was concerned only with my own thoughts and beauty. I believed I was the most magnificent beast that walked. I wanted everyone to look at me. The King of the Mountains warned me against my vanity but I did not listen, so my shadow was banished. My people did not understand how I walked with no shadow. I was cursed to become a wandering spirit, caught between the mountain and the Land of No Shadows.’ A single tear rolled down his cheek. ‘I am so lonely.’
Ashria looked at the forlorn beast, whose antlers weren’t horns, and whose footprints weren’t the devils. ‘And now all men are afraid of you too. Why must you destroy us just because you are destroyed?’
The Stag’s eyes filled with sorrow. ‘Shadows cannot exist without light. I believed that if I ate one petal each year I would become the light and my shadow would surely find me. I would be whole again. I am so sorry, Child, I did not understand I was taking the light from the world as well.’
Ashria’s heart burst with pain. She knelt before him and cried her heartfelt plea. ‘It was not us that cursed you. I beg you, let the Brightflower grow again. Then the sun will rise and my brother Jaemon won’t go to the Land of No Shadows before his time is due.’ Her tears fell onto the Brightflower’s last shimmering petal. She thought of Mother, who had taken her shadow with her. She thought of Father and the villagers and Jaemon who was pale as the sky. ‘If you promise to save it, I will give you my shadow so you can go home again.’
The Stag lowered his head to hers and gave a great sigh. He spoke, as softly as a snowflake floating on the wind. ‘That is a gift more than I can accept. You do not deserve to lose your shadow. I should have been more like you. I promise I will leave the Brightflower alone.’
With those words, the sky seemed suddenly clearer, the sun warmer than it had for weeks. The ground gave a sigh. A new Brightflower pushed through the earth, releasing from its very core the graceful shadow of the Stag. The shadow leapt away and bounded across the snow before coming to settle at the hooves of the Stag.
‘The Brightflower is born again! It has returned your shadow. You have saved us, Ashria cried.
The Stag bowed his head humbly. ‘No child, it was your bravery and selfless act that saved everyone. I will carry your kindness with me always. Now let me take you home.’
The Stag lifted Ashria gently onto his back.
‘I will bring Jaemon to visit.’ Ashria whispered into his warm, white fur. ‘You will not be lonely anymore.’
‘Thank you, Child. And in return, you can tell your people that there will always be warmth in the world. The Stag and his shadow who live on the mountain will protect the Brightflower forever.’
And Mother whispered again, ‘I love you Ashria.’
Written by Fiona C Lloyd Illustrated by Megan Higginson
Taken from the Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2 compiled by Georgie Donaghey.