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| Seagrass and the Moon - A Fairytale |
  | Seagrass and the Moon
A long time ago, after a particularly warm day when everyone was looking forward to a rest and the stars were doing their bit...
The moon refused to rise.
No one on Earth at the time was sure why the moon refused to rise.
Everyone in the West said it was because it was feeling lazy.
Everyone in the East said it was because it was feeling neglected.
Everyone in the South said it was because it was jealous the plants only grew when the sun was out.
Everyone in the North said it must be in love.
Having their own opinions was very important to the people of the Earth (and still is).
Now on a large island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean there lived an albatross. She had flown over the whole world many times and had made many good friends. Her name was Seagrass. She was minding her own business as she had been taught to do and she for one was glad that the stars were out even if the moon was away for the night. She was preening her feathers and stretching her large wings when a wet and rather grumpy looking water elf came out of the sea, shook her legs and arms, and then in that way water elves have, she sidled up to Seagrass in a long roundabout walk almost as if she didn't see her.
"Oh, hello Seagrass," she said, "I didn't know you were here." Seagrass looked at her through her round dark eyes.
"How long have you known me Timple?" Timple screwched up her nose and mouth and said,
"Hmmmmm....fifteen years."
"And suddenly you've forgotten where I live?"
"Not really. I didn't know you were in."
"Albatrosses are never in. We are either on our nests or flying. Being ‘in’ or ‘out’ is not something we do."
"Alrightie then I did not know you were on."
"Not worth flying on a moonless night like this."
"Ah you noticed." Seagrass looked at Timple wondering when she would actually tell her what she wanted. It was always the same with water elves they take ages and ages to get to the point. They hate asking for favours. They find it embarrassing and sometimes they turn bright pink when they try. Which makes them look like prawns.
"Hard not to, really when you think about it. Cloudless sky, stars out, no moon. It seems a bit out of the ordinary unless you're not expecting a moon."
"Were you not expecting the moon?"
"Were you?"
"I thought I was until you mentioned it."
"I am sure I was."
"Well then we both were and that's good because I never like not agreeing with you." Seagrass looked at Timple and snapped her beak. "Sorry," said Timple, "I forgot you don't like compliments."
"Its not that, I am just trying to remember when you have ever agreed with me. The last time you were here you argued with me over the vitamin content of seaweed. And you wouldn't have it that coconuts are better for you that sea cucumbers."
"And we agreed to differ because we eat different things and there's no accounting for taste."
"And come to think of it you wanted something then and turned a very rosy pink." Timple started going pink as Seagrass looked at her. "You had better ask me what you want to know before you go red," she suggested.
"It's not me," Timple said finally almost bursting, " It’s the king he wants me to find out where the moon is. He misses it and he thinks...he thinks he may have upset her."
"Why, what did he do?"
"He didn't say. He’s the king he never tells me anything but if word ever got out the water elves would be in big trouble."
"I'll say they would. So why come to me?"
"I thought we could fly and find the moon and ask her if she was ok." Seagrass stretched her neck.
"It's a long way to the moon," she said.
"I know."
"Very tiring."
"I am sure but you must have been there before you've been everywhere and I am empowered to make any offer necessary to find her."
"Any offer necessary?" Seagrass smiled through her beak.
"Yes."
"What would I get?"
"What do you want?"
Seagrass thought about that. Water elves are very powerful and if any people in the universe know how to give gifts, they do.
This was a very tempting offer.
Anything she wanted.
"I need a nanny."
"You do?"
"Yes. My chicks this year will hatch and I need them to be guarded so the mice won't eat them."
"We will organize a guard."
"Good. Do I get another request?"
"When we get back." Seagrass clicked her beak again. She stood up and flapped her wings and Timple went flying because she was very light and Seagrass had powerful wings.
"Up you come then, no use waiting for tomorrow."
Timple picked herself up, climbed onto her warm, feathered neck and with one swift flap they were in the air.
Flying on an Albatross is a very exhilarating experience. They dive and float and since they are doing all the work you get to sit there and take in the view. And what a view. Hundreds of miles of open sea and ships as small as ants below. Higher they went until clouds were around them like a cloak and higher still and Timple shivered a bit and nestled into Seagrass's feathers to keep warm.
And then they saw the white light behind a mountain in the far distance.
"Interesting," said Seagrass.
"What is?" asked Timple.
"That light looks like moonlight." Timple had to agree with her it did look like moonlight. The mountain shone distinctly and its high peak covered in snow looked like a big piece of cake with icing. Seagrass turned slightly and flew towards it and over it and Timple looked down and there...was a huge round moon not moving.
They landed on the edge of Archytas, one of the Moon's surface craters.
"Does it feel hot here to you?" asked Timple.
"Very. My feet are warm," replied Seagrass.
"Shouldn't it be cold?"
"Probably, but then shouldn't the moon be a few million miles further up than this?"
"Probably."
"I think we shouldn't worry about should be’s and concentrate on what is." (Albatrosses like humans have excellent good sense when there is trouble. Sadly also like humans as soon as the trouble goes so does the good sense.)
Timple got off her back and jumped onto the dusty surface. She looked around. Nothing was moving. She picked up a stone and went to a large rock and banged on it. There not being a door this was the best way to knock.
"Yeah yeah yeah, " called out a deep voice, "what's up? what is it? who's there?" A thin man appeared beside them and stood there.
"Don't often get visitors like you two," he said. "What's the what?"
"That's what we came to ask you?" said Timble.
"Oh then you have had a wasted journey, I just answer the naggings I don’t actually know anything."
"Does anyone?" asked Seagrass slowly, clicking her beak.
"I am sure, but I don’t know who that anything is. I did know an anyone a long time ago, let me see, Andrea Anyone, that was the lady's name. Andrea P Anyone. Now she knew a thing or four!"
"Perhaps you may guess why the Moon has not risen?"
"Oh that's what you have come about. I think there's a big meeting going on right now about that. Somewhere. But where’s the where I don’t recall."
"You wouldn’t know where?"
"I wouldn't no. But someone might."
"I don't think we are getting very far here," said Timble.
"I entirely agree with you," said Seagrass. "Perhaps," she went on,"you have some tea, we have flown a long way and I am rather thirsty."
"Of course, naturally come come, in we go."
In a twinkle they were in a large underground room, with soft crimson lights and lots of men just like the one they with walking around chatting and smiling and nodding to them as they passed by.
You know.” said Seagrass softly, my friend is empowered to give any gift anyone wants if she can find out what’s the what with the Moon.”
“Any gift?” said the man.
“Any gift,” repeated Seagrass.
Now this was serious. The man looked at Timple. He thought about it and thought about it and said,
“I need a nanny for my eighteen children. I don't have the time to look after them all.”
“I am sure we could arrange that!” smiled Timple.
“Why do you want to know what’s the what with the Moon?” he asked.
"It is of interest to my king," said Timple.
"Ah, " said the man, "But is your king of interest to the Moon?"
"Does that matter?" asked Timple.
"In matters of the Moon, everything matters," he replied. He breathed in, "Come with me."
They were taken into a huge chamber. Timple thought it must almost be as big as the inside of the Moon itself but then Timple being so small most things looked big to her. In the middle of it floated a small black cloud.
"Do you mind?" asked the small man.
"Not at all," said Seagrass lowering her wing. He stepped onto it and Timple took up her place on his neck and Seagrass took to flight and in two of three very professional flaps came to the cloud and they all landed and didn’t fall through.
The cloud floated upwards and down a long tunnel until finally they came into a small warm cavern that was softly lit and in the middle sat a pretty lady bathing her feet in silver.
“Good evening Grondafon,” she said, “we have visitors?”
“They have flown in to find out what’s the what.” replied the man who we now know is called Grondaflon.
“Oh” she said taking out a silver towel from her basket and drying her feet.
“My king just wanted to make sure he hadn’t annoyed you.”
“The lady looked at Timple. “I don’t think I know him. How could he have annoyed me.”
“I don't know.”
“Well he really should have told you what was on his mind. It doesn’t do to keep things to yourself if you are worried.”
“In that case may we ask why you have not risen yet?”
“I wanted to rest,” she said.
“I knew it wasn’t anything serious.” said Seagrass clicking her beak.
“Oh,” said Timple. “You aren’t upset or tied to anything or imprisoned or anything?” The lady laughed.
“Who could imprison the Moon?” she inquired. “No indeed every one hundred million years I stay here and don’t rise. Its good to have a change now and then don’t you think?”
“I think it is,” said Seagrass.
“I wouldn’t know my King never changes anything.”
“Hmmmm,” said the lady, “well maybe we can change that for you.
and that is why the next evening, when Seagrass was sitting on her nest and the nanny was feeding her chicks and Timple was looking at the stars the Moon, large and radiant after her rest day, shone down into the depths of the sea and kept the King of the water elves awake all night and the next day he was so tired he slept all day.
And the water elves did as they pleased whilst he slept so they too had a holiday.
Timple and Seagrass always knew from that day on, what’s the what.
| | Posted: 24.2.2008 at 05:07 | Read 172 times | 0 comments | Leave Comment |
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| Daniel | | 
"The world is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel:Horace Walpole" |
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