quiet. He clever biscuit, but he look not so keen on going to Northern Wood.
‘You very good before, when you kill evil Prince Frederick from land of enemies,’ say chamberlain. ‘Land of enemies make war with us, we win war, we make country bigger, King make more money. Is good thing. King, he hope you like house and lands and money he give you?’
‘His Majesty very generous,’ say woodcutter.
‘Yes indeedy,’ say chamberlain, and he roll his eyes. ‘So, King have favour to ask.’
And then chamberlain explain about Northern Wood, and people who go missing, and legends about red tree, and there is too other legends about silver ghost, and he roll his eyes again and say: ‘Tch! Country folk! We would take no notice, only Queen’s maid’s cousin live in village, and Queen say we will do something. So we send you with guards, make sure you arrive all safe. Make sure no bandits in woods slow you down. Then you chop down red tree, lift curse, calm down superstitious local peoples, and everybody happy.’ And this time he not even pretend to make question. Woodcutter he have no choice.
‘Is my honour to serve King,’ he say.
‘You bet your boots, mister,’ say chamberlain. ‘You leave at dawn.’
The next day is long ride to Northern Wood. Woodcutter and escorts not waylaid by bandits on journey. Is just boring. And guards boring too. Is enough to tell you: all very glad to arrive at village.
Tomas, son of miller, see woodcutter and guards coming and run to tell village elders, and so they come out to greet. But when they see woodcutter and guards they not so happy.
‘Is that it?’ say one of them. ‘We send to King for help and all he send is two fat old soldiers and dandy. And for this we are paying taxes?’
Guards not like being called fat and old (because they fat and old) so they say: ‘We not stopping. We here to deliver this fellow all safe and all sound. We go now.’ And they go.
Elders look at woodcutter. One of them say: ‘What you meant to be, anyhows?’
Woodcutter get down off horse and try to stand all brave and manly and impressive.
‘I am woodcutter Yan Haval,’ he say, ‘hero of Southern Woods, slayer of evil Prince Frederick from lands to north, saviour of kingdom and proud servant of King Emil the Wise!’
‘
You
are Yan Haval?’ say elder. ‘You shorter than ballads say. Oh well. You bring axe?’
‘Yes,’ say woodcutter, and he sigh. ‘I bring axe.’
‘I suppose you will do. Come have soup and we talk.’
So they take him to house, give him soup and breadand they tell him legend of silver ghost and red tree. Only they argue and can’t agree how story go. There is red tree and there is silver ghost, and some children and menfolk go missing in woods, and some cattle and some plants die. This much they all agree. But rest? Oh boy! One say silver ghost live in red tree. One say, no, you fool, red tree grow fruit to protect from silver ghost. Another one say, you both wrong, silver ghost guard red tree. This all go on very long time and woodcutter very bored. Also, soup is no good.
Woodcutter say, ‘You want me cut down red tree?’ and his forehead go all wrinkles like ploughed field. The elders, they have little chat between them, all quiet and whispers and secrets. Then they say to him: ‘Yes, please, thank you very much.’
So they draw him map. Is pretty bad map, because of arguing, but give some idea of where is red tree, and woodcutter wanting to leave, so he pick up axe and walk off toward dark woods. As he go he pass children singing in street, teasing younger boy. They sing:
Child don’t stray in dark, dark wood,
For whether you bad or whether you good
Where the red tree grow
From the bones below
The silver ghost will drink your blood.
Is such nonsense, think woodcutter to himself. Such silly superstitions! I find this red tree, I chop it down,I back to city in time for market day. And he smile to himself at thought of chamberlain’s
‘You very good before, when you kill evil Prince Frederick from land of enemies,’ say chamberlain. ‘Land of enemies make war with us, we win war, we make country bigger, King make more money. Is good thing. King, he hope you like house and lands and money he give you?’
‘His Majesty very generous,’ say woodcutter.
‘Yes indeedy,’ say chamberlain, and he roll his eyes. ‘So, King have favour to ask.’
And then chamberlain explain about Northern Wood, and people who go missing, and legends about red tree, and there is too other legends about silver ghost, and he roll his eyes again and say: ‘Tch! Country folk! We would take no notice, only Queen’s maid’s cousin live in village, and Queen say we will do something. So we send you with guards, make sure you arrive all safe. Make sure no bandits in woods slow you down. Then you chop down red tree, lift curse, calm down superstitious local peoples, and everybody happy.’ And this time he not even pretend to make question. Woodcutter he have no choice.
‘Is my honour to serve King,’ he say.
‘You bet your boots, mister,’ say chamberlain. ‘You leave at dawn.’
The next day is long ride to Northern Wood. Woodcutter and escorts not waylaid by bandits on journey. Is just boring. And guards boring too. Is enough to tell you: all very glad to arrive at village.
Tomas, son of miller, see woodcutter and guards coming and run to tell village elders, and so they come out to greet. But when they see woodcutter and guards they not so happy.
‘Is that it?’ say one of them. ‘We send to King for help and all he send is two fat old soldiers and dandy. And for this we are paying taxes?’
Guards not like being called fat and old (because they fat and old) so they say: ‘We not stopping. We here to deliver this fellow all safe and all sound. We go now.’ And they go.
Elders look at woodcutter. One of them say: ‘What you meant to be, anyhows?’
Woodcutter get down off horse and try to stand all brave and manly and impressive.
‘I am woodcutter Yan Haval,’ he say, ‘hero of Southern Woods, slayer of evil Prince Frederick from lands to north, saviour of kingdom and proud servant of King Emil the Wise!’
‘
You
are Yan Haval?’ say elder. ‘You shorter than ballads say. Oh well. You bring axe?’
‘Yes,’ say woodcutter, and he sigh. ‘I bring axe.’
‘I suppose you will do. Come have soup and we talk.’
So they take him to house, give him soup and breadand they tell him legend of silver ghost and red tree. Only they argue and can’t agree how story go. There is red tree and there is silver ghost, and some children and menfolk go missing in woods, and some cattle and some plants die. This much they all agree. But rest? Oh boy! One say silver ghost live in red tree. One say, no, you fool, red tree grow fruit to protect from silver ghost. Another one say, you both wrong, silver ghost guard red tree. This all go on very long time and woodcutter very bored. Also, soup is no good.
Woodcutter say, ‘You want me cut down red tree?’ and his forehead go all wrinkles like ploughed field. The elders, they have little chat between them, all quiet and whispers and secrets. Then they say to him: ‘Yes, please, thank you very much.’
So they draw him map. Is pretty bad map, because of arguing, but give some idea of where is red tree, and woodcutter wanting to leave, so he pick up axe and walk off toward dark woods. As he go he pass children singing in street, teasing younger boy. They sing:
Child don’t stray in dark, dark wood,
For whether you bad or whether you good
Where the red tree grow
From the bones below
The silver ghost will drink your blood.
Is such nonsense, think woodcutter to himself. Such silly superstitions! I find this red tree, I chop it down,I back to city in time for market day. And he smile to himself at thought of chamberlain’s
Similar Books
