THE TALE OF LIRIL
by
Kevis Hendrickson
This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions of any third-party publishers.
The Tale of Liril
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Kevis Hendrickson
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Cover illustration © Emily Ward. All rights reserved – used with permission.
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The Tale of Liril
There once was a girl named Liril who was so poor that she didn’t even have shoes to wear. One day Liril was out in the garden hanging out the laundry when she thought to herself, ‘Woe is me. I’m so poor that I haven’t any shoes to wear like the other girls in the village. Poor Papa works himself to the bone all day in the mines to bring us bread. And Mama, she never stops working to keep the house clean and to prepare supper with hardly nothing for pot. Tomorrow will be Papa’s birthday and I haven’t anything to give him. I suppose I’ll have to do something so he won’t have to work so hard anymore. That would be the best birthday gift of all! But how will I do that? Woe is me.’
Once she had hung out all the laundry, Liril ran into her cottage with the empty clothes basket and told her mother that she was going to market to find her father a birthday gift. Her mother scolded her, saying, ‘Put such nonsense out of your head! We’ve no money for bread let alone things we don’t need. I’m certain your father will be quite happy spending time with you on his birthday!’
Liril was the sort of girl who never gave up on an idea when she had it. So she went to her room and got a silver coin that she had saved up from her last birthday and put it in her apron pocket. Then she ran out of the house when her mother wasn’t looking and went to market. Liril didn’t know what she would buy for her father. So she went from merchant to merchant looking for something that would catch her eye, hoping that if she did find something she could barter with her coin for it.
Liril looked at all the fine things that were sold there. There were so many items to buy that one could nearly spend a lifetime and a mountain of gold coins trying to collect it all! The tailors sold dresses of linen and silk, and cotton pantaloons, and brocade coats with buttons made of brass; the shoemakers sold shoes made of wood, leather, fur, and even slippers made of glass. Jewellers sold all manner of fine jewellery: golden rings, bracelets, collars, pendants, tiaras, and earrings. Liril fancied herself the diamond necklaces that she had seen, but the jewellers always shooed her away when she got too close to their display tables.
There were merchants who sold hot food and wine, the smell of which made her very hungry. There were merchants also who sold magic seeds and coins. These interested Liril the most. ‘Perhaps, I’ll get Papa some magic seeds. They’re sure to make him rich! But all I have is this one silver coin,’ thought Liril. And having been told the prices of the magic seeds, she became sad, for she hadn’t enough money to buy even one magic seed. But there was an old woman nearby who saw Liril weeping and said to her:
‘Why are you weeping, my dearie?’
To which Liril answered the old woman:
‘Tomorrow is Papa’s birthday and I haven’t anything to give him. I want to buy him a gift, but all I have is this one silver coin and no one will sell me anything.’
‘Tell me, my dearie, what do you want?’ said the old woman.
‘Oh, I want to buy him something really splendid so he’d never have to work another day of his life.’
‘I think I can help you, my dearie. I have just the thing.’
‘Do you?’
‘Why, of course! But you’ll have to listen up and do as I say or you’ll have no gift to give your father.’
‘Oh, I’ll do anything you say, if you will help me!’
‘Go to the Black Forest and find my missing locket and I’ll give you a fine reward.’
‘The Black Forest? But there are horrible monsters there that’ll eat me up!’
‘See this, my dearie. It’s a magic seed. If you take it to your father, he’ll have treasures beyond his wildest dreams. But all you have to do is get me my locket.’
‘But I’m afraid!’
‘Nothing in life is certain, my dearie. It is only the brave who win life’s rewards. Those who don’t overcome their fears are destined to fail at even the least things. Don’t you love your father?’
‘I do.’
‘Then do as I say and I will give you the magic seed that will bestow all your dreams.’
‘You promise?’
‘A witch—I mean, I never break my promises.’
‘Never?’
‘No, my dearie.’
‘Then I’ll go and get your locket. But what does it look like?’
‘It’s one of a kind. Believe me, you’ll know it when you see it. Just be certain to bring it to me at once.’
‘Then I won’t be long!’
Liril left the old woman and the market and went to the Black Forest where many frightening creatures lived. It didn’t take long for Liril to reach the forest or to lose her way either. And as she had feared, there were monsters everywhere she went: large monsters, small monsters, monsters with many arms, monsters with none, monsters with tiny eyes, and others with one big eye; all of them had sharp teeth and were very hungry. And they said to Liril:
‘Come to us, little girl. We won’t eat you up. We will show you the way out of the woods, if you let us.’
But Liril ran from the monsters wherever she found them and searched for the locket the old woman had told her about until she grew tired of looking and hungry. Then she wept, for she could not find either the locket or the way out of the woods. Night came, but she was too afraid to sleep. So she wandered even deeper into the woods, although she did not know it. Another day came and went by and still Liril did not find the locket. She wept again, fearing that she would die in the woods and that the monsters would eat her. But that night when Liril was lain down beside a tree, an ogre saw Liril and thought to make a meal of her. When she saw him, she screamed, and ran away. But Liril did not get far, for the ogre was bigger, and stronger, and faster than she was. He caught up with her and took her into his grasp. The ogre would have eaten Liril up if a great wolf had not come from the bushes and leapt upon the ogre. The wolf strove with the ogre biting him on the hand and on the foot and on the leg until the ogre wearied of battling the wolf and ran away. Liril was afraid of the great wolf and thought he was going to eat her just like the ogre. But the wolf was not the kind of wolf that ate up little girls and was kind. And he spoke to Liril saying: ‘Why don’t you ride on my back, little girl, and I will take you to a safe place in the woods where no one will hurt you.’
But Liril did not trust the wolf and said:
‘How do I know you won’t eat me up like the ogre wanted to?’
And the wolf said:
‘Because, I am not the kind of wolf that eats up little
girls. Besides, I hear little girls don’t taste very good. Or so I’ve been told.’
Liril could not help but laugh at the funny words of the great wolf. As she felt that he didn’t mean her any harm, she decided to trust him and to ride on his back all the way to his den where the wolf’s wife and little wolf pups were eating supper. They welcomed Liril and shared their supper with her and let her sleep beside them for the night.
Liril awoke the next morning to discover the great wolf and his family gone and that she was alone in their den where the night before she was given sanctuary from the dangers of the forest. So she got up, left the den, and made her way through the woods, wandering in search of the old woman’s locket. But no matter where she looked she could not find it. She had walked for a long while when she came to an orchard in the woods where many apples grew on the trees. As Liril had had no breakfast or lunch, she was hungry and decided to eat one of the juicy red apples. The apple was so delicious that she thought she should sample one of the golden apples that grew on a tree nearby. The golden apple, too, was delicious, but she was still hungry and so ate a sweet ripe green apple. Even after having eaten the green apple, her hunger remained. So she ate another apple and then another. Liril thought it strange that no matter how many apples she ate, she was never satisfied. And so, she continued to eat apples from the trees until she quelled her hunger. But after a while had passed and Liril had
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