Stone Baby

Castles of sand were gleaming and sparkling in the sun. Asia was having a most pleasant dream about making sand castles. The sun was beating warm against her neck and she could hear the sound of ocean waves.

Then she heard footsteps and a voice saying, "Take me back to my cave." This startled her so much that she woke up.

Again there was that shimmering light just like the night before when the little children came into her room. She glanced at the wall to see if they were coming.

"Take me back to my cave," said a wee voice nearby.

Asia looked up at the dresser top and saw the stone baby standing there.

"Did you say something?" asked Asia in a weak voice.

"I want you to return me to my cave," answered the stone doll. Asia sat up and grabbed Belinda.

"I-I really can't do that now because . . . it is night . . . and it is spooky in the dark . . . and my mother will not let me. But I promise I will tomorrow."

When the stone doll did not speak, Asia began to think that maybe she just thought the doll spoke. After all, she had been dreaming just a moment ago.

A strong gust of wind blew through the crack in her window and little elves and fairies flew in with it, dancing and singing around her bed. They sang:

"Ring around the rosies
A pocketful of posies
Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!"

Again Asia found herself in a grassy meadow near the cave she had entered the last time. The little people were still dancing and laughing, tumbling and leaping all about.

The fairies and elves sang:

"A fairie sat by the old Larch tree
With a droopy cap on she said 'Not me!
I can't do that, I can't, not me!"

Asia saw the stone baby lying in the grass by her side. She took it, walked over to the cave, and peered inside.

"Grandmama? Are you there?" she whispered.

"I can hardly hear you my dear. Maybe you'd better step in. Be careful," said an old, familiar voice.

Asia stepped onto the raft holding the stone doll tight in one hand, and Belinda in the other. Crowding all around her, in a flurry of activity, were the many tiny elves and fairies that followed her in. They sang:

"A fairie sat neath the old Pine tree
With a sad cap on she said 'twas me!
I made a mistake, you can blame it on me!"

The fairies were upsetting Asia. She knew they were blaming her for taking the stone baby. "I did not make a mistake! I found it and Gene told me I could keep it, so there!" screamed Asia, holding her hands over her ears. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her face was beat red with anger.

"Sh-sh. There, there," consoled the old woman. "Come here my darling." The old woman held out her arms and Asia fell into her lap. The little people rushed all around Asia, trying to catch her teardrops as they fell. They bumped into each other and fell on the raft in a tangle, which made Asia laugh. But in their flurry of activity, they knocked the stone baby into the water. This disturbed them greatly, and they rushed away into the window lights, looking very much like a swarm of bees.

Asia watched them stream into the story land that the old woman last told about.

"Do they live in that place, too?" Asia asked.

"They live wherever the winds blow, the flowers bloom, the trees and grass grow. They are everywhere in nature."

Asia watched them disappear into a grove of trees.

"So, can you tell me the story of the stone baby?" she asked, settling onto a comfortable spot on the raft. Just as the old woman was about to speak, Asia noticed for the first time that the raft was moving.

"We're moving, Grandmother!" exclaimed Asia.

"Yes we are! How else can we read all that is written on the walls, young lady?"

"My name is Asia."

"Oh, and a very lovely name that is!"

"There is a country that has that name."

"Well I know that," replied Grandmother, "and a very beautiful and ancient land it is!"

Asia squirmed around a little bit. "Well, go ahead and tell the story," she said placing Belinda carefully on her lap so she could listen to the story, too. Asia felt safe with the old woman, and so waited for the story to begin, and so the old storyteller began:

The hunter who, with the help of a unicorn saved the young maiden from the clutches of a mighty dragon, came to live amongst the people of this island country. He married the young woman and they became King and Queen. The King would often go up to a mountain lake to sit and learn the wisdom of life from the old hermits that lived in the mountain caves. They would sit by the lake listening to the winds wafting across the rippling waters and hear the names of all things. This and much more the King took back to his people, teaching them how to sow seeds and farm the land, how to read the star script and follow the ways of the gods.

The unicorn was too wild to stay among the people. It roamed the high mountains watching over the people, watching that no more harm would come to them from the dragon.

It was a time of peace and great joy, but as the years passed, a deep sorrow grew in the heart of the Queen. She had yet to give birth to a son. 'Who would become King after the Great King died? Who would inherit this beautiful kingdom and rule the people when death claimed his last breath?' The Queen wondered about this as she walked about over the meadows surrounding her kingdom home.

One day, early in the morning, the Queen, in great distress, walked down to the seashore on the eastern side of the island, where the sun rises in the morning over the horizon. She prayed to the god of the morning sun:

"Oh that I may be blessed with a child!
Wilt thou deliver a son from your warmth
God of the morning hour?"

But no answer was given. The next day the Queen turned to the south while the day was still young. She prayed to the god of the noonday hour:

"Oh that I may be blessed with a child!
Wilt thou deliver a son from your flames
God of the noonday hour?"

Again there was no answer, so on the following day the Queen turned to the west, where the sun sinks into a faraway sea. She prayed to the god of twilight:

"Oh that I may be blessed with a child!
Wilt thou deliver a son from your fleeting light
God of the evening hour?"

The next night the Queen walked to the northern shores and prayed to the god of the midnight sun.

"Oh that I may be blessed with a child!
Wilt thou deliver a son from your ocean of stars
God of the evening hour?"

While she stood there looking out over the foaming waves, a dark figure moved slowly down a steep rocky slope watching her, but making no sound. Not a pebble tumbled from along its path as it made its way to the shore.

The Queen was lost in a dream, sensing and hoping that perhaps this time she would have her wish. So absorbed was she in her longing, she did not hear the great figure creep gingerly into the waters, did not see the waves crashing strangely on the shore. It was the great dragon that slipped into the waters, swimming away underneath the waves, winding and twisting its way toward the north.

Time passed. The moon sank lower in the starlit skies till its silvery body touched the far horizon. The Queen sighed and was about to turn away in grief, but then she stopped. On the pathway of silvery moon rays, far in the distance, she saw a tiny speck that rose and fell, dancing gently upon the glittering waters. As it floated closer the Queen could see it was a tiny sailing ship whose sails expanded and grew full with the northern winds.

The Queen was overjoyed, running to the waters to catch the boat as it landed. It was a tiny boat with a blue sail that had stars and a moon painted on it. The boat was so small that the Queen could have lifted it with her arms. She looked inside, but then backed away in horror, for although it was a baby boy as she had wanted, this was a baby made of stone!

Although the Queen loved the baby, she was afraid to show it to the King. Instead, she delivered it into the arms of a river-maid who lived alone by the river that flowed through the meadows on the northern side of the island.

Daily the Queen came to visit the child, but as time went on, she visited him less and less. Finally, after a year had passed, she ceased to see him at all. After a few years the Queen forgot about the child. Meanwhile, she received another child who came from the southern seas, who was not made of stone, but very handsome to look upon. The King was very proud and content, for now he had a son who would become King after him.

The years passed, and on the day when the Kings' son was twelve years old, the King held a glorious ceremony; for now the boy was to become a man.

All the people gathered in the open lands in front of the castle, standing on two sides of the pathway leading from the castle gates. Horns sounded through the breezy summer air, children threw flower petals where the Kings feet would tread.

Children paraded through the open gates dressed in their finest clothes, the girls carrying flowers, the boys beating drums. The children were first in the procession because their light shone the brightest and it was a time of peace. All people smiled when they passed.

After the children came marching the hunters carrying upon their shoulders the carcasses of wild rabbit and deer and other wild game they had killed. Behind them the farmers and their wives carried baskets of vegetables and fruit they had gathered from the fields and orchards. The people rejoiced at the sight, for the gods of the sun and rain had blessed them with a bounteous feast and a satisfying life.

Next came the clowns with painted animal faces, teasing the crowds, making them laugh or weep with joy. Behind the clowns stepped in time a chorus of young women wearing white gowns, singing the song of their land and their King.

Then marched the royal guard; the men who protect the land and their King from harm. They carried lances and swords that gleamed in the sun. Their marching sounded to the beat of horn and drum, announcing to everyone the presence of the King.

On other occasions, the King would ride upon a chariot drawn by men, but today he walked barefoot along the path wearing the clothes of the hunter. This reminded every one of that glorious time long past when he hunted the great beast, the dreaded dragon that had threatened their lives and homes. He was also reminding his golden-haired son, who walked beside him, of the courage he will need to become a man, and then a king. His wife, the Queen, walked beside him, and all the people were awestruck by her beauty and grace.

The high priests walked on either side of the King, while behind them stepped the priestess, her wild eyes silencing the crowd; for she knew all the wisdom of times past and of future days.

The King stepped up to the throne and sat before the cheering crowd. A bugle sounded, hushing the crowd just at the noontime hour, in honor of the god of the south, thus announcing the beginning of the ceremony. A priest stepped up to the throne, and bowing, presented the King with the royal scepter. The King stood up before his people and lifted the scepter high in the air. He placed his right hand upon the hilt of the sword that gleamed by his side.

The King spoke to the people saying, 'For many years this great island kingdom has enjoyed happiness and peace, and many more years will it enjoy the same. Today, my son has reached the age of manhood, but he has to prove his courage to the people and to his father, the King. He leaves us today to go on a mighty quest'.

The King paused and waited while a young priestess stepped before his throne. Her hair waved about like wild wheat grass, her blue eyes gazed beyond the people, the fields, the island, into the spirit-land.

She said:

"Born to the dragon is the son of the dragon
His mind will conjure the three evil sisters
He will wear the disguise of the unicorn
And threaten the life of the bride-to-be.
She will sleep a thousand years in a chamber of silence
And the second born prince will wait in a hideous form
'Til the human child comes with the key to free her.
Long you will wait for your prince to return!
Too late, fair Prince, three times too late!
Once when the Princess sings in the forest
Once when you go to the land of the fairies
And once when you journey to take the human child home
Then the second born son defeats the son of the dragon
And the Great Dragon returns to her home in the stars.
Long you will wait for your prince to return!"

The words of the priestess surprised the King. No one could understand the quest, and how could the second-born son defeat the dragon when there had been no second-born son. The King wondered at her words.

The ceremony continued. The King lifted his sword from his belt and handed it to the high priest. It was a beautiful sword, made from the fiery ovens of the dwarves out of pure gold, inlaid with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. The high priest held out the sword with his two hands and said:

'Will the first born son step forward to receive the blessings of the King! '

The Kings' son did not move from his place. The priestess raised her arms and pointed toward the northern skies and shouted:

'Woe to those who try to deceive! Long you will wait for your prince to return!

The Queen began to tremble, for she alone knew what deception was done. Again the priest spoke:

'Will the first born son step forward to receive the blessings of the King! '

Again, the Kings' son did not move from his place. Lightning flashed in the northern skies as great dark clouds moved across the face of the sun. The Queen fell before the feet of the King begging his forgiveness. She told him of the first born child that was born to him long ago, sent by the god of the north. She explained that she had feared the King would be angry at the sight of him, for he was a stone baby. Again the priest spoke out:

'Will the first born son step forward to receive the blessings of the King! '

As the skies burst into a downpour of rain, the people made way for an unexpected sight. The river-maid walked up to the throne with a strange looking boy by her side. He could move, and yet he was entirely made of stone.

For a moment, all was silent. The King spoke solemnly, but in a stern voice: 'It is the law of the land that the sword is given to the first born son, and that the quest of courage is given to him'. He handed the sword to the boy made of stone.

Again, all was quiet. The bugles did not sound nor did the people cheer. The stone child stood for a moment longer looking at his father, then he turned and walked over to his brother, handing him the sword.

This pleased the King, his face beaming with fatherly pride. He said: 'My first born son has already shown great courage, proving himself to be a man. It shall be his task to guide the second born son on the quest that awaits him'. The King then took his magic scepter and handed it to the stone child. 'To you, ' he said, 'I give the scepter of magic. Use it wisely, and only for the good of others. If you ever use it to harm another, it's magical powers will fade'. Then the King turned to his second born son and said, 'To my second born son I give the sword of power. You must go on a strange quest. This sword sings with the powers bestowed on it by the dwarf kings that molded it from the metals of the earth. With it you will find the strength to succeed in your quest'.

Then the King bestowed his blessings to his two sons. As the sun broke through the fast dispersing clouds, the people began to cheer. Then the great feast commenced; musicians played, the chorus of young women sang, the clowns frolicked about. When the two sons of the King had eaten their fill, they bid farewell to everyone. The golden-haired son placed the sword in his belt and walked away from the village toward the mountains that rose high in the middle of the island.

The stone child walked away from the village into the mists that were rising all about the meadows along the banks of the northern river. Some people followed him, and when they returned, a strange story they had to tell.

They said that as the stone boy walked into a glade in the forest, thousands of elves and fairies danced about him. He sat upon a throne of precious metals and gems built by the dwarves. Angels created a crown from the northern lights and placed it upon his head. When the crown touched his head, the stone fell from his body and he looked, instead, like a large baby with pointed ears and gentle eyes.

And still there was more to the story! 

From high in the mountains in the middle of the island came the sound of a roaring beast. The stone that had fallen from the first born son changed form, looking in appearance like a baby dragon! And indeed, when the roaring from the mountains sounded, it moved! It had a body full of scales and a tail that whipped and thrashed about. Steam rolled in the air from its large jaw as it made its way up the mountain slopes.

The people described how the fairies and elves paid little attention to the shadowy creature that moved away from the throne, for they had found their Fairy King. The Fairy King waved his scepter and all about his feet grew flowers of every kind and color, poppies, wild rose, yellow snapdragons, daisies, black-eyed Susan, and many more. Ivy vines grew all about and the little people ate the grapes that grew from them. Then they had their own ceremony, frolicking, singing and rejoicing at the sight of their King.

Because he became King of the Fairies in the lush green meadows of their island homeland, the boy received from the people the name Sylvan.

 

The old woman on the raft smiled and said, "Now a new story begins. I will tell it to you the next time you visit."

"But, why?" asked Asia. "What is it about?"

"It is about a unicorn named Kai," answered Grandmother. Asia did not want to go. She was tired, but did not want to sleep. She saw flickering in the lights a lovely white unicorn trotting about in the forest, but then she saw her own bedroom in another window light. No sooner did she see her bed then she was in it, falling into a sound sleep.