Storytelling Week 5: The Power of Four

There once was a cottage in the woods of Germany where a witch, Heather, raised her four children, Alder, Baker, Ginjer and Blake.  Two sons and two daughters, a set of twins each.  Being a single mother and her children still in training, she told her children a story of a scary creature lurking in the night.  She wanted them to be cautious of answering the door, especially when she was gone running errands.

"Alright, kids, I'm on my way to fetch us something to eat. Be sure to keep the doors locked and answer to no one." The kids nodded towards her as she gave them each a kiss on the forehead.  "On second thought, I will mark the door with a seal and if you hear my knock to the chimes of a song, break the seal to let me in."

Alder, the oldest, asked, "How will we know it truly is you?  Anyone can knock with a song."

"If you are uncertain, ask me a question about old Clementine.  I should know the answer and you will hear my voice." They then agreed and she went about her way to the shops in town.

All the while, the creature was crawling near, listening to their conversation.

(In the Woods.  Flickr. )

Hungry and curious about how these kids would taste, the creature decided to go to a witch in order to transform into a human.  Unbeknownst to him, the mother and both twins were a family of warlocks and witches...

Crawling towards the witch's home he stood in front of the door.  "Witch!  I have a request to make!" 

The witch opened the door. “Oh?  Look what we have here.  What might that request be?” she asked him.

“I want to change my appearance to become human, but not my hunger for humans,” the creature demanded.  The witch then requested, “In return, you will give me your soul.”  And the 

creature had no choice but to accept if he truly wanted the children.

The witch changed him into a human.  He then went to search for Heather.  Not so used to being human, the creature struggled with his senses.  Unable to scout the mother with just a sniff, he kept looking. 

An hour passed and he finally found her in a market picking vegetables and fruits.  He had the idea to seduce her in order to trap them in their home, once he got close to her.

He picked up a ripe apple, paid the vendor upfront and took a bite.  “Mmm…these apples are quite delicious.”  He breathed in through his nose while chewing and smiled at Heather, who was standing next to him.  

She glanced back at him, smiling. “Yes, they are.  If you like their apples, you should try their strawberries.  They're just as sweet.”

They conversed as she was still shopping, walking side by side.  Smitten, she invited him back home to have dinner with her family.  Of course he agreed instantly.

~~~

As the sun was setting, they arrived back at the house.  Heather knocked on the door with the melody and Alder asked the question about old Clementine.  She shouted a German word only they would understand.

Alder opened the door and they ran, hugging their mother.  “You’re finally home!” Baker shouted gleefully.  

“Yeah!  We’ve been waiting forever!” Ginjer snapped at her.  

“Alright, alright.  I’m home now.” She gestured them to settle down.  “Well, I want y’all to meet…I never got your name,” she pointed to the creature.  

“Ah…just call me Taylor,” he nervously replied.

She smiled and said, “Say hello to Mr. Taylor everyone.  Be nice.”  She headed to the kitchen and began prepping for dinner.  Ginjer and Blake helped her while Alder and Baker entertained ‘Mr. Taylor.’

Taylor, growing impatient, finally grabbed Alder and Baker and bolted out of the house.  Heather realized what happened and chased after them with Ginjer and Blake. 

“Stop right there!” Heather sent a jolt of magic to stun Taylor.  Feeling uneasy, she shouted a revealing spell and turned him back into the creature.  “I knew it!”  The creature got back up and bolted toward Heather, jumping and biting her. 

Terrified, the children screamed and as they did, an aura formed around all of them.  Their powers were coming into light.  Though the youngest of them all, Blake reached her hand toward the creature and sent an electric shock stunning him even more; she was the first to reveal her ability to emit and control electricity.  Ginjer then lifted the creature without a touch, revealing her ability to levitate objects, throwing him against a tree.  Baker walked to the creature and with one touch, he killed him with the ability to emit pain, however and whenever he wanted.  Alder, although the oldest, was the most confused as to why he couldn't control anything. 

Crying, Alder walked up to his mother, picked her up and held her dearly.  With just a hug, she awakened.  Surprised, Heather looked up at him smiling weakly. “Of course you would have the power to heal with love.”

They trod home.  Though disheartened by what had happened, the children had finally become strong and didn’t need their mother to protect them anymore.

Author's Note:  I wrote my story based on the original The Wolf and the Goat, about a goat mother and her four goat children.  The mother was leaving to run errands and told the kids not to open the door unless they saw her red hoof, but the wolf heard the entire conversation.  He painted his paw red and tricked the children to open the door for him, which they did.  He took three, while the fourth hid.  Once the mother came back, the fourth kid told what happened and she went on a search.  Upon meeting the wolf, she demands a fight and as they prep for battle, she decides to trick him into drinking water prior to the fight.  He falls for the trick and falls into the stream of which they drink, leaving the goats free of harm and from being eaten.
My version of the story shows a more mystical side.  Not quite a lesson learned, but overcoming fear, working together, and fighting out of love can triumph in the end.  Being a single mom is hard.  I may not be one, but I know that they are smart and raise strong children that can grow to become better and return the favor in treating their mothers with the respect and love they deserve.

Bibliography:  Persian Tales: The Wolf and the Goat translated by D.L.R. and E.O. Lorimer.  Link.