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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- Subject: Fairy Tale / Folk Tale
- Published: 08/13/2015
Crescent
Born 1979, M, from Portland, Oregon, United StatesChapter 1
A boy sat on a log at the edge of a clear lake in a small forest. His name was Troy. He was small with wavy orange hair. He wore old green clothing, which was the common atire of the forest folk, also called the elves. Troy himself was not an elf, but fully human. He spent much of his time in the woods alone where he liked to read, hike, swim and play. His only real friends were animals. Deer, squirrels, birds and the occasional fox. Troy loved animals, even wild ones. He had no reason to fear them, unlike humans. Troy trusted very few humans. The only ones he really trusted were his parents and two sisters, Molly and Holly. Troy trusted elves more than most humans and would sometimes stop to play with them when they passed by. Though he rarely saw them, he still liked them.
On this particular morning, Troy was preparing a fishing pole made out of wood and string. His mother had sent him out to catch some fish for supper. The only problem was that he had no hook to use on the fishing pole. "How can I catch a fish without a hook?" he said sadly. He feared he would be scolded upon returning home empty handed. And once again he would go to bed hungry. "I have to find a hook somehow," he said. But he knew the odds of a hook in a forest were not good. He finished tying the string to the long piece of wood, then stood to his feet. He took a deep breath of the sweet forest air. "Ah," he sighed. "What a good life I have."
He then waded into the shallows of the lake.The water was cool and refreshing. He couldn't help himself. He reached his hands into the water and scooped some into his hands. He carefully brought his cuped hands up to his mouth and took a drink. It felt great going down. "Sweeter than honey," he said, grinning. "Now," he said, "Let's fish." He grabbed his pole, which was sharp at the edge, and wandered further out into the lake. He caught sight of a small fish, swimming between his legs. "Come on, lil guy," said Troy. He aimed his sharpened pole and thrust it into the clear water. He missed the fish completely. "Darn," he groaned. He spotted two more fish several feet away from where he stood. "I'll get you this time," he said. He waited, then thrust. He missed again. Then he thrust a third time. Another miss. The two fish quickly swam off and out of sight. "Cripes!" shouted Troy. "This is harder than I thought."
He continued thrusting unsuccessfully for the next half hour. He was growing impatient. Finally, he flung his pole at the water in anger. It stuck into the sand under the water. He lumbered back to the log and flopped down. He put his head in his hands and sighed. "That way won't work," came a voice from behind him. Troy jumped to his feet and spun around. There, stand no taller than three feet off the ground, stood an elf with a long white beard and twinkling green eyes. "Oh, you startled me, Minksee," said TRoy, catching his breath. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."
The old elf laughed. "I couldn't resist," he said. "You humans are so easy to play tricks on. How are you, lad?" Troy sighed. "A little frustrated right now, Minksee."
"I can see that," said Minksee, leaning against a tree. "I just can't catch any fish," said Troy, standing to his feet. "That way you was doin' it won't work," said the elf. "Don't you know spearing won't work in these parts? Wise up, Troy."
"But I don't have a hook for my pole," said Troy, frowning. The old elf stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Yes," he said, "That is a problem."
"You wouldn't happen to have a spare fishing hook on you, would you, or know where one is?"
"Ah," said Minksee. "That is the question, now isn't it. Perhaps I could help you. But first, there is something you should know about this lake. It is very old and very magical. Many a weary traveler has found it unfishable. Long ago, an elf king placed a spell on it so no human could take fish from it. The elf king created a special fishing hook made of pure gold. The elf king never let it out of his sight. As long as he kept it with him, his people never went hungry. For a millenia, the elves lived off the fish from the magic lake, While humans and others went hungry. Looking back, it seemed like a selfish move on the elves part, but we elves have softened a bit in recent years."
Troy sighed. "Are you telling me that because I'm human, I can't catch any fish?" Minksee shook his head. "Were you even listening, Troy?" he said. "Anyone who holds the hook holds the power to fish." Troy shrugged his shoulders and sat back onto the log. "What good is it to us. We don't have the hook."
"You humans!" said Minksee. "So full of doubt. But in spite of your lack of faith, I'll help you." He carefully reached into his beard and pulled out something shiny and golden. It glistened in the morning light. "What is that?" said Troy, pointing at the shiny object in the elves hand. "What do you think?" he said, winking. There was a moment of silence, then Troy jumped to his feet. "Is it....the magic hook? It is!" shouted Troy. "Hoorah! We will eat tonight! We will have plenty!" Minksee smiled. "Yes," he said. "Now won't you please bring me your pole."
"Absolutely!" shouted Troy, running into the water. Half the pole was sticking out of the water, and Troy snatched it up quickly. He returned to shore and lay the rugged pole in front of Minksee. "It ain't much," said the old elf, "but I guess it will do." So Minksee seated himself and began the task of tying the hook to the pole's string. Troy watched in amazement as the old elf worked. The golden hook looked tiny compared to the pole and string. Several minutes later, the task was complete. "There you go, boy," said Minksee, handing the the pole up to him. "Now for the bate." Minksee quickly sped over to a nearby bush and began picking berries. In seconds, he had returned with a handful of round, golden berries. "The fish love these," he said, grinning. Troy took a plump looking berry and stuck it on the hook.
Finally, Troy walked to the edge of the lake and dropped the hook into the water. Almost Immediately, a fish bit the berry on the hook. "I got one!" shouted Troy, pulling the pole. He pulled the string out of the water, and there hung a fat fish, blueish green and wriggling. "She's a beauty," said Minksee. Troy removed the fish from the hook and put it in the wooden bucket he had brought with him. Then he caught a second, then a third. They just kept biting. As Troy fished, Minksee brought more berries. Before Troy knew it, He had two buckets full of fat fish.
"Wow," said Troy. "Just amazing. I have enough fish to feed my family for a week. How can I ever repay you, Minksee?"
"Well," said the old elf. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Me and me famly are hungry as well."
"Would you like some of my fish, Minksee?" Troy asked. "Just two or three, that's all I need. I'll catch more another time." So Troy took three fish from his bucket and handed them to Minksee. The old elf thanked Troy. "You may keep my pole, too," said Troy. "It's safer in your hands." Minksee smiled and nodded. "Thank you, my boy," said the elf. You may use it whenever you need it. Now, I'll be on my way. Good day to you, Troy."
Troy waved goodbye to the old elf, who lumbered off into the forest carrying his load. Troy smiled to himself. His befriending of the elves had paid off. Most people would have shyed away from an elf encounter in a dark forest. But Troy was not most people. He had an adventurous spirit, and a sensitivity towards others that few people possessed. "What luck has come my way," he thought to himself. "I can't wait to see my families reaction to this fish. They will certainly be pleased." So Troy picked up his buckets heaping with fish and headed for home. It was still morning, but nearing noon.
Crescent(Justin)
Chapter 1
A boy sat on a log at the edge of a clear lake in a small forest. His name was Troy. He was small with wavy orange hair. He wore old green clothing, which was the common atire of the forest folk, also called the elves. Troy himself was not an elf, but fully human. He spent much of his time in the woods alone where he liked to read, hike, swim and play. His only real friends were animals. Deer, squirrels, birds and the occasional fox. Troy loved animals, even wild ones. He had no reason to fear them, unlike humans. Troy trusted very few humans. The only ones he really trusted were his parents and two sisters, Molly and Holly. Troy trusted elves more than most humans and would sometimes stop to play with them when they passed by. Though he rarely saw them, he still liked them.
On this particular morning, Troy was preparing a fishing pole made out of wood and string. His mother had sent him out to catch some fish for supper. The only problem was that he had no hook to use on the fishing pole. "How can I catch a fish without a hook?" he said sadly. He feared he would be scolded upon returning home empty handed. And once again he would go to bed hungry. "I have to find a hook somehow," he said. But he knew the odds of a hook in a forest were not good. He finished tying the string to the long piece of wood, then stood to his feet. He took a deep breath of the sweet forest air. "Ah," he sighed. "What a good life I have."
He then waded into the shallows of the lake.The water was cool and refreshing. He couldn't help himself. He reached his hands into the water and scooped some into his hands. He carefully brought his cuped hands up to his mouth and took a drink. It felt great going down. "Sweeter than honey," he said, grinning. "Now," he said, "Let's fish." He grabbed his pole, which was sharp at the edge, and wandered further out into the lake. He caught sight of a small fish, swimming between his legs. "Come on, lil guy," said Troy. He aimed his sharpened pole and thrust it into the clear water. He missed the fish completely. "Darn," he groaned. He spotted two more fish several feet away from where he stood. "I'll get you this time," he said. He waited, then thrust. He missed again. Then he thrust a third time. Another miss. The two fish quickly swam off and out of sight. "Cripes!" shouted Troy. "This is harder than I thought."
He continued thrusting unsuccessfully for the next half hour. He was growing impatient. Finally, he flung his pole at the water in anger. It stuck into the sand under the water. He lumbered back to the log and flopped down. He put his head in his hands and sighed. "That way won't work," came a voice from behind him. Troy jumped to his feet and spun around. There, stand no taller than three feet off the ground, stood an elf with a long white beard and twinkling green eyes. "Oh, you startled me, Minksee," said TRoy, catching his breath. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."
The old elf laughed. "I couldn't resist," he said. "You humans are so easy to play tricks on. How are you, lad?" Troy sighed. "A little frustrated right now, Minksee."
"I can see that," said Minksee, leaning against a tree. "I just can't catch any fish," said Troy, standing to his feet. "That way you was doin' it won't work," said the elf. "Don't you know spearing won't work in these parts? Wise up, Troy."
"But I don't have a hook for my pole," said Troy, frowning. The old elf stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Yes," he said, "That is a problem."
"You wouldn't happen to have a spare fishing hook on you, would you, or know where one is?"
"Ah," said Minksee. "That is the question, now isn't it. Perhaps I could help you. But first, there is something you should know about this lake. It is very old and very magical. Many a weary traveler has found it unfishable. Long ago, an elf king placed a spell on it so no human could take fish from it. The elf king created a special fishing hook made of pure gold. The elf king never let it out of his sight. As long as he kept it with him, his people never went hungry. For a millenia, the elves lived off the fish from the magic lake, While humans and others went hungry. Looking back, it seemed like a selfish move on the elves part, but we elves have softened a bit in recent years."
Troy sighed. "Are you telling me that because I'm human, I can't catch any fish?" Minksee shook his head. "Were you even listening, Troy?" he said. "Anyone who holds the hook holds the power to fish." Troy shrugged his shoulders and sat back onto the log. "What good is it to us. We don't have the hook."
"You humans!" said Minksee. "So full of doubt. But in spite of your lack of faith, I'll help you." He carefully reached into his beard and pulled out something shiny and golden. It glistened in the morning light. "What is that?" said Troy, pointing at the shiny object in the elves hand. "What do you think?" he said, winking. There was a moment of silence, then Troy jumped to his feet. "Is it....the magic hook? It is!" shouted Troy. "Hoorah! We will eat tonight! We will have plenty!" Minksee smiled. "Yes," he said. "Now won't you please bring me your pole."
"Absolutely!" shouted Troy, running into the water. Half the pole was sticking out of the water, and Troy snatched it up quickly. He returned to shore and lay the rugged pole in front of Minksee. "It ain't much," said the old elf, "but I guess it will do." So Minksee seated himself and began the task of tying the hook to the pole's string. Troy watched in amazement as the old elf worked. The golden hook looked tiny compared to the pole and string. Several minutes later, the task was complete. "There you go, boy," said Minksee, handing the the pole up to him. "Now for the bate." Minksee quickly sped over to a nearby bush and began picking berries. In seconds, he had returned with a handful of round, golden berries. "The fish love these," he said, grinning. Troy took a plump looking berry and stuck it on the hook.
Finally, Troy walked to the edge of the lake and dropped the hook into the water. Almost Immediately, a fish bit the berry on the hook. "I got one!" shouted Troy, pulling the pole. He pulled the string out of the water, and there hung a fat fish, blueish green and wriggling. "She's a beauty," said Minksee. Troy removed the fish from the hook and put it in the wooden bucket he had brought with him. Then he caught a second, then a third. They just kept biting. As Troy fished, Minksee brought more berries. Before Troy knew it, He had two buckets full of fat fish.
"Wow," said Troy. "Just amazing. I have enough fish to feed my family for a week. How can I ever repay you, Minksee?"
"Well," said the old elf. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Me and me famly are hungry as well."
"Would you like some of my fish, Minksee?" Troy asked. "Just two or three, that's all I need. I'll catch more another time." So Troy took three fish from his bucket and handed them to Minksee. The old elf thanked Troy. "You may keep my pole, too," said Troy. "It's safer in your hands." Minksee smiled and nodded. "Thank you, my boy," said the elf. You may use it whenever you need it. Now, I'll be on my way. Good day to you, Troy."
Troy waved goodbye to the old elf, who lumbered off into the forest carrying his load. Troy smiled to himself. His befriending of the elves had paid off. Most people would have shyed away from an elf encounter in a dark forest. But Troy was not most people. He had an adventurous spirit, and a sensitivity towards others that few people possessed. "What luck has come my way," he thought to himself. "I can't wait to see my families reaction to this fish. They will certainly be pleased." So Troy picked up his buckets heaping with fish and headed for home. It was still morning, but nearing noon.
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