IMAGE BY STEFAN KELLER
I’ve written a short story in response to Diana’s wonderful prompt on Myths of The Mirror.
Here is the link if you’d like to join in too:
https://mythsofthemirror.com/2019/01/01/new-feature-speculative-fiction-writing-prompt/
The Old Man of Snow and The Snow Snake
Today, the moon is full and high in the sky and a group of nineteen men travel with brave hearts to the mouth of theΒ Snow SnakeΒ Cave.
The wind is biting cold. Each man carries a pack of provisions on his back and thoughts ofΒ his loved ones in his heart. TheyΒ know that this journey might be one to theirΒ deathsΒ and yet theyΒ trudge on.
At last after many exhausted steps they arrive at the forbidding entrance of the cave. It is no ordinary grotto. This cave is fashioned out of layer upon layer of snow. The mouth of which is an ice sculpture of a snakeβs jaw gaping, its eyes furious and wide. The old man above is exquisite, his hair and snow beard fall in intricate icicles. He is leaning to one side, his hand of snow pushing down on the snake as if it coax it to move.
The Old Man of Snow startles the men, he stirs, his snow encrusted eyes open wide as he bellows,
βDare you approach us? I think not little men. I will crush you like ants and feed you to my friend the Snow Snake.β
The men stop so suddenly that they almost fall over with exhaustion. Several of them stagger backwardsΒ frightened by the sheer size and forbidding nature of the OldΒ ManΒ of Snow. But, one amongst them stays still, resolute and strong.
HeΒ squares his shoulders, takes a deep breath and replies.Β βI have come to meet with the Old Man of Snow and the legendary Snow Snake. I wish to discuss what youβve done with the countless others who have ventured here. That is all that I and this brave group of men want – my old friends back. We are not greedy men. We donβt desire wealth, or gold, we only want happiness.β
βHappiness?β the Old Man lifts his hand and pulls at his beard. The Snow Snake begins to wind his tail back and forth causing a volley of tiny snowballs to fall.
βThey are lying Old Man,β said the Snow Snake, hissing. βThey mean to trick us. Donβt allow them passage. If you do, I will swish myΒ furiousΒ tail even more and they will be crushed under an avalanche of snow.β
βSilence, Snow Snake! I am sick of your reptilian attitude. Let them speak. I have never heard a human ask for so little before and I am curious if indeed they speak the truth.β
The humble man bowed before the Old ManΒ of Snow and then kneeled on the cold earth. βI swear by the almighty that I tell the truth. I, and my men are simple farmers, we tend the earth, eat our crops, and milk our herd. We donβt need riches and fame.β
βYou are a wise man. Unfortunately, your friends who came before you were foolish and greedy. They tried to steal from the Snow Snake and he and I were very angry.β
βThey were wrong to do so and I apologise on their behalf. Please forgive me for asking but what happened to their foolish souls?β
βWithin the cave there are a multitude of tiny snow snakes who wriggle free when they smell greed. These tiny snakes are lethal, one bite of their venom stilled these greedy mensβ hearts and froze them for all eternity.Β Here, come. I grant you entry to see the power we possess so you will not dare to steal from us. The ice sculptures of your friends are very beautiful.β
The men muttered. Some made as if to turn back but the leader spoke again.
βMen come with me, we must pay our respects to our old friends.β
One replied, βAre you mad? They may do the same to us. How can you trust the Old ManΒ of Snow,Β the Snow Snake and his allies the tiny venomous snakes?β
βI only know what is right and good,β replied the humble man.
βSo will it be,β said several of his followers, but many turned away, retracing their steps back from where they had come.
The few that remained were granted a passage into the mouth of the Snow Snakeβs cave. But the snake hissed and rattled his snow tail inΒ a show of extreme displeasure.
The Old Man of snow stamped his snowy boots, and the snake stopped.
Once inside the cave, the humble man and his band of followers saw nothing but ice and snow. They heard no sign of life, no trickle of water, but still they walked on.
As they turned a corner, the cave widened, and they entered a room which was ablaze with a colourful array of magical stones. For a moment even the humble man was tempted to pop one of these magnificent stones in his pocket but then he remembered the Old Manβs warning.
The men began to question their desires. βSurely one small stone for each of us wouldnβt be a wicked thing to do?β they clamoured.
The humble man turned to them in turn and spoke. βWe are here to save our friends, not to steal. We must save them, or bid them farewell. Follow me.β
With much grumbling and moaning the men finally did as they were told and were rewarded with the sight of the ice sculptures.
How beautiful they were. Each of the trapped men had been saved for all eternity in a moment of rugged, albeit, frozen handsomeness. None of these men would ever age,Β hunger, or cry,Β ever again.
The humble man touched each sculpture and openly wept, greeting each by name.Β His tears fell on the sculptures and caused them to melt, little by little. His followersΒ did the same. Soon the tears flowed so freely that each and every sculpture broke apart to reveal their living friends within.
All were reunited in the most beautiful moment.Β Hugs and words of regret were shared. They were no longer as rugged, or as handsomeΒ as they had been whilst enclosed in ice, butΒ they wept true tears of joy that they lived. They could now go home to their beloved family and friends.
The Old Man bellowed so loudly that he could be heard. βHumble man,Β youΒ are blessed by a natural inclination to fortune and good sense. Your heart is kind. Take one stone – a magical Sphene – back to your village. You are worthy. It will make your harvest plentiful forever more.β
The humble man wept, glad that he had not succumbed to greedβs desireΒ but had been rewarded for his earnestness. He paused for a moment unsure how to proceed.Β Which stone was a Sphene? His fingers trailed the masses of crystals and alighted on a single one. It was plain in comparison to the rest, a clump of layered plates and flattened wedge-shaped crystals. But when he placed it in his hands it glowed in a dazzling array of colours.
He cried, his friends cried too, and they hugged each other. They started to move back towards the mouth of the cave.
The snow snake hissed. βHow dare you, Old Man? I thought you were joking! That Sphene is our treasure. My treasure! Stop this immediately, or I will kill them all.β
Inside the cave, there was a rustling noise as a billion tiny snow snakes appeared, hissing in fury they slithered menacingly towards the men. The men clutched their hearts in fear, their eyes wide with panic.
The Old Man didnβt reply. Not one word slipped from his lips. Instead,Β he blew from his mouth, and continued to blow. The tiny snakes were blown back, tumbling and rolling into snowballs whence they had come. The wind picked up as a flurry of snow began to trickle from the Snow Snakeβs body. The men ran as the Snow Snakeβs body started to break apart, as small piecesΒ of the entrance of the caveΒ were thrown to the wind.
βHurry!β shouted the Old Man. βIf you donβt run, you will be crushed under the Snow Snakeβs broken cave body.β
The men ranΒ as fast as they could. JustΒ as theyΒ exited the mouth of the cave the roof of the snow snake cave began to crumble.
The Snow Snakeβs mouth blew apart in a final ragingΒ hissΒ before it crushed back together,Β closing the entrance to the cave forever more.
The men collapsed to the ground, safe but breathing heavily.
Once the humble man had recovered his breath he spoke.Β βWhy did you protect and save us, mere strangers to you, above your companion the snow snake?β
The Old Man of Snow lifted his hand and cupped the area around where his heart would have rested. βThere is no room for a greedy heart. It isΒ lonely to live alone but itΒ better to live alone than to blight the gift of true magic with greed.β
Β©M J Mallon
Oh I really enjoyed writing that!
Hope you enjoyed.
Bye for now,
Buy Book:Β myBook.to/TheCurseofTime
Iβm a contributing author in theΒ Plaisted Publishing House Ghostly Writes Anthology 2018 with my story Ghostly Goodbye.
Available on Amazon, Apple, Nook, Kobo, Scribd, 24S, Playster, Indigo, Angus & Robertson, Mondadori Store:
Social Media Links
Authors Website:Β https://atomic-temporary-67364188.wpcomstaging.com
Collaborative Blog:Β https://sistersofthefey.wordpress.com
Twitter:Β @Marjorie_Mallon and @curseof_time
#ABRSC:Β Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook
Goodreads:Β https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17064826.M_J_Mallon
Facebook:Β https://www.facebook.com/mjmallonauthor/
Instagram:Β https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Beautifully written, I enjoyed reading it!
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Thank you so much, that is so kind of you. It was great fun to write too! x
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That image is very inspiring…
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Yes indeed! π x
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This is a lovely story, Marje. Definitely a much more positive take than most of us took. Well done, Diana will be pleased.
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I surprised myself Robbie. I tend to be drawn to dark stories most of the time and every now and then I have to be a bit more cheerful! Ha ha! Glad you enjoyed. π
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Well done. I like the story.
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Thank you Allan glad you enjoyed . π
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It would be fun to post this on the Scribbler sometime?
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It would be fun to share this on the Scribbler sometime?
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Oh feel free Allan. π x
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Beautiful imagery in this one. The humble man’s plight gave me a strong Indiana Jones feeling: “only the penitent man will pass” and all that. Thoroughly enjoyable, Marje! π
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Thank you Adam. Appreciate your kind comment. Indiana Jones! Yeah! π
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A magical story, Marje. I think it teaches us all an important lesson in life, especially given that we see so many messages of greed in today’s society. I loved the way you told the story. It flowed along at a nice pace and made me feel a part of what was going on.
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Ah, thank you so much Hugh. Yes indeed we live in a very consumer driven society and sometimes it is important to remember the things that really matter. Friendship, love, and trust. π x
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Thank you so much for taking up the prompt, Marje. And what a lovely story about the dangers of greed, and the power of humility and love. I’ll cue it up to share! Have a wonderful weekend. π
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Enjoyed this, Marge. It teaches us the gift of kindness will always win–sooner or later π
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Thank you Jacquie. The wonderful aspect of storytelling is: you never know where your scribbles will take you – what thoughts your writing will uncover. I’m so glad this became a story of positivity. We all need a touch of that in 2019. π
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Hi Marje! I enjoyed your story very much. Great take on the prompt. π
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Thank you Vashti. I’m glad I made the time to join in today. It’s hard when you work full-time. The struggle is real! Lol.
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I loved this story Marje ππ
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Thank you Willow. I found that image so inspiring!
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It’s an amazing image ππ
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I loved this story, Marjorie. β€
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Thank you Adele so glad you enjoyed. Xxx
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Great fun Marje! π
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Thank you Val. So pleased you enjoyed!
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What a lovely story, Marje. Enjoyed reading it!
Oh, and just to update you, Iβll be reading and reviewing your book by this month-end π
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Thank you Heena so glad you enjoyed. That’s great that you are to read and review The Curse of Time. Btw I have a new version including some lovely illustrations and minor changes if you’d like an updated copy I can send to you. Would you prefer epub or mobi?
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What a great take on the prompt, Marje. Iβve still got to write my story. I love that image! β€
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Thank you Colleen. Yes the image was so inspiring. I really enjoyed joining in. π
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Great practice. Iβll get mine done this week. β€οΈ
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That was absolutely amazing! I will b e back to read more of your creations. Thank you!
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Oh how kind. Many thanks Violet. π
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Reblogged this on Myths of the Mirror and commented:
Another totally different take on the prompt from Marje Mallon. I hope you enjoy her story. π
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A very enjoyable read!
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Thank you so much. π
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Hello Marje, I want to congratulate you on this amazing story. I loved it for it told so much about humans and the beings and aspects of nature we would not normally think of as having human traits. Somewhere I read that the tiniest grain of sand is imbued with the elements of life. I believe that this great story demonstrates how we are in fact related not just to other humans and creatures, but to nature itself. Thank you kindly for the inspiration.
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Ah thank you so much for your kind, thoughtful comment. It made my day! π
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I love this magical little tale. You ended it so perfectly.
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Thank you. It was a little different from my usual writing style but it’s good to try different things. So glad you enjoyed. π
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Wonderful story, MJ! Greed overcomes so many⦠great lesson here xx
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Thank you Christy. It was fun to write. π
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