How To Find Your Way in Minced Forest

Write Preface in the search space below right to get to the Preface.To go to the table of contents, write table of contents in the search space below right. To read a chapter, write the number of the chapter in the search space. To read the tales in Fay Spanish, go to cuentosdelbosquetriturado.blogspot.com. Thank you.

Sunday, 20 July 2025

311. Occult Neath a Reedbed

311. Occult Neath a Reedbed

No one steals in Apple Island. It is not just that there is no need to. It is that no one there thinks of doing this. And should someone do so, this someone will leave the island before doing that, disgusted by the excessive goodness that abounds there. And outside, it is much easier to steal. So the pirate in project Esmeraldo Greengem knew he would have to leave the island to steal a ship, an action he was determined to carry out to start off his criminal  career. A fay child less than seven years old is not allowed to leave the island on his own, but pirates break rules and it is best to do that away from the blessed isle.

Esmeraldo transfomed himself into a little sea horse and crossed the puddle  swimming till he reached  Minced Forest, specifically the part of it that was known as Owlwood. There he turned himself back into the fay child he was and stopped to read a sign that read:

  PEREGRINUS,

CUM REVERENTIA INCEDE

NAM MOX INTRATURUS

ES

DOMUM

SILVA BUBORUM!

“Might there be something in this wood that could serve my purposes?” Esmeraldo asked himslef. And something told him there might be. Perhaps this was because he had spotted a body of water. And that body was Lake Jittery, also known as Peevish Pond.

He walked to its banks and once there he noticed a wooden object that was almost totally concealed in a bed of reeds. He approached it, parting the reeds as he moved, and as he did, he heard the penetrating, reedy sound of an oboe.

“Sweet and pleasant music to delight the quiet passerby,” he thought. “I didn’t expect to hear such music away from the island. It doesn’t seem to be the thing one would find here.”

Somewhat abstracted, Esmeraldo breathed deeply and began to speak to the reeds.

“You smell like cake dough,” he said to them as he stirred them. And it was true that they did smell like cinnamon and ginger and something sugary.

“I’m sorry,” answered a boy’s voice. “I can’t help that. I advise you not to eat me. I could prove toxic, though some use me to make candies with. Perfectly safely edible ones. Is that why you mean to uproot me?”

“Oh, sorry,” answered Esmeraldo, “I meant no harm. No, I don’t want candy. I want to see what you are hiding. It looks like a boat that is upside down.”

The spirit of the reed bed showed himself. He looked about fifteen years old. His skin was a light green and his hair a darker green. Little drops of water slid from his skin and dropped from his hair.

“That is what it is,” said the spirit of the reedbed.

“If we are going to have to deal with each other, we had better introduce ourselves. My name is Esmeraldo Greengem and I am the son of Demetrius Richearth. And since yesterday afternoon I am a fearsome pirate. Well, not generally feared yet, but if intentions count for anything, I shall be very much feared soon. I warn you that I mean to make your boat mine. If you resist and try not to let me have it…I’ll uproot you at one tug!”

“Oh, gosh!” said the boy, trying not to laugh. “That will be if you can. That ship has been lying there for years and is probably partially rotten. It won’t be easy for you to extract it and refloat it. Don’t try to uproot me to do that, because that ship isn’t even mine. I will do what I can to release it peacefully. But it is…no, was. It belonged to some kids who drowned here. Or something like that. Be careful if you don’t want to drown too.”

“I’m a seahorse fairy. Don’t you see that I am as green as you are? Nothing like what you are suggesting will happen to me.”

“Ah. I am aware that you are green like I am, but I thought you might be the spirit of some plant. Of course, one plant does not pull out another…”

“But plants can push each other. Push each other aside, out of their ways. Don’t deny that! You plants aren’t as saintly as they say you are.”

And then another spirit appeared, also very young in appearance. This youth came swimming up to the reedbed.

“You! Are you Dionysus?” Esmeraldo asked the newcomer. He asked because the boy had clusters of dark grapes twined in his hair.

“Dionysos always wears grapes, and sometimes serpents in his hair. I wear the fruit of the day. Today, grapes. Tomorrow, figs. And it will be pears the day after tomorrow. My name is Carpos, and it means fruit. Now you can tell us apart. Why is my best friend speaking with a tiny fay child like you? You are practically a babe in diapers.”

“Don’t fool yourself. I’m a ferocious pirate. I’m telling your friend my plans for this boat.”

“A baby with plans. Look, if you promise to get yourself out of here, I will help you draw that boat away from the reeds. Because if you try to do it on your own, you will only give poor Calamus a headache.”


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About Me

My blogs are Michael Toora's Blog (dedicated to my pupils and anyone who wants to learn English and some Spanish), The Rosy Tree Blog (dedicated to RosE), Tales of a Minced Forest (dedicated to fairies and parafairies), Cuentos del Bosque Triturado (same as the former but in Fay Spanish), The Birthdaymython/El Cumplemitón (for the enjoyment of my great nieces and great nephews and of anyone who has a birthday) and Booknosey/Fisgalibros (for and with my once pupils).