She was lost in the forest. Each tree seemed another shadow-giant, reaching to hug her until her bones jellied and throw her in the kettle for pudding. Her stumbling feet betrayed her over and again, until she was brown as a groundhog because of the dirt smeared on her face and hands. She began to cry.
"Hush, hush! Child, do not cry!" came the voice of the black-eyed toad that watched her. The girl drew back in fear, but the voice of the toad was so surprisingly sweet that she forgot her parents' warnings: "Ware the words of the strange." She leaned toward the toad.
"Why should I not cry? I am lost and in the forest, and without friends, and my grandmother will be worried!" She still wept as she spoke, and the toad's long tongue lashed out to catch the falling tears.
The toad's black eyes winked, one after another, and the toad said, "You are not without friends," its sweet voice pleasing to her ears, "for I am here, and I will help you along. The path to your grandmother's house lies between the white-barked trees. Walk always with one to your right and left, and you shall arrive safely."
She thanked the toad, and began to walk through the forest with renewed hope. She did as the toad said, always keeping between the white-barked trees, and the warm light spilling from her grandmother's windows soon welcomed her.
Grandmother was in bed when the girl arrived. "Come closer, my granddaughter," the old woman croaked, "and tell how you came here so late." The girl told of her journey, and how she became lost and in the woods, and of the black-eyed toad who gave her guidance.
"Yes," the grandmother wheezed, "the toad is a friend of mine. It has given me a gift this day, and I shall repay it in kind." With that, the grandmother reached beneath her breast and pulled, tearing the thin human skin it wore until the wolf beneath it was free. Then, it ate the girl. "My, what a full stomach have I," the wolf said, and it left the house on its four feet.
The black-eyed toad found the wolf in the forest. "If you enjoyed your treat, then you owe me a favor," claimed the toad, its black eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
"Yes, agreed the wolf, "and here is the favor!" And it fell upon the toad, biting it once so hard that its two black eyes fell onto the ground, then swallowing the rest. "Ware the words of the strange," the wolf said, then left.
The two black eyes lay there, shining, until some time later when a man crawled upon them and returned them to his head.
"Hush, hush! Child, do not cry!" came the voice of the black-eyed toad that watched her. The girl drew back in fear, but the voice of the toad was so surprisingly sweet that she forgot her parents' warnings: "Ware the words of the strange." She leaned toward the toad.
"Why should I not cry? I am lost and in the forest, and without friends, and my grandmother will be worried!" She still wept as she spoke, and the toad's long tongue lashed out to catch the falling tears.
The toad's black eyes winked, one after another, and the toad said, "You are not without friends," its sweet voice pleasing to her ears, "for I am here, and I will help you along. The path to your grandmother's house lies between the white-barked trees. Walk always with one to your right and left, and you shall arrive safely."
She thanked the toad, and began to walk through the forest with renewed hope. She did as the toad said, always keeping between the white-barked trees, and the warm light spilling from her grandmother's windows soon welcomed her.
Grandmother was in bed when the girl arrived. "Come closer, my granddaughter," the old woman croaked, "and tell how you came here so late." The girl told of her journey, and how she became lost and in the woods, and of the black-eyed toad who gave her guidance.
"Yes," the grandmother wheezed, "the toad is a friend of mine. It has given me a gift this day, and I shall repay it in kind." With that, the grandmother reached beneath her breast and pulled, tearing the thin human skin it wore until the wolf beneath it was free. Then, it ate the girl. "My, what a full stomach have I," the wolf said, and it left the house on its four feet.
The black-eyed toad found the wolf in the forest. "If you enjoyed your treat, then you owe me a favor," claimed the toad, its black eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
"Yes, agreed the wolf, "and here is the favor!" And it fell upon the toad, biting it once so hard that its two black eyes fell onto the ground, then swallowing the rest. "Ware the words of the strange," the wolf said, then left.
The two black eyes lay there, shining, until some time later when a man crawled upon them and returned them to his head.
if you take the skates, you have to sing the song...
also, my baby is still in the fridge upstairs, if you could take that with you when you move, i'd be happy