Week 13 Story: The Alligator
Inspired by Munachar and Manachar from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs The Alligator There once was a small town on the outskirts of a great, soggy swamp. The townspeople lived happy, simple lives in the forest. They harvested mushrooms, fished, and sometimes ventured out of the swamp to enjoy the sunshine in surrounding fields. Although the air was muggy and the swamp deep and dangerous, children enjoyed playing outside and their parents did not worry about them. This is because they had an understanding with the larger swamp animals; alligators in particular were not allowed within the bounds of the village. One spring, a tragic loss occurred. A young couple sent their two children to play in the swamp on a warm afternoon and at nightfall, only one child returned. They frantically asked her what had become of her sister, and the child, gasping through tears, replied that an alligator had eaten the other girl. The parents knew that they had to do s...
