Week 4 Story: Athracta and Lucille
Based on The Ballad of St. Athracta's Stags from The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farewell Brown
Athracta and Lucille
Once upon a time, there were two young women, Athracta and Lucille, who lived by themselves in the woods and let their hair grow as long as the cattails of nearby ponds.They lived there not because they were unwelcome in the town, but because they both preferred the solitude and gentleness of the wood to the bustling crowds of the town. Thus, the two lived in peace among the animals.
Having passed years there, the women were as much a part of the forest as the birds, bugs, and larger creatures. The chickadees sang them awake, early in the long days of summer and later in the winter, when the sun rose cold over the deep snow. At night, when they went to bed, they could hear the distant howling of wolves. They did not worry, because they knew they would not be harmed by their friends. They even had caribou companions who sheltered near their little house at night and helped them to haul their firewood.
Things went on in this way for quite some time, but gradually Athracta and Lucille began to sense a change in their surroundings. The animals were more fearful, and at times the two women could hear shouting in the distance. They soon received a message from a little gray bird.
"Athracta! Lucille! There's trouble in the town! A bad man has taken over!"
Athracta and Lucille were, of course, very concerned by this statement. They conversed briefly and decided it would be best to go into town and see what the fuss was about. They packed some water and some supplies and began the long journey to town.
Upon arriving, the two realized that indeed, a bad man had taken control. Everyone in town had been assigned a task, because the bad man wished to build a fortress. Athracta and Lucille were seized, and were sent to chop trees so that the fortress could be built. Now, the women had lived on their own for many years and so they were used to physical labor, but they had only ever taken what they needed for themselves. As they took down tree after tree, they cried for the pain in their hands and the loss of the beautiful woods.
Finally, it came time to haul the wood to the town. They tied several caribou to their little wagon and began the journey. It wasn't long before the caribou tired and the leather straps attaching them to the carriage began to wear and break. The women knew that the small caribou could not continue to haul wood and they had to think - who could carry so much weight? It wasn't long until they thought to call on their friends the Moose. Moose were silent, solitary creatures, with strong bodies and long legs. Not only were they strong, but could be quite dangerous. To see them working with one another was rare, but so great was their love for the two gentle women that they agreed to help. The women repaired the harnesses using hair from their own heads, and the odd party was ready to continue.
With the help of the Moose, Athracta and Lucille carried the load to the town. Heads turned as they emerged from the woods. They walked to the hut where the bad man resided, and waited for him to emerge. Upon seeing the women with the giant creatures at their side, his heart broke right in two, for he knew that only the kindest and most sympathetic of people could have obtained the assistance of the Moose. He realized in that moment that he had been wrong to rob Nature of her trees and rob the people of their freedom.
After the bad man departed, Athracta and Lucille were free to return to their forest home. There they lived out the rest of their years, happily together.
Author's Note: For this story, I did not make any substantial changes to the plot or characters. One thing that caught my eye in reading the original was the ballad format. Since I converted one of the previous stories into a ballad, I thought it would be interesting to try the opposite for this one. For that reason, I chose to tell this one in more of a traditional fairy tale format. I also chose to change the setting and animals to Alaskan features, because I like them. Finally, I made the two women equals, rather than being a lady and her maid.
Athracta and Lucille
Once upon a time, there were two young women, Athracta and Lucille, who lived by themselves in the woods and let their hair grow as long as the cattails of nearby ponds.They lived there not because they were unwelcome in the town, but because they both preferred the solitude and gentleness of the wood to the bustling crowds of the town. Thus, the two lived in peace among the animals.
Having passed years there, the women were as much a part of the forest as the birds, bugs, and larger creatures. The chickadees sang them awake, early in the long days of summer and later in the winter, when the sun rose cold over the deep snow. At night, when they went to bed, they could hear the distant howling of wolves. They did not worry, because they knew they would not be harmed by their friends. They even had caribou companions who sheltered near their little house at night and helped them to haul their firewood.
Things went on in this way for quite some time, but gradually Athracta and Lucille began to sense a change in their surroundings. The animals were more fearful, and at times the two women could hear shouting in the distance. They soon received a message from a little gray bird.
"Athracta! Lucille! There's trouble in the town! A bad man has taken over!"
Athracta and Lucille were, of course, very concerned by this statement. They conversed briefly and decided it would be best to go into town and see what the fuss was about. They packed some water and some supplies and began the long journey to town.
Upon arriving, the two realized that indeed, a bad man had taken control. Everyone in town had been assigned a task, because the bad man wished to build a fortress. Athracta and Lucille were seized, and were sent to chop trees so that the fortress could be built. Now, the women had lived on their own for many years and so they were used to physical labor, but they had only ever taken what they needed for themselves. As they took down tree after tree, they cried for the pain in their hands and the loss of the beautiful woods.
Finally, it came time to haul the wood to the town. They tied several caribou to their little wagon and began the journey. It wasn't long before the caribou tired and the leather straps attaching them to the carriage began to wear and break. The women knew that the small caribou could not continue to haul wood and they had to think - who could carry so much weight? It wasn't long until they thought to call on their friends the Moose. Moose were silent, solitary creatures, with strong bodies and long legs. Not only were they strong, but could be quite dangerous. To see them working with one another was rare, but so great was their love for the two gentle women that they agreed to help. The women repaired the harnesses using hair from their own heads, and the odd party was ready to continue.
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| Moose by polaristest via Flickr |
After the bad man departed, Athracta and Lucille were free to return to their forest home. There they lived out the rest of their years, happily together.
Author's Note: For this story, I did not make any substantial changes to the plot or characters. One thing that caught my eye in reading the original was the ballad format. Since I converted one of the previous stories into a ballad, I thought it would be interesting to try the opposite for this one. For that reason, I chose to tell this one in more of a traditional fairy tale format. I also chose to change the setting and animals to Alaskan features, because I like them. Finally, I made the two women equals, rather than being a lady and her maid.
Hey Natalie,
ReplyDeleteThis was truly such an awesome story. You are a gifted writer, no doubt. The level of detail provided in the story is outstanding. As a reader, I felt as if I was almost a part of the nature scene that you created. Great work on this story!
-Andy
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI really like this fantasy setting where the two women are protected and offered assistance by the creatures of the forest. This makes for a great fairy tale with opposition from the bad man in the town and the good creatures and women from the woods. I enjoyed the change to the Alaskan animals you chose. I hope to see more subtle changes like this that truly make the story your own.
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your story! I was immediately interested as soon as I ready the first sentence. I think the overgrown forest makes for a great setting and you did a great job painting a clear and detailed picture for the readers. The deep connection between the two girls and the forest and animals was also something that I found very intriguing. I love how you decided to incorporate the animals ability to speak into he story. I think it makes for a great personification aspect of nature. Furthermore, I found it very interesting that although neither of the women spoke at all I could still feel and image the pain of having to chop down a forest I have grown so incredibly find of. To these women, this forest is not only their home but the home of the creatures they have grown to love and cherish. I wonder what would have happened had the man not realized his mistakes. The story is great and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to read it.