Tell me a story Photo Gallery by Máire Uí Mhaicín at pbase.com

Tell me a story

Máire & Marisa have decided to play together again to make their autumn days brighter.

The principle of this gallery is to tell each other a silly fancy story with images and words.
The story has a fixed length of twelve small chapters and each chapter is composed by one of the two players, without any former agreement with the other. So actually we have not any idea about the story that is developing, the only basis we have is what was told and shown in the former chapter and we have the freedom to take any direction we want to make the story progress in our own chapters.

It’s just an unpretentious experiment; we are ready to change and to correct it on the way as well. The chapters should be read in the same order they would have in a book: that is, the first one on the top and the following ones under it.
Only the title of the story will be added at its end, because so far we still don’t know what story will be invented, it will be clear only when it’s finished.

Any casual reader who will accompany us through this story is offered a warm welcome

13-NOV-2009

Chapter One

When the stranger arrived, we were all hidden behind the curtains looking at the rain which had been falling for two days in a row.

The stranger gave the impression that he knew his way; when he reached the door we could hear his voice, he seemed to speak to himself, but we knew he was speaking to us, to the house and to the windows all at once.

“Uhm, the key, where have I put the key of this door...”

He slipped his hand under the creeper, which covered the façade, and we had oddly the impression that the leaves became suddenly as green and as luxuriant as they were in spring.

“It must be because of all the rain – we thought – or maybe they had already been like that and we had not noticed it...”

The stranger seemed to extract something from the leaves:

“Ah, here is the key”

The he looked up as if he had been able to see us and to listen to your thoughts:

“Hello, there! Would you be so adorably and exquisitely kind to prepare an herb tea for me? I’m soaked wet and my suitcase is horribly heavy. Of course it’s because of the stones and the books I have inside... books and stones are very similar, did you know it?

Ah, please, my herb tea must be stirred, not shaken and remember to add a good pinch of red chilli pepper and no verbena, absolutely no verbena, verbena is girlish!”.

The stranger turned the key into the lock and pushed the door...

14-NOV-2009

Chapter Two

Fáilte romhat agus Sláinte!

The door opened, and a tall redhaired woman, holding a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, greeted the stranger.

"Fáilte romhat, a dhuine uasail!" she said, in a welcoming salutation. The stranger, who was fortunately a polyglot recognised that she was speaking Irish, and replied thankfully: "Go raibh maith agat!"

Then the redhaired woman said to him:

"Forget about your herbal tea, my fine man! You look exhausted after your travels.

Sit yourself down there, and enjoy a glass of this fine Sauvignon Blanc. It was a gift from my good friend who had the generosity to have it flown over to me from her castle in central Europe. It is like no wine you have ever tasted before. Once you sip it, you will forget the travails of your journey, you will relax, and then you will be in better humour to tell me the details of the adventure that has brought you to my door.

Now, make yourself comfortable, let me hang up your coat, and enjoy this fine glass of liquid pale gold".

15-NOV-2009

Chapter Three

This redhaired woman had arrived to our home unexpectedly one day; but it was such a long time ago that we had forgotten the time before her presence.

She kept the house clean and tidy using an impressive quantity of Marseille soap, apple vinegar and beeswax and she thought herself to be an excellent cook, but in fact she was not skilled at cooking at all. We liked her however, so we never complained so as not to not hurt her feelings.

She was very emotional and sometimes, when she presumed we could not hear her, she sang in a languid style very ancient ballads which sounded like music made of wind, sunshine and tears and her voice was the most beautiful thing one could imagine to listen to, quite like the sound of a little waterfall in a forest.

We didn’t know her name, since we had never considered it important to ask her for it and she had never told it to us either.

She was downstairs with the stranger,to whom she had offered a glass of wine; we could hear their conversation when it was not obscured by the sound of rain.

“I’m extremely grateful to you for your thoughtful kindness, my dear, and your white wine is rich of flavour,but it would be perfect for my tastes if you would be kind enough to add a tea spoon of hot chilli pepper powder, please...You have a lovely little accent that reminds me of County Mayo...”

The stranger said

“With pleasure, I have learned never to be amazed with surprising and bizarre requests, because there is always a reason for them.

I hung your coat by the stove and it will be dry soon; unluckily I could not carry your suitcase to your room, it’s definitely too heavy.”

The red haired woman answered in a shy tone we were not used to perceive in her voice.

The stranger apologized

“I know, I apologize it’s because of the stones and the books, but you’ll understand I cannot travel without what’s strictly necessary...

I’ll take one book out so the case will be a little lighter.

Would you like me to read you something?

Reading is one of the best things to do on a rainy evening...

Do you speak Russian?”

“I’m afraid I don’t...How many languages can you speak?”

She sounded intrigued...

“Oh, not as many as I’d like, only 47 and about 36 dialects, but I hope to learn others soon...”

And the stranger started reading with a vibrant and deep voice and he read in Russian and we all could understand every single word as if it had been our own language....

16-Nov-2009

Chapter Four

The redhaired woman smiled to herself as she listened to the stranger reading from his book.

She knew that the inhabitants of this house found her a bit bizarre,

but she was glad that they respected her privacy and her strangeness.

They thought she was merely someone who was glad to have found refuge, and that in return for that she was prepared to attend to domestic duties in the house.

While the stranger was reading she took down her mother's coffee pot from the shelf and started to polish it lovingly.

No one realised that she also could understand every word the stranger read. When he asked her if she could speak Russian she replied that she couldn't, but she didn't volunteer the information that she had a good understanding of it, and could read it also.

She could see that the rest of the household were entranced by his story, but little did they know that the redhaired woman knew how it was going to end, or at least she thought she did.

She continued to listen to his voice and when he mentioned the role a swan was going to play in the story she was transported back in time to another country, where the fate of four swans touched the hearts of many.

17-Nov-2009

Chapter Five

The following day, when we woke up we didn’t find any breakfast.

Usually there was a big bowl of porridge, some sadly burnt scones and a big coffee pot full of a pale liquid which could scarcely be called coffee, but all very nicely arranged on the wooden kitchen table.

So we were not sorry, for a welcome change, to go to have breakfast at the local inn.

While we were walking there, along the small forest path, which bordered the pond of swans, we saw from a distance the red-haired woman and the stranger, who seemed engaged in a conversation.

“ Oh, it was an excellent idea to go for a breakfast picnic in the forest. I’m thrilled, my social life is not too active. I have done as you asked me in the note you slipped under my door : I have taken a bottle of chilled white wine, and I presume you have brought along all the food as you promised'"

The red-haired woman seemed to be delighted and spoke more quickly than usual, gasping between phrases.

“Promise only what you can deliver. Then deliver more than you promise.

I have obviously brought all that is necessary for a breakfast worthy of this name.

Reindeer smoked ham, a bunch of hot chilli peppers, brown bread, mozzarella cheese and a Sacher torte.”

The stranger declaimed proudly

“ Uhm, very well, I’m sure it must be all delicious... – the red-haired woman, sounded slightly uncertain and a little worried, but she was too sweet to show it openly –Maybe later we can walk as far as the pond of swans. Do you like swans?”

“ It has been a very long time since I tasted swan , but, yes, I might say I like it, mostly if it’s stuffed with chestnuts and sweet herbs and well roasted, but I prefer peacock, frankly speaking. Peacock is really very tasty, even though it’s not suitable for breakfast...”

The poor red-haired woman looked rather distressed and she tried to change subject.

“May I ask you something rather personal without being considered too intrusive?”

“Questions are never indiscreet: answers sometimes are...”

“Well, it’s not my business, but I have noticed that when you arrived, probably after a long journey, you were wearing slippers and when you are indoors, at our home, you wear boots, but as soon as you get out, for a walk outdoors, like right now, you wear slippers again.

People usually do the opposite....”

“Ah, yes, you are right, I’m a traveller and I always wear my old faithful slippers when I’m on the road.

Do you find it odd? But why? It’s logical to try hard to travel always in the most comfortable way, isn't it?”

They kept on their walk looking for a suitable place for a picnic when suddenly....

18-Nov-2009

Chapter Six

The redhaired woman stopped, and pleaded with the traveller not to choose that particular spot by the lake for their picnic.

"Why not?" he asked.

"It's because of those four swans who are swimming close to the shore,"

she replied.

"Last night's mention of a swan in your story brought back some very disturbing memories to me.

Many years ago, longer than current clocks or time-measuring mechanisms can count,

there was a very happy family who lived near a lake just like this one.

A father,mother,son and daughter.

The mother then gave birth to twin boys but the poor lady died in childbirth.

Her husband was bereft and distracted with grief, and had to ask the woman's sister to take care of the children.

She was not,however, of the same gentle temperament as her late sister, and there was something rather mysterious about her demeanour.

It was as if she cast a spell on the father, who was captivated by her beauty,

and he asked her to marry him.

One day she brought the four children down to the lake on a sunny day.

They splished and they splashed, they laughed and they teased one another.

They ran in and out of the water, the three little boys with an abandon that showed their enjoyment.

Their older sister, whose hair was a rich auburn, joined in with them but there was a certain caution in her movements.

She kept darting glances back at the woman who was seated on a grassy bank above the lake.

Suddenly the woman approached the children and said:

"Come ashore, little ones, I have something to tell you!"

The children, who thought they might be about to get some delicious treat in a picnic,

eagerly ran ashore.

"What have you got for us?" they asked excitedly.

"Turn around and face the water, and then I will show you," she replied.

The children turned around, but the auburn haired girl glanced surreptitiously over her shoulder, and saw her aunt, now her stepmother, intoning the following words from a book:

"Begone, wretched children! You are to be turned into swans,

and I am banishing you to spend three hundred years on this lake,

another three hundred years on the strait that separates our coastline from the country to the east, and a final three hundred years on the ocean to the west.

At the end of that time when you hear the sound of a bell you will regain human form".

With that, she turned away from them.

The children felt the swan plumage growing through their skin,

the swan wings sprouting where their arms had been.

But the auburn haired daughter had some magic of her own left,

even though it was very weak at this stage.

She cast a powerful glance at the stepmother and said:

"Because you have cast such an evil spell on us, from which there is no immediate escape, I am now using what little power I have left to freeze you in this spot for the same amount of time....

The traveller looked at the redhaired woman and said:

"That is a frightening tale, indeed, but that is all it is surely. Merely a tale.

Now let's put our picnic basket down here on the ground and enjoy this fine food and wine we have here."

"Oh no," she replied,"we cannot stay here.

This is the lake where fact and fancy meet".

Just then the four swans stretched their long necks, ruffled their plumage and started to swim ashore towards the two picnickers....

19-N0v-2009

Chapter Seven

“Take it easy, my dear child –

the stranger tried to calm the very upset red-haired woman, who was already running away into the centre of the forest

– take it easy, all is under control, I know very well the pond where fact and fancy meet...

and at the risk of appearing very self-conceited, I have to tell you there are several things I know quite well.

Let me take control of the situation”

The stranger took a pair of gloves out of his pocket

“She has a sharp beak and, like many females, she must be handled with care....”

Then he jumped to the very edge of the pond and seized the biggest swan,

which had nearly reached the shore.

The bird started squeaking furiously while in the stranger's grasp, and the other three swans stopped at a respectfully safe distance and calmed down...

“Siobhán Ciara, Siobhán Ciara, please stop trying to impress us with your old tricks.

I have known you for at least six centuries and I have to confess I have started to find you a bit boring;

you and your brothers might still scare ,for a little while, gentle souls like the red-haired beauty with whom I was going to enjoy my breakfast,

but I can guarantee to you that nowadays really scary things are something else entirely.”

He winked at the red-haired woman and said:

“May I introduce you to Siobhán Ciara Ní Dhonnabháin and her three brothers, Séamus, Seosamh and Concobhar?”

All the swans started squeaking wildly!

“Actually -the stranger continued- the real story is very similar to the old legend you have just told me;

with but a few different fundamental details, but since we are here at the pond where fact and fancy meet,

it is now an opportune time to reveal the truth of the story.

Séamus, Seosamh and Concobhar were the most pestiferous, spoilt, wild little boys in the world and taking care of them was a real pain in the neck.

Poor Bríghid, as their unfortunate aunt was called, had tried by all means to teach them to behave more properly, but there was nothing she could do.

She was on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown and her wedding was in danger;

they had even transformed her honeymoon to a nightmare hiding twenty seven live frogs under the mattress of the bed,

I will spare you the other details...

But the worst problems came from Siobhán Ciara, who was a teenager at that time.

If I mention a scenario based on a teenaged girl, very capricious, intelligent, and jealous of her father and her relationship with her step-mother, you may get a better understanding of the situation...

Bríghid was desperate and she came to our Academy of Spells to ask for help.

I remember that day very well...she was received by Pantofolaus Mac Porridge in his office

and he ( always been a bit too extreme, good old Pantofolaus) simply suggested to her that she buy four doses of “ Kill Quickly, Kill Safely” potion

and to make a good use of that, but Bríghid was a very sensible and generous woman,

in spite of what you might have heard of her in your legends

and she refused the drastic solution.

So she opted for the “Become The Animal You Usually Tease And Persecute” spell

and when the following days she was once again obliged to see Séamus, Seosamh and Concobhar trying to pluck the feathers of the live swans of the lake

and then to pitch them, she simply opened the flask of the spell and let it do its work...

Unluckily she didn’t know that Siobhán Ciara had made a visit to the Academy of Spells too,

even though it would have been forbidden to sell anything to teen-agers,

but she was so charming and looked older than her age and

...oh well this is another story.

So poor Bríghid must stay there all frozen like Lot’s wife and equally innocent,

while the four scoundrels have not such a bad life after all,

they are peacefully free to gobble down all the bread and biscuits that passers-by throw to them, they don’t need to work and they swim up and down all the time.”

He shook his head and spoke to Siobhán Ciara the swan:

“It’s all right, I’ll put you down, but only if you promise to behave well for once in your life and not disturb us anymore.

If you are a good girl, then I’ll share a little of our breakfast with the four of you”

They had not noticed that, in the meanwhile, someone was approaching them from the other side of the forest....

20-NOV-2009

Chapter Eight

The stranger, the redhaired woman and the four swans looked in astonishment at the person who was walking in their direction. She was a tall graceful young woman, with green eyes and a gentle look on her face. The redhaired woman stared in astonishment, the stranger seemed captivated by her, and the four swans started to rattle and flap their wings in a way that showed how distressed they were.

"Greetings to you all," said the greeneyed lady.

"How extraordinary it is to find you all here. What a lovely spot you have found for your picnic! May I join you? I declare I am quite hungry after the journey I made to get here. I have flown across two seas and many mountains and lakes to arrive in this place."

The stranger welcomed her to partake of his breakfast picnic and introduced himself to her.

"My name is Fearfeasa Mac Feasa," he said. "I,too, have travelled far and wide to be here, and on my journey I have encountered many strange people and things. I now long for a period of peace and quiet, and I am very grateful to my new friend here, this beautiful redhaired lady, for the welcome and the hospitality she has shown me. Now that I have introduced myself, I think it a suitable time for us all to introduce ourselves".
The greeneyed woman replied:

"Very well,kind sir. I am now known as Eva, though many years ago I was better known as Éabha."
On hearing this the swans became increasingly agitated, and the redhaired woman looked very uncomfortable.
Fearfeasa, noticing her discomfiture, thought that he may have insulted her by not inviting her to introduce herself before the greeneyed woman did so. Now he said to her:

"Forgive me, my dear companion! Of course I should've asked you who you are long before this, but I sensed a certain secretiveness, a strangeness, a sense of difference in you. Would you now be so kind as to tell us who you are, and from now on we can become on first name terms with one another."
Eva nodded her head in assent, while the swans were still flapping and fussing on the shoreline.
The redhaired woman seemed to be struck dumb. She continued to stare at Eva, she looked fearfully at the agitated swans and she took a deep breath and said to Fearfeasa Mac Feasa:
"Very well, good traveller. You may live to regret asking me to reveal my true identity. My name is...

21-NOV-2009

Chapter Nine

Cough, cough, gasp, gasp, cough – My name is... – gasp, cough, cough – is...

The red-haired woman was getting also red-faced, as if she had something blocked in her throat;

she looked very embarrassed and ill at ease.

Eva, or the woman who had introduced herself as Eva,

looked at her with a gently ironical little smile:

“I know you have recognized me, but you don’t need to be worried...Oh my, I’m not dangerous, you should know that by now, Fifi - and she nodded toward the stranger- well, you don’t mind if I call you Fifi, do you? We have known each other for so many centuries...

Fifi, I was saying, has explained to you the true circumstances of this story of the swans.”

Fifi, the stranger or Mr. Mac Feasa, whatever you prefer to call him,acted swiftly and thoughtfully by

slapping the red-haired – and red-faced – woman on her back:

“Don’t’ choke, my child. I have always known who you are and why you have preferred not to reveal your name to the readers of this story.

I had told you I knew so many things...

We all have other identities, even though we are ourselves at the same time;

this happens frequently to people and, even more especially, to characters such as us in fanciful stories...

I know you wanted to find your place in this appealing world of Irish legends and,

relying on your red hair and green eyes – very nice, by the way- you had left everyone to imagine you could really be a pure-blooded character in an Irish legend,

but you need not be ashamed of the person you are.

I know you have studied very carefully all ancient legends, but knowing ancient legends by heart is not enough, one should have lived them personally...

So don’t be shy to admit that you are Annabel Mary Arlidge from New Zealand and, before arriving to the house where I met you, you worked as a waitress in a Pizza Hut restaurant in Auckland”

Annabel Mary sobbed, but seemed to be relieved.

In the meanwhile, Eva, the very beautiful and somewhat mysterious woman with green eyes, who seemed very calm and composed, started walking into the pond, with the grace of a ballet dancer, as she shook her curly, shining dark hair.

When the water reached her knees she stopped and she laughed with the sound of a crystal bell.

The swans appeared increasingly agitated and they didn’t dare to squeak anymore....

“You recognized me too, my unbearable step-children...

I took temporarily the name of Eve, because it means “life” and I have come back to life...

Once I was called Bríghid, before you, Siobhán Ciara, (by the way you and your brothers will remain swans, my dear) started messing up my life.

Look at the shore of the pond, where the sad statue of the frozen woman used stand;

it’s not there anymore.

It’s me, I’m well and happy and I don’t bear a grudge against anyone.

After remaining frozen for centuries with hordes of pigeons doing...uhm, you know what, on my head; well I have learnt to appreciate life and to understand that all kinds of revenge are useless and negative.

Now all is settled for the best....

I’m starving; do you think it might be possible to have breakfast at long last?”

22-NOV-2009

Chapter Ten

Brighid, temporarily Eva, had a gentle commanding presence that the everwise Fearfeasa recognised as being worthy of respect.

"I agree, Brighid," he said. "I am famished with the hunger and I do declare that all these stories that stretch back through the centuries can make huge demands on the listeners and readers."

He continued: "Now, dear Annabel, you can relax. I have already benefited from your skills as a welcoming hostess (all that training in Auckland has not gone amiss with you!) and could I suggest kindly to you that we lay out the fine repast that we have brought in our baskets for this picnic breakfast?"

Annabel was pleased to feel re-instated in the good graces of Fearfeasa, and immediately started laying out a sumptuous meal for them. She felt a little intimidated by the beautiful Brighid/Eva, who was now immersed in a deep philosophical conversation with Fearfeasa. A slight little frisson of hostility stirred in her, as she busied herself laying the picnic table as elegantly as she could in this lakeside setting. Wasn't it always the way, she thought to herself? There are situations where wise and beautiful women gain the attention of an important man and they expect other women to serve them. Well, she would show this greeneyed Brighid what hidden talent she herself possessed when it came to being hospitable!

"Let them think I was merely a waitress in a Pizza Hut, " she murmured to herself.

"The silly ladies in whose house I have been working don't think very highly of my culinary skills either. Oh, they haven't said so to me, but I can read between the lines of their stilted compliments to my housework for them!"

She started to look through the picnic baskets that Fearfeasa and herself had carried out with them this morning. She had another bag also, a backpack she always carried with her. From this she took a tablecloth of the finest linen, some sparkling crystal glasses and shining silver cutlery, and beautifully folded starched napkins.

From another compartment in her backpack she produced a shiny casserole pot. Anyone looking into that pot would merely see their own reflection inside. But this was Annabel's secret pot. Even Fearfeasa, who knew almost everything, didn't realise she had it. It had been given to her by an old lady of Irish descent in Auckland. Annabel had been extremely kind to this old lady before she died, and as she about to breathe her last she said Annabel:

"Take this pot, my dear. It has been in my family for hundreds, nay thousands of years. It has undergone many changes of size and appearance through the years, but it still retains its power. It is in fact the original "Cauldron of Plenty" and when used by the person who is entitled to have it, it will conjure up a meal worthy of a Michelin starred restaurant. Use it whenever you feel the need to."

So Annabel took a few slices of bread from Fearfeasa's picnic basket and threw them to the swans, who squawked happily and glided gracefully to the far side of the pond. Then she set about producing, not a woodland picnic breakfast, but a meal that Fearfeasa and Brighid would never forget. They would forever after remember the day they were served "Annabel's Feast in the Forest".....

23-NOV-2009

Chapter Eleven

Annabel's Feast in the Forest

Annabel was delighted to have an opportunity to prove herself. She had felt cast aside for a long time, and indeed her story is an interesting one in itself, but she would not wish us to intrude upon her now with providing too much of her background.

Suffice it to say that many people have underestimated Annabel. She was beginning to think that the travelling stranger who called himself Fearfeasa might indeed be the person who would provide her with an occasion that would allow her true talent to emerge. Once that was done, people would no longer regard her as a "hippy dippy" ex-waitress from a Pizza Hut who wasn't very skilled in culinary arts.

Annabel longed to make her name alongside the literary and artistic heroes and heroines who had made a name for themselves with the artistic presentation of the dishes they prepared. She thought of Babette, who had prepared an extraordinary feast for her friends. She remembered Vianne Rocher,the Joanne Harris heroine, who bewitched people with her chocolate recipes. She recalled the infinite care and attention the retired chef applied to preparing Sunday lunch for his three daughters in the film "Eat,Drink,Man,Woman".

Like many of those characters, she herself came from a tradition of magic realism. Now she would put her hidden ability to the test. As she prepared her forest table with loving care and fastidiousness she pulled a notebook from her pocket, and started writing furiously.

As she wrote she tore off a number of pages and threw them into her Cauldron of Plenty. A squirrel with good eyesight and reading skills would have read the following notes on the fluttering pages if he had seen them in time: "amuse gueule", "King Scallop bisque with champagne sabayon", "wild mushroom terrine with truffle sauce","halibut with sautéed vegetables","venison with winter vegetables", "creme brulée with mango sorbet","valrhona molten chocolate pudding", "pear poached in red wine with peppercorns".

Annabel smiled to herself. The greeneyed haughty lady who was monopolising Fearfeasa would get a big surprise, as Annabel was convinced that this enigmatic lady was regarding her with a certain disdain. Well, she was not going to get Fearfeasa's rustic picnic, or a healthy muesli breakfast. They would all have a meal they would forever remember as "Annabel's Feast in the Forest."

23-NOV-2009

Chapter 12

The Long Goodbye

When Fearfeasa saw the wonderful feast spread out before them he could scarcely believe his eyes.

He looked very closely at Annabel:

"What an extraordinary feat you have performed here, my dear. I see that my simple forest picnic pales into insignificance when compared with this feast you have set before us. I note the fine pot you have left in the centre of the table. May I ask you where you found that?"

Annabel took a deep breath and replied:

"It is with some reluctance that I answer you. This pot was given into my safekeeping by an old Irishwoman in New Zealand. You may remember the night we first met I was polishing a coffee pot. I was too fearful to reveal this casserole pot to you at that stage. I gather however, from the look on your face that you know something about this pot too?"

Fearfasa sighed and smiled.

"Indeed,I do Annabel. That pot I recognise as the "Cauldron of Plenty". It is as famous in its own way as the Holy Grail. The Irish know all about it, as do the Welsh. It has had many uses down through the years. It's most basic quality is that it satisfies all who have a need for it. It can feed, it can heal, it can repair and restore items. It can change its shape from a huge cauldron to a delicate looking soup tureen or casserole like this. I have been searching for it for years..."

While this exchange was going on,Brighid was observing them closely. She also knew of the magical qualities of this pot, and she remembered the last occasion she used it herself: the day she changed the troublesome children into swans.

Fearfeasa looked back towards Brighid. A thought occurred to him, and as it did Brighid frowned.

"No, no,Fearfasa! Please don't do what I think you are about to do!"

Fearfasa smiled and said calmly:

"Now,Brighid, listen to me for a moment. In our modern world we say scientifically that every action can cause an equal and opposite reaction. You used the power of the cauldron many years ago to satisfy a whim of your own. In truth, you have become one of the archtypical selfish evil stepmothers of myth and legend. Now we have a chance to restore your reputation, but you must be prepared to pay the price...."

Brighid trembled:

"I know what you are about to ask of me. It is a heavy price, but I have grown in maturity during those long years as a statue. I will do as you ask..."

With that, Fearfasa beckoned to the swans to come out of hiding from the far side of the pond. They glided gracefully over towards him. He addressed them in a serious tone:

"Swan family, I am about to give you another chance in life. You have suffered a lot of deprivation as you lived out the punishment of Brighid. Even though you can't speak, I can read your thoughts. You must trust me. Come to the shore, and I will put each one of you into this pot. When you do that your suffering will be at an end."

The swans started to raise themselves gingerly out of the water when suddenly, their leader, Siobhán Ciara, started to squawk furiously.

"Don't, my brothers! Don't listen to him! Put some air under your wings and let's fly out of here... Did you not hear this fellow say to the redhaired cook as they approached the lake that it had been a very long time since he tasted swan and that he particularly liked it, if it’s stuffed with chestnuts and sweet herbs and well roasted...”

And with a swish and a whoosh all four swans rose powerfully into the air and flew out of our story.

Fearfeasa picked up his suitcase, and asked Annabel to take very good care of her casserole pot, as there might be many untrustworthy people out there who would go to unscrupulous lengths to acquire it. .

He was about to say farewell to Brighid but there was no sign of her, or the casserole pot. He looked across the lake and saw a white figure disappearing through the trees....

Roby		26-Dec-2009 22:55
beautiful, great work, V

William Barletta		30-Nov-2009 21:11
You have done what you have advised, "Promise only what you can deliver. Then deliver more than you promise.?

Guest		29-Nov-2009 14:00
and let's not forget Máire.. of course, well done ;-)

Guest		29-Nov-2009 13:58
outstanding !! great creativity, great work !! Marisa is always ahead.. Voted

marita toftgard		27-Nov-2009 16:13
pure MAGIC love your stories and the photos.. that tell a story by themselves well done v

John Potter		27-Nov-2009 12:23
Perfect synergy, truly effective collaboration and I am so pleased you saw fit to let your imaginations loose. Freed imaginations don't always fall into synch the way this effort has. Very cool! J BV

Paco López		27-Nov-2009 06:07
Really wonderful!!!! VOTE!!

Mairéad		26-Nov-2009 18:13
This has been a most wonderful exercise in creativity. Well done to you both. V

Guest		26-Nov-2009 15:21
Marisa and Maire, once again your creativity knows no bounds! Pure delight- a most unique experience! -AMG

claude		25-Nov-2009 17:04
Imagination ,créativité ,let's meet two talented woman ! V

Stewart Mitchell		24-Nov-2009 21:31
Extraordinary work....well done to both of you for the creative words and imagery!!!

Steve Highfield		23-Nov-2009 16:38
A great and 'novel' idea. Well done both of you. *

William Barletta		23-Nov-2009 02:24
You've done it again! ... What a happy collaboration!

Jeff Real		21-Nov-2009 20:42
This is a supreme entertainment. Lovely images and words ~V~

Herbey Morales		20-Nov-2009 18:38
Congratulations! you are an artist!! beautiful. BV

Jim's Atavistic Visions		20-Nov-2009 14:33
You are an artist, a writer and a poet! Fantastic gallery! VVV!... Josefina

zyziza		19-Nov-2009 14:07
Very nice story , well illustrated! v

Nicki Thurgar		19-Nov-2009 10:08
OK, I'm hooked! Love the presentation and this idea, well done to both of you!

olivier bruning		19-Nov-2009 09:33
amazing and highly refreshing project! a new chapter in Pbase history! v

marie-jose wolff		18-Nov-2009 22:13
beautiful stories, tales and images! brilliant idea! V

LynnH		18-Nov-2009 12:44
I'm loving the story so far!!! Can't wait to see what happens next!!!

lisamidi		17-Nov-2009 17:33
Such a wonderful idea! I love the concept -to tell the story together - and I admire your immense creativity and gorgeous illustration! BV

Barbara Heide		17-Nov-2009 17:10
what a wonderful idea!!! fantastic presentation! v

Guest		17-Nov-2009 13:57
As this is my birthday I was reflecting on my story and came upon this one ...... work in progress and sounds just great. Keep writing.!!

Denis Vincelette		17-Nov-2009 10:42
Je viens de découvrir ce pages ! Quelle complicité .. ma mission aujourd,Hui sera de lire l'histoire ! Une idée en or ! :-))) Bravo mes amies ...

Bruna K.		17-Nov-2009 09:54
I found out that, at my age, I still like when someone tells me a nice fancy story.

Steve Sharp		17-Nov-2009 09:42
What a great idea; I'm really looking forward to seeing how this story turns out! :)

Ali Majdfar		17-Nov-2009 09:23
A unique gallery; very creative! ~V

Faye White		16-Nov-2009 12:13
This is such a fantastic idea!

Brian Collins Art		16-Nov-2009 08:03
very clever. I had thought of doing the same on a gallery someday.....but you actually did!! Great job!!!

Gail Davison		15-Nov-2009 22:31
What a brilliant idea. I'll be checking in for the next instalment.

Mairéad		15-Nov-2009 17:43
Such a tempting starting, will be back for more.

Phillip Normanton		15-Nov-2009 17:07
Oooh, now this looks good - I'm going to have to come back...... :o))

Sheena Woodhead		15-Nov-2009 16:29
Pure genius...I'm hooked...can't wait for the next chapter!

Ann...		15-Nov-2009 15:44
You two have such a wealth of talent - it defies description!!

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