natolio

In a land once known but now forgotten there lived a lady. This lady was not a kind person nor was she humble, for she was a rich person and lived high atop the hill in a great mansion made of beautiful timbers and other fine things. It was finely built with many great statues and a large garden adorned with beautiful trees. Her house was left to her by her father as he passed away. Though it was quite large, in fact large enough to house a hundred or so, she lived there all on her own for she had very few friends and felt she would never need any, thinking it weak and poor to rely on others. Instead she preferred to parade her wealth in front of the townspeople, teasing them for they were poor and had only small homes. Now it was often to her liking when the wintertime came, for she took great amounts of pleasure in sitting in her large house in front of a great fire in perfect comfort whilst the townspeople struggled to get warm in the freezing cold of the winter. On one such night when the wind was howling particularly strong the lady decided to go down to the town to watch first hand how the people struggled, so she rapped herself up in a great blanket and put on her warmest clothes and headed down the hill. She soon arrived and was greeted with something of disappointment for the townspeople had all locked themselves in their homes and would not come out into the cold and she could not see into the houses of the people for they had blankets covering the windows to conserve the heat within. Feeling somewhat disgruntled at this turn of events she decided to just return home.

The wind began to howl ever fiercer as she walked home so she pulled her blanket tightly around herself and walked much faster. When she arrived home she was stricken with a great shock and was terrified for what she saw was her great mansion made of beautiful timbers and other fine things to have completely vanished in the night and in her panic she collapsed on the ground in a heap and did not wake till the morning. The truth of the matter of the whereabouts of the house is simply that it never did in fact leave its original position but merely burnt to the ground for you see the lady in her haste to see the toils of the townspeople forgot to tend to the fire and while she was away few little sparks began to flicker onto the wooden floor though it only takes but a few and so was the end of the fine mansion made of beautiful timbers and other fine things.

Now when the lady awoke she learned of the truth of her home and she began to weep but in her weeping she also began to hear that of another’s grief. Looking up she saw that a small sparrow was sitting by the burnt out husk of what once was a fine tree. The lady for the first time felt pity for the sparrow and began to talk to it. “Are you alright Mr Sparrow?” she said but the sparrow continued to weep. “It is on this day that we have both lost our homes and that is certainly a day for weeping. Save some of your tears though Mr Sparrow, for tears of happiness are few in this land.” “Then I shall cry no more” said the sparrow. The lady and the sparrow began to talk of happier times and of the great garden which the sparrow called home and of the great mansion which housed the lady. They soon became friends for the lady pitied the poor sparrow for she knew its pain and finally she said, “Will you come to live with me Mr Sparrow for I am sure we can find lodging in the town which will suit both you and I.” And to this the sparrow agreed and the two set off for the town to find a new home.

The two arrived in the town with a feeling of great wonder for what their new home might bring and the lady thought nothing of the pain she had caused the people of the town. She began to ask about the town of the question of homes for both her and the sparrow. “Is there an affordable place of lodging in this town for both me and my friend?” she would ask “Why would we the poor who toiled under your nose and for your grand amusement warrant you a home amongst us, your deeds deserve you no charity no matter what misfortune has befallen you and your unshared mansion on the hill.” This was but one of the answers she received from the townspeople though all were of a similar tone. She pleaded with the people that she had no place to go and that she was greatly regretful of the deeds she had done to the people but still they offered her no solace and bayed her to leave lest their anger be swift upon her. So with a great heaviness in their hearts the two left the town and would not return for as long as they lived.

Now the sparrow spoke of another place which they might find a home. “Come with me into the forest where we might find our new home amongst the animals and trees, for there you will not be judged by begrudging peoples.” And so it was that they headed into the forest. Though the forest offered a great abundance of trees to live in there were very few which could house the lady for people find it hard to sleep high amongst the branches of a tree especially those who have lived their lives within great mansions. So there were few homes for the two in the forest and those that could house the lady were occupied by the forest animals and whilst the animals meant the two no harm they are fiercely protective of their homes and would leave under no circumstances. So it was that the two could find no home within the land and were forever lost.

Great wanderers they became and great friends also depending on one another for many great days and years. On one such day after three long years of searching for their home they came upon an opening with a single dying tree in the middle and they began to give up all hope of finding a home in their life. “We have searched far and wide Mr Sparrow and I fear there is no home in all the land fit for you and I” she said. “It is such a cruel fate that men should walk while birds do fly and never to share their love and home together.” And as the sparrow finished his words a great branch broke from the dying tree and struck the lady and it pierced her broken heart and she began to die. “Dear Mr Sparrow is this not what you have spoken of, that two could not be one in home and in love. I am pierced though my heart was broken long ago but only to be mended by a home and a true friend.” And with that she shed a single tear and died. The sparrow with a great cry wept saying, “Death why must you take thee when all certainty is lost and all that I find now is sadness, come to me all who weep and put me to death also or let her rest in the ground in peace.” And then all the animals of the forest came to that place and dug a grave for the lady and buried her in peace and from the grave grew many beautiful flowers that never died and were always in bloom. From her tear grew a mighty tree which rose into the heavens and was always baked in sunlight and the tree was treated with great reverence by the animals and only the sparrow would live in it for in her final moments the lady had gifted him with a home for he had gifted her with great friendship.

Sigg

You did a good job on this one. I particularly liked the style, you pulled off a certain voice for the narrator that many people end up making sound over the top and irritating. It all felt very natural despite the odd choice of lanuage. There were a few minor details that need to be fixed, but a proofread will catch those.

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Drivin' in my Cadillac Rock Box

Fossy

This was a nice moral tale, one you don't read very often, except those written eons ago.

Yeah, couple of minor things, but you can fix them up. Very nice job.

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Originally posted by Sam Winchester.
Fossy's good too. She gives good advice.