There once was a little girl, who lived in a small House on the edge of a Forest with a large Family. She had a Mother, a Father, an Uncle and 10 Siblings. Out of those ten siblings she was the sixth Child. Now it is said that the sixth Child would have to be born on the full moon and if not there would be great strife to the family. Unfortunately the little girl (whose name was Moon) had been born on the new moon, when the moon was nowhere to be seen. Soon after that the Father lost his store where he traded and sold Things. The fifth Child grew ill. The Horse ran off and the Cows barely gave any milk. After these sad Incidents the Family became resentful towards the girl, Moon. Years passed and Moon became resigned toward her predicament even though she still hoped that she could somehow reverse the terrible Curse her birth had forced on her Family.
One day near her ninth Birthday Moon went walking in the Forest. The birch Trees were very tall and Moon imagined that they were Giants’ legs. She walked on and found a group of Mushrooms. She would have brought them Home but they were not suitable to eat. Moon pretended to have a Conversation with them then walked on. Finally she came to a large Cave. Perhaps there are wolves there, Moon thought. Perhaps they are talking wolves who will help me reverse my curse. The girl laughed at her silly thought then turned home.
One day Moon went into the Village to get Eggs for the Chickens would not produce. On her way she met an old Woman who pulled her aside and gave her a bunch of good-smelling Herbs. The Woman told Moon that should she want to Animate things she should just wave these Herbs around them and chant Lev, andas, tala, gå! Moon took the Herbs and went on to get the eggs. When she reached Home and gave the Mother the Eggs she left again for the Forest. When Moon reached the Trees she had imagined were Giants, she waved the Herbs and chanted Lev, andas, tala, gå! Then she did the same to the Mushrooms and the Cave. Moon waited but nothing happened. She walked Home in disbelief.
The next Morning Moon awoke to the howls of Wolves and the bellowing of a Giant. Moon dressed as quickly as she could and ran outside with only one clog on. Outside was a formidable scene: Wolves made of Rock and Moss barked, howled and snapped at a Giant whose Head was above the Clouds and whose body was a huge birch Tree. Next to Moon was a group of chattering Mushrooms that jumped up and down with excitement. Moon wondered how to stop the Fight. She yelled Stop several times but the Beings did not comply. Finally Moon put two fingers in her Mouth and let out an ear-splitting Whistle. The Wolves cowered and the Giant sighed as Moon Whistled again. Then she asked them where they had come from and they all said the same thing: they had just Woken up this Morning. Moon realized then that these were the Things she had Animated the previous Night. So she sat them all down and asked them who they were. The Wolves explained that they were a Pack and did not have individual names. The Mushrooms each had long hard to say names that Moon couldn’t pronounce. Finally the Giant was called Bjork.
Moon then asked what was their Purpose in life: the Wolves discussed this and agreed that it was to Hunt, the Mushrooms decreed that it was to Know, Bjork decided it was to Help. This gave the sixth Child an Idea.
“Bjork,” she said, “could you heal my curse being that your purpose is to Help?”
Pondering this Bjork wondered if he had this Ability; the Wolves egged him on while the Mushrooms were slightly dubious.Being the Kind person that he was, Bjork tried to Heal Moon. Records do not show how he accomplished this Feat but it is known that Moon was healed and lived happily forevermore.
(Featured image from DarkmoonArt_de)