The Tale of Liril Page 3

seeing everything in her house being turned to gold. But she soon became sad when she began to long to hear the purring of Lorlo as she played in her arms or the barking of Rappan when it was time for his supper. ‘Perhaps,’ she said, ‘not all things made of gold are so fine as I thought.’ Then Liril touched the locket around her neck and wished that Rappan and Lorlo would be as they were before they were turned into gold. But her wish went unanswered. So Liril wept the whole night until she fell fast asleep.

  Liril rose at dawn the next morning and checked once more to see if her parents had returned. But still they had not come back to the cottage. It was then that Liril realized that her parents might have gone to look for her when she had gone to the Black Forest. She was of a mind then to use the locket to bring her parents back home and said:

  This wish I make so earnestly

  Please bring my Mama and Papa home to me

  And with that single wish there was a knocking at the front door. Liril ran to open the door expecting to see her parents there. Instead, it was the old woman she had met at market.

  ‘Why hello, my dearie!’ said the old woman. ‘Fancy meeting you here. And at such a lovely cottage.’

  ‘Oh, hello, old woman. How do you do?’ asked Liril.

  ‘I’m doing quite fine really, the aches of old age aside. But I’d do far better if I had my locket. Did you find it?’

  ‘Er, uh, no. Not as yet,’ said Liril

  ‘But you did go to the Black Woods, did you not?’

  ‘I did. But there were too many monsters, so I decided to come back home.’

  ‘What about the magic seed? Do you not still want it?”

  ‘I-I did. But I changed my mind.’

  ‘Well, what need have you for such a little thing as a magic seed when your very home is made of gold. Seems you were untruthful with me the other day, trying to pass yourself off as a poor person.’

  ‘Oh, I’m not really as poor as all that.’

  ‘I can see that. Well, if ever you do come across my locket, you know where to find me. I daresay you should bring it to me right away. A magic locket is nothing to toy around with. You can make any wish you want, but you can’t unwish a wish once it’s made.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Only wizards and witches can unmake a wish made with a magic locket. But seeing as you aren’t either, you should make certain to return me my locket as soon as you can—that is, if ever you find it.’

  ‘I’ll be sure to do that.’

  ‘Then, take care, little girl. See you soon.’

  And with that the old woman was gone. Liril closed the door behind the old woman and wondered if the old woman suspected her of having the locket. How did she know where she lived anyway?

  ‘Doesn’t matter,’ said Liril. ‘I found the locket and it’s mine now.’

  Days passed and yet there was no sign of Liril’s parents. Liril had been making many wishes lately, most of them about her parents coming back home. But for some reason that was the one wish that never came true. As the year was getting on, it had been raining quite frequently. Liril did not like the rain, for it made her feel lonelier than ever. And so she touched her locket and said:

  Rain, rain never so gay

  Making the sky turn so grey

  I wish the rain to go away

  And never come back ever I say

  It seemed to Liril that the clouds in the sky began to part and light came down through them on golden shafts. Liril smiled at the sight of the sun and watched the way the birds flew through the trees. The brilliance of day was a far more spectacular sight than the dreariness of rain. She only wished her parents were here now to enjoy the marvellous scene with her. Liril had grown weary of being alone and went out often to her garden to play. But as the days went on, even the sun was unable to stop her from being lonely.

  It was on a day when there was to be held a festival by the people of Liril’s village celebrating the approach of harvest that she went to the village square. But there was no celebration. For she saw only cheerless folk walking about the village and a line of people at the well. They were weeping and complaining about the lack of rain. The people complained about the crops dying from lack of water and how they were very thirsty. Water was scarce because of the lack of rain. So Liril squeezed her locket and made a wish then saying:

  Rain, rain, please come again!

  Make green the earth and our crops to mend

  Go away the sun! We need you not

  So much as rain that our wells would top

  But the rain did not come, nor did the sun go away. And Liril wept for bringing doom to her village.

  ‘If only I had kept my word to the old woman and returned her locket when I found it, none of this would be,’ she said. And so Liril decided that she had to return the locket to the old woman, for she knew that she was the reason the people of her village were made to suffer. ‘Perhaps,’ she thought, ‘maybe the old woman would know how to use the locket to save the village.’

  ‘Oh, hello, dearie. Why have you come?’

  ‘I came because there is something I want to give you.’

  Liril removed the locket from around her neck and gave it to the old woman.

  ‘Why, my old locket! I was wondering when you would bring it to me.’

  ‘You mean you knew I had it all along?’’

  ‘Of course I did. You have many talents. But lying isn’t one of them. Besides, it isn’t very often you’ll find someone with a house made of gold.’

  ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth before. I should never have kept the locket from you. I’m afraid I’ve done so many terrible things with it.’

  ‘Magic is a dangerous thing, child. It isn’t something to use lightly.’

  ‘Could you use the locket to make it rain again? I tried with all my heart to undo my wishes. But I failed.’

  ‘I could do that. But I would have to undo all the wishes you’ve made as well.’

  ‘Oh, please do!’

  ‘But, there is one thing. I did promise you a magic seed.’

  ‘What good will it do me now? I’ve lost my parents. And I turned my hound Rappan and my cat Lorlo into gold. Everyone I care about has left me.’

  ‘Listen to me, dearie. When I undo your wishes. Everything will go back to normal. Your pets will be safe and your parents will come home again. All you have to do is take this seed and plant it in your back yard.’

  ‘What will happen then?’

  ‘Oh, nothing right away. You see, because you broke your word to me, the magic seed won’t grow until you are grown up and wise enough to appreciate magic. Only then will the seed grow. Then, you will have all the treasure in the world.’

  ‘Oh, really? I cannot wait!’

  ‘Now close your eyes and make your final wish.’

  Liril did as the old woman said and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was lying in her bed and being licked in the face by Lorlo. Liril sat up with a smile and scratched Lorlo’s fur. She then smelled the aroma of food in the air and heard voices nearby. She got up from her bed and ran into the parlor to find her Mama sewing and her Papa sitting beside her on his favorite chair smoking a pipe. Liril was so happy to see them that she ran to them and gave them each a hug.

  ‘What’s wrong with you, girl?’ asked her Papa. ‘You act as though you haven’t seen us in weeks!’

  ‘Oh, it’s just that I love you both so very much!’

  ‘Well, where are your manners, Liril?’ asked her Mama. ‘It’s your Papa’s birthday. Aren’t you going to congratulate him?’

  ‘Oh, happy birthday, Papa!’

  ‘Why, thank you, sweetheart.’

  Only then did Liril realize that she had a tiny seed in her hand. She looked at it and grinned.

  The End.

  Also available by Kevis Hendrickson

  The Grey Elk

  The Legend of Witch Bane

  About the Author

  Kevis Hendrickson is a fi
lmmaker, musician, illustrator, poet, and writer of speculative fiction. He lives in sunny Miami, Florida U.S.A. where he spends his days dreaming of new worlds and epic adventures.

  Visit www.kevishendrickson.com for more information about The Tale of Liril and other books by Kevis Hendrickson.