A Fish Supper
“He will not take my maidenhead,
I’ll wish him sup – though sooner dead!”
Of fine, strong wine he had many a dish,
but riding home … got et by fish!
Kentitrix speaks:
So, my Mythstitcher, I see you move almost as fast as I, along the Threads of Thought. Are you keen to know the outcome of our romance?
Very well, so you shall!
Froggy, or shall we call him Prince of Frogs, has gained access to the inner sanctum, the home of the fair Miss Mousie. Cradle songs will tell you that his beloved sweetly accepts his proposal, that there is rejoicing and that a great feasting is enjoyed by all … though some will add that Madam Cat and her kittens gatecrash the party. Your imagination may suggest the results!
"A fine, bright morning, the garden shimmering with the first rays of the sun, and I wandered to the end of the path, where the pond lay, twinkling as the koi swished their lazy, luxurious tails. 'So, my pretty ones, are you ready for breakfast?' As they darted toward my scattered offering, I wondered how their wild carp cousins might be faring - and eating!"
Embroidery Whisperer
What really happened? Ancient folklore suggests another outcome. Wise Miss Mousie, the subject of Froggy’s passion, knows, ahead of time, his nefarious intention. Her virginity, essential to her magic associated with the working of the Thread, is precious. She is still the Maiden, not yet the Mother and far from the Crone. She is not willing, yet, to sacrifice herself to Fate. She offers her unwelcome suitor wine, the stem of his goblet wrapped, three times three, with the poisonous gossamer of Arachne, all the while seeming to acquiesce to his wishes. Calling upon the Naiads she wishes her suitor fair journey home, saying she will meet him upon their wedding morn.
… But as he stumbles home, senses befuddled by wine and poison, he tumbles into an unfamiliar pond. There, his sword and pistol are of little use, he is surrounded by the fishy incarnations of the Naiads, the Spirits of Water, and his fate is sealed.
Poor Prince Froggy, he underestimated the Ultimate Maiden.
Would you like to take any memories of this story into your own keeping? Visit the Treasury, where the Squirrel keeps his hoard.
Click on the pinecones.
