LIBRARY

Folktales

IRISH FOLKTALES

LABYRINTH - MEDIEVAL STUDIES - Georgetown University

CELT PROJECT - University College Cork

STONE MEGALITHIC SITES / ARCHAELOGICAL SITES

CAMELOT PROJECT - Univerisity of Rochester

NATIVE AMERICAN FOLKTALES

OJIBWE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

SHORT STORIES AND POETRY COLLECTION

HUMAN LANGUAGE PAGES

Irish literature,mythology,folklore & drama: This is a page by Annina Jokinen and definately worth a visit.

Celtic Heritage Trust:

Earendil's Elfin Grotte: A wonderful page to visit. The content is far too extensive to include the list here.... go take a peek. This page is designed and owned by Allen Garvin.

The Stone of Odin

The Temple of the Moon, the Temple of the Sun, and Wodden's Stone (Orkney Islands, G.F. Black)

The Plaisham - from Donegal Ireland, told by Seumas MacManus, edited by D.L. Ashliman

The Snow, the Crow, and the Blood, told by Seumas MacManus, edited by D.L. Ashliman

Changing Woman - A Navajo Tale

The Holy People - A Navajo Tale

The Sun, Moon and Stars

The Tohono O'odham Creation Story- a Papago Story

Written by Zappha

The Bridge - A children's story

Poetry:

Waiting

Fox in the Night

Welcome to Springtime

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Only original poetry can be submitted. I cannot be held liable for submissions that violate another persons rights when any work other than your own is submitted. Please make yourself aware of copyright laws.

Only original stories can be submitted. I cannot be held liable for submissions that violate another persons rights when any work other than your own is submitted. Please make yourself aware of copyright laws.

He dreamt of far away places, of canyons and mountains and the stars of the milky way. Whenever rabbit closed his eyes, he would journey to all the wonderful places that he feared to travel to in his waking hours. This night, in his dream, there appeared a beautiful vision; more beautiful than he had ever seen before. Her smile was more radiant than all the stars in the milky way put together. She spoke to him in a whisper, her words beckoning him to wonders beyond his imagination.

"Come!" she said. " The evening winds of a new season await you. You have many lessons to learn."

The thought of traveling to far away places, no matter how wonderful they may be, made rabbit tremble and shiver with fear. Once more he heard the voice whispering.

"Come away. Follow your path and you will be rewarded with many treasures." she said.

Rabbit woke beneath a sky of spring leaves, swaying in the morning breeze. With a huge sigh, then a shrug, he stood, wiped his eyes and then continued on his way.

By late morning he had come upon a dense grove, a place where the trees had grown into one another forming a leafy wall that would be most difficult to penetrate. Even the sun could not penetrate the canopy woven by the many branches of the trees.

From a place deep within the wood it seemed, rabbit heard the sound of rushing water. Indeed, he was very thirsty after traveling for a long time without a drink. His eyes wandered to a clear brook which welled soundlessly from the knotted roots of a tree. It flowed down a steep incline and then disappeared from view. The brook would probably lead to the river, he thought to himself. But how could he ever get through the wall of trees that surrounded the river like a sentinel? He feared now, that he would die in this place from thirst. He could not enter the thicket. He knew that all animals, each of them desiring a good rabbit dinner, gathered there.

Just then he peered into the sky in time to see a hawk circling overhead. Heart pounding, legs quivering, he ran as fast as he could for the nearest cover. But the hawk paid no heed to him at all. This surprised rabbit because he knew that hawk would love a rabbit dinner as much as all the other animals of the wood. He dared not even blink an eye in case hawk noticed his hiding place. He wondered if hawk could hear him tremble; if he could hear his heart pounding.

Hawk swooped in even closer, but did not attempt to catch rabbit. He only spoke the same words over and over, "Follow me! Follow me!"

Taking a deep breath rabbit came out from his hiding place, lifted his hand to shelter his eyes from the sun so he could follow where hawk flew.

"Why do you not try to catch me for your dinner?" rabbit asked hawk.

"I have need of no more food for today, little one." replied hawk.

"I come to give you a message. I come to show you the way to the river." he squealed into the air, much louder than rabbit would have liked to hear for it hurt his ears.

For what seemed like an eternal pause; a pause in which rabbit was sure that would end with him inside the tummy of hawk.

Then hawk spoke once again. " Find the lone elderberry tree at the east end of the thicket. Beside it is a path and that path will lead you to the river."

Yet, though by desire brave, he was by nature very timid; his frame was not built to sustain courage, and he walked on towards the east filled with doubt and fear in his heart.

When he arrived at the elderberry tree, he saw, just as hawk had said, a path that was cleared throughout the thicket. With each footstep upon the path his heart pounded faster and faster for many unknown mysteries were hidden within this thicket. But, he traveled on and soon the sound of the river was very close. His lungs were heavy and ached with each breath, his hands and feet tingled, numb and cold and his thirst was much worse. He wondered if he had the energy to travel to the river which seemed so far away.

Suddenly, rabbit heard a sound out of place, a scent carried in the wind. He saw branches sway and leaves rustled. He sensed danger. He rose to his feet turning and spinning in every direction . The breeze shifted, his eyes widened, and he was running as quickly as his worn and tired legs would carry him. Fear shouting through his little tired body, shouting over and over, Wolf! Wolf!.

Rhythmic and swift were the sounds of the footfalls behind him and closer and closer until the sound in his ear was deafening. In the branches above he caught glimpses of squirrels ; and in their frightened eyes, he saw his life pass.

In his panic he stumbled up a steep cliff only to fall back down again, rolling and tumbling to the bottom. With a crash at the bottom he stopped, too afraid to open his eyes. He felt a hot puff of breath on his face. Surely, he was about to be eaten. Slowly he opened his eyes. The wolf neither smiled nor frowned. Neither sadness nor sympathy showed in his dark eyes.

"Please don't eat me wolf. There is plenty of other food in the thicket for you to eat." rabbit said with a trembling voice.

"I have need of no more food for today, little one. " growled the wolf. " I have much work to do, and you are in my way!"

And with that the wolf continued running down the path towards the river.

Rabbit shook his head. This has indeed, been a day of wonders. Out of breath, and with arms and legs still trembling he continued on his way. Soon, he came upon a chasm wide and deep. And there it was; the river. Swirling wildly at the bottom of the chasm, it threatened to swallow rabbit into its depths. He felt suddenly, very small and helpless. How could one as small as he ever climb down such a deep hill to reach the water. He was neither brave nor strong. Falling slowly to his knees, he wept without a sound, the soil beneath him swallowing each tear as it fell in its place.

Then, like a flash and flurry, once again wolf appeared and overhead he saw hawk circling slowly. Both did not even seem to notice he was here, sitting at the side of the cliff. Hawk was talking to wolf and wolf listened with full attention focused skyward. Then rabbit saw wolf begin to climb down the side of the steep cliff.

Rabbit watched, wondering how anyone would have the courage to do such a thing, for the hill was very steep. Wolf spent much time on the downward climb and even more, it seemed, on the upward climb on the opposite shore. When wolf reached the other side he sat for what seemed like a very long time. Hawk kept flying over wolf's head and swooping down often, seemingly to whisper things in his ear.

Then, as rabbit watched in amazement, wolf set about to build a bridge across the wide chasm. From a distance rabbit watched as wolf toiled for many hours on his task. He listened to hawks wings as they beat the darkness, fluttering and swooping and offering encouragement to wolf in this mammoth undertaking.

Wolf worked all that day, through the night, and all the next day. He built the bridge strong and safe so that it span from ridge to ridge. And as moonlight streamed along the chasm and the swirling river below, wolf sat in silence, his task complete. Once rested, he walked to the center of the bridge and gazed at his reflection in the dark water. He was pleased. And from a great distance you could hear the cry of the hawk slicing through the silence of the night air.

Rabbit was now not only hungry and thirsty but very confused.

His curiosity awakened, he approached wolf and said, "Tell me? Why did you chose this awesome task? Why would you build this bridge?

Wolf turned his gaze upon rabbit and said, " Rabbit ! There is food in abundance on the other side. Enough to feed our entire forest and many more."

"But you had already reached the other side." Rabbit said in amazement.

Wolf smiled at rabbit for the first time and answered, " I built it so that others may not suffer as I have suffered. There comes this way many hungry animals; they come filled with hope seeking the reward at the end of their journey and when they come they may not be prepared to climb or swim. I build this bridge for them and I build it from the love within my heart. You seem to think I am foolish and that my work is absurd. The reason I build this bridge is so that I may make the load much easier for others to bear. And that, dear rabbit, is the way it should be. Because of this bridge, all the animals in the forest will never go hungry."

And with that said, the wolf stood and walked to the other side of the chasm without looking back; not even once.

In that moment, rabbit felt changed. Lifting his gaze, he found the world changed as well. Everything surrounding him seemed more beautiful. The moon peaked through the trees, paving the river below with silver stones. A cool breeze swept through the wood, swaying boughs and alerting those who woke to the sounds. And, in the distance he could here the shrill cry of hawk as he delivered the message of a new passageway to all who would listen.

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