Guardian Of The Bonfire

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On the seventh day of the seventh month about half a mile from the
Fairy Glen on the path to Ambersglow you would find the Village bonfire
being built .

Around the bonfire you would hear the laughter of the boys and girls at
play .

As the story goes the fire was lit to keep away the mischief makers
.
If there was one thing the fairies didn't like it was a raging bonfire
.
The job of collecting the timber fell to all the seven year old boys
and girls of Ambersglow . Usually the boys cut down the Oaks Trees that
stood by the lake of the Green Glen .

A number of the boys would then drag back the felled tree back to the
bonfire .The girls would cut the limbs and branches and begin to stack
them up in a pile .Sometimes old doors and gate posts ended up on the
bonfire along with chairs no one needed anymore .
Each year the bonfires makers tried to make it bigger and better that
the previous year and this is one of those times when the bonfire
seemed to touch the sky .

Usually after the bonfire was built a party was had by all the people
of Ambersglow .

As the bonfire stack grew,each night a group of six children were
allocated the job of protecting the bonfires wood stack because in the
past the fairies of the Glen had come and stolen the wood from the
bonfire .

Rory who was one of the child leaders
liked to make sure everyone else knew he was in control of things
.
He picked the six guards each night
and as the big night drew near Rory tokk a more forward role with the
guarding of the bonfire .

Excitement was growing as it was only a few more sleeps until the party
.
The only danger so far to the Bonfire stack was a few stray dogs who
had took a stick or two .

On the last night Rory decided that himself alone would stand guard
over the bonfire stack .
It was a big responsibility to be head watchman and guardian of the
bonfire
but Rory always loved a challenge .

The night before the fire was lit Rory sat inside the hut at the base
of the bonfire . It was here that he would take his post and fend off
all danger.
Local knowledge was that the Fairies usually left it until the last
moment before making their move to steal the Bonfire wood .
Duriong the year Rory had put a lot of thought into keeping a step
ahead of the little fairy folk and had spent half the year studying
about the fairies magic and how best to combat it . He had more than
enough knowledge and tricks up his sleeve to defeat them .

As night closed in Rory sprinkled some salt and oatmeal on his head to
protect him from their power .
Then he lit a dozen candles around the bonfire to ward off their
advance .

Last of all he made ready the music and craic .

It was now the end of twilight and the day was swiftly leaving .
Rory lifted his flute and played a tune called The Glen Hornepipe
.
It wasn't long until the first of the little fairies came out to dance
to the tune along the path into Ambersglow .
The first fairy was soon followed by a dozen or more of the little
creatures who were fast making their way to the Bonfire stack .
The closer they got to Rory the more he had to fight off the terrible
tiredness that came over him .
It was a usual thing for the fairies to send mortals into a deep
sleep
before robbing them or causing mischief .

Rory fought off the heavy tired feeling and watched a group of the
fairies dance and sing under the light of the moon .
Then a few of them approached the hut where he was on duty and said
,t
"Rory give us the wood from the bonfire."
"Why would I do that when all the village are soon to have it up in
flames .Be off ywith you now. "

"We're not leaving without the bonfire wood." came the reply .

"I'll set the hounds upon you then."
Said Rory who definately had the little men worried .

"Be have yourself now or we will be forced to place you at the top of
the bonfire with a funny hat on your head and a sad and sorry look on
your face that won't ever come off ."

The little man finished talking and then from hios waistcoat he pulled
a horn and blew a trumpet blast from
it . The call ushered a huge fairy cavalcade that came galloping from
the depths of the Fairy Glen .
Hundreeds of little men on horseback circled around the bonfire stack
.
Faster and faster they flew until Rory rean over and lit all of the
twelve candles around the stack .
All the little fairies horses stopped dead in their tracks .
The fairies all dismounted and screamed aloud .
" Put the candles out.Stop the fire . Stop the fire."
Rory laughed and said ,

"What if I don't?

"Then we will take you back with us to the Fairy Glen and you will
never see Ambersglow again . You will be the prisoner of Fairy Ring in
the msits of time forever" .
Rory laughed even louder and replied ,

" You don't frighten me and there's
no use you trying to trick me because you know as well as I do that
your powers are useless on anyone who has placed oatmeal and salt on
their head."
Saying that Rory furiously shook his sending a dusting of the white
powder in the direction of the little men .
Immediatly this sent the fairies into a deep sleep . While they slept
Rory
placed a few of them into a Hessian sack where they were his prisoners
until the morning light when of course all their power vanished .
All fairies held prisoners at the dawn
were answerable to their captors unless the Fairy King himself
interviened .And so it was at the dawning of the day when a bargain was
made between the fairy King for the return of his people . The deal was
a wish of Rorys choice and it was a fairies honour to make the wish
come true withion the space of that day .
With the morning sun now in the sky Rory wish with all his heart
that
the village would have the best bonfire night of all time .

And so it was that evening when the sun went down all the people came
out from their cottages and began to dance like they never had done
before .
Tall stories were told and jokes never heard had everyone rolling with
laughter .
The men showed off great feats of strength and the women began doing
acrobatics like super human atheletes .
Sure enough it was a magic night all right . Everyone was having a
great time of it .

When the bonfire was lit the very flames leapt high into the night sky
licking the edges of the moon .
The bonfire was a wonderful sight and as the flames began to settle and
flicker out the people placed in their Potatoes in silver foil at the
bottom of the bonfire . Sausages and skewers with meat were placed in
the embers around the fire and soon the people sat eating and drinking
away .

What a night! The best bonfire ever.
Most of the village slept out all night until the new day .
In the morning the ashes of the night before told a tale . There was a
track left from the bonfire . The track weaved its way back into the
Fairy Glen and the tiny footprints came to an abrupt end at the huge
oak tree there in the green glen .
The people of the village all followed the trach with Rory leading the
way .
Rory found a written note pinned to the trunk of the tree .

The message said ,
You better keep a watch on your bonfire stack next year people of
Ambersglow . For all the fairy folk of the Glen will be ready to steal
it all away . Be on your guard . Until next time . Farewell .

Rory ripped up the piece of paper and
laughing in between his words he shouted ,
"I'll be ready and waiting . "

The End