The Storyteller and The Quiet One's

 

The Storyteller And The Quiet Ones

by Paul McCann

 

He was walking along the road to Courtstown when he noticed a lady approaching  from the opposite direction . As she drew near, he smiled and nodded his head , she smiled back and without a word spoken he heard her speak within his mind .

“The mists of time are falling ; follow the sound of my voice and you’ll be safe .“

Suddenly the storyteller was surrounded by a thick mist . In his previous experiences walking through the mists of time he had encountered dark forces there that would try do him harm but he had protection from the guardians of the realm . He had come to know the guardians and guides on other journeys he had been . The storyteller was always assured safe passage through the mists .

As he stood in the mists, he could hear wild beasts growling at him but he was comforted by the sound of a beautiful voice .

“Tread softly as you go storyteller for the wild ones are hard of hearing “

As he walked along through the mists it felt as if his feet were off the ground as if  like he was being carried by some unseen hands .

On the other side of the mists, he walked along a stony path that led to a large field where he saw some ladies gathering wildflowers ,

In the middle of the field some standing stones had been erected a few meters apart in a circle and in the middle of the circle there was a well with some sacred relics hanging from it . The sun shone down all around that place and the storyteller walked across to that place because he knew what he had to do .

Men arrived on horse’s that jumped over the perimeter hedging around the field while others were arriving to the field . The horses went charging up and down the field before the riders dismounted and tied their horses to the hawthorne tree branches .

 

It was a special time on the land known as Lunasa when the  first fruits of the harvest would be offered up as gifts to the creator of life and shared with all freely while the young unmarried girls would pick wildflowers and present them to a partner of their choice . It was a time for dancing and music . It was also a time for storytelling and so he waited until the right moment before he drew  their attention to him .As more and more people  gathered , the time was right and mas they all sat on the ground near the sacred well, he began to speak .

 

“If you listen really close you can hear her cry”

 

Now he had their attention . Everyone suddenly stopped talking and, in the silence, he continued ,

 

“ The woman weeps in the wind “

 

All around the field the wind blew and carried with it the cry of a woman . The sound of the weeping brought a tear to everyone’s eye .The people there were mesmerised , the storyteller spoke  softly with a whisper that was carried by the wind into the minds of everyone who was there . Everybody there went quiet and listened intently to each word that came from the mouth of this man in their presence.,

 

“ It’s a hungry cry as she sees a future , when so many will die all over the land , with a  
a famine that is to come , when she can reap the crops no more and the only thing that will be left are rocks in the barren fields and dead twigs scattered through the land  where once fruits where in plenty at the harvest .”

 

As all the people started to weep and mourn the storyteller introduced some pathos to the story and spoke with a deep whisper . .

 

“But for now, let us all sing and dance for the first fruits are here . Let’s us play our games and enjoy this moment in time for the winds that blows through these fields
bring laughter and love and life is good for all of us living today .

 

Then as the mood changed and everyone started to smile and feel ok the Storyteller again twisted their attention to another place and another time .

 

‘Never take for granted a single thing and never try to point the finger of blame 
because you cannot  change what will come . I am just a messenger to tell you about this famine that will come and now is your time to get ready for the blight that is ahead at the end of the autumn , so start gathering now and plan ahead for it will be too late when the potatoes have all died and the fruits are gone from the trees .

Once you hear the hunger cry you all must leave the land . Start building your boats now and look for a ship now while there is still time and you are in good health .

The hungry cry  of a wolf arrived on the wind and interrupted the storyteller .

Then a mist fell down around the field  and a hungry wolf emerged .

The wolf approached the storyteller and just before the wolf attacked a wolfhound came running from the mist carrying in its jaws a ball of red leather . The ball was left at the storyteller’s feet . Picking up the ball he threw it back into the mist . Immediately the wolf turned its back and chased after the ball . The wolf then returned back into the mists and the wolfhound sat on the ground at the storyteller’s feet .

He continued

“ History speaks in Ireland but I’m telling you all of a future that I have seen , 
and the story of the book I know of has tear-stained pages and blacked ink that’s yet to fulfil . The day is coming when you will hear the hungry cry so as you turn your back on the wind , spare a thought for her , our mother , the giver of the harvest who weeps in sorrow for all the children she cannot feed . Every age will turn back the page to read the history of what happened but all of you need to speak to as many people as you can today to let them know of the famine days that lie ahead .

Can’t you hear the hungry cry ?

 

 

In the wind there was a  weeping cry that was heard that made everyone fall into silence . the wolfhound got to its feet and looked into the storyteller’s eyes and tugged at his tunic . Then as the mist came down again the Storyteller and the wolfhound  left the field and in silence they disappeared into the mist .

On the journey through the mists of time the wolfhound protected the Storyteller from the dark forces within . On the other side of the mist, he stood in a valley cradled between two mountains.

There were birds singing in the trees and in the stream, fish were leaping out of the water . The wolfhound  ran to the stream and returned with a huge salmon fish in its mouth . Before evening fell, they both gathered some twigs and lit a fire where the salmon was cooked and enjoyed by both who slept until the morning light .

In the early dawn  the wolfhound was gone and the storyteller had been given knowledge as he slept that many people had left the land on ships and had survived the famine days because of the story that he had told .

So now his mind was at rest that his journey there had been worthwhile .

He sat and looked out at the ripples on the water of the steam and reflected on life for a while before making his way through the valley to see what was waiting there on the road ahead .

 

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THE END