A Christmas Fable for the Young at Heart ( Pt 2 )

“Once upon a time on a cold Winter's Eve, an old woman was wandering the land, searching for the child Jesus. It was Christmas Eve
and she had been walking through a great forest of huge Siberian spruce trees, that towered above her. In the clear night sky the stars twinkled brightly surrounding a full moon.

She shivered as she trudged through the snow, the only sound the cracking of twigs and an owl hooting somewhere up high.

The snow glinted beneath the full moon. It was deep and hard
going with each step she took, but her boots kept her feet dry.

After a long while she stopped to listen, she could hear music playing, then in the distance she saw a clearing, with a sight that took her breath away. Slowly she moved in closer, being careful not to be seen, hiding behind trees as she got nearer.

When she felt close enough not to be noticed, peering from behind a trunk of a tree, she watched in wonder.

A swirling of colours moved in waves revolving slowly, billowing up into the night sky, it reminded the old woman of the Northern lights, she had seen on her journey.

Within the rainbow of light, the figure of a man sat on the fallen trunk of a tree, with a wooden lyre in his hands, with his back leaning against a tree. He lightly plucked each string, creating a melody of soothing, but lively vibrations, as a stick thin figure of an ice cold man,
with a pointed, icy blue beard danced on.

All of a sudden he stopped dancing and started to rise off the ground.
Once he was levitated he began slowly rotating, getting a little faster with each turn, until he ceased and was suspended in the air, as the man carried on playing.

The figure in the air was transfixed and began to circle once more, this
time getting faster and faster, stretching out his long, spindly, freezing
fingers, sending magic beams flying through the air, that chipped and
splintered, cracking they became suspended in time. Branches of trees
were adorned with a coating of frost.

The old woman realised the stick thin figure before her, was that rascal
Jack Frost, with his raw, mystical charm and icy breath, he was sending a Wintry smile across the forbidding Arctic land.

But still she wondered about the man and his beautiful music. She did not realise he played a magic lyre, which produced colour as each string was plucked, as well as sound. Anyone held within the rainbow of colours, would be under a magic spell.

The man's name was Yuri, he smiled watching Jack Frost producing icicles, that he threw at the branches, where they hung like decorations.

Finally Yuri stopped playing. The old woman watched in wonder, hardly believing her eyes, for as soon as the man stopped, Jack Frost flew through the air, he was gone no longer under the spell.

By now the old woman was no longer afraid, so she came out from behind the tree. Yuri stood up and picked up his lyre, noticing the old
woman, he walked over to her. As he approached, she noticed how his
eyes glowed as he stared at her, then he said as if confused, “Who are you old woman...why are you out so late in the forest?”

The old woman smiled from beneath her head scarf. “My name's Babooshka, I'm searching for a child, who is Jesus...have you seen him?”

Yuri felt sorry for the old woman, thinking she must have lost her mind. “You shouldn't be out wandering in this weather, it's Christmas
Eve, you should be at home asleep.”

“Well,” said Babooshka, “I could say the same about you.”

Yuri smiled feeling confident. “Ah! Well...now that's a different story, I
always come out on Christmas Eve, with my magic lyre, you see I have to capture Jack Frost in my magic spell, so that on Christmas morning, the children will awaken to a Winter wonderland.

Babooshka smiled and said she now understood, but that she must be on her way, for she had a long journey ahead of her.

Gentle snowflakes began to fall, the old woman looked up as the moon seemed to disappear behind some clouds, she shivered not wishing to stand around any longer.

“Won't you come home with me for the night? This is no time for travelling, especially now it's snowing.” Enquired Yuri.

Babooshka shivered again and was insistent. “No thank you, I'm afraid
I'll have to decline, I have to keep moving...keep searching, can't waste any time.”

She took the man's hands, a warmth passed between them. The old woman smiled, feeling the heat move through her arms, then down through the rest of her body. She kissed Yuri on the cheek, then pulled
her scarf further around her face, then she went on her way, trudging
through the snow.

Yuri watched until she was nearly out of sight, then Babooshka turned and gave him a final wave goodbye.

The man wondered if she would be okay, as he too gave one last wave. He held the collar of his heavy coat, pulling it further in around his neck. Feeling the chill of the night, Yuri was so glad he didn't have to make a long journey tonight, so he made his way home, his boots sinking in the deep snow.

To be continued.........

https://www.abctales.com/story/skinnerjennifer/christmas-fable-young-hea...