Tale 207: The Birch Tree (Brock)


(real tale: The Wonderful Birch)

"Once there were a man and a woman, who had an only daughter--we'll call her Holly." Brock begins. "One day, one of their Mareep got lost, and they set out to look for it, They looked and looked, each in a different part of the forest. Then the wife met a witch, who said to her..."

"If you spit, you miserable creature, if you spit into the sheath of my knife, or if you run between my legs, I will turn you into a black Mareep." Misty sneers in her best "witch" voice, making Azurill, Happini, and Tarina shiver in fear and anticipation.

Brock isn't sure what to make of Misty's line at first, but decides to run with it. "The woman didn't spit, nor did she run between her legs, but yet the witch turned her into a Mareep anyway."

[That's breaking a promise!] Tarina protests.

"Pika pika pikachu pikapi, pika chu." Pikachu assures Tarina.

"Now, where was I?" Brock thinks a moment as to where he is in the story, the continues "Then she made herself look exactly like the woman, and called out to the man..."

"Ho, old man, hello! I have found the Mareep already!" Misty calls in a younger version of herself.

"The man thought the witch was really his wife, and he did not know that his wife was the Mareep; so he went home with her, happy because his Mareep was found safe." Brock continues. "When they were safe at home the witch said to the man..."

"Look here, we must really kill that Mareep lest it run away to the forest again." Misty fills in the dialogue.

The man, who was a quiet sort of fellow, made no objections, but simply said okay." Brock continues. "Holly, however, had overheard the whole thing, so she ran to the flock and cried..."

`Oh, dear mother, they are going to kill you!" Melody cries as Holly.

`Well, then, if they do kill me,' Misty replies as the black Mareep, "do not eat the meat nor the broth that is made of me, but gather all my bones, and bury them by the edge of the field."

Brock sighs--parts with innocent people dying are one of his least favorite parts to tell in stories. "The next morning, they took the black Mareep from the flock and killed it. The witch made soup out of it, and set it before Holly. But Holly remembered her mother's warning. She did not touch the soup, but she carried the bones to the edge of the field and buried them there; and a few days later, a very lovely birch tree started growing on that spot."

[That's awful...the mama had to die, even though she did nothing to deserve it...] Tarina sighs.

[It's gonna get better, okay?] Korra assures her. [That mean old witch will get her just desserts in the end.]

A hopeful smile forms on Tarina's face. [Yeah...I hope Holly learns magic and pays the witch back for killing her mom!]

"Some years went by--exactly how many, I don't know for sure--when the witch, who soon received a child of her own, began to turn an evil eye to Holly, and to torment her in all kinds of ways." Brock intones, oblivious to the Pokemon chatter. "Now it happened that a great festival was to be held at the palace, and the king commanded that all the people in the land be invited. "The following proclamation went out across the entire kingdom..."

In character as a herald, he announces "Come, people all! Poor and wretched, one and all! Blind and crippled though ye be, Mount your steeds or come by sea!

As himself, he continues "People came by the millions to the royal feast--even all the poor, the outcasts, and those with disabilities. In the good man's house, too, preparations were made to go to the palace. The witch said to the man..."

`Lead the way with our youngest; I will give the elder girl work to keep her from getting any ideas while we are away." Misty fills in the dialogue.

"So the man took the child--we'll call her Cora--and set out. But the witch kindled a fire in the fireplace, threw a pot full of barley among the cinders, and said to Holly...." Brock narrates.

"If you have not picked the barley out of the ashes, and put it all back in the pot before nightfall, I shall eat you up!" Misty intones as the witch, making the Pokemon shudder again.

"Then she hurried after the others, and poor Holly stayed at home and cried. She tried to pick up the grains of barley, but she soon saw how useless her labor was; and so she went to the birch tree on her mother's grave, and cried and cried, because her mother could no longer help her. In the midst of her grief she suddenly heard her mother's voice speak to her..."

"Why do you cry, little one?" Misty asks as herself.

"The witch has scattered barley on the hearth, and bid me pick them out of the ashes." Melody sighs as Holly

"Don't cry..." Misty assures Melody. `Break off one of the leaves on my branches, and sing the Great Holy Spellsong, and all will be well."

"Holly did as she was told--She took a leaf from the tree held it to the sky, and sang...." Brock narrates.

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

...and the barley flew into the pot, and the hearth was clean." Brock continues. "Then she went back to the birch tree and laid the leaf on the grave. Then her mother told her to lay her hand on the trunk, and sing the Great Holy Spellsong again...."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody sings again.

"...and in a flash of blue light, she grew so lovely that no one on earth could compare." Brock continues. "Beautiful clothing was given to her, and a Ponyta, with fur that shone like moonlight and sapphire blue fire. Holly sprang into the saddle, and rode as swiftly as an arrow to the palace. As she turned into the courtyard of the castle the king's son--we'll call him Rowan-- came out to meet her, tied her mount to a pillar, and led her in. He never left her side as they passed through the castle rooms; and all the people gazed at her, and wondered who the lovely maiden was, and from what land she came from; but no one knew her--no one knew anything about her. At the banquet, Prince Rown invited her to sit next to him at the place of honor; but Cora gnawed the bones under the table. Prince Rowan did not see her, and thinking it was a stray Growlithe, he gave her such a push with his foot that her arm was broken."

"Ouch..." Misty comments.

"That had to hurt..." Ash agrees.

"When evening came, Holly thought it was time to go home; but as she went, her ring caught on the latch of the door, for Prince Rowan had had it smeared with oil." Brock goes on. "She did not have time to pull it off, but, hastily unfastening her Ponyta from the pillar, she rode away beyond the castle walls as swift as an arrow. Once at home, she sang the Great Holy Spellsong by the birch tree, left her Ponyta standing there, and hurried to her place behind the stove. A short time later, the man and the woman came home themselves, and the witch said to Holly..."

"There you are! You don't know what a time we have had at the palace! Prince Rowan carried my daughter about, but the poor thing fell and broke her arm." Misty fills in the dialogue as the witch.

"Holly knew well what really happened, but she pretended to know nothing about it, and sat there behind the stove." Brock continues. "A few months went by, and the anniversary of the kingdom's founding drew near. Not surprisingly, they were invited to this party too. This time, the witch threw a potful of hemp seed among the ashes, and said to Holy..."

"If you do not get this sorted, and all the seed back into the pot, I shall kill you!" Misty nearly screams as the witch, making the young Pokemon squeal in both fear and delight."

Brock just grins, pleased that Misty is getting into her role. "Naturally, Holly wept bitterly; and she went to the birch tree, laid her hands on the trunk and sang..."

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody fills in the spellsong.

"...and this time she transformed into still finer clothes, and received a very beautiful steed. She broke off a leaf from the birch tree, and sang..." Brock narrates.

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody sings again.

"..so that the seeds flew into the pot, and then hurried to the castle." Brock continues "Again Prince Rowan came out to meet her, tied her Ponyta to a pillar, and led her into the banquet hall. At the feast Holly sat next to him in the place of honor, just as she had done at the previous party. But Cora gnawed bones under the table, and Prince Rowan gave her a push by mistake, which broke her leg again--he had never noticed her crawling about among the people's feet!"

Laughter goes up at this. "Holly hurried home again, but Prince Rowan had smeared the doorframe with oil, and Holly's golden circlet stuck to it. She had no time to look for it, but sprang to the saddle and rode like an arrow to the birch tree. There she left her Ponyta and her fine clothes, and said to her mother..."

"I have lost my circlet at the castle; the doorframe had oil on it, and it stuck." Melody explains as Holly.

`And even had you lost two of them,' Misty replies as the mother, `I would still give you finer ones.'

Then Holly rushed home, and when her father came home with the witch, she was in her usual place behind the stove. Then the witch said to her...." Brock narrates.

"You poor thing! What is there to see here compared with what WE have seen at the palace? Prince Rowan carried my daughter from one room to another; he let her fall, and my child's foot was broken." Misty explains as the witch.

"Holly held her peace all this time, and did her best to look busy." Brock continues. "A few more months went by, and Prince Rowan's birthday drew near...."

"Which meant another party." Ash fills in the blank without being prompted.

"This time it was a dish of milk she poured on the ashes, saying..." Brock narrates

"If you do not get all the milk into the dish again before I come home, you will suffer for it." Misty warns as the witch.

"You can imagine how frightened Holly was this time!" Brock explains to the audience. She ran to the birch tree, and by its power and the Great Holly Spellsong her task was accomplished; and then she rode away to the palace like before. When she got to the courtyard she found Prince Rowan waiting for her. He led her into the hall, where she was highly honored; but Cora sucked the bones under the table, and crouching at the people's feet she alomost got an eye knocked out!"

Everyone laughs at this. "Now no one knew any more than before about Holly, no one knew from whence she came; but Prince Rowan had had the threshold smeared with oil, and as she fled her gold slippers stuck to it. She reached the birch tree, and laying aside her finery, she said...." Brock narrates

"Alas! I have lost my gold slippers!" Melody sighs as Holly.

"Let them be," Misty replies as the mother. "If you need them, I shall give you finer ones."

"Hardly was she in her usual place behind the stove when her father came home with the witch. Immediately the witch began to mock her, saying...." Brock narrates.

`There is nothing for you to see here, and WE--ah, what great things we saw at the palace! My little girl was carried about again, but had the ill-luck to fall and nearly get her eye knocked out. You stupid thing, you, what do you know about anything?'

`Yes, indeed, what can I know?' Melody retorts as Holly. "I had enough to do to get the hearth clean."

"Now Prince Rowan had kept all the things Holly had lost, and he soon set to work finding their owner." Brock goes on. "After some time had passed with no luck, he decided to throw another party, and all the people were invited to the palace. The witch got ready to go too. She tied a wooden Heracross on Cora's foot to hide her wounded leg, a log of wood to hide her wounded arm, and fashioned an eyepatch of dirt to cover her wounded eye, and took Cora with her to the castle. When all the people were gathered, Prince Rowan stepped into the crowd and announced...

"The maiden whose finger this ring slips over, whose head this golden crown encircles, and whose foot this shoe fits, will be my bride." Ash announces as Prince Rowan.

"A riot nearly broke out as people rushed to try the items on." Brock continues. "But the items would fit no one."

"The cindergirl is not here," Ash sighs as Prince Rowan. "Go and fetch her, and let her try on the items."

"So Holly was summoned and Prince Rowan was just about to hand the items to her, when the witch held him back, saying..." Brock narrates.

"Don't give them to her; she dirties everything with cinders; give them to my daughter instead." Misty sneers as the witch.

"Well, Prince Rowan gave Cora the ring, and the woman pushed and shoved till the ring fit." Brock continues. "The same thing happened with the circlet and the shoes of gold. The witch would not allow them to be given to Holly; she worked at her own daughter's head and feet till she got the things forced on. What was to be done now? Prince Rowan had to take Cora for his bride whether he liked it or not; he sneaked away to her father's house with her, however, for he was ashamed to hold the wedding festivities at the palace with so strange a bride. Some days passed, and he finally had to take his bride home to the palace, and he got ready to do so. Just as they were leaving, Holly jumped down from her place by the stove, on the ruse of getting something from the barn, and as she passed by, she whispered in the prince's ear as he stood in the yard...."

"Alas! dear prince, do not rob me of my silver and my gold." Melody whispers as Holly.

Prince Rowan recognized Holly; so he took both the girls with him, and set out." Brock continues. "After they had gone a little ways they came to the bank of a river, and Prince Rowan threw the witch and Cora across to serve as a bridge, and so got over with Holly. The witch and Cora eventually froze in that place, where they remain for all eternity."

[See? I toldja the witch would get her just desserts.] Korra smiles at Tarina.

"Prince Rowan greeted Holly as his bride, and they traveled together to the birch tree which grew upon the mother's grave." Brock concludes. "There they received all sorts of treasures and riches, at least three sacks full of gold, and as just as much silver, and a splendid Ponyta, which bore them home to the palace, where they lived happily ever after."