Barbara Kahn

Part One. “The Tale of the Dragon and the Hedgehog.”  In ancient days, there was a village by the sea, so  small it had no name. Many widows lived in the village, for  there was no light to show the way to port through the  rocky coast, and many sailors died trying to make their  way back home. A hunter of the town declared he would  go on a quest to find a light. He left the village and was not  heard from for five long years. One day, the hunter  reappeared, carrying the head of a dragon he had slain.  He placed the head upon a post in the village square  facing the sea. Fire came from the mouth of the  dragonhead, so much fire that it could light the way across  the sea as far away as Bucharest. The people of the  village gathered around. The mayor issued a proclamation  and ordered a parade in honor of the hunter, presented  him a medal designed for the occasion and offered him a  pension for the rest of his life. The hunter’s wife praised  him, and his two sons kneeled before their father, showing  him the respect he had earned. The village prospered  thanks to the light from the head of the slain dragon. Ships  from distant places brought riches to buy the beautiful  quilts and carpets woven by the women of the nameless  town.  

Years passed. The hunter’s sons grew into men. One  day the younger son was alone in the village square  thinking about the meaning of life or whatever young men  think about when they are alone. He heard a faint whisper and looked around, but he was still alone.  

“Water…Water…” The young man looked into the eyes of  the dragon and almost lost himself in the depth of their  sadness. Water…Water…” He scooped up water from the  fountain and reached out to the dragonhead. The tongue  of fire burned his hands as it lapped up the water, and just  as quickly the fire went out. The dragonhead shriveled up,  turned into a sprite and flew away. The village was  plunged again into darkness. The younger son was beaten  by his brother and disowned by his father. Shunned by  everyone, he turned into a hedgehog, curled up into a ball  and rolled away. The hunter took his shame away from the  town, never to return. The prosperity of the town  disappeared, and it was not long before the townspeople  forgot the time of the light that shone as far away as  Bucharest.  

Part Two. “The Tale of the Hedgehog and the Sprite.” In ancient days, before time began, a hedgehog saw  his reflection in a raindrop. Believing himself ugly, he  curled into a ball and rolled into the forest. He lived there  alone for many years, shunning the animals, the birds and  even the insects. When he grew lonely, he leaned against  a wise oak tree. The tree, as old as the beginning of the  Earth, had bark so thick that the spines of the hedgehog  could not pierce it. Its roots embraced the hedgehog, and  it dropped enough leaves to cover him like a blanket.  One day, a water sprite emerged from the lake near  where Campina is now and entered the forest. She was  looking for a place to commune with her father the sun  and her mother the earth. She saw the old oak tree basking in the sunshine and said to no one in particular…  “This is where I want to be.” In her joy, she danced for her  mother and father, and all the animals came to watch. The hedgehog peeked through the blanket of leaves at the  beautiful sprite and fell in love. The sprite spread her  gossamer wings, turned to the old oak tree and cried…  “Mother, embrace your daughter.” She ran to the tree and  flung her arms as far as she could reach around its trunk.  The hedgehog could not contain his love. He uncurled his  body and threw off his blanket of leaves. “Embrace me,  too,” he pleaded. The sprite was startled and turned  toward the sound of his voice. He threw himself into her  arms. She screamed in pain as his spines pierced her  fragile body and tore her wings. He pulled away in horror  at what he had done to the one he loved so deeply, but it  was too late. The sprite looked into his eyes, piercing his  soul as painfully as his spines had pierced her skin. He  saw himself reflected in her eyes, and his shame was too  much to bear. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground,  clutching her belly where one of his spines remained.  

The hedgehog curled up again and rolled away, never  to be seen again. For many years, the hart claimed he  saw the hedgehog lying dead at the bottom of the river  Danube whenever he went there to drink. But none of the  other animals saw him, and eventually the lonely  hedgehog was forgotten by the animals in the forest.  

Part Three. “The Water Sprite and the Hummingbird.”. In a future time in a faraway land, farther even than Bucharest or Budapest, a water sprite slept upon a lily pad  on a lake that time forgot. A cool wind swept across the lake, awakening the sprite. She yawned and stood,  stretching her wings, and felt the sunshine on her face.  Closing her eyes against the bright sun, she failed to  notice the egg that rested on the lily pad on the very spot  where she had slept. Suddenly she heard a cracking  sound and looked down just in time to see a baby  hummingbird emerge from the broken egg. The bird  discovered she could flap her wings so fast that they  became a blur to anyone who saw them. She hovered in  the air, looking into the eyes of the water sprite, who tilted  her head in curiosity. “Look, mother,” the hummingbird  said, I can fly backwards. Flap your wings and come with  me.” Try as she would, the sprite could only fly forward.  “My baby, it must be wonderful to fly backwards. I’ll never  know that thrill. I only know how wonderful it is to fly ahead  into the world that waits for everyone. Come with me.”  

“Don’t look back, don’t turn around, don’t listen to the  sound that calls you to come back home. Look ahead to  the thrill of the future that will greet you when you travel far  from home. No need to cry, dry your tears, be brave ignore  your fears, come with me by my side, take my hand.as we  journey to another foreign land. Don’t look back, don’t turn  around, listen to the sound that beckons from a brand new  home.”