Pumpkin Pie 2, Passionfruit 29: Red Fox Woman
Title: Red Fox Woman
Main Story: In The Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Pumpkin pie 2 (witchcraft/supernatural), passionfruit 29 (My life closed twice before its close - Emily Dickinson) malt (SC 56: “Indiana” by Melissa Etheridge), cherry (fairy tale), chopped nuts (Japanese AU, apparently).
Word Count: 395
Rating: PG.
Summary: The tale begins, as they always do, with a beautiful girl and a red fox woman.
Notes: I wasn't happy with my other fairy tale, and Miyabi planted an idea, so I wrote another one. HERE, MIYABI. I hope you're happy.
There once lived a girl, in the country of Japan, with a face pale as the moon and eyes like pieces of the sky. She was the only child of two humble farmers, and it seemed as if all the virtues of all the children they might have had were poured into her. She was beautiful and demure, graceful as a crane, with downcast eyes and proper respect. She could sew and weave and embroider, sing and paint and write poetry. Her beauty and her virtues were such that the lord came to hear of them, and he said to his followers, I must have this beauty for myself.
The lord was a great man and very powerful, and it was a great honor to be his, so the girl's parents gave her over willingly, though they wept to see their only child go so far away from them. But the lord gave them much gold for their daughter; they were content, if not pleased.
The girl, knowing her parents would be cared for, went with the lord quietly. If she was happy, no one knew.
The girl, now a woman, bore the lord four children before he tired of her, all pale as the moon, all with eyes like pieces of the sky. And before the lord tired of her, the girl-now-woman and her children lived happily, with all the delicacies they could want, so they grew plump and round in the flesh, and very fair they were to see. But the lord did tire of her, as all lords do in the end, and she was sent with her children to a lowly and disregarded corner, where they lived as best they could.
The girl-now-woman, knowing she was no longer wanted, went with her children quietly. If she was happy, no one knew.
But the lord was not the only one who had heard of the girl-now-woman's beauty and virtues. He was not the only one to be curious.
One day a woman walked into the lord's courtyard, knelt before him, and touched her forehead to the ground. Her hair was red as a fox, her eyes blue as the ocean, her skin pale and smooth as cream, and the little smile she wore was beguiling and sweet. Only the girl-now-woman, hovering safe in the shadows, saw the mockery in that smile, and wondered.
I have come, the red-fox woman said, to serve the lord; I hope my poor self is acceptable.
The lord looked upon her hair and her eyes and her skin, and he ordered her taken into his household. She touched her forehead to the ground again in gratitute.
That night, the girl-now-woman combed out the hair of her daughters and tucked her son beneath his cover. She stretched on her toes to put out the light and paused, for there was someone in the shadows, the woman with the red-fox hair and the mocking smile.
But her smile was not mocking now.
Do not be afraid, she said. I only wanted to see if you were happy.
The girl-now-woman lowered her eyes. It is not for me to say if I am happy, she said.
The red fox woman snorted, and the girl-now-woman looked at her with wide eyes, for never had she seen a woman who did not lower her eyes and agree.
It is for you to say, the red fox woman said, and for a moment in the flickering shadows of the lamp a tail seemed to dance behind her back. It is only for you to say.
It is not for me to say, the girl-now-woman said, again. I must see my children to sleep.
Yes, the red-fox woman said. She stepped forward, bent to the children, to the daughters and the sons of the girl-now-woman, and swept her hand across their foreheads, gently.
Your daughters, she said, are very beautiful. Your son is very strong. They will live long lives, and honor their mother in all they do. They will be dutiful and happy.
That is a blessing few can ask for, the girl-now-woman said.
They will have it, the red-fox woman said, and faded again into the dark.
Main Story: In The Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Pumpkin pie 2 (witchcraft/supernatural), passionfruit 29 (My life closed twice before its close - Emily Dickinson) malt (SC 56: “Indiana” by Melissa Etheridge), cherry (fairy tale), chopped nuts (Japanese AU, apparently).
Word Count: 395
Rating: PG.
Summary: The tale begins, as they always do, with a beautiful girl and a red fox woman.
Notes: I wasn't happy with my other fairy tale, and Miyabi planted an idea, so I wrote another one. HERE, MIYABI. I hope you're happy.
There once lived a girl, in the country of Japan, with a face pale as the moon and eyes like pieces of the sky. She was the only child of two humble farmers, and it seemed as if all the virtues of all the children they might have had were poured into her. She was beautiful and demure, graceful as a crane, with downcast eyes and proper respect. She could sew and weave and embroider, sing and paint and write poetry. Her beauty and her virtues were such that the lord came to hear of them, and he said to his followers, I must have this beauty for myself.
The lord was a great man and very powerful, and it was a great honor to be his, so the girl's parents gave her over willingly, though they wept to see their only child go so far away from them. But the lord gave them much gold for their daughter; they were content, if not pleased.
The girl, knowing her parents would be cared for, went with the lord quietly. If she was happy, no one knew.
The girl, now a woman, bore the lord four children before he tired of her, all pale as the moon, all with eyes like pieces of the sky. And before the lord tired of her, the girl-now-woman and her children lived happily, with all the delicacies they could want, so they grew plump and round in the flesh, and very fair they were to see. But the lord did tire of her, as all lords do in the end, and she was sent with her children to a lowly and disregarded corner, where they lived as best they could.
The girl-now-woman, knowing she was no longer wanted, went with her children quietly. If she was happy, no one knew.
But the lord was not the only one who had heard of the girl-now-woman's beauty and virtues. He was not the only one to be curious.
One day a woman walked into the lord's courtyard, knelt before him, and touched her forehead to the ground. Her hair was red as a fox, her eyes blue as the ocean, her skin pale and smooth as cream, and the little smile she wore was beguiling and sweet. Only the girl-now-woman, hovering safe in the shadows, saw the mockery in that smile, and wondered.
I have come, the red-fox woman said, to serve the lord; I hope my poor self is acceptable.
The lord looked upon her hair and her eyes and her skin, and he ordered her taken into his household. She touched her forehead to the ground again in gratitute.
That night, the girl-now-woman combed out the hair of her daughters and tucked her son beneath his cover. She stretched on her toes to put out the light and paused, for there was someone in the shadows, the woman with the red-fox hair and the mocking smile.
But her smile was not mocking now.
Do not be afraid, she said. I only wanted to see if you were happy.
The girl-now-woman lowered her eyes. It is not for me to say if I am happy, she said.
The red fox woman snorted, and the girl-now-woman looked at her with wide eyes, for never had she seen a woman who did not lower her eyes and agree.
It is for you to say, the red fox woman said, and for a moment in the flickering shadows of the lamp a tail seemed to dance behind her back. It is only for you to say.
It is not for me to say, the girl-now-woman said, again. I must see my children to sleep.
Yes, the red-fox woman said. She stepped forward, bent to the children, to the daughters and the sons of the girl-now-woman, and swept her hand across their foreheads, gently.
Your daughters, she said, are very beautiful. Your son is very strong. They will live long lives, and honor their mother in all they do. They will be dutiful and happy.
That is a blessing few can ask for, the girl-now-woman said.
They will have it, the red-fox woman said, and faded again into the dark.
