Sun Mote Copse Starwaves

Story based on my favourite childhood story "The little match girl", but I grew up with the Dutch version. This is roughly a translation of the story they tell at the efteling, a theme park based on famous fairy tales. The video can be found here. Of course I wolf-ified the story :p.

Nellie already knew she would love to raid a beaver den, despite never having done so before. The fiery girl, even as a child, would do anything when there was a prize attached. Somehow she wasn't the first to speak up, but she listened contently to Weejay. In her head, she crafted a sad story with a bitter-sweet ending, completing it by the time Weejay was finished telling hers. Politely, she waited if anyone really liked to share their story first, but when no one spoke up she decided it was her turn.

I have one too. She said, her voice breaking the silence. She felt her heart bounce around in her chest, jumping up to block her throat. She swallowed softly and then began her tale. 'Twas the coldest day of winter, the very last one of the year. 'Twas starting to get dark and the clouds had left a blanket of snow upon the world. She told, her voice dark as she tried to set the mood. And in this cold, dark world sat a little girl. She'd gotten terribly lost and was now perched against a tree. Her lil' paws were too cold and tired to go on, even though she heard other wolves singing in the distance. She paused, letting the desperate situation of this little girl sink in with the audience she'd gathered.

Chilled to the very bone, she could only sit and watch the stars up above. She'd been lost all day, sent out to collect winter berries that were now scattered around her tiny frame. Snowflakes tangled into the fur that curled so sweetly around her face. Her stomach growled - she was so hungry too. Nellie told, her eyes now focused somewhere in the distance as she tried to picture it all herself.

She had just enough energy to lap up a berry - the taste was sour, the temperature icy cold. She took a deep breath - Nellie mimicked taking a deep breath. - and when she breathed out again, she could swear she saw a shape in the mist. It was the shape of the den she'd grown up in, warm and cozy with her siblings. A shiverin' paw reached out, tried to go inside, but the mist was blown away and she was back against the tree again. Nellie had also reached out her paw, the way the girl in her story would've done. She was really getting into it now.

Down went another sour berry, and the mist returned again. This time it was in the shape of a juicy moose - her family was sitting around it, inviting her to come eat with them, loving smiles upon their faces. She stumbled her way towards them, but tumbled and landed on her back. The sparkles in their eyes were stars now, high above her. Nellie gestured to the sky up above.

One of those stars fell, the trail it left behind lasting only a moment. "Now, someone will die." said the little girl in the snow, 'cause her grandmother had told her that when a star fell, a soul was taken up to the sky to become a little star. She used a different voice than her own for the little girl in her story, making her sound young and innocent. Another sour berry was eaten, and there stood her grandmother. "Grandmother!" The little girl shouted weakly. She knew her grandmother would disappear as soon as she couldn't taste the berry anymore, so she took all of the berries, one by one. "Oh grandmother! I know you'll be gone when the berries are, but please take me with you."

Her grandmother smiled at her and nudged her side. The little girl felt like she was floating when she got up - 'Twas so cold, even time froze. They stepped upon the snowflakes together and climbed all the way up to the sky. She paused again, her eyes scanning the sky. The following morning, her little body was found. The deep purple of the berries stained the snow, but there was a warm smile 'pon the little girl's face. "Poor thing, she must've frozen to death with nothin' but berries to eat." the others said, but no one knew of all the wonderful things she had seen, and that she was now able to step into a new year with her grandmother. She went silent, looking around the circle to see if anyone was as touched by her story as she'd been. She didn't think she would enjoy sharing her stories with others, but it made her feel kinda fulfilled.