The Story of Eden

This story was inspired by a commission to do an illustration based on a beautiful doll made by the lovely Mandy at Lady Lillypot. I hope you like it.x

The Story of Eden

By Justine Pateman

Once upon a time there was a lovely woodland. In this woodland there grew mighty oaks, slender birches, holly and dog roses and many other trees and bushes. Beneath them grew violets, bluebells, primroses and many beautiful flowers. Foxes, deer, rabbits, squirrels, mice and other creatures lived happily together. Bees, dragonflies and butterflies flew from plant to plant. Owls, crows, robins, wrens, pheasants and every sort of bird lived amongst the trees.

This woodland was idyllic and all because it was watched over by a beautiful fairy named Eden. She tended the trees and plants and cared for the birds and the animals. Everything living there lived in safety and happiness.

One day, the morning was shattered by a huge rumbling. Eden woke with a start. The birds flew off their roosts in fright and the animals cowered. What Eden saw, shocked her.

All around the woods were monstrous machines – diggers and bulldozers. And men with chainsaws. They had come to cut the woodland down. In a panic, Eden fluttered around the men and machines trying to push them away, but she was so small they didn’t even notice her.

She looked at her woods with tears in her eyes. It was so beautiful and home to so many different creatures. She couldn’t bear to see it destroyed. It would break her heart.

Just then the old rook called down to her. He told her of a place he’d seen on his flights. It filled Eden’s heart with hope. She looked closely at the men and saw one young man who had a good heart.

She flew to him and whispered in his ear. He heard her words as thoughts in his head.

“Stop!” he shouted.

Everyone looked at him.

As Eden whispered in his ear, he repeated her words. He pointed far away across the meadows to an abandoned factory. “We should be knocking that down and building there,” he told them. “There’s lots of room to build and it would save the woodland.”

All the men looked to where the young man was pointing. “What a good idea,” they thought. So they got in their machines and drove away from the wood.

Eden breathed a sigh of relief. Her beautiful woodland was saved. Over the following weeks, Eden watched from the safety of the trees as the abandoned factory was knocked down and houses were built in its place.

One day, the young man returned to the woods. He put up a sign outside. It said that the woodland was protected for wildlife. Then he came into the woods and looked around. He saw the tall stately trees and the pretty flowers. He heard the bees buzzing and the birds singing. He saw how beautiful it was.

Just then, something marvellous happened. In front of him appeared a beautiful fairy. Eden had wished a wish for herself and wished herself to human size. She appeared before the young man who was stunned by her beauty. She told him that she was the fairy of the woods and thanked him for saving her home. The young man promised to protect the woodland for the rest of his life.

And he did.

The Tale of the White Stag

The Tale of the White Stag

By Justine Pateman

 

Once upon a time, in a large forest, there lived the Stag King. He was the biggest, handsomest, strongest and wisest stag in the whole forest. On his wedding day he married the prettiest, kindest, gentlest doe in the forest. After the wedding they held a great ball. The King and his new Queen were dressed magnificently. All the forest creatures, birds and fairies had been invited and were celebrating.

All except one.

Barn Owl woke up in the evening and looked down from her tree. She was surprised to see the party going on in the meadow below as she hadn’t been invited. She felt angry at being left out. She spread her wings and swooped down, looming out of the darkness like a ghost.

The dancers stopped dancing and cowered in fear. The musicians put down their instruments and hid. Barn Owl landed in the midst of the wedding festivities, her eyes flashing in anger.

“How dare you insult me! How dare you shun me!” she shouted. “I curse you! I curse your first born child! He shall be insulted and shunned like me! He shall be a ghost!”

And she took off and flew away to hunt.

The poor Queen was so upset, but the King comforted her and told her not to worry.

In time the curse of the Barn Owl was forgotten as everyone went about their daily lives. One day, about a year later, the Queen gave birth to a healthy baby boy. This longed-for fawn was beautiful in every way but one – he was pure white.

Word quickly spread through the forest of this ghost baby and everyone was shocked. The Barn Owl’s curse had come true.

As the White Fawn was growing up, he would go out to play with the other animals, but they didn’t want to play with him as he looked so different. Some would laugh at him while others ran away.

All shunned him.

Gradually, he became an outcast.

By the time he became a stag with big velvety antlers, he was used to being alone. So he took himself off to a quiet place in the forest. There he lived peacefully and away from other animals – away from their laughter and their stares.

One night he awoke with a strange smell in his nose. He looked up and there was an orange glow in the sky that quickly became hidden by dense smoke. The forest was on fire. Immediately, he jumped up to flee. He followed the stream that ran past his home as he knew it lead out of the forest, but as he ran, he heard screams and a huge commotion. He followed the noise to see what was going on.

The fire was raging and the forest was thick with smoke. All the other animals were scared and confused. They couldn’t see which way to go. They huddled together in fright as the smoke grew thicker around them.

Suddenly the White Stag appeared. He glowed palely in the dense smoke seeming like a ghost or an angel.

“Follow me,” he said. “I know the way out.”

The terrified animals followed him. His whiteness shone and they were comforted. They followed him through the smoke and away from the fire. Soon they were out of the forest and in fresh, clean air.

“You saved us all,” they said. “Thank you so much.”

Eventually, the fire died down. Luckily, only part of the forest was destroyed, so the animals returned and re-built their homes. From then on, no one shunned the White Stag. They talked to him and soon realised how gentle and wise he was and quickly became friends with him.

When the old King, his father, died, the White Stag became King of the Forest and all the animals were happy as he was a good King. Soon he met a pretty doe who suited him perfectly.

On their wedding day, all the creatures, birds and fairies were invited, including Barn Owl. And they all lived happily ever after.