The Wolf Witch and the Roses of the Sun - A Fairy Tale

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Once upon a time, at the edge of the Great Swamp, there lived an old woman all the
people knew as Grandmother Time. She lived in a big oak tree split at its base to form a
cavern within. There she kept house, loved by all who knew her. Around her home, she
grew a wondrous garden in which grew wonderful roses which gleamed with light. These
were called the Roses of the Sun, and they never died but shone night and day. Some
were white, and some were red. But the most beautiful of all was the shining blue rose at
the center of the garden.
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All who lived nearby were very happy except for one thing. Within the Great Swamp,
there lived a Witch. At her dark house within the bog, she lived within a dark grove of
twisted trees, surrounded by a pack of wolves. When night fell, the wolves hunted
howling through the night, spreading fear and dismay, for many unwary people and their
animal friends fell to the hunters. Whenever this happened, all the people would rush to
Grandmother's tree, where the Roses of the Garden of the Sun brightly lit the gardens.
There the wolves could not come, for the gardens were warded by spells of fire and ice
laid down against the dark by Grandmother Time.
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Grandmother Time had three sons she loved very much. One was like unto a lion; golden
haired, broad shouldered, with a smile and laugh which could light up a room. His name
was Courage and great was his might in battle, for his sword struck faster than a snake
could strike. A natural leader, all the men looked to Courage for leadership in times of
war. Courage had no interest in the garden, preferring playing sports with the other boys
or wrestling or practicing combat tactics with his sword and shield.
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The second son was lithe and wonderfully likeable. He was like unto an otter; sleek-
bodied, raven-haired, quick-witted, graceful, loveable, and playful. He was named
Pleasure. Pleasure was never without company from friends or eager village girls wanting
to share his company. Pleasure also didn't like gardening, and seldom came into the
Garden of the Sun. He preferred spending his time at the local pub, drinking and flirting
with the girls, or playing card games with his friends.
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The third and youngest son, however, was nothing like his brothers. To the villagers, it
seemed as though the gifts of Grandmother Time had been given to the older brothers,
but when it came time for the third to be born, there was nothing left. At birth, he was a
tiny, wizened little boy. His small face was so pinched, he quickly got the nickname
'Weasel.' Few knew what his real name was. As he grew, his scrawny, thin, boney frame
lacked any grace or coordination, and his legs and arms moved when walking as if they
were going two different places. Awkward socially and clumsy in conversation, Weasel
was shy around girls and timid around other boys his age, and it wasn't long before he
spent nearly all of his time alone. He liked to spend time in Grandmother's garden
tending the Roses.
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Weasel spent his time wandering the countryside, watching from the shadows and alleys,
at how others lived and listening in to their secrets. He knew where the Healer kept her
herbs and ointments, and that the Miller sometimes cheated his customers by
overcharging them for grinding their corn, and when the blacksmith lied about the
soundness of the horses he sold, and when the mayor took payoffs. He knew all the paths
and byways through the woods, even into the swamp. He moved silently, without being
noticed and knew all the secrets.
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But afraid of the bigger more aggressive boys and men, he slid somehow into the habit of
lying to avoid conflict, fights or punishment. He soon found he had gained a new
nickname: 'Weasel the Liar.' His brothers soon turned their backs on him, for both found
it easy to get their needs met. Money, fame and power flowed naturally to each, and as
they considered their brother, they saw him as lacking in integrity, honesty,
industriousness and trustworthiness. They were ashamed of him and shook their heads
whenever the subject of their brother came up.
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One winter on the shortest and coldest night of the year, the wolves came streaming out
of the swamp and for the first time broke the spells and wards of the Garden of the Sun.
When the people came to the Great Oak the next morning, the garden was destroyed and
all the Rose bushes and vines were gone.
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The men came to Courage and begged him to rescue the Roses and restore the garden.
And he said, 'I will cut the Old Witch in two with my sword!' And with his great mane of
golden hair flowing behind him, he raised his sword and charged with a roar into the
Swamp. But the way was dangerous, muddy and treacherous. Only after a long, difficult
struggle did he finally win through so that he approached the Wolf Witch's House
covered with mud, exhausted and scratched by the briars, which grew everywhere.
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The Wolf Witch, however, saw him coming, and using her magic changed her most
powerful Wolf into a King, all her other wolves into his court, and her house into a
Castle. When Courage reached the Witch's grove, he found a King standing in beautiful
armor--surrounded by his court--before a beautiful castle.
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"What a fine young man!" said the King. Since I am without an heir, you must be my
son. Let me adopt you and I will bequeath all my kingdom to you!" Courage was
impressed with the power and glory of this King and acquiesced. "I will achieve all my
dreams without working," he thought, and arm in arm, they passed into the Castle. But as
soon as he passed the door, the Witch changed him into a wolf, and he ran around the
room. Then, all the other wolves jumped on him, biting and tearing at him until he was
covered in wounds and miserable. At last, he slunk into a corner and hid under a table.
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When Courage didn't return from the Swamp, all the young women came to Pleasure, and
begged him to do something to rescue the Roses and his brother, Courage. 'I'll bet I can
seduce that old witch into returning the Roses,' he mused, and set off for the dark grove in
the swamp.
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Fussy about his looks and clothes, Pleasure took his time through the swamp in order to
arrive looking his best. The Wolf Witch, however, saw him coming. So she turned herself
into the most beautiful woman in the world and her dark house into a charming cottage.
When Pleasure arrived, he was amazed to see a beautiful woman awaiting him, and he
became immediately silly over her. "Everyone in the village will be so envious at my
good fortune," he thought, "and wish they were me because I will have the most beautiful
lover in the realm!" But the Witch quickly charmed the young man with her magic and
lead him into her cottage 'for a night of love.' As soon as Pleasure passed through the
cottage door, she changed him into a wolf, and he ran around and around the room. Then,
all the Witch's wolves jumped on him, biting and tearing at him until he too was covered
in wounds and bruises. He too slunk into the corner and hid under a table.
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When Courage and Pleasure did not return, Grandmother Time came to Weasel and
asked him to help. "Why should I," he asked. "No body in the village wants me or
befriends me! I spend all my time alone. No girl wants me for husband. No man wants
me for friend. Why should I risk my own life to serve those who only wish me ill?"
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"You have gifts no one has recognized," she smiled. "And it is the time you discovered
what they are!" She smiled at him. "Do this for yourself. You are no one's servant.
Decide what you want and go get it." And she went back to work cleaning her garden.
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So Weasel walked and thought deep into the night. He thought about his brothers, and the
garden and roses. He thought about the townspeople. And he thought about his own life,
his 'failures' and disappointments, and about what he wanted. Finally, he went to his
Grandmother's room and wrapped an object he knew was hanging in the corner. He
slipped it into his backpack and left for the Witch's house.
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Weasel knew the ways through the swamp from his wanderings across the land, so he
was able to find his way through its dangers smoothly. He soon was in sight of the Wolf
Witch's house. Shortly, seeing him approaching, the Witch changed herself into a kind
and motherly lady, her wolves into young men and women, and her house into a homey
cottage. Greeting him, the Witch-mother smiled warmly and gave him a hug. "Nice to
have you come to see me! I lost my son and have been so lonely. Let me cook a hot meal
for you and take care of you?"
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Weasel gave her a hug back and thanked her, but deferred, saying "Thanks dear lady, but
I'm looking for the house of the Wolf Witch. She's got my brothers and the Roses from
the Garden of the Sun, and I mean to rescue them."
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"Oh, my!" said the Wolf Witch. "You must not go there. She might turn you into a toad
or snake or something terrible!"
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"Don't worry, mother", he replied with a knowing smile. "I've got a magic weapon in my
backpack. This weapon is the most terrible device known to man and once I've used it,
she will no longer be a threat to anyone."
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"Really?" said the Wolf Witch, and for the first time in her life, she felt doubtful about
her power. She thought, "Maybe I"ve underestimated this young man. I'd better find out
what he has in his backpack!"
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"Come children," she called to all her wolf people. "Come and make friends with our
guest!" Then all the young men and women came to his side and began asking questions
and laughing. Soon they were all the best of friends. The girls laughed at his jokes and
flirted with him. The young men were warm and accepting, including him in their fun
and jokes. But Weasel was not taken in for one minute. Slyly, he kissed the girls and
pounded his new male friends on the back when they told a good joke.
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The day was hot, however, and it wasn't long before Weasel announced that since it was
so hot, he needed to remove some of his hot clothing, so he removed his backpack and
placed it on the ground behind him. He threw his jacket over a bush. And soon the new
friends were back laughing and playing together.
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Cunningly, the witch took the backpack, turned and slipped into the cottage. Weasel
smiled, pretending not to notice and continued talking with his new "friends."
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In no time at all, there was a despairing cry from the cottage. There was a sudden shock
to the clearing as though lightning had just struck and a smell of ozone filled the air. The
beautiful cottage where the Witch mother had lived suddenly faded, and in its place was a
run-down hovel of sticks and mud. Weasel's new friends also faded, and in their places
stood a pack of thin and wasted wolves. Among the wolves lay Weasel's two brothers,
covered with wounds and flea bites. The wolves shied away from the humans among
them and fled the muddy lot where they now stood.
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Weasel cared for his brothers, tended to their wounds, and washed their filthy bodies.
And then turned to the hovel into which the Witch mother had gone. Entering the door,
he found the Wolf Witch standing at her table, looking down into the "weapon" she had
taken from Weasel's backpack.
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The object from Weasel's backpack was the mirror of Grandmother Time, lying face up
on the table. The Witch mother was looking down into it and standing motionless, unable
to look away from the image she saw in the mirror laying on the table. Her face was
changing before his eyes as she looked in to the Mirror of Time where she could see what
she had become over the years. Expressions of anger, fear, grief, guilt, sadness, jealousy,
loneliness, shame and stress flashed across her face and then drained away into the
mirror. Her rigidly held body was changing as well, relaxing and softening. Her knarled
hands and fingers were straightening and her skin softening and healing. Tears were
running down her furrowed face, and she wept without ceasing.
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While she continued standing, Weasel searched the room, until in a chest in the corner, he
found the remains of the shining Roses of the Sun, and he took those and tended to those
which still lived, planted them back into the rich swamp soil, wrapped them in clothe, and
slid them into his backpack.
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Meanwhile, the witch had changed. She was now a simple elderly woman, standing alone
by the table. Weasel walked up to her and looked down into the mirror. There in the
mirror was the Witch's image, trapped within the mirror. The mirror had taken the image
of evil that had inhabited the old woman by showing her who she was. Unable to bear the
reflection of who she had become, the Witch had given up the emotions and memories
which had turned the simple woman into a witch. And with that "giving up", she had lost
her will to do harm to others.
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Weasel took her hand and led her outside. She followed mutely and unsteadily, as though
she did not remember who she was. Weasel led the old woman and his two brothers back
to Grandmother Time's house and garden, where he replanted the plants he had saved.
Grandmother took the old woman in and cared for her until she was well enough to care
for herself.
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When that day came, Weasel took her to her new home nearby. Neighbors came and
fixed her new home up so she would feel at home. Weasel, in the spring, made a garden
for the old woman and planted cuttings from the Blue Roses in her garden. Alongside
other villagers, he planted corn and turnips and cabbage and other good things of the
earth. And the garden was soon both beautiful and productive of many good foods for its
new owner. Weasel was now the hero of the village, and all its inhabitants spoke to him
with respect and affection.
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One day when Weasel was working in Grandmother's garden, she came out to him and
asked him to sit down and talk about his adventures in the Great Swamp. "Have you
discovered your gifts?" she asked.
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"I discovered that when you know yourself, you also can see into the hearts of others," he
said. "Before all this, I was in pain all the time. I felt inferior, unwanted, damaged all the
time. It took me a long time to realize that all those feelings were in my own perception
of my self and not absolute truth at all. The way I acted caused others to see me that way.
Then I realized that others were in pain too, just as I was."
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"Once I saw that others act hurtfully because they are in pain, it was hard to be resentful
of how I was treated growing up. I myself told lies because I was afraid of what others
might say or do to me. I lived in fear constantly, and so I always felt excluded, alone and
lonely. But if I hadn't had a difficult time growing up, I would never have realized this,
and I probably would have never grown up and recognized my own needs in others. I was
also so jealous of my brothers who seemed to have so many advantages over me. Because
of their successes with others, I never saw their weaknesses. And it was their weaknesses
which betrayed them to the Witch."
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"So one of your gifts is to 'Know Yourself'", Grandmother smiled. "All of your
experiences have made you see how you yourself created your reputation with the
villagers because of your fear and self-doubt; and these feelings encouraged you to lie
and hide what you felt instead of speaking truthfully about how you felt. Once you
understood how fear made you act out, you understood that others do exactly the same
thing. So now you can speak your Truth without fear and shame!"
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"I also was surprised to find that I could confront the Witch," he replied. "But once I was
engaged in the deception of tricking the Witch, I found courage in the fact that I loved the
Roses and my brothers. I was able to face her and help her as well as my brothers."
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"So another of your gifts is the gift of courage", she said. "You have found in yourself the
gift you thought your brother owned. But instead of succumbing to self-importance as he
did, you thought of others and faced your fear. And now your brother too knows that you
succeeded in battle where he failed. So you have his admiration, respect and gratitude.
Now you know that Courage is found in facing your fear."
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"So far as the lying is concerned" she said, "it turns out that your ability to 'make up'
stories when used positively to help people is the gift of creativity, for what is creativity
but the ability to see things from a different perspective?"
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"I never expected the villagers to change their attitude towards me," mused Weasel. "I
find I like everyone I used to feel so resentful towards, and I enjoy just chatting and
sharing their lives!"
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"So another of your gifts is the gift of love," she said. "You gave when others would have
taken or fled. And others know this. You set the example they now will attempt to
emulate. Your brother, Pleasure, knows this and that his own gift of being likeable was
reduced to vanity by the witch. Pleasure now looks up to you as an example because you
acted out of love instead of manipulation. Now you know that the privilige of loving
others brings inner rewards greater than the simple experience of pleasure."
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"I spent all these years seeking "secrets' about my neighbors and the world. I thought that
someday those secrets might give me the power to "be somebody" in the village. In the
end, it was not the secrets I knew that gave me power, but the recognition that the witch
was also 'acting out', just as I was and just as all the villagers were. None of us was well.
All are suffering from want of love and fear of one another!" said Weasel.
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"So you've learned that knowledge and 'secrets' are not the same thing as wisdom. And
wisdom is available to all and comes from experience in life," said Grandmother. "No
longer will you feel the need to struggle to become someone else than who you already
are. There is nothing but pain in struggling to become what others expect you to be. Be
yourself regardless of what others think! Love who you already are."
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"Now I think that it is time you began using your own True Name," she said. "All these
years, you've allowed others to define who you were by calling you 'Weasel.' That
nickname shaped your own perception of who you were, taking your sense of self and
causing you to wish to be someone else. But all the while, you were well deep inside.
That 'name' taught you about suffering and how the people need healing. It just took a
crisis to call forth your natural 'Wisdom', and that is what your name is. From now on,
live by your own 'Wisdom' and be your own man."
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And with that, Grandmother and Wisdom went back to their gardening and caring for the
Roses of the Sun.
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Copyrite 2007