Etwas the Elf

Etwas the Elf
Our heroine, photo by Maia Ycot

Saturday, November 12, 2011

The elf and the robin's nest

Once upon a time, Etwas the Elf was running through the forests of grass, under the canopies of clover and around the stems of tall flowers when she saw a nest of robin's eggs teetering on a limb.  Etwas climbed up and used some twigs and her knife to batten down the incubator.  The mother, on her way back from picking some sticks for the same purpose saw the elf protect her young and was very moved.

At the next Parliament of Owls, the robin introduced a motion to honor the little elf who had protected her young.  Birds do love to fuss, so Etwas Day was proclaimed and a parade in the little elf's honor was declared and there were oratories, pronouncements, assertions, editorials and dignifications as well.

Etwas the Elf and Eamon the Elf were out playing pop the blueberry when the eaglet ambassador fluttered clumsily down with his scroll.  Eamon and Etwas hopped on the eaglet's back and were carried to the aerie to watch the proceedings.  A falcon turned in a widening gyre.  Magpies crossed the sky with silver coins in their talons and tinsel trailing their flights.  A quetzal streaked its long green tail across the sky writing "Til Hamingju!" in the air. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull turned a series of snap rolls.  Budgies sang "For Those Who Perish In A Cage" and an owl told the future for strangers in the audience.

The ambassador jumped on his mother's back and waved at the vertical throng in long sweeps.  That was when cousin Eamon looked down and said "It's weally faw down deah!"  Etwas and Eamon realized they had lost their ride home.  The aerie was on a ledge beneath another ledge and there was no safe way down.  Rascal was clapping his wings and tapping his feet in rhythm to the vulture band and didn't hear Etwas call.

"Follow me," Etwas suggested to her cousin and she dove from the Aerie and spread her tiny arms, landing briefly on a wren's tail then bouncing up into a somersault and catching the tip of a condor's beak, swinging and falling almost horizontally onto the back of a jay just beginning its dive.  She jumped just as the tail started to whistle and perfectly timed her leap to take her onto the back of flapping swallow which yawed over a flapping chicken onto which Etwas leapt.  The chicken halted suddenly and the little elf was flung onto the spreading tail of a peacock.

A moment later, Eamon landed on the peacock's tail, two eyes from his cousin.  "Wow," Eamon said, "that was hawd."  The peacock stopped at a blueberry bush and the two elves alit and started their game over, because both claimed to have forgotten the score (which had been 19 to pi in favor of Etwas, it should be noted.)  The carnival continued in Etwas' honor behind, below and above the two elves and there was much merriment until the next day when some turkey had to clean up the feathers.

And ever since then, every year, Etwas enjoys a peaceful game in the bushes and leaves the parade to the birds.

3 comments:

  1. Age has not affected your imagination. We love that. happy birthday honey.

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  2. I'm going to introduce a motion to honor Eamon the Elf. When is the next Parliament of Owls?

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  3. Thanks, Moni.

    Karen, I think they meet the 26th at 3pm.

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