Etwas and the Steed

Once upon a time, Etwas the Elf was running through the forests of tall grass, under the canopies of clover and around the stems of tall floors when she ran smack into a shiny black hoof.

"Well, hello, little Elf," said Brisket the horse.

"Howdy, Brisket! What do you say good?"

"All is fine.  Where's Rascal today?"

"Rascal got worn out from our adventures yesterday.  He's back at the mushroom resting."

"Haw! Haw! Haw!" laughed the curly-haired black pony.  "But you're just a tiny thing.  Even a butterfly should be able to carry you.  Hop on up here."

So Etwas hopped onto Brisket's metal shoe and shimmied up the hoof and climbed the hair on his leg until she reached his weathers.  She hoisted one hair and slapped him with it on both sides of the shoulder.  "Hyah!" she cried.

Brisket laughed and ran and ran and laughed.  He reached the river at Selfoss and Etwas whipped him again and on he ran with a wry expression in his eyes.  He ran a circle around Kerið crater and Etwas whipped him again with that solitary quirt of Brisket's own hair.  He galloped on with grit until he dove into the geyser pool at Strokkur.

The geyser blew Etwas thirty feet in the air and she floated down in a water droplet until she landed beside the panting horse whose own expression was painted in sweet relief.

And ever since then it has been common knowledge among Icelandic horses that the smallest things are the most exhausting.

The Elf, the lazy Duck and the Golden Fish

Once upon a time, Etwas the Elf was running through the forest of tall grass, under the canopies of clover and around the stems of tall flowers when she came to the edge of a little pond. To us it was a little pond, but Etwas named it the Great Ducky Sea because there, near the close shore, a duck was floating on the surface.

"Howdy, Mr. Duck!" Etwas called.

The duck slowly looked around but did not speak.

Etwas proclaimed it a "Good day for catching some fish!"

The duck slowly nodded its beak.

"Here," offered the little Elf in the green pants and shirt. "I'll help!."  She braided some grass into a fishing line and tied it on one end to a piece of dried straw she'd found.  One the other end she fashioned a little hook from a whale's tooth she'd found a few days earlier while idly digging a tunnel from her mushroom house to the next flower.  She baited the hook with a shiny grain of soil and cast into the Great Ducky Sea.

She watched eagerly and the duck watched placidly.  Before long the braids of grass moved and not long after that a golden fish broke the surface of the water and and flipped into the air before diving back down.

"I'd sure like to snag that fish," Etwas said to the duck, who nodded languidly.  She cast her line again and this time felt a tug.  She pulled on the dried straw in her hand and out popped the golden fish with the hook in its mouth.  It broke the water and flopped in the air landing on the duck's beak.  The duck was startled and looked up, flinging the golden fish even higher into the air.  Soon the fish was at a height where she tugged once again on the line and Etwas swung the piece of straw in circles.  The fish picked up speed as it circled the elf and finally let go of the hook so that it soared across the pond.

"Oh, thank you, Etwas," called the golden lady fish.  "All my life I've watched the ducks on the surface and wished to fly like them!"

And ever since then, the elves near the Great Ducky Sea have said that "A lazy fisherman makes golden dreams come true."