Avalon


Once, long ago, a man and a woman had a beautiful baby girl. She was a real gift from heaven, so they named her Avalon. As the years passed, Avalon grew into an industrious, young girl. Everyday, she would go out into the forest and fetch flowers for her mother.


Now it so happened that one day, a wretched witch who lived in the forest saw Avalon as she gathered roses for her mother. The witch noticed Avalon's industriousness and longed to have her as her slave to work for her day and night. So, the old hag transformed into a well, in the hopes that Avalon may come across her in need of a drink. It was not long before Avalon, parched from all her work, cried, "Oh, my tongue is so dry! How I crave a drink of water right now." Avalon, seeing the well, skipped towards it eagerly. However, the birds of the forest, who were good-hearted and had seen the witch transform into the well, sang:

"Oh, Avalon! Oh, Avalon!
Please, stay away!
For the well is a witch.
The truth be what we say!"


Avalon, hearing this song, thanked the birds and turned away from the well, continuing into the forest. The witch, however, was not one to give up on such a prize as the young girl and ran ahead of her, transforming into an apple tree in the hopes that Avalon may come across her in need of some food. It was not long before Avalon, famished from her walk, cried, "Oh, my stomach is so empty! How I crave some food right now." Seeing the brilliant red apples on the tree, Avalon rushed towards it. However, the birds of the forest, who once again saw the witch transform into the apple tree, sang:

"Oh, Avalon! Oh, Avalon!
Please, stay away!
For the tree is a witch.
The truth be what we say!"


Avalon, hearing this song, sighed and turned away from the apple tree, continuing into the forest. The witch, enraged with the birds of the forest, grabbed one of the birds, tore its heart out, and ate the heart, warning the other birds of their fate if they were to help Avalon once more. The birds, taking heed of the witch's warning, flew off. At last, there were no birds in the forest to help poor Avalon. The witch, running ahead of the young girl, transformed into a bed for Avalon to rest upon if she were tired. Not long after, Avalon, exhausted from her long journey, cried, "Oh, my feet are so tired! How I crave some rest right now." Avalon, noticing the bed, waited to hear a warning from the birds. However, there was only silence, and Avalon, assuming the bed to be safe, proceeded towards it and slept upon it.


When Avalon awoke, she found herself in the highest room of the witch's tower. She began to weep as she missed her mother and father dearly. The witch, entering the girl's room, demanded, "Spin this flax into a beautiful white dress for my daughter." So, after the witch left, the poor girl began to spin the flax. However, Avalon was wise and began to spin a rope, not a dress, so that she may use it to climb out of the tower and escape.


The next day, the witch came to bring Avalon supper. "Oh, Avalon, I have brought supper for you. It is the tender meat of a newborn," cried she. "Have you finished the dress for my daughter?"


Avalon, being the clever girl she was, hid the rope she was working on and pleaded, "Please, I do not know how to spin. Come back tomorrow, and I would have made more progress." The witch, irritated with the girl's inability to spin, walked off, and Avalon continued to spin the flax into a rope.


The next day, the witch came again to bring Avalon supper. "Oh, Avalon, I have brought supper for you. It is the fine meat of a child," cried she. "Have you finished the dress for my daughter?"


"Please, I now know how to spin, but I spin quite slowly. Come back tomorrow, and I would have made more progress." The witch, angered with the girl's slow progress, stormed off, leaving Avalon to continue spinning the flax into a rope.


The next day, the witch, who was quite impatient now, returned to bring Avalon supper. "Oh, Avalon, I have brought supper for you. It is the tough meat of an adult," cried she. "Have you finished the dress for my daughter?”


"Please, I now spin at a quick pace, but it will take me a long time to finish the dress."


The witch, furious with the girl's inability to finish spinning the dress, shrieked, "You wretched girl! You are no use to me! I shall eat you up when the sun sets!" And with that, the witch left Avalon in tears, for the rope was not long enough yet, and the poor girl did not have any more flax left to spin.


"How I wish I had more flax to spin!" Avalon sobbed. However, as she cried, Avalon realized that she had the tough meat of the adult left by the witch. The wise girl took the meat, strung it, and tied it to the rest of the rope. At last, the rope was long enough! It reached the ground when lowered from the window. So, the joyous girl climbed out of the window of the awful tower and down the rope, safely escaping from the old witch. When her feet finally touched the ground, the birds, who had returned to the forest despite the witch's warning, showed Avalon the way back home to her mother and her father.


Shortly after, when the sun began to set, the witch entered Avalon's chamber, ready to eat her, only to find the girl gone. Enraged, the witch hastily began to climb down the rope that hung from the window, but the birds of the forest, who were good and true birds indeed, sang:

"Oh, wretched hag! Oh, wretched hag!
Please, stay away!
For you are a witch.
The truth be what we say!"


And with that, the birds began to peck at the eyes of the witch, and, in the midst of the chaos, the old hag let go of the rope and fell to her death.