Folksburywoods

Lorelei relaxed in the bamboo forest, listening to Artix’s recent adventures among the humans. “They are easily fooled over wine, woman, or gold,” said the fox. “I thought it was power that man sought?” questioned the nymph. “Yes, power to obtain objects or power to control others. Man’s arrogance leads…

“I can smell them, the pines. We’re home, aren’t we?” whispered the matron. It had been a hellish journey, but they were back home now, time to rest. Muska’s mother was a seer who traveled from village to village reading palms, interpreting omens, and foretelling the future. Since Muska could…

It had been a disappointing day. Could the mine be petering out? Gojeck worried he might not be able to feed his family. All he knew was mining. He couldn’t compete with the younger farmhands, so how would he make a living? Tomorrow may be better, the miner thought. “It’s…

T’was the Winter of 88, and me crew and I was sailing up past the Shetlands when an icy gale struck down from the Arctic, bringing snowflakes as big as your fist. The crew batten down the hatches and prepared to ride out the storm below decks. Relieving the helmsman…

Few alive now know the history of the Great Oak. The ones who still draw breath say that at the world’s dawn, a divine light shown upon Mount Sekkur’s peak, causing a shoot to burst through the rock and form a tree. Over time, the tree grew to its current…

Old Tom Wittle worked on the docks, unloading the fish and helping the fishmongers gut and clean the large catch. At the end of the day, Tom bought a smoked herring and hard roll, then walked to the narrow cut leading from the coast to the farmland, where he relaxed…

In the dark ancient forest, the old ones worshiped the spirits of the trees, the Derevyannik. Living in the trees, they were connected through the roots and could communicate when needed. Sometimes, a tree is knocked down by a storm or damaged by a burrowing insect, which causes it to…

The Verdilak, or Slavic vampires, dwell in the perpetually fog-shrouded wasteland of the Zharkov Islands. To keep them from descending upon the people of Siberia, the Tsar of all Russia created the Voldmak. Located in isolated monasteries through the hinterlands, the Voldmak are sworn to protect the seven jeweled amulets…

Sneegle woke early and sat wondering what she would do. After thinking long and hard, she stood and confidently exclaimed, “Today is a do-nothing day,” and promptly walked to the forest to do nothing. “I think we all should have more do-nothing days. Maybe we would be a little bit…

Silas Scrum lived in a hole in a tree. It was nothing like the holes the little harried feet men lived in. The hole was dark, dank, and cobweb-filled. He lived there alone and liked it that way. Silas was a keeper of things. His job was to travel around,…

In a time now forgotten dwelt the Brachenia, who, being gentle and kind, watched over the forest. When the Brachenia walk the forest, neither plants nor animals worry about their safety. The beast does not interfere with the natural order, and the cycle continues with prey and predator. Its charge…

In the frozen north, a creature lives that is so devilishly and naughty that even its mother is upset with its behavior. The Hufflemuff is known for its stealth in plowing through snow and jumping to bite its prey on the ankle. The Hufflemuff is a beast you don’t want…

Where I grew up, there was a pond. It wasn’t big or deep, but it did have turtles, fish, and frogs. My friends and I swam, fished, and hunted frogs in the summer. In the winter, we skated or had snowball fights. The pond is gone now, replaced by a…