New Old Fairy Tales
The One Who Eats Clouds
Don’t trust just anyone
In times long past, there lived a fae known for their devilish tricks. The fae became rather bored one day on their flight through the magic forest. They happened upon a small cottage with a huge chimney. The chimney was puffing large clouds of smoke.
Upon noticing the smoke, the fae had an idea that would quench their boredom. The fae flew into the cloud of smoke and down into the flue. In a voice mimicking the smoke, the fae bellowed, “Feed me more wood for I am the flame that pleases god.”
In the cottage to receive the command lived a kind widow, who suffered from the cold quite often. She returned the call, “I know not of gods, but I do know of cold. I will feed you, if this be pleasing.”
As she moved to empty her firewood rack, the fae replied, “Good! Good! I am pleased you see reason. My god, the one who eats clouds, will be glad.”
The kind widow nodded thusly asking no questions believing the flame to see her and be talking. She started feeding the flame more wood. The entire cottage and surrounding forest started to become thick with smoke clouds. The fae started to loudly snicker, “Foolish, kind woman, you’ve quenched my boredom. You asked not who I really was and fed your ignorance. I know of no gods, but you soon will.”
The kind widow could not reply. As soon as she opened her mouth, the smoke clouds flew in to suffocate her. The cottage burned to the ground with the widow dead. The fae flew back into the bowels of the unscathed by flame magic forest only to reappear when devilish tricks were to be played.
Gabby is a Geospatial Python Developer by day and a newbie writer by night, (or when they can be.) They enjoy reading, video games, and spending time with their cats, JoJo and Smoky. They can be bribed with good food.
