Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
our Priests speak to the people on Midsummer Mornings.’ light the fire in my companion’s house—and that I should
‘I remember. Well I remember those Midsummer Morn- bless their children. I did not kill her. I heard my own voice,
ings!’ said Puck.
little and cold, say, “Let it be as you desire,” and they went
‘Then I went away angrily to my Mother’s house. She would away hand in hand. My heart grew little and cold; a wind
have knelt before me. Then I was more angry, but she said, shouted in my ears; my eye darkened. I said to my Mother,
“Only a God would have spoken to me thus, a Priestess. A “Can a God die?” I heard her say, “What is it? What is it, my
man would have feared the punishment of the Gods.” I looked son?” and I fell into darkness full of hammer-noises. I was
at her and I laughed. I could not stop my unhappy laughing. not.’
They called me from the door by the name of Tyr himself. A ‘Oh, poor—poor God!’ said Puck. ‘And your wise Mother?’
young man with whom I had watched my first flocks, and ‘She knew. As soon as I dropped she knew. When my spirit
chipped my first arrow, and fought my first Beast, called me came back I heard her whisper in my ear, “Whether you live
by that name in the Old Tongue. He asked my leave to take or die, or are made different, I am your Mother.” That was
my Maiden. His eyes were lowered, his hands were on his good—better even than the water she gave me and the going
forehead. He was full of the fear of a God, but of me, a man, away of the sickness. Though I was ashamed to have fallen
he had no fear when he asked. I did not kill him. I said, “Call down, yet I was very glad. She was glad too. Neither of us
the maiden.” She came also without fear—this very one that wished to lose the other. There is only the one Mother for the
had waited for me, that had talked with me, by our Dew- one son. I heaped the fire for her, and barred the doors, and
ponds. Being a Priestess, she lifted her eyes to me. As I look sat at her feet as before I went away, and she combed my hair,
on a hill or a cloud, so she looked at me. She spoke in the and sang.
Old Tongue which Priestesses use when they make prayers to ‘I said at last, “What is to be done to the people who say
the Old Dead in the Barrows. She asked leave that she might that I am Tyr?”
84