The House Cloaked in Sky
There was once a small family that lived in a sky blue house, and their greatest wish was to take control of nature so that they could cloak their beautiful house in real sky. Now the owner of the house was one of the most well connected people in the village, and it so happened that one of the people that she was connected to was an old witch who despised nature. One day, the woman who owned the house invited the witch over for tea with her family. The witch consented and soon the owner of the house, her family and the witch were sitting in the kitchen in the sky blue house having a delicious tea. After tea was done the witch smacked her lips, turned to the owner of the house and said, “That was a lovely tea dear. Now what is it that you want?”
“How did you know that I wanted something? I haven't told you yet”, the house owner replied, startled. The witch grinned toothily, “I am a witch. Witches know everything. Now you and your family would like to take control of nature so that you can cloak this house in real sky. Why?”
“Because the sky is so much more beautiful and alive than any paint that can be bought. Besides, do you know how exhausting repainting the house every few years is?” the house husband answered. The witch nodded. “Very well. I will do it. I will give you the power to take control of nature so that the house can have its cloak of sky. But, in return you must do something for me.” She put her right hand in the pocket of her robe and took out a small stone with a tiny bit of gold inside and gave it to the family. “Take this stone and guard it with your lives. Do not try to extract the gold otherwise things will not end well for you.” Delighted the family took the stone and promised to guard it with their lives, assuring themselves that once the old witch had died, they would find a way to extract the gold from the stone.
The witch did as the family wanted and soon the family with the house cloaked in sky became the most envied in the neighbourhood. “Tell us how you did it, please! We want our home to be cloaked in sky”, neighbours pleaded, unheeding to the screams and cries of the separated sky. The family smirked and said no, unwilling to divulge their secret and lose their envy-driven fame amongst the neighbours. Many years passed and eventually the news came that the old witch had died. The family were delighted and quickly worked to extract the gold from the stone. Within weeks they had extracted all of the gold and become incredibly rich and happy, making their neighbours green with envy.
But the family were not to remain rich and happy forever. One stormy night while the family were sitting in the living room they heard a loud creaking from outside. “What on earth is that?” the owner of the house exclaimed. The house husband stood up, walked over to the window and yelped, “It’s the witch! She's alive!”
“Impossible!” the house owner exclaimed, also standing up and moving to the window. But the house husband was right. Outside in the garden stood the witch, grinning toothily as she forced a stick on the ground to grow and wrap itself around the house, slowly crushing it to powder. “Your greed and lust for power over the untameable has brought you this fate” the witch told the family as the walls and ceiling began to cave in around them. “You took control of nature and tore apart the sky which you did not take pity on when it began to beg to be reunited. You did not guard the stone that I gave you with your lives and instead you extracted the gold from the stone for no purpose other than greed. For that you shall pay with your lives.” Smirking, the witch lifted up her right foot and slammed it onto the grass as the stick wrapped itself completely around the house then contracted, crushing the house to rubble. With a stomp of her left foot the stick recoiled and shrank, releasing the grateful sky which flew back to the heavens.
And that, dear reader, is the end of my tale, for I can lie no more.
Published 25th February 2017