The Moose

The Mother ruffled her Child's hair before turning back to the book and beginning to read again.

"This is called The Moose."

The Child nodded, his eyes half closed.

"Once upon a time, there were two young women, called Athracta and Lucille, who lived by themselves in the woods and let their hair grow as long as the cattails of nearby ponds.They lived there not because they were unwelcome in the town, but because they both preferred the solitude and gentleness of the wood, and each other's company, to the bustling crowds of the town. Thus, the two lived in peace among the animals.

"Having passed years there, the women were as much a part of the forest as the birds, bugs, and larger creatures. The chickadees sang them awake, early in the long days of summer and later in the winter, when the sun rose cold over the deep snow. At night, when they went to bed, they could hear the distant howling of wolves. They did not worry, because they knew their friends would not harm them. They even had caribou companions who sheltered near their little house at night and helped them to haul their firewood home.

"Things went on in this way for quite some time, but gradually Athracta and Lucille began to sense a change in their surroundings. The animals became fearful, and at times the two women could hear shouting in the distance. They soon received a message from a little gray bird.

"'Athracta! Lucille! There's trouble in town! A bad man has taken over!'

"Athracta and Lucille were very concerned by this statement. They conversed briefly and decided it would be best to go into town and see what the fuss was about. They packed some water and some supplies and began the long journey to town.

"Upon arriving, the two realized that indeed, a bad man had taken control. He had assigned a task to everyone in town, because he wished to build a fortress. The man's bodyguard seized Athracta and Lucille, and sent them to chop trees for the fortress walls. Now, the women had lived on their own for many years, and they were used to physical labor, but they had only ever taken what they needed for themselves. As they chopped down tree after tree to appease the new leader, they cried both for the pain in their hands and the loss of the beautiful woods.

"Finally, it came time to haul the wood to the town. Lucille tied several caribou to their little wagon while Athracta ensured that the wood was secure, and they began the journey. It wasn't long before the caribou tired and the leather straps attaching them to the carriage began to wear and break. The women knew that the small caribou could not continue to haul wood and they had to think - who could carry so much weight? It wasn't long until they thought to call on their friends the Moose. Moose were silent, solitary creatures, with strong bodies and long legs. Not only were they strong, but they could be quite dangerous. For them to stand side by side was rare, but so great was their love for the two gentle women that they agreed to help. The women repaired the harnesses using hair from their own heads, and the odd party was ready to continue.

"With the help of the Moose, Athracta and Lucille carried the load to the town. Heads turned as they emerged from the woods. They walked to the hut where the bad man resided, and waited for him to emerge. Upon seeing the women with the giant creatures at their side, his heart broke right in two, for he knew that only the kindest and most sympathetic of people could have obtained the assistance of the Moose. He realized in that moment that he had been wrong to take control of the town and ravage the forest, and he fled in shame.

"After the bad man departed, Athracta and Lucille were free to return to their forest home. There they lived out the rest of their years, happily together.

By this time, the Child had nearly drifted off to sleep. The Mother began to rise to leave the room, but the Child's eyes snapped open.

"I'm not asleep yet!"

Author's Note: This story is based on The Ballad of St. Athracta's Stags from The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farewell Brown. In the original story, Athracta is a princess and she lives with her maid. I chose to make the maid her partner instead, and give her a name so that the two would be equal protagonists. Other than that, I did not make substantial changes to the plot or the characters.

This is a story I wrote originally in Week 4 of this course and have adapted for my storybook. While the original was written as a ballad, I chose to write this in a traditional story format to keep it consistent with my other stories. I also changed the setting to a subarctic environment, because that is what I know and love.

In regards to the LGBT+ theme, I chose to include this story in particular because it portrays a same-gender partnership in their normal, daily life. I wanted to have some stories that don't center around characters meeting and falling in love. This one shows two women in a relationship working together to solve a problem that affects them and their community, which I believe is every bit as important as telling stories that are more centered on the romantic relationship.

Image: Moose by Alex Butterfield