Misty Paul

Aselis

Misty Paul

Winter edition 2020, Summer Edition 2021

Not 3...

Not 2...

But once upon a time there was a little girl named Aselis¹.

Who lived with her Meme² and their horses, Sage and Cedar. One day in spring, while Meme was preparing the evening supper, she told Aselis to go down to their special spot by the brook and pick some fiddleheads.

Aselis was both excited and eager to be asked to go by herself.

Meme had always gone with her and always warned her about playing there alone in the past.

She had always told her, “These spots not only belong to us...but they also belong to the little people...and to never be disrespectful of the Earth and medicines that grow there. You must always remember to only take what you need and to NEVER take what does not belong to you! Else, the little people will come and play mean tricks on you.’’

Keeping her meme’s teaching close, she grabbed her basket, hopped on her bike and down to the brook she went. Once she reached the hill that led down to the brook where the fiddleheads grew, she carefully walked her bike down to the brook and placed it by the big willow tree. She took her basket and slowly began to pick. One by one she gathered enough for both her and Meme and was pretty proud of herself.

She thought to herself, "Maybe I can pick some for tomorrow…’’ She continued to pick...and to PICK...she picked so many fiddleheads that her basket was FULL!

Just as she began to laugh at just how many she had, she heard a rustling in the bushes close by. Startled by the sudden noise, she yelled out "HEY!'

But was met with no response.

She figured, ‘’Just a rabbit.’’

She began to walk back towards her bike but was having trouble with the weight of the fiddleheads. She started to become frustrated because this was her chance to prove that she was a big girl, and big girls can handle BIG jobs like this!

While lugging away, and trying not to say bad things out loud, Aselis heard the noise again. This time, it was closer. She dropped the basket and whipped around fast. Still, she could not see anyone. Growing more frustrated she yelled out again, ‘’WHO IS THAT?! IF YOU HAVE A FACE YOU BETTER SHOW IT!’’

Still, there was nothing...nothing that she could see anyway. So she picked up her basket and turned towards the direction of the willow tree. Just as she was starting to walk, her foot caught on a stick and she tripped. The trip was so sudden that she landed face down in the dirt and the basket of her fiddleheads scattered all over. Aselis screamed at the top of her lungs and kicked the dirt out of anger. Once her scream came and went, she could have sworn she heard a faint giggle in the bushes ....so she picked up the nearest rock and threw it in the direction of the laughter. Still there was nothing. At this point, she was trying not to cry. Seeing all her hard work scattered on the ground only made her want to cry more. "Meme is going to be so upset if I don't hurry up and get home," she thought to herself.

Then, just as she was starting to get up and gather her fiddleheads, she took more notice of the stick that had tripped her. Mesmerized by not only the detail carved into it but its size as well. She picked it up and it was no longer the length of her arm. It reminded her of the stick Meme would use when they would go for their walks. Then she thought to herself, "This must belong to a little person! Not just any little person...but an elder!’’

Both excited and honoured upon finding such a treasure, she then remembered what her Meme had told her.

"Never take what isn't yours..."

Aselis did not want to believe that her possibly taking the cane would be the same as stealing. It had been ‘’found.’’

So she got up, and stuck the stick in her basket with the few fiddleheads she managed to gather from the ground. Just as she was turning to leave, she heard the rustling of the leaves again and a very faint voice. It said, "Little girl....bring back my father's cane..."

Startled by the voice sounding closer than she had expected, Aselis began to quickly walk towards the willow tree where she had left her bike.

Just then, in a louder tone, Aselis heard the voice say, "LITTLE GIRL, BRING BACK MY FATHER'S CANE!’’ She continued towards the direction where her bike was, only this time she ran. Once she made it, before hopping on, she dared to look back at the direction where she found the cane. To her surprise, there stood the smallest person that she had ever seen. He wore two tight braids that stretched all the way down to his stomach. He must have been as tall as her torso.

Aselis was somewhat tall for her age, however considering this smaller person was clearly a man...he was still one of the smallest people she had EVER seen. She couldn't make out the words he was trying to shout at her, but she didn't care to hear them. She just wanted to get back home to Meme and keep her newly found treasure.

She peddled as fast as she could down the road to home. She peddled so hard that the sweat poured down her face like a river. After what felt like the longest bike ride she had ever had she finally made it to her Meme’s house. She zoomed past her horses, grabbed her basket and threw her bike down by the steps.

Meme was sitting on her rocking chair and braiding some sweet grass together. Aselis tried to go straight to her room to stash away her stolen cane, but before she could make it to her bedroom, Meme called out to her in a soft and calm voice, without even looking up.

“Aselis...why are you bringing the fiddle heads into your room ?”

Aselis turned around but put the basket behind her back. “Oh...I just wanted to change my shoes Meem...I’ll be right out.”

Meme then looked up from her braiding and right at Aselis. Aselis quickly grew nervous because she knew it was hard to lie to Meme...Meme always sensed when something was not right.

Meme then looked Aselis up and down...and her left eyebrow began to rise. That was always the number one indicator that Meme knew something was not right.

“Did you fall down Aselis?” said Meme as she continued to look her granddaughter over with suspicion.

It was then Aselis realized just how disheveled she was from earlier...her dress was covered in dirt. She also noticed her hands and legs were filthy. She then quickly tried to dust herself off and smooth out her wrinkled dress. “Uhm...well yes Meme...I tripped over a...a stick.”

“Then where are the fiddleheads?” said Meme, still looking suspicious.

“I got them Meem...just one minute I need to go to my room,” said Aselis as she began to turn towards her room. “Indomah...come here.’’ said Meme. Aselis turned slowly back towards her Meme. “I...I think I should go feed sage and cedar first Meme ...I was gone a long time...” she said as she fiddled with her basket of fiddleheads, the little cane buried inside.

Meme considered what Aselis said. Realizing that it was, in fact, the horses’ feeding time, she put down her sweet grass on the coffee table and stood up.

"Very well Doozes,"Meme began to say ‘’But I want those fiddleheads so I can start cleaning them for our supper tonight."

Aselis tried quickly to think of a way out of handing over the basket, but her Meme was growing impatient and more suspicious of her hesitancy. So she handed over the basket and looked down at her feet. Her Meme then took the basket but before walking away she asked Aselis once again, "Doozes...what's wrong?"

Aselis still refused to say anything about her time down by the brook, or the cane hidden inside the basket.

Meme gave up and started towards the kitchen with the basket of fiddleheads, and the little person's cane. Aselis watched as her Meme placed the basket on the counter by the sink and turned the water on for the wash. Normally she would be over there helping her Meme and learning anything she could about cooking, but not this time. All she could do was stand there and watch as her Meme did her usual preparation and wait for her to find the little cane.

Just then, Meme stopped unloading the dirty fiddleheads into the sink full of water and carefully picked up the small cane. She looked it over with curiosity and the same awe that Aselis had when seeing the detailed carvings on it. Once it registered what it was she was holding, Meme turned her head towards Aselis. She then quickly put her head down and stared at her feet, not wanting to see her Meme’s gaze. "Dooze..." Meme began in a soft but stern tone. "Where did you find this?"

To be continued...