Saturday, 22 February 2014
Lenin topples in the Ukraine
Another "wow" for the day-sixteen statues of Lenin struck down.
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/960/Buitenland/article/detail/1798743/2014/02/22/16-Lenin-monumenten-gesloopt-in-Oekraine.dhtml
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/960/Buitenland/article/detail/1798743/2014/02/22/16-Lenin-monumenten-gesloopt-in-Oekraine.dhtml
Alba's Jewels Part Five
In the afternoon, Timothy prayed and read the Book of Daniel. These words seemed to speak to his heart. "Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand."
He felt that his entire young life had been one of purification. His solitude brought him closer to God daily.
Timothy could not share how alone he felt with his animal family. They loved him and called him Master. The bear and the turtle knew the Scriptures and could give Timothy advice, but they were not his kin in the matters of the soul. Timothy yearned for those with whom he could share and live out his life with God. The story of his ancestor who lived as hermit for a while burned in his heart. He was almost sixteen and he wanted to be among humans. His parents were buried on the mainland, as no persons had ever been buried in Eden. In fact, early in the morning, Timothy and the badgers, who accompanied him in the row boat, took the bodies of the two men and went the two hours to the mainland to bury them. Timothy said some prayers from the Psalms as the badgers dug and the young man hoped that in some way these men had done one thing good in their lives to merit heaven. He then rowed back to the island and waited for the next event.
He was surprised at what followed. The deer watched Hywel from a small hill as they ate grass. Hywel moved down the beach and was surprised to see the row boat in another place. Timothy decided to leave it where the last two men could find it to facilitate a departure on their part. He had been instructed by Ringsend not to confront the men unless absolutely there was no other alternative. That situation had not arisen, yet.
Hywel saw the boat and was looking at it intently. He was trying to decide whether to leave or try and find the treasure. His greedy heart overcame common sense, and he was not even thinking of Hugh at all, when Hugh came up behind him.
"So, you are thinking of leaving. I think that is a great idea. I hate this place."
The goodness in the air of Eden annoyed Hugh's lazy heart. He could sense calls to prayer and reflection, but his old habits of turning down good ideas from his guardian angel or from the last, tiny part of his hardening heart made him decide that he could not stand the rarefied air of the island.
"No, I am not leaving, and now that I know there is a man on this island who can row and boat and carry two bodies somewhere, I know what I have to overcome. No spooks here." Hywel encouraged himself with his words.
"And, if there is a treasure, then we must find it." Hywel showed Hugh Roger's gun, which he had taken after the accident. "And, we have means to get this treasure."
Hugh said, "Well, I am not too sure I want to be part of any violence or fighting. You know I am not a fighting man." Hywel grimaced. He was never sure why Hugh, "The Sloth" had been chosen by Roger to be part of this group, anyway. Hywel saw Hugh as "dead wood".
"Well, I cannot see how we can fight unseen animals and a man who disappears at will. Maybe he is a ghost." Hugh remarked, strongly.
"A ghost does not row a boat," replied Hywel.
One of the deer removed itself from the small herd and found Timothy in the woodland hiding place. The bear slept in the back of the small cave. Belsay stood by the opening.
Timothy thanked the deer and asked her to check out all the guardians on the shores. Then, it leaped into the undergrowth and was gone.
Hugh thought about this entire adventure. The leader upon whom all depended was gone. The youngest and strongest member was gone. His laziness inclined him to another plan, which was to find the man on the island and give himself up, thinking that this person would reward him for turning in Hywel. His treacherous plan grew from a lack of conviction about anything. Such was the slothful mind. Inconstancy and narcissism marked his soul, perhaps more black than the others', as his soul was always seeking the husks rather than striving for meat and potatoes. His attitude, formed by years of taking the easy way out, always feeling sorry for himself when things went wrong. Indeed, why Roger, so quick to judgment and anger decided on Hugh as part of the "team" seemed a great mystery.
But, what Hywel missed in his thoughts was that Greed, his main fault, and Sloth have much in common, beginning with selfishness. The last two evil men, although they may not have been able to discern these traits, shared in a narcissism which pushed their ideas and decisions.
Basically, Hugh said to himself, "This adventure is not worth the trouble." However, Hywel said to himself, "I need to get the treasure, now."
Hugh told Hywel that he agreed with him on continuing. The two men then decided to try and follow trails to find the lone man on the island. Again, a fox in the brush ran to Timothy, and related that these men wanted to find him and Alba's chest.
Timothy consulted with his heart and the bear. He did not know where the great turtle swam and trusted that if Ringsend needed to tell Timothy something, the animal of the sea would find a way.
In the meantime, Hugh was trying to find a way to split from Hywel in order to make his way to Timothy and turn himself in....he had to come up with a plan, something he simply was not disciplined to do. So, he thought he would "go with the flow" until an opportunity for betrayal occurred.
Timothy's surprise came from the reports from his "spies" of the odd conversation between Hywel and Hugh. Timothy began to see into the hearts of the evil ones, a new experience for him, which caused him pain. He realized that he had been preserved from the temptations and bad company which could have led him astray. In his heart and mind and soul, Timothy, again, dedicated his life to God in deep gratitude.
To be continued...............
He felt that his entire young life had been one of purification. His solitude brought him closer to God daily.
Timothy could not share how alone he felt with his animal family. They loved him and called him Master. The bear and the turtle knew the Scriptures and could give Timothy advice, but they were not his kin in the matters of the soul. Timothy yearned for those with whom he could share and live out his life with God. The story of his ancestor who lived as hermit for a while burned in his heart. He was almost sixteen and he wanted to be among humans. His parents were buried on the mainland, as no persons had ever been buried in Eden. In fact, early in the morning, Timothy and the badgers, who accompanied him in the row boat, took the bodies of the two men and went the two hours to the mainland to bury them. Timothy said some prayers from the Psalms as the badgers dug and the young man hoped that in some way these men had done one thing good in their lives to merit heaven. He then rowed back to the island and waited for the next event.
He was surprised at what followed. The deer watched Hywel from a small hill as they ate grass. Hywel moved down the beach and was surprised to see the row boat in another place. Timothy decided to leave it where the last two men could find it to facilitate a departure on their part. He had been instructed by Ringsend not to confront the men unless absolutely there was no other alternative. That situation had not arisen, yet.
Hywel saw the boat and was looking at it intently. He was trying to decide whether to leave or try and find the treasure. His greedy heart overcame common sense, and he was not even thinking of Hugh at all, when Hugh came up behind him.
"So, you are thinking of leaving. I think that is a great idea. I hate this place."
The goodness in the air of Eden annoyed Hugh's lazy heart. He could sense calls to prayer and reflection, but his old habits of turning down good ideas from his guardian angel or from the last, tiny part of his hardening heart made him decide that he could not stand the rarefied air of the island.
"No, I am not leaving, and now that I know there is a man on this island who can row and boat and carry two bodies somewhere, I know what I have to overcome. No spooks here." Hywel encouraged himself with his words.
"And, if there is a treasure, then we must find it." Hywel showed Hugh Roger's gun, which he had taken after the accident. "And, we have means to get this treasure."
Hugh said, "Well, I am not too sure I want to be part of any violence or fighting. You know I am not a fighting man." Hywel grimaced. He was never sure why Hugh, "The Sloth" had been chosen by Roger to be part of this group, anyway. Hywel saw Hugh as "dead wood".
"Well, I cannot see how we can fight unseen animals and a man who disappears at will. Maybe he is a ghost." Hugh remarked, strongly.
"A ghost does not row a boat," replied Hywel.
One of the deer removed itself from the small herd and found Timothy in the woodland hiding place. The bear slept in the back of the small cave. Belsay stood by the opening.
Timothy thanked the deer and asked her to check out all the guardians on the shores. Then, it leaped into the undergrowth and was gone.
Hugh thought about this entire adventure. The leader upon whom all depended was gone. The youngest and strongest member was gone. His laziness inclined him to another plan, which was to find the man on the island and give himself up, thinking that this person would reward him for turning in Hywel. His treacherous plan grew from a lack of conviction about anything. Such was the slothful mind. Inconstancy and narcissism marked his soul, perhaps more black than the others', as his soul was always seeking the husks rather than striving for meat and potatoes. His attitude, formed by years of taking the easy way out, always feeling sorry for himself when things went wrong. Indeed, why Roger, so quick to judgment and anger decided on Hugh as part of the "team" seemed a great mystery.
But, what Hywel missed in his thoughts was that Greed, his main fault, and Sloth have much in common, beginning with selfishness. The last two evil men, although they may not have been able to discern these traits, shared in a narcissism which pushed their ideas and decisions.
Basically, Hugh said to himself, "This adventure is not worth the trouble." However, Hywel said to himself, "I need to get the treasure, now."
Hugh told Hywel that he agreed with him on continuing. The two men then decided to try and follow trails to find the lone man on the island. Again, a fox in the brush ran to Timothy, and related that these men wanted to find him and Alba's chest.
Timothy consulted with his heart and the bear. He did not know where the great turtle swam and trusted that if Ringsend needed to tell Timothy something, the animal of the sea would find a way.
In the meantime, Hugh was trying to find a way to split from Hywel in order to make his way to Timothy and turn himself in....he had to come up with a plan, something he simply was not disciplined to do. So, he thought he would "go with the flow" until an opportunity for betrayal occurred.
Timothy's surprise came from the reports from his "spies" of the odd conversation between Hywel and Hugh. Timothy began to see into the hearts of the evil ones, a new experience for him, which caused him pain. He realized that he had been preserved from the temptations and bad company which could have led him astray. In his heart and mind and soul, Timothy, again, dedicated his life to God in deep gratitude.
To be continued...............
WOW! Comments needed from Californians
The proposal aims to split the state -- America's most populous with around 38 million inhabitants -- into "six smaller state governments, while preserving the historical boundaries of the various counties, cities and towns."
In 2012, California was tied with Russia and Italy -- all with a GDP of approximately $2.0 trillion -- for eighth place in world GDP rankings, according to the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy.
The proposal would create a state out of Silicon Valley, home to tech giants Google, Facebook and Apple. It would also create South California, which would include Hollywood and the US entertainment industry.
West California, Central California, North California, and Jefferson in the most northern part of the state, would also go it alone.
According to the proposal, voters overwhelming approved dividing California in two in 1859, but Congress did not act due to the Civil War.
http://news.yahoo.com/plan-split-california-six-states-gains-ground-222139687.html
Irritating Days for Willow
Jet has joined a friend of mine's household. And, Willow is annoyed....such is life.
Another STM Manifesto
Something has changed in the atmosphere of Catholic life. We use to be normalized in America to working in the background, behind the trenches, quietly moving groups who were pro-abortion, or pro-contraception or pro-homosexual "rights". Most of the cardinals and bishops actually were trained to dialogue with evil and try to work with groups instead of hitting the problems from the front, as it were.
Now, in military terms, a rear guard action is determined by the enemy, not be the tacticians, who respond to evil instead of taking the offensive. A rear guard actions are basically working out of a retreat.
No more will this be possible if the Church is to survive in America.
We can no longer have detente with evil. And we can, no more, be content with rear guard actions, letting others determine how we respond and what we do.
If you and I are not actively evangelizing, if we are not actively creating communities, if we are not strong is building pods and determining the future of the Church in our own areas, we shall not only lose ground but we shall lost the war in our generation.
A frontal assault is the only way to win a battle. I shall repeat this. Taking the offensive is the only way to wind a battle.
One of the great evils of our times has been the dropping of history in high schools and in colleges as required subjects. Two generations now have no concept of strategic warfare or the dangers of false negotiating. False negotiating led to the stupidity of the Yalta Agreement, where the United States gave up the chance to control the march of communism under Stalin. The fact that when we were in a strong position and gave up the chance to even stop Stalinism, and by force after the war, meant that million of people suffered and that the Catholic religion was destroyed in several countries, not yet revived, such as in the Czech Republic.
So, as Catholics, you must decide to become more and more aggressive in the Faith. To think that the Early Church was passive is revisionist history.
The Church spread the Faith not only by the blood of the martyrs, but by writing, teaching and setting up schools, preaching, and being active in art as well.
You can decide whether you want to act like a soldier in retreat or to be on the frontal attack.
We can choose..............
This is the college I am helping to promote
The new Newman College needs help. The Memores are part of this effort.
And here is the Ave Maria report:
A site with appropriate buildings has been identified in the Cork area, says Healy, but adds that at least $8 million must be raised for the project by the end of September. Currently about $1 million has been committed, most of it from an anonymous donor in the United States.
The U.S. will be the focus of the fundraising campaign, according to Healy.
There are about 40 million people in the U.S. who have Irish heritage, he says, and he’ll be targeting those who are “grateful for the faith handed down by their Irish ancestors and grateful for what Ireland has done for the world.”
If you want to help financially, contact Nick Healy at Ave Maria.
President Emeritus Nick Healy of Ave Maria University (AMU), who worked with founder Tom Monaghan during the school’s fledgling years, has set his sights on a new project: helping to start up a Catholic college in Ireland largely structured on the AMU model.
Kathy Sinnot, host of EWTN Radio's "Celtic Connections" program, is heavily involved with founding the future Irish Catholic college. She is working to get the word out about the campaign to reach 3.5 million Memorare prayers for the college. Kathy wrote:
- See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/2391/Prayers-Requested-for-Founding-of-New-Irish-Catholic-College.aspx#sthash.cmPdDxIm.dpufWe have made significant progress towards this end [founding the college] but have still some big hurdles to jump or rather be lifted over by Our Mother Mary. To this end we have promised Her 3.5 million Memorares. ... the main thing is to pray for the college to open and play its crucial part in the renewal of the faith in
Alba's Jewels Part Four
The animals quickly got into position at the assigned guard posts. Timothy ran back to his hut and followed Ringsend's directions of staying nearby but, not in the hut itself. Again, following Ringsend's instructions. The wise animal had told Timothy to make a pot of soup and some vegetables, hang the pots in obvious places over the fire and set the table for one.
The turtle also indicated that Timothy should take the least valuable jewel out of the chest, (which was hidden in a small cave under the copse with the badgers), and lay it on his cupboard near the drinking vessels.
In addition, the turtle told Timothy to make up his bed in a particularly extravagant manner, with all the winter coverlets laid out. The young man did as he was told. Then, the turtle slipped back into the sea and followed the row boat as far as the shore. This was the time when the group broke up and went to the individual "stations". As it was night, the bear slipped away to the hut and hid behind a small hedge.
The men got out of the boat and pulled it ashore. Roger spoke first. "I don't see any signs of life on this island. And, it is so dark. Ralph, do you have the lanterns?" Ralph lit two lanterns and handed one to Roger, who led the way towards the center. "Why do we have to walk at night? We have been rowing for over an hour and I am tired." Hugh complained, and the others answered as usual. Roger became angry and raised his voice, "Be quiet. If there is someone here, we can take them by surprise." Hywel remained silent, but was thinking of treasure. Then, he saw smoke in the distance, from Timothy's small hearth. "A fire, and I can smell food." The men walked quickly towards the center of the island. They did not notice the rabbits silently on the edges of the small paths.
Suddenly, several rabbits ran and leaped across the path in front of Roger. "Blast it, rabbits. Where is my gun?"
Hywel said, "Lower your voice and do not shoot rabbits. We do not know how many people are here."
Hugh noted that the hut, now seen in the moonlight, seemed tiny. "I doubt if more than one person could live there. Look." And, he pointed to the small hut. Another pair of rabbits dashed out in front of the men. Roger could hardly restrain his anger at the animals. Ralph laughed.
"Come on, " he said quietly. "And, let us split up and stand on each side of the hut and look in. There seems to be two windows and a door."
The four evil men crept up to the hut. Suddenly, several foxes ran down the path and ran into the legs of Roger and Hywel. Roger almost fell and the words from his mouth cannot be repeated here.
The men surrounded the hut. Timothy had left a fire on and also a candle. The men could see the pot of soup, the table for one and the bed. They decided to go in.
"Only one bed and a setting for one," remarked Ralph. "And, these jackets and hats belong to a man."
Hywel was already scooping soup into the one bowl. "What are you doing," shouted Ralph. "Why do you always have to eat?" Hugh was already laying down on the great warm coverlets, and in a moment, he was asleep. "Some landing party you all are, " muttered Roger. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Hywel with a bowl of soup in his hand, saw the jewel on the shelf. He put the bowl on the table and rushed over, but just before he grabbed the jewel, Roger pulled out his sword and stepped between the shelves and Hywel.
"What do you think you are doing?" He yelled. "We agreed to share."
Hywel replied, "I was just going to look at the jewel, Roger, not keep it." Roger turned to the shelf and grabbed the jewel. It was a small blue sapphire encased in gold. "Well, the rest of the treasure cannot be far away."
Hywel sat down and began eating. Ralph was looking around the hut and then went to the door to look outside. Just then, Ralph heard a beautiful woman's voice. "Who are you, young man?" Ralph became intrigued. He forgot about the other three men and stepped outside towards the hedge. The female voice continued, "I am over here. The lady of the island..." Ralph walked towards the hedge. His head was full of imaginations and his heart pounded. He did not think he would find a woman on the island.
The female voice came, of course, from Belsay. The wolf was the lady of the island, as there were no other females of her stature. The wolf silently walked further into the forest in front of the hut. Then, from behind the hedge, the great bear stood up and grabbed Ralph. In a moment, Ralph lay on the ground, dead from fright. The bear quietly retreated into the forest and joined Timothy by the secret hiding place. The bear did not speak, but Timothy could hear the men shouting.
"Ralph, where are you? Ralph?" Then, Hugh woke up and came outside. Just then, Roger stumbled over Ralph's body. He felt a sudden chill. "Is this place haunted? Look, one dead already." He took out his gun and looked around. He could see no one.
Just then, he realized that he had left the one jewel on the table, next to where Hywel was eating soup. "Where is the jewel? You have taken it." Hywel looked surprised. "No, I have not. You have it. I am eating. I could care less about one mediocre jewel. We came for a treasure, and...." He did not finish his sentence, for Hugh was walking into the house looking as it he had seen a ghost. "I just saw something strange. I thought I saw a troop of foxes, and they looked like they were talking with some rabbits."
Roger could not stand the idiocy of this statement. He flew into a rage. "Ralph is laying on the ground dead and you are imagining animals talking. Are you all so stupid?"
Then, he saw through the window, the jewel out on the pathway. While the men were talking, one of the night birds had taken the jewel and dropped it in sight of the men outside.
"What is going on here, " cried Roger. Then he yelled, "Ralph was taking the jewel and look, he must have thrown it outside when he died."
Hugh looked out the window. Roger ordered him to go out and get it. "No, I am not going out. There is something strange going on and I am feeling that this entire island is creepy... the animals on the pathway and now the jewel just flying out the door onto the pathway. Something witchy here."
Hywel could not be patient. He stood up. "Are we going to look for treasure or what?" Ralph answered. "We can't leave Ralph on the ground and I do not want to bring a dead man into the hut, but we need to sleep, as we cannot face unknown powers here."
Hugh suggested that they put a blanket over Ralph and lock the windows and doors. This they did, and then Hugh laid down in the bed. Ralph instantly became angry. "Get out, I am sleeping there."
Hywel decided to just sleep in a small chair in the corner. Hugh laid next to the fire, and they all fell asleep.
But, when everyone seemed to be sleeping, Hywel got up and retrieved the jewel from the pathway. Then, he saw another jewel. Timothy had placed jewels on the pathway going towards the copse and the badgers. Hywel's greedy heart could not refrain from picking up that stone, and then another, and another, until he was at the copse with five jewels in his hands. One of the badgers crept out of the copse and ran as fast as a badger can to the hut, the door was still open and the badger immediately went to the bed and pulled one of Ralph's legs out of the covers. Ralph woke up and saw the giant badger, then he noticed the Hywel was gone and that the door was open. He pushed the badger aside with his gun and ran outside down the path to the copse. There, Hywel was counting the jewels and trying to decide where to hide these, when Roger came up and said, "Drop those!" Hywel replied, "I found these and I am sure there are more. We can share when we find the treasure. " Roger said coldly, "Sharing starts now." He pulled out his gun just as a huge badger came out of the copse and knocked over Hywel. Hywel fell to the ground, but the badger moved on and also knocked over Roger. The gun turned in his hand and as the shot left the gun, it hit Roger, not Hywel. Hywel stared at the badger running away down the path. He stared at Roger, who was dead. Hywel got up and brushed himself off. He still had the jewels in his hands.
For a moment, Hywel did not know what to do. Ralph was dead and Roger was dead. The only one left besides himself was the lazy Hugh. "But, I need him to row the boat with me," thought Hywel.
The man walked past Roger and slowly made his way back to the hut. He had to pass Ralph and he did not want to do so, but when he got to the front of the hut, the body was not there. "Maybe he was faking, " thought Hywel. He went in and locked the door. Hugh was in the bed sleeping.
As Hywel sat back in the chair to sleep for the last few hours of the night, he began to think of the strange happenings.
Rabbits on the path; an animal supposedly scaring Ralph to death; badgers coming out of the copse and now, Roger obviously dead. Hywel wondered if the island was bewitched and that only animals lived here. But, he had five jewels in his hands. Then, he started, as if from a bad dream. "All this is planned-these jewels were dropped on purpose. There is intelligence behind this and it must be that of a man."
Hywel decided to sleep as well. Nothing could be done in the dark.
Morning dawned in a few hours. The badgers had found the bear, the wolves and Timothy. Timothy was grieving over the death of men, but the bear explained something to him. "The wages of sin is death, Timothy."
Timothy had heard that same phrase from Ringsend. He was beginning to understand evil.
In the morning, when Hugh was still sleeping, Hywel decided to look outside again. The body of Ralph was gone and Hywel, out of curiosity, kept walking towards the copse. Roger's body was not there, either.
"Perhaps, they are both faking it and hiding. I cannot trust anyone."
Hywel went back to the hut not quite sure what to do. The value of the jewels he found would merely cover the expenses of the trip back to the other side of the country. He decided to eat. But, all the food was gone.
Disturbed, and not sure how many other strange animals he would encounter, Hywel decided to walk back to the row boat and use the fishing tackle to fish. He began to walk in that direction. The jewels were in his pocket.
But, when Hywel got to the place on the beach where he thought the row boat had been dragged up onto the sand, the boat was gone. The markings in the sand showed him that, indeed, the boat had been there, but it was now gone.
Hywel plopped down on the grass near the beach. He was beginning to doubt he would ever leave this island.
To be continued....
The turtle also indicated that Timothy should take the least valuable jewel out of the chest, (which was hidden in a small cave under the copse with the badgers), and lay it on his cupboard near the drinking vessels.
In addition, the turtle told Timothy to make up his bed in a particularly extravagant manner, with all the winter coverlets laid out. The young man did as he was told. Then, the turtle slipped back into the sea and followed the row boat as far as the shore. This was the time when the group broke up and went to the individual "stations". As it was night, the bear slipped away to the hut and hid behind a small hedge.
The men got out of the boat and pulled it ashore. Roger spoke first. "I don't see any signs of life on this island. And, it is so dark. Ralph, do you have the lanterns?" Ralph lit two lanterns and handed one to Roger, who led the way towards the center. "Why do we have to walk at night? We have been rowing for over an hour and I am tired." Hugh complained, and the others answered as usual. Roger became angry and raised his voice, "Be quiet. If there is someone here, we can take them by surprise." Hywel remained silent, but was thinking of treasure. Then, he saw smoke in the distance, from Timothy's small hearth. "A fire, and I can smell food." The men walked quickly towards the center of the island. They did not notice the rabbits silently on the edges of the small paths.
Suddenly, several rabbits ran and leaped across the path in front of Roger. "Blast it, rabbits. Where is my gun?"
Hywel said, "Lower your voice and do not shoot rabbits. We do not know how many people are here."
Hugh noted that the hut, now seen in the moonlight, seemed tiny. "I doubt if more than one person could live there. Look." And, he pointed to the small hut. Another pair of rabbits dashed out in front of the men. Roger could hardly restrain his anger at the animals. Ralph laughed.
"Come on, " he said quietly. "And, let us split up and stand on each side of the hut and look in. There seems to be two windows and a door."
The four evil men crept up to the hut. Suddenly, several foxes ran down the path and ran into the legs of Roger and Hywel. Roger almost fell and the words from his mouth cannot be repeated here.
The men surrounded the hut. Timothy had left a fire on and also a candle. The men could see the pot of soup, the table for one and the bed. They decided to go in.
"Only one bed and a setting for one," remarked Ralph. "And, these jackets and hats belong to a man."
Hywel was already scooping soup into the one bowl. "What are you doing," shouted Ralph. "Why do you always have to eat?" Hugh was already laying down on the great warm coverlets, and in a moment, he was asleep. "Some landing party you all are, " muttered Roger. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Hywel with a bowl of soup in his hand, saw the jewel on the shelf. He put the bowl on the table and rushed over, but just before he grabbed the jewel, Roger pulled out his sword and stepped between the shelves and Hywel.
"What do you think you are doing?" He yelled. "We agreed to share."
Hywel replied, "I was just going to look at the jewel, Roger, not keep it." Roger turned to the shelf and grabbed the jewel. It was a small blue sapphire encased in gold. "Well, the rest of the treasure cannot be far away."
Hywel sat down and began eating. Ralph was looking around the hut and then went to the door to look outside. Just then, Ralph heard a beautiful woman's voice. "Who are you, young man?" Ralph became intrigued. He forgot about the other three men and stepped outside towards the hedge. The female voice continued, "I am over here. The lady of the island..." Ralph walked towards the hedge. His head was full of imaginations and his heart pounded. He did not think he would find a woman on the island.
The female voice came, of course, from Belsay. The wolf was the lady of the island, as there were no other females of her stature. The wolf silently walked further into the forest in front of the hut. Then, from behind the hedge, the great bear stood up and grabbed Ralph. In a moment, Ralph lay on the ground, dead from fright. The bear quietly retreated into the forest and joined Timothy by the secret hiding place. The bear did not speak, but Timothy could hear the men shouting.
"Ralph, where are you? Ralph?" Then, Hugh woke up and came outside. Just then, Roger stumbled over Ralph's body. He felt a sudden chill. "Is this place haunted? Look, one dead already." He took out his gun and looked around. He could see no one.
Just then, he realized that he had left the one jewel on the table, next to where Hywel was eating soup. "Where is the jewel? You have taken it." Hywel looked surprised. "No, I have not. You have it. I am eating. I could care less about one mediocre jewel. We came for a treasure, and...." He did not finish his sentence, for Hugh was walking into the house looking as it he had seen a ghost. "I just saw something strange. I thought I saw a troop of foxes, and they looked like they were talking with some rabbits."
Roger could not stand the idiocy of this statement. He flew into a rage. "Ralph is laying on the ground dead and you are imagining animals talking. Are you all so stupid?"
Then, he saw through the window, the jewel out on the pathway. While the men were talking, one of the night birds had taken the jewel and dropped it in sight of the men outside.
"What is going on here, " cried Roger. Then he yelled, "Ralph was taking the jewel and look, he must have thrown it outside when he died."
Hugh looked out the window. Roger ordered him to go out and get it. "No, I am not going out. There is something strange going on and I am feeling that this entire island is creepy... the animals on the pathway and now the jewel just flying out the door onto the pathway. Something witchy here."
Hywel could not be patient. He stood up. "Are we going to look for treasure or what?" Ralph answered. "We can't leave Ralph on the ground and I do not want to bring a dead man into the hut, but we need to sleep, as we cannot face unknown powers here."
Hugh suggested that they put a blanket over Ralph and lock the windows and doors. This they did, and then Hugh laid down in the bed. Ralph instantly became angry. "Get out, I am sleeping there."
Hywel decided to just sleep in a small chair in the corner. Hugh laid next to the fire, and they all fell asleep.
But, when everyone seemed to be sleeping, Hywel got up and retrieved the jewel from the pathway. Then, he saw another jewel. Timothy had placed jewels on the pathway going towards the copse and the badgers. Hywel's greedy heart could not refrain from picking up that stone, and then another, and another, until he was at the copse with five jewels in his hands. One of the badgers crept out of the copse and ran as fast as a badger can to the hut, the door was still open and the badger immediately went to the bed and pulled one of Ralph's legs out of the covers. Ralph woke up and saw the giant badger, then he noticed the Hywel was gone and that the door was open. He pushed the badger aside with his gun and ran outside down the path to the copse. There, Hywel was counting the jewels and trying to decide where to hide these, when Roger came up and said, "Drop those!" Hywel replied, "I found these and I am sure there are more. We can share when we find the treasure. " Roger said coldly, "Sharing starts now." He pulled out his gun just as a huge badger came out of the copse and knocked over Hywel. Hywel fell to the ground, but the badger moved on and also knocked over Roger. The gun turned in his hand and as the shot left the gun, it hit Roger, not Hywel. Hywel stared at the badger running away down the path. He stared at Roger, who was dead. Hywel got up and brushed himself off. He still had the jewels in his hands.
For a moment, Hywel did not know what to do. Ralph was dead and Roger was dead. The only one left besides himself was the lazy Hugh. "But, I need him to row the boat with me," thought Hywel.
The man walked past Roger and slowly made his way back to the hut. He had to pass Ralph and he did not want to do so, but when he got to the front of the hut, the body was not there. "Maybe he was faking, " thought Hywel. He went in and locked the door. Hugh was in the bed sleeping.
As Hywel sat back in the chair to sleep for the last few hours of the night, he began to think of the strange happenings.
Rabbits on the path; an animal supposedly scaring Ralph to death; badgers coming out of the copse and now, Roger obviously dead. Hywel wondered if the island was bewitched and that only animals lived here. But, he had five jewels in his hands. Then, he started, as if from a bad dream. "All this is planned-these jewels were dropped on purpose. There is intelligence behind this and it must be that of a man."
Hywel decided to sleep as well. Nothing could be done in the dark.
Morning dawned in a few hours. The badgers had found the bear, the wolves and Timothy. Timothy was grieving over the death of men, but the bear explained something to him. "The wages of sin is death, Timothy."
Timothy had heard that same phrase from Ringsend. He was beginning to understand evil.
In the morning, when Hugh was still sleeping, Hywel decided to look outside again. The body of Ralph was gone and Hywel, out of curiosity, kept walking towards the copse. Roger's body was not there, either.
"Perhaps, they are both faking it and hiding. I cannot trust anyone."
Hywel went back to the hut not quite sure what to do. The value of the jewels he found would merely cover the expenses of the trip back to the other side of the country. He decided to eat. But, all the food was gone.
Disturbed, and not sure how many other strange animals he would encounter, Hywel decided to walk back to the row boat and use the fishing tackle to fish. He began to walk in that direction. The jewels were in his pocket.
But, when Hywel got to the place on the beach where he thought the row boat had been dragged up onto the sand, the boat was gone. The markings in the sand showed him that, indeed, the boat had been there, but it was now gone.
Hywel plopped down on the grass near the beach. He was beginning to doubt he would ever leave this island.
To be continued....
Alba's Jewels Part Three
Two weeks from the first meeting with Ringsend, an extraordinary visitor arrived on Timothy's island. The great bear of Ae swam for miles and miles after hearing the tale from Ringsend. The bear came to defend Alba's jewels and Timothy. The reason for this great journey would be explained by the last speaking bear in Ae.
Timothy met the great animal on the eastern shore. The bear stood up out of the water like a great monster, its black fur shining in the moonlight of the dark night. "I have a message for Timothy, the keeper of Alba's jewels, a secret kept by many hermits in Ae and told to the great bears by the last hermit, Guthlac, long ago."
Timothy waved his hand to indicate that the bear should speak again. The rabbits brought berries and fresh water for the bear, but kept a respectful distance. Timothy had brought salmon. The bear continued. "Ae is a new forest, but the old cairns are as ancient as the hermits. The hermits had a tale of the woman Alba, one of the first Christians of the northern lands of the English, who ran away from the land of the Eastern Angles, to Dumfries. She had come north to escape death after the martyrdom of her kin, and her people died on the way except for her strong father and her son. Alba had given her son to the God of Gods and Lord of Lords to be a hermit. The hermits accepted him, but over the years, the son could not take the harsh life as he was too ill and feeble. Alba and her father had settled in the Garden of Eden, as these are your ancestors, Timothy. But, the son stayed on the mainland. Finally, after the death of his grandfather and mother, he came to this island with a young bride, to continue the line of the kings."
The bear now was sitting on the cold sand and eating, while talking. Timothy waited. "But, before the son of Alba had left the hermits, he prophesied that a descendant of Alba's would become a holy man on the mainland and bring the jewels to a church. This prophesy indicated that the bearer of the jewels would become a priest of God and give the jewels to God."
The rabbits, listening intently to the great bear, grew interested in it's words, but wished the bear's eating habits were more genteel. Now, a small crowd of badgers from the copse joined the group listening to the bear's tale.
Alba's son and his bride had many children, but all but one returned to the mainland over the land bridge. After them, a custom of giving one son to God and to the island became the great heritage of this family.
Timothy, you are the last of this line."
Timothy remembered the line he had re-read in his Bible and he knew that the bear's story was true. But, Timothy could not understand how all these things would come to past, especially in the face of danger.
Then, the danger came suddenly, as one of the Arctic wolves, which had run for an hour from the southern side of the island. "The four evil men are here. They just landed near us in a row boat."
To be continued....
Timothy met the great animal on the eastern shore. The bear stood up out of the water like a great monster, its black fur shining in the moonlight of the dark night. "I have a message for Timothy, the keeper of Alba's jewels, a secret kept by many hermits in Ae and told to the great bears by the last hermit, Guthlac, long ago."
Timothy waved his hand to indicate that the bear should speak again. The rabbits brought berries and fresh water for the bear, but kept a respectful distance. Timothy had brought salmon. The bear continued. "Ae is a new forest, but the old cairns are as ancient as the hermits. The hermits had a tale of the woman Alba, one of the first Christians of the northern lands of the English, who ran away from the land of the Eastern Angles, to Dumfries. She had come north to escape death after the martyrdom of her kin, and her people died on the way except for her strong father and her son. Alba had given her son to the God of Gods and Lord of Lords to be a hermit. The hermits accepted him, but over the years, the son could not take the harsh life as he was too ill and feeble. Alba and her father had settled in the Garden of Eden, as these are your ancestors, Timothy. But, the son stayed on the mainland. Finally, after the death of his grandfather and mother, he came to this island with a young bride, to continue the line of the kings."
The bear now was sitting on the cold sand and eating, while talking. Timothy waited. "But, before the son of Alba had left the hermits, he prophesied that a descendant of Alba's would become a holy man on the mainland and bring the jewels to a church. This prophesy indicated that the bearer of the jewels would become a priest of God and give the jewels to God."
The rabbits, listening intently to the great bear, grew interested in it's words, but wished the bear's eating habits were more genteel. Now, a small crowd of badgers from the copse joined the group listening to the bear's tale.
Alba's son and his bride had many children, but all but one returned to the mainland over the land bridge. After them, a custom of giving one son to God and to the island became the great heritage of this family.
Timothy, you are the last of this line."
Timothy remembered the line he had re-read in his Bible and he knew that the bear's story was true. But, Timothy could not understand how all these things would come to past, especially in the face of danger.
Then, the danger came suddenly, as one of the Arctic wolves, which had run for an hour from the southern side of the island. "The four evil men are here. They just landed near us in a row boat."
To be continued....
Alba's Jewels Part Two
In the Luce Bay, once a year, a land bridge joined Timothy's island with the mainland. On that day, Arctic Wolf Senior and Arctic Wolf Junior, and three foxes, ran down the rocky, wet bridge to the mainland. Arctic Wolf Senior, who was named Penrith, by Timothy, and Arctic Wolf Junior, who was called Lowthar, met a small pack of other wolves, including Penrith's mate, Belsay, and learned the news of the mainland to share with Timothy.
The three foxes, Carrick, Ayr, and Lanark, also ran to a large den of land foxes to share the news and bring back one or two of the younger ones to join the animals on the island. This year, four vixens were chosen.
The news gathered in the pack and in the den shattered the animals. In fact, Penrith had intended to stay until nightfall, when the bridge was sinking into the sea, but the great wolf left early. And, this time, he came back to Timothy's island with the mate, Belsay.
The animals did not speak until they reached Timothy, who was surprised to see them return so early in the evening.
Carrick spoke first. "Master, a band of men were overheard miles away by the foxes at Arboarth. Inside a house near the den, one fox overheard the taking of an oath to find Alba's jewels. You need to prepare for an invasion."
Timothy, who, if he knew his age, was sixteen, blanched. He did not know evil. His heart was as pure as a four-year-old child. He could hardly understand Carrick's words.
Penrith spoke next. "We shall defend you, but you must lead us. We are your servants, as my tribe has been for fifty-two generations. We shall do as you instruct us, Master Timothy."
Timothy spoke with a shaking voice. "I know nothing of men who want to take the jewels of my ancestors. I do not understand why they want to come here and disturb our peace. I do not know what to do."
Penrith spoke again. "We must consult Ringsend, the ancient sea turtle. This great beast has seen hundreds of years of men and knows the types of evil which are found in the hearts of some men. I shall ask him to come to us, now."
Timothy agreed, and the group of animals walked to the far western shore which faced the setting sun. More animals now had heard of the great danger to come upon the island, and soon, a large group followed Carrick to the shore, behind Timothy.
Timothy's reddish hair burned bright in the sunset. He kept his thoughts to himself, but he knew he was no match against four grown evil men. He had no weapons, or skills of weaponry. He only could pray for advice from his servants and friends, and pray and pray.
The group, now made up of all the inhabitants of the island, stood at the edge of the beach. The great wolf made a loud call, and soon all saw the trail in the sea of the great turtle.
Ringsend was the oldest and wisest animal who dwelt in and around the seas of Timothy's island. The great beast was even older than most thought. And, his ancestors had met Timothy's ancestors hundred of years ago when the men and women crossed over the land bridge, open only one day of the year.
The great turtle knew the evil hearts of some men, as its own kin were slaughtered for fun and not for food.
But, Ringsend was pure of heart, and had no hatred of humans. And, Timothy was like its own son, Ringway.
Timothy knelt down on the sand and rock to speak with Ringsend. "Great One, I know not what to do. I shall be meeting men who want Alba's jewels. What should I do?"
Ringsend stayed in the water by the edge. The sun was setting slowly and a long twilight lit the beach and the many animals waiting to hear its advice.
"In your Bible, there is a wise phrase, that the wages of sin is death. These men will not prevail against us, but we must be prepared. Evil destroys itself, so here is my plan." Then, the turtle explained a simple plan to Timothy, which shall unfold in this story. Part of this plan was that the animals were not to speak in the presence of the evil men, but pretend to be dumb. The animals would guard the four sides of the island, and Ringsend would travel to the far side of the bay to find a great bear which lived in the forests of Ae, but visited the shores and spoke with Ringsend. This great bear would be asked to guard the coast and watch for the four evil men.
After this meeting, Timothy took over the true role of Master, the name he bore among the animals.
The entire fox den was to watch and guard the western coast, facing the Mull of Galloway. These foxes were to remain hidden until Timothy needed them, and they crouched in the ferns and underbrush.
The two male wolves were sent to the southern side of the island to watch for a ship or coracle. A large ship could not come into the bay near Timothy's island, but ships could leave a smaller boat to come near.
Penrith's mate would stay with Timothy and be his personal bodyguard.
The five badgers, all fierce warriors, including the females, were sent to the northern coast, to hide in the small copse of trees which faced the now hidden land bridge. The badgers had made deep holes in the ground in the copse and no men could see them. The hedgehogs were called upon to be patient and wait for orders. But, Timothy did not want them harmed.
The eastern side of the island remained in the guardianship of the entire rabbit warren. They were excellent at creating chaos.
The only thing to do now was to wait. Timothy went into his hut and opened his Bible. He wondered whether Alba's jewels were worth the lives of his animals. But, a cryptic line written on the inside cover haunted his memory.
"To the altar will go Alba's jewels."
Timothy did not understand the meaning of the line, but he knew that no evil men could take the chest from his island.
To be continued.....
The three foxes, Carrick, Ayr, and Lanark, also ran to a large den of land foxes to share the news and bring back one or two of the younger ones to join the animals on the island. This year, four vixens were chosen.
The news gathered in the pack and in the den shattered the animals. In fact, Penrith had intended to stay until nightfall, when the bridge was sinking into the sea, but the great wolf left early. And, this time, he came back to Timothy's island with the mate, Belsay.
The animals did not speak until they reached Timothy, who was surprised to see them return so early in the evening.
Carrick spoke first. "Master, a band of men were overheard miles away by the foxes at Arboarth. Inside a house near the den, one fox overheard the taking of an oath to find Alba's jewels. You need to prepare for an invasion."
Timothy, who, if he knew his age, was sixteen, blanched. He did not know evil. His heart was as pure as a four-year-old child. He could hardly understand Carrick's words.
Penrith spoke next. "We shall defend you, but you must lead us. We are your servants, as my tribe has been for fifty-two generations. We shall do as you instruct us, Master Timothy."
Timothy spoke with a shaking voice. "I know nothing of men who want to take the jewels of my ancestors. I do not understand why they want to come here and disturb our peace. I do not know what to do."
Penrith spoke again. "We must consult Ringsend, the ancient sea turtle. This great beast has seen hundreds of years of men and knows the types of evil which are found in the hearts of some men. I shall ask him to come to us, now."
Timothy agreed, and the group of animals walked to the far western shore which faced the setting sun. More animals now had heard of the great danger to come upon the island, and soon, a large group followed Carrick to the shore, behind Timothy.
Timothy's reddish hair burned bright in the sunset. He kept his thoughts to himself, but he knew he was no match against four grown evil men. He had no weapons, or skills of weaponry. He only could pray for advice from his servants and friends, and pray and pray.
The group, now made up of all the inhabitants of the island, stood at the edge of the beach. The great wolf made a loud call, and soon all saw the trail in the sea of the great turtle.
Ringsend was the oldest and wisest animal who dwelt in and around the seas of Timothy's island. The great beast was even older than most thought. And, his ancestors had met Timothy's ancestors hundred of years ago when the men and women crossed over the land bridge, open only one day of the year.
The great turtle knew the evil hearts of some men, as its own kin were slaughtered for fun and not for food.
But, Ringsend was pure of heart, and had no hatred of humans. And, Timothy was like its own son, Ringway.
Timothy knelt down on the sand and rock to speak with Ringsend. "Great One, I know not what to do. I shall be meeting men who want Alba's jewels. What should I do?"
Ringsend stayed in the water by the edge. The sun was setting slowly and a long twilight lit the beach and the many animals waiting to hear its advice.
"In your Bible, there is a wise phrase, that the wages of sin is death. These men will not prevail against us, but we must be prepared. Evil destroys itself, so here is my plan." Then, the turtle explained a simple plan to Timothy, which shall unfold in this story. Part of this plan was that the animals were not to speak in the presence of the evil men, but pretend to be dumb. The animals would guard the four sides of the island, and Ringsend would travel to the far side of the bay to find a great bear which lived in the forests of Ae, but visited the shores and spoke with Ringsend. This great bear would be asked to guard the coast and watch for the four evil men.
After this meeting, Timothy took over the true role of Master, the name he bore among the animals.
The entire fox den was to watch and guard the western coast, facing the Mull of Galloway. These foxes were to remain hidden until Timothy needed them, and they crouched in the ferns and underbrush.
The two male wolves were sent to the southern side of the island to watch for a ship or coracle. A large ship could not come into the bay near Timothy's island, but ships could leave a smaller boat to come near.
Penrith's mate would stay with Timothy and be his personal bodyguard.
The five badgers, all fierce warriors, including the females, were sent to the northern coast, to hide in the small copse of trees which faced the now hidden land bridge. The badgers had made deep holes in the ground in the copse and no men could see them. The hedgehogs were called upon to be patient and wait for orders. But, Timothy did not want them harmed.
The eastern side of the island remained in the guardianship of the entire rabbit warren. They were excellent at creating chaos.
The only thing to do now was to wait. Timothy went into his hut and opened his Bible. He wondered whether Alba's jewels were worth the lives of his animals. But, a cryptic line written on the inside cover haunted his memory.
"To the altar will go Alba's jewels."
Timothy did not understand the meaning of the line, but he knew that no evil men could take the chest from his island.
To be continued.....
Another Fairy Story-Alba's Jewels, Part One
Timothy lived on a small island. His island rested between the ocean and a mainland. Timothy's island lay like a green jewel in the rough seas-green leafy, tropical trees and much foilage, including rare yellow and orange flowers covered the ground. Many types of animals, to be listed later in this story, found their way to this island a millennium ago. But, the only human on the island was Timothy.
He had made friends of all the animals in this small ark and these animals responded by respecting Timothy as one of their own. In addition to caring for the plants, Timothy cared for the many animals.
On his island paradise, Timothy counted five badgers, ten hedgehogs, six Roe deer, nine foxes (four kits), two Arctic wolves, too many rabbits to count, birds of all shapes and colors, and a huge, ancient sea tortoise.
Timothy and the animals shared a rare gift in common. The boy and the animals understood each other. In other words, Timothy could talk to the animals.
For as long as he could remember, Timothy lived among the animals on this verdant isle. He could see the mainland which was so close, one could imagine a giant crossing the sea in two steps to get there, but no one ever bothered either the animals or Timothy in his garden.
The reason that Timothy had remained isolated was owing to two swift sea currents, which flowed up from the southern parts of the world, surrounding his island, but making crossings treacherous. These currents churned up the sea in a fierce battle of hot and cold waters. Timothy, so far, was content to stay on the little land which he seemed to own and grow enough vegetables and catch enough fish to eat.
Some of the trees on the island grew coconuts and mangoes. But, beyond the rough seas, the mainland stood wild and cold, barred from seafarers by high, rocky cliffs, upon which thousands of puffins came twice a year, covering the rocks with their feathers.
Timothy knew that a long time ago, his island had been connected to the mainland, as the corner of the eastern side fit perfectly into a niche of rock which Timothy could see across the water.
How and when his little bit of earth had become detached from the mainland remained a puzzle to the boy.
The huge difference between the mainland and Timothy's island was the churning hot waters which encircled his land and made it a little Garden of Eden.
That so many odd animals from so many parts of the world settled on Timothy's island remained a mystery. But, Timothy found two clues when he was twelve.
On his twelfth birthday, which Timothy did not realize was his birth date, the boy discovered a small cave on the western shore. In the cave, which smelled dark and dank, lay two chests. One held two Bibles, and two books with notes on language. The other chest had been filled to the brim with rare and costly jewels.
Timothy could read. How he could read remained another mystery, as he could not remember his parents or any teachers. But, read he could.
The Bible opened to Timothy two significant details. The first was that his ancestors came from the cold, northern country which he could see from the eastern beach. That Timothy's ancestors had written their names in the Bible, and kept a journal of fifty-two generations, gave Timothy an idea of who he was and from where he had come.
Timothy's ancestors had been Catholics from an area of a land called England. His ancestors came from a place called. Regnum Orientalium Anglorum. A story in the back of the Bible revealed that Timothy's ancestors had fled from their lands at the death of King Edmund on November 20, 869. They traveled north and west until they came to a small peninsula sticking out into the sea from a cold, rocky coast. One name listed in the generations, written in dark black ink, read Ceolwulf. Timothy imagined this name belonged to one of his ancestors.
The second chest holding the jewels also indicated a name of an ancestor. The name of a woman, Alba, was inscribed on the box of jewels. Timothy imagined the jewels adorned the neck and head, ears and wrists of this lady long gone. But, he had never opened the box of jewels.
Timothy could read the Bible and considered himself a Christian. In fact, he wore a cross wrought of silver and decorated with green and purple jewels constantly.
But, even though Timothy hid the jewels in a second chest in his small hut, these jewels were known to four other men on the mainland.
Four evil men had paid an old pirate for a letter which was written in Latin. Only one of these men could read this, but he ascertained that the jewels passed down from a Roman family near the once-island of Flegg of from a villa, called Faustina, had been taken away at the martyrdom of St. Edmund, King, by a relative of Edmund's to a far away place on the western coast.
This letter indicated that the jewels disappeared fifty-two generations from the date of the old pirate's dates, which he compiled at the bottom of the letter.
The letter held a mysterious message that the place of the jewels lay in a cave in the Garden of Eden.
Many thieves had perished in the valley of the Tigris and Mesopotamia Rivers, believing the Garden of Eden where the jewels were hidden was the original one in the Middle East. The old pirate himself had spent years of his life traveling to that part of the world, looking for the jewels, until one day, he realized that the letter was written in an Old English dialect as well as in Latin. The pirate, smarter than most pirates, felt a cold sweat covering his body when he experienced an epiphany that the Garden of Eden with the chest of jewels actually was off the coast of England.
That this pirate took a ship back to England and landed in a small town near Norwich was the beginning of his terrible, fatal illness. Before he died, he met the four evil men who took the letter from him and heard his explanation before he passed away.
The men, one Scot, one English, one Welsh and one Irish swore an oath to each other to find the jewels and share the wealth. The Scot was called Roger Blood, the Welshman, Hywell Jones, the Irishman, Hugh O'Toole and the Englishman, Ralph Claxton.
Evil grew in their hearts as they planned to find and kill anyone who owned the jewels of the Garden of Eden.
Each man excelled in one of the seven deadly sins. Roger, with red hair and green eyes, had an "anger" problem. The other three men feared his temper, and Roger became the leader of the pack.
Hywell resembled his great sin of greed. His once round face was pinched with anxiety and avarice.
Hugh, the smallest man. was called, "The Sloth" by the other three men. A clever man and daring to his boots, he had a habit of falling asleep after dinner and never was seen until late the next morning.
Ralph, the youngest man in the group, exhibited a serious attraction to the ladies, any lady. Of course, he was steeped in lust.
If there had been three more men with the sins of envy, gluttony and pride, an entire team of the seven deadly sins would be planning a surprise visit to Eden, but luckily for the innocent Timothy, only four of these sins would make way to the little island.
On the coldest, wettest day of the year, the team of four decided to go west to the coast and look for Eden.
They argued a lot over the way to go, but finally, Roger decided on a ship, which left the northern coast of East Anglia and sailed around the northern parts of Scotland and down to the islands near Jura, where Roger thought Eden would be located.
So, after several months of travel, the four men sailed around the coast and down past the Hebrides, and somewhere in the area of Islay. Roger was wrong, as Timothy's island lay farther south, between the coast of the Mull of Galloway and the mainland near Luce Bay.
Timothy's island was so small and so secret, no map held its name or marked its place.
To be continued..............
He had made friends of all the animals in this small ark and these animals responded by respecting Timothy as one of their own. In addition to caring for the plants, Timothy cared for the many animals.
On his island paradise, Timothy counted five badgers, ten hedgehogs, six Roe deer, nine foxes (four kits), two Arctic wolves, too many rabbits to count, birds of all shapes and colors, and a huge, ancient sea tortoise.
Timothy and the animals shared a rare gift in common. The boy and the animals understood each other. In other words, Timothy could talk to the animals.
For as long as he could remember, Timothy lived among the animals on this verdant isle. He could see the mainland which was so close, one could imagine a giant crossing the sea in two steps to get there, but no one ever bothered either the animals or Timothy in his garden.
The reason that Timothy had remained isolated was owing to two swift sea currents, which flowed up from the southern parts of the world, surrounding his island, but making crossings treacherous. These currents churned up the sea in a fierce battle of hot and cold waters. Timothy, so far, was content to stay on the little land which he seemed to own and grow enough vegetables and catch enough fish to eat.
Some of the trees on the island grew coconuts and mangoes. But, beyond the rough seas, the mainland stood wild and cold, barred from seafarers by high, rocky cliffs, upon which thousands of puffins came twice a year, covering the rocks with their feathers.
Timothy knew that a long time ago, his island had been connected to the mainland, as the corner of the eastern side fit perfectly into a niche of rock which Timothy could see across the water.
How and when his little bit of earth had become detached from the mainland remained a puzzle to the boy.
The huge difference between the mainland and Timothy's island was the churning hot waters which encircled his land and made it a little Garden of Eden.
That so many odd animals from so many parts of the world settled on Timothy's island remained a mystery. But, Timothy found two clues when he was twelve.
On his twelfth birthday, which Timothy did not realize was his birth date, the boy discovered a small cave on the western shore. In the cave, which smelled dark and dank, lay two chests. One held two Bibles, and two books with notes on language. The other chest had been filled to the brim with rare and costly jewels.
Timothy could read. How he could read remained another mystery, as he could not remember his parents or any teachers. But, read he could.
The Bible opened to Timothy two significant details. The first was that his ancestors came from the cold, northern country which he could see from the eastern beach. That Timothy's ancestors had written their names in the Bible, and kept a journal of fifty-two generations, gave Timothy an idea of who he was and from where he had come.
Timothy's ancestors had been Catholics from an area of a land called England. His ancestors came from a place called. Regnum Orientalium Anglorum. A story in the back of the Bible revealed that Timothy's ancestors had fled from their lands at the death of King Edmund on November 20, 869. They traveled north and west until they came to a small peninsula sticking out into the sea from a cold, rocky coast. One name listed in the generations, written in dark black ink, read Ceolwulf. Timothy imagined this name belonged to one of his ancestors.
The second chest holding the jewels also indicated a name of an ancestor. The name of a woman, Alba, was inscribed on the box of jewels. Timothy imagined the jewels adorned the neck and head, ears and wrists of this lady long gone. But, he had never opened the box of jewels.
Timothy could read the Bible and considered himself a Christian. In fact, he wore a cross wrought of silver and decorated with green and purple jewels constantly.
But, even though Timothy hid the jewels in a second chest in his small hut, these jewels were known to four other men on the mainland.
Four evil men had paid an old pirate for a letter which was written in Latin. Only one of these men could read this, but he ascertained that the jewels passed down from a Roman family near the once-island of Flegg of from a villa, called Faustina, had been taken away at the martyrdom of St. Edmund, King, by a relative of Edmund's to a far away place on the western coast.
This letter indicated that the jewels disappeared fifty-two generations from the date of the old pirate's dates, which he compiled at the bottom of the letter.
The letter held a mysterious message that the place of the jewels lay in a cave in the Garden of Eden.
Many thieves had perished in the valley of the Tigris and Mesopotamia Rivers, believing the Garden of Eden where the jewels were hidden was the original one in the Middle East. The old pirate himself had spent years of his life traveling to that part of the world, looking for the jewels, until one day, he realized that the letter was written in an Old English dialect as well as in Latin. The pirate, smarter than most pirates, felt a cold sweat covering his body when he experienced an epiphany that the Garden of Eden with the chest of jewels actually was off the coast of England.
That this pirate took a ship back to England and landed in a small town near Norwich was the beginning of his terrible, fatal illness. Before he died, he met the four evil men who took the letter from him and heard his explanation before he passed away.
The men, one Scot, one English, one Welsh and one Irish swore an oath to each other to find the jewels and share the wealth. The Scot was called Roger Blood, the Welshman, Hywell Jones, the Irishman, Hugh O'Toole and the Englishman, Ralph Claxton.
Evil grew in their hearts as they planned to find and kill anyone who owned the jewels of the Garden of Eden.
Each man excelled in one of the seven deadly sins. Roger, with red hair and green eyes, had an "anger" problem. The other three men feared his temper, and Roger became the leader of the pack.
Hywell resembled his great sin of greed. His once round face was pinched with anxiety and avarice.
Hugh, the smallest man. was called, "The Sloth" by the other three men. A clever man and daring to his boots, he had a habit of falling asleep after dinner and never was seen until late the next morning.
Ralph, the youngest man in the group, exhibited a serious attraction to the ladies, any lady. Of course, he was steeped in lust.
If there had been three more men with the sins of envy, gluttony and pride, an entire team of the seven deadly sins would be planning a surprise visit to Eden, but luckily for the innocent Timothy, only four of these sins would make way to the little island.
On the coldest, wettest day of the year, the team of four decided to go west to the coast and look for Eden.
They argued a lot over the way to go, but finally, Roger decided on a ship, which left the northern coast of East Anglia and sailed around the northern parts of Scotland and down to the islands near Jura, where Roger thought Eden would be located.
So, after several months of travel, the four men sailed around the coast and down past the Hebrides, and somewhere in the area of Islay. Roger was wrong, as Timothy's island lay farther south, between the coast of the Mull of Galloway and the mainland near Luce Bay.
Timothy's island was so small and so secret, no map held its name or marked its place.
To be continued..............
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