Story #10

Once there was a soldier who made a friend of a sailor.  They told each other lots of tales, of fights and fronts they had come through.  The sailor only wanted to forget the deeds that he had done but the soldier was proud and wanted to remember.  The soldier also told of hearts that he had conquered and teased the sailor when he said he had never been in love.

One evening the two young men were walking through the park.  They heard people laughing and saw the light of a bright fire up ahead in the distance.  When they got closer they saw that the people were dancing around the fire to the beat of many drums.  Each dancer was carrying a beautiful fan.  As the dancers went round and round, the circle slowed, then finally stopped.  The two men glanced around the circle until their eyes fell upon the most beautiful woman they had ever seen.  They could see the light of the fire in her eyes and all the air around her seemed to glow.

The soldier and the sailor made their way around the edge of the fire to where the lady stood.  As she saw the two men approaching, she took her fan and threw it into the crowd.  The two men turned to look at the fan, glowing as it fell far away from where they were standing.  When they turned back to face the dancer, she was smiling.  She told them that whomever could bring back to her what she had cast away would be the winner of her true love.

The soldier thought skeptically for a moment.  He thought the lady was simply trying to see which one of them was a fool and get him out of the way.  But the sailor looked into the lady's eyes and saw the true love that he desired.  He knew that he must do whatever she would ask.

The soldier laughed at the sailor as he ran of after the fan, but bowed his head in shame when the sailor returned holding the fan out in offering to the lady.  The woman leapt into the sailors arms and cried with joy because she knew he was the one who was not afraid to take a chance.

Lady With a Fan by Robert Hunter
For full bibliographical reference please click here.

Let my inspiration flow
in token lines suggesting rhythm
that will not forsake me
till my tale is told and done

While the firelight's aglow
strange shadows in the flame will grow
till things we've never seen
will seem familiar

Shadows of a sailor forming
winds both foul and fair all swarm
Down in Carlisle he loved a lady
many years ago

Here beside him stands a man
a soldier by the looks of him
who came through many fights
but lost at love

While the storyteller speaks
a door within the fire creaks
suddenly flies open
and a girl is standing there

Eyes alight with glowing hair
all that fancy paints as fair
She takes her fan and throws it
in the lion's den

"Which of you to gain me, tell
will risk uncertain pains of hell?
I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance"

The sailor gave at least a try
the soldier being much too wise
Strategy was his strength
and not disaster

The sailor coming out again
the lady fairly leapt at him
That's how it stands today
you decide if he was wise

The storyteller makes no choice
Soon you will not hear his voice
His job is to shed light
and not to master

Since the end is never told
we pay the teller off in gold
in hopes he will come back
but he cannot be bought or sold