The helfenschwein,…
Schnauzeschnorzel, the helfenschwein to the wizard, Peter, was in the forest’s river filling a pot to take back to his master’s home for to be used for potions, his tea (the infusion of leaves that the wizard drank with milk and sugar) and his tea (his daily light evening meal).
It had been a long day for Schnauzeschnorzel, as most were, sniffing out and finding plants as well as preparing meals for himself and his master. There were still his duties helping with the evening’s research to come.
And it had been a very hot day, too. Not so bad, perhaps, in the forest as for those living outside its cooling shade and breeze, but still unpleasant for a pig assistant having to fetch and carry heavy things to and fro. And so Schnauzeschnorzel was lying naked in the river, only his snout poking through the water’s surface- the pot resting next to him at the bottom, ready-filled for the return journey.
Happily he lay, dreamily, knowing that it mattered not if he spent an overly long time cooling down. He knew one spell, sneakily discovered one glorious evening years before, and it enabled him to move quickly, quietly and without effort back to the wizard’s hut.
A spanner, though, was moving towards the works that day. And Schnauzeschnorzel was lying so happily as he felt the water move about and caress his aching arms, legs and back, that he only discovered that spanner when it roughly grabbed his snout.
*
…the curious boy…
The curious boy, Craig, sat at the river’s edge staring at the helfenschwein. He was supposed to be collecting kindling wood but boredom had inevitably taken over and the boy had wandered.
It was the strangely shaped clothes that he had noticed first. They didn’t look like they would fit any person that he had ever seen. No one was that round except for in stories. Though some said the king was and that thought had made Craig approach the river’s edge. What he saw astounded him.
A pig lying, almost entirely submerged in the water, flat on its back like a person might on their bed. Not just any pig, either, but one with what looked like human hands. Craig wasn’t completely sure about this part because of the water’s distorting effects but that’s how it looked.
He watched for some time until, as nothing happened or changed, Craig’s curiosity got the better of him. Carefully he approached the edge of the river and slowly lowered his feet, one at a time, into the water before taking calm fairy steps toward the helfenschwein, approaching from downstream to try and minimise the chances of alerting it.
Once alongside, Craig stood and continued to watch this beast of the water. It seemed not to be breathing and, to test if it was alive or not, Craig reached out a hand and grabbed its snout. As soon as Craig did this there was a strange popping sound and everything around him changed.
*
…and the wizard
The helfenschwein and the curious boy found themselves in the wizard, Peter’s, cabin wet and dripping.
“You,” Peter announced, pointing at Schnauzeschnorzel, “Get a mop and clean this mess up!”
“And you,” Peter continued, turning to Craig, “I should kill.”
The boy took a sharp intake of breath- “Fortunately for you wizards don’t believe in such punishments.”- and let it out again.
“What I’m meant to do is make you forget but I don’t believe in that either.
“What I’m going to do is strike a deal. In exchange for not tampering with your mind, you must never tell a soul about these events. I’m going to cast a spell on you to help make sure. If you do tell someone, you will instantly forget about all of this and everyone will believe you to be mad.
“How does that sound?”
“Fine, sir,” Craig said very quickly.
“Excellent.”
Peter retreated into his kitchen to brew the potion. What little Craig could hear and see tantalised him but he would not act upon his curiosity again that day. Rather he stood still, not daring to take a closer look for fear of a greater punishment.
Soon Peter returned with the potion which Craig drank before swearing to never speak of that day.
“Excellent,” the wizard reacted and there was another popping sound: Craig and Schnauzeschnorzel found themselves back in the river. The boy mumbled an apology and, quickly, the pair moved in opposite directions, quickly getting on with their duties.
Schnauzeschnorzel, the helfenschwein to the wizard, Peter, was in the forest’s river filling a pot to take back to his master’s home for to be used for potions, his tea (the infusion of leaves that the wizard drank with milk and sugar) and his tea (his daily light evening meal).
It had been a long day for Schnauzeschnorzel, as most were, sniffing out and finding plants as well as preparing meals for himself and his master. There were still his duties helping with the evening’s research to come.
And it had been a very hot day, too. Not so bad, perhaps, in the forest as for those living outside its cooling shade and breeze, but still unpleasant for a pig assistant having to fetch and carry heavy things to and fro. And so Schnauzeschnorzel was lying naked in the river, only his snout poking through the water’s surface- the pot resting next to him at the bottom, ready-filled for the return journey.
Happily he lay, dreamily, knowing that it mattered not if he spent an overly long time cooling down. He knew one spell, sneakily discovered one glorious evening years before, and it enabled him to move quickly, quietly and without effort back to the wizard’s hut.
A spanner, though, was moving towards the works that day. And Schnauzeschnorzel was lying so happily as he felt the water move about and caress his aching arms, legs and back, that he only discovered that spanner when it roughly grabbed his snout.
*
…the curious boy…
The curious boy, Craig, sat at the river’s edge staring at the helfenschwein. He was supposed to be collecting kindling wood but boredom had inevitably taken over and the boy had wandered.
It was the strangely shaped clothes that he had noticed first. They didn’t look like they would fit any person that he had ever seen. No one was that round except for in stories. Though some said the king was and that thought had made Craig approach the river’s edge. What he saw astounded him.
A pig lying, almost entirely submerged in the water, flat on its back like a person might on their bed. Not just any pig, either, but one with what looked like human hands. Craig wasn’t completely sure about this part because of the water’s distorting effects but that’s how it looked.
He watched for some time until, as nothing happened or changed, Craig’s curiosity got the better of him. Carefully he approached the edge of the river and slowly lowered his feet, one at a time, into the water before taking calm fairy steps toward the helfenschwein, approaching from downstream to try and minimise the chances of alerting it.
Once alongside, Craig stood and continued to watch this beast of the water. It seemed not to be breathing and, to test if it was alive or not, Craig reached out a hand and grabbed its snout. As soon as Craig did this there was a strange popping sound and everything around him changed.
*
…and the wizard
The helfenschwein and the curious boy found themselves in the wizard, Peter’s, cabin wet and dripping.
“You,” Peter announced, pointing at Schnauzeschnorzel, “Get a mop and clean this mess up!”
“And you,” Peter continued, turning to Craig, “I should kill.”
The boy took a sharp intake of breath- “Fortunately for you wizards don’t believe in such punishments.”- and let it out again.
“What I’m meant to do is make you forget but I don’t believe in that either.
“What I’m going to do is strike a deal. In exchange for not tampering with your mind, you must never tell a soul about these events. I’m going to cast a spell on you to help make sure. If you do tell someone, you will instantly forget about all of this and everyone will believe you to be mad.
“How does that sound?”
“Fine, sir,” Craig said very quickly.
“Excellent.”
Peter retreated into his kitchen to brew the potion. What little Craig could hear and see tantalised him but he would not act upon his curiosity again that day. Rather he stood still, not daring to take a closer look for fear of a greater punishment.
Soon Peter returned with the potion which Craig drank before swearing to never speak of that day.
“Excellent,” the wizard reacted and there was another popping sound: Craig and Schnauzeschnorzel found themselves back in the river. The boy mumbled an apology and, quickly, the pair moved in opposite directions, quickly getting on with their duties.
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