"If our lives be short let our fame be great"
Such was the answer the north people gave when a small Sparrow was sent to them by God to ask if they would rather be
many a number with long and easy lives or be few and short-lived but whose glory would live throughout time.
Their Legends still echo across the Caucasus but sadly that echo is getting fainter.
So, to honor that cry from long ago, it's only fitting we tell one of their tales today.
We'll start with an old one. Perhaps, one of the first to be told the tale of a golden tree.
The Narts had among them a tree that was the aureate hue of the light after sunrise or the gilt pommel of the finest sort.
But, this tree wasn't merely golden.
It had a magic to it. Unheard of in other trees any
apple that began to sprout from it would be fully ripe by nightfall,
and those apples wouldn't just be normal apples either. They were white as snow
on one side, and of the richest deepest red on the other,
and any woman who was infertile, if she ate the white side would conceive a daughter with hair of the palest white, and
if she ate from the red side, she would have a son with the same snow touch blocks.
But, one day when the Narts awoke they found that there were no apples under the tree.
At first, this didn't disturb them greatly for the other apples were beginning to sprout and by the next day
They would be ripe but when the next day came, they found that those apples were stolen as well
So, the Nart called together a council of their wisest people to decide how they might catch this thief
After some deliberation, the council decreed that a guard should be set by the tree
But it was for naught. For the next day, when they awoke they found the apples had once again been stolen.
So again, the council deliberated and this time they said we shall put a fence of thorns around the magic tree.
So, a high fence of vicious thorns was built but this too was for naught the next day
The apples had once again somehow been stolen so like clockwork
The council met a third time and at this meeting they decided to take no chances
"We shall post an entire band of horsemen around the tree so that no one might slip by, and
thus a host of horsemen each armed with weapons made for war took up position around the tree".
But even this say it with me now was for naught
Because the next morning the apples were gone again
And there was no trace of the thief
none of the horsemen could recall having seen anyone the entire night and not a footprint nor hoof mark was found to indicate the
thief's passage. But, there were two brothers, known throughout all of the lands for their prowess in battle who said that they would sit watch
legends say their arrows never missed their mark and their swords never failed to bite.
They were the Narts last hope and
so as night fell they sat by the golden tree and waited after many hours the elder brother began to doze off
But just as he fell deep asleep, the younger brother saw something through the gloom
It was three white doves descending upon the tree
He turned to wake his brother but seeing that the doves were about to take off with the apples
He turned and shot his bow. His arrow wounded one and blood flowed freely from it yet
It still carried off its apple and escaped
He took out his kerchief and dabbed at the blood then shook his brother awake to show him and tell him what had happened
immediately the elder brother sprung up and said they must follow this trail of blood to wherever the doves landed and
So they rode mile after mile after mile
Following a seemingly endless trail until at last they came to the shore of the Sea of Azov.
But that's where the trail ended right at the waterline
So the younger brother turned to the older and said,
"If we turn back now we disgrace not only ourselves
but our whole family the doves came to this sea and I will find them. Stay on this beach.
Wait one year for me if I have not returned by then, know I am dead".
With that, the younger brother drew his sword and
Struck the waves with such a mighty force that the sea parted and he stepped onto the seafloor
reminding all of us at home that
There in the depths shadowed by great walls of water
He walked and walked until at last, he came to a ravine filled with mist
within which he found a house of the whitest white and entered as he crossed the threshold
seven identical brothers appeared and began to follow him
They bowed in unison and offered him great hospitality
to women then entered and brought a small table and laid upon it water and food.
At first, this hero of the Narts only saw a scrumptious meal for he was famished from his great journey.
But then as he was digging into the food his hand alighted on something familiar
It was one of the apples. "How is this here?" He asked this is the object of my quest
the seven brothers had all sat as one but on hearing this they all rose and said
Soon as you have been honest with us we shall be to you
We are the children of the lady of flour and waters our three sisters used to go and fetch apples for our meals
Every day, but one was injured and now lies bleeding in her bed. We fear death here
How can I help ask the young hero?
To save her we would need some of the blood that was shed
With that the young man sprung to his feet and said then perhaps I can help
He withdrew his kerchief and handed it to the seven strange brothers
They wet the cloth and breast it to their sisters' wounds and right away the wounds began to close
Astounded they said
Never have we met such a hero and
As soon as the sister was recovered she and our young hero got married because as we've learned from all of these myths quote-unquote
Romance back in the day was a little different at last our heroes set off for home meeting his brother on the seashore
he introduced him to his new wife and
triumphant they all headed back to Narnia where the marriage was met with a great feast and
That's how the sea gods became part of the NART tribe
Okay, everyone who's hungry
Oh, that was um, that was a crabapple
Legendary thanks to patron Kyle Murgatroyd