-from The Book of Yelps and Growls

Once upon a time there was a red castle on an island in the middle of the ocean. In the castle lived a sour man who liked to call himself The Negation of Everything.
He wore long pants with stripes and kept his fingernails short. He had a passion for chess and dead art. With these two interests he passed the time while he waited for his seven wives to awaken. They had been sleeping for seven years.
This he attributed to woman’s laziness.

The Negation of Everything had a stout old servant named Gelda. In the evenings when she brought him his dinner he would sometimes try to seize her and kiss her, but she would push him away saying “Ach! You are as sour as old milk! Don’t touch me.” Then he would glower at her with hunched shoulders and imagine her suffering evils. But Gelda did not care because she was like an old horse with thick hooves.

One night a man came to the door of the castle. He was a pilgrim and was looking for suffering. Unfortunately, he was unlucky, and could not get what he wanted.
He knocked - Clang! And thunder-echo! - on the great wooden door.
“Gelda! Open the door!” cried The Negation of Everything, pointing his finger.

--(Untranslateable section including several colloquialisms and one proverb concerning ideas specific to the culture in which the story originated.)--

The next day The Negation of Everything took the pilgrim arm-in-arm to show him the Garden of Dead Sculptures. It was here that the pilgrim’s bad luck left him, for he fell in love with a dead statue and found his suffering. She was cold and beautiful and dead-weight marble, and when he tried to steal her later that night (for of course he had to have her) she fell upon him and broke his head. In the morning Gelda found him and her screams woke the seven sleeping wives of The Negation of Everything. They flew out of the castle window and into the trees and the unhealthiness of their arguments brought pestilence upon the island.

31 October, 2017

15 minutes: "Meet the Pilgrims"

They're here! Down by the shore! Right now!

You won't believe what they're wearing! Clothes made out of the strangest stuff! And their hair, such crazy hair! Who could've imagined such strangeness in people? Who could've imagined that they think such things are normal?

And their language, well, we're still trying to figure that out. It will all come in due time of course, but come, come, I have so much to show you!

Did you see their boats? Such wild and crazy boats! How much wood did they put into those I wonder? They seem confused though. I don't think they know what they're doing. It's funny. It's cute! It's exciting! So many new things!

They brought their families. I wonder if their families are like our families, or do they do things as strange as their hair? They show us such strange items. I have no clue what they're for, or even whether they're truly useful or just toys for passing the time.

Come, come, let's go meet them! They're working on their shelters now, or at least many of them are. Who knows what the others are doing. Why are they here I wonder. Do they wish to trade? Are they on holiday? Are they fleeing from enemies? Maybe one day they can tell us their whole story. One day, one day. All in good time I guess. First we have to figure out what they say to each other. They seem so serious compared to us. Maybe they're worried about something ...those enemies chasing them I bet! They seem like a kind bunch I think. We can certainly protect them if needed - nobody knows these lands like we do.

Look, look! There's some down there talking to your father! Are they actually talking? I have no idea. Trying to talk maybe. You'll have to get him to tell you the whole story when he comes back, then fill me in on the details.

These are exciting times we live in my friend, exciting times! I already talked to some of them this morning, or at least tried to say something. I'm not sure if we really understood anything we were trying to say to one another. This whole season is going to be interesting I think. Do you think they'll stay the whole season?

I hope so.

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