Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta tin soldier. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta tin soldier. Mostrar todas las entradas

lunes, 24 de julio de 2017

STEADFAST




he is watching me
through the window
across the street

ratty ribbons and dull medals
hang from his dirty green jacket
the crutch buys him sympathetic coins

i can hear the mad rattle
as he shakes his little tin cup
demanding that i see him

my smile is for the girls
as i lead them across the bright floor
which smells of warm wood and lemon
dancing
to the soft swells of bizet
they make silly faces and giggle at their reflections

trapped
between window and mirror

he is watching me


Rebecca Buchanan is the editor of the Pagan literary zine, Eternal Haunted Summer. She has been published in a wide variety of venues, and would like to reincarnate as a library cat.

HAPPY EVER AFTERLIFE

I never asked to carry a gun
I always wanted to be a ballerina
I was as drafted as you
I spun round on one leg in the womb
I lost my right leg in a battle we won
To stay paper thin I took apples for bread
Or maybe I never had two
Or skipped meals to plié instead

It's all the same now, isn't it? Some would ask why

Survive the inside of a fish...
Torture yourself for a wish?
To be burned alive on a whim?
You'll burn out; a spinster in slippers too tattered to spin
Not me; the answer descends from above
So what if, in a way, they were right?
I got one long last look at my love
This encore is love at first sight


Jude Tulli lives in the Sonoran Desert with his beloved wife Trish and a small pride of housecats.

JOHN SOLDIER

The following contains a personal record relating to experiments performed by an unnamed scientist believed to have been in the employ of the British Army at the time of the Crimean War.  This journal was discovered among records of the 18-- theater disaster in a private collection and was donated to the university library on condition of anonymity.  The other documents mentioned in this text have not been located.  Attempts made to discover the historic location of the Godwin or Goodwin Street Laboratory have thusfar been unsuccessful.

3 April 18--
Godwin Street Laboratory
The experiment was as successful as I'd hoped.  The soldier has regained consciousness and is able to sit and stand, with assistance, and to feed and dress himself.  I've shown him how to affix and remove the prosthetic.  The amputation site is healing well, with no sign of the previous infection.  The prosthetic, iron coated with a tin alloy - of my own design - is sturdy and I believe will meet the present need sufficiently.  It should be much less prone to rot or pests or other damage than the wooden variety. 

7 April 18--
Godwin Street Lab.
The soldier is making gains in his recovery, which I suppose is to be expected in one in the prime of life and health.  He has now taken several steps at a time before needing to rest.  He pushes himself manfully and I believe is as eager for a full recovery as I am.  He still does not speak, and I am uncertain whether that is an unforeseen effect of the resuscitation method, or due to the damage inflicted prior to my acquiring him.  I have every hope that speech may return and have begun language lessons along with daily calisthenics.

14 April 18--
Godwin Street Lab.
The solider still does not speak, though he can cross the laboratory quite easily now.  His movements are surprisingly swift with my prosthetic and the cane I've procured for his use.  He communicates roughly with broad and clumsy gestures.  I have decided to take him out to further exercise his limbs, and I am determined he should have every support in the recovery of the full use of the mind, if that is at all possible.  To that end, I have decided that I will take him to the theater in hopes that art may do for the mind what my own scientific endeavors have done for the body.

18 April 18--
Godwin Street Laboratory
The soldier was quite taken with the performance of two nights ago.  He sat rapt throughout, moaning and swaying to the music, and I believe I even saw a tear slip from closed eyes at the aria.  It is true that beauty may soothe the savage heart of man.  I will take him out again.

20 April 18--
Godwin Street
I took John Soldier, as I've begun to introduce him, to the ballet this evening, and it was, again, a resounding success.  He sat especially straight whenever the prima ballerina, the lovely and incomparable Leonie, came onstage.  After the performance, he tried to draw me backstage, but I explained to him that this was not possible, and returned him to my laboratory.

23 April 18--
Godwin Street Laboratory
John saw a poster for the ballet on our walk today and indicated by gesture that he should like a return visit, and so I will take him again.  He is moving quite well now with the continued assistance of the cane I procured for him.  One might think he was as any other returned veteran.  His dexterity has improved significantly as well, and he communicates quite fluently using signs of his own invention, though verbal communication remains beyond his grasp.  In future efforts, I will seek a specimen free of any trauma to the head to determine whether it is my methods that cause a loss of speech, or if some damage received prior to my receiving of the body may be permanent and irreparable.

26 April 18--
Godwin Street Laboratory
John was again the perfect audience member, giving total attention to the stage.  I must admit that I, too, quite enjoyed the performance.  Now that we have been out several times, I find I may relax more and give myself over to the joys of the theater rather than focus solely on, or worry overmuch for John.  He again tried to draw me backstage, and I reminded him that it wasn't to be done.  Although he does not speak, I've begun to wonder whether John might read and write.  I will purchase some additional writing implements for his practice.

27 April 18--
Godwin Str. Lab.
John is able to write!  I've asked him to write about what he remembers.  He has no recollection of the time before his coming to me.  I explained that he was a soldier in a war, and at this he tapped his prosthetic, I believe indicating his understanding that his leg was lost in the war.  I acknowledged that such was indeed the case, and asked him to write down what had happened to him there.  Of course, I have retained the official report that accompanied him to me; however, I did not wish to influence his own recollection.  In the end he only wrote exactly what I told him, that he had been a soldier in a war and that is how he lost his leg.  I asked him what else he remembered, and he provided a most accurate and moving description of the ballet, and asked the name of the ballerina.  I told him she is Leonie, our shining star escaped to us from the troubles across the Channel.  He asked if this was the war he had been in and I explained that, no, he had come to me from the Crimean War.  He nodded and became pensive and would write no more.  I suspect in my excitement I may have tired him.  Any new skill requires a rest of efforts to perfect!  Tomorrow I shall have him practice more.

28 April 18--
Godwin Str.
John has made some sketches in the night, which I have included in these files. One appears to be of the open ocean, which of course he must have crossed to reach the battlefields.  The other is a strange abstraction I can make head nor tail of.  I asked him to describe them to me and he wrote, they are nothing, and asked to return to the ballet.  I will take him again tonight - I admit, I may be a bit of an indulgent parent - but I have told him he must complete all of his assignment and exercises first, and we will make an effort at speaking some of the words he writes so eloquently.

29 April--
Godwin Street Laboratory
Last night John enjoyed the ballet as always, and came straightaway back to the laboratory without any tugging or reluctance or interest in the backstage area.  I had no suspicions of him, and returned to my own flat after wishing him a good evening.  I arrived at my laboratory early this morning, eager to resume our efforts at communication, and bringing with me a book of poetry that I thought he might enjoy, when I found that the door was unlocked.  He was not inside.  He was nowhere to be found.  I asked the vendors on the street and asked in at the shops, but no one had seen John Soldier.  I returned to my laboratory to investigate further whether anything else was missing, and to try to understand who might have known of my experiment and stolen this most crucial and critical part of my research, when John himself arrived.  I asked for his account of what had occurred, and he wrote that he had gone out.  I asked him, out where, and what did he mean by this?  He wrote down that he had been to see Leonie, that he had given her a letter he had written, that it was not my concern what was contained in that letter (I have included all of his writings with this report, some of which was in answer to my own spoken questions), and that she was pleased with his calling on her.  He means to do it again!  I have explained to him that this cannot be.  He cannot have the liberty of the town.  I have explained that he is not like other men, though I confess I know not how to tell him just what he is; and likewise I have explained that there is keen need and great interest in maintaining discretion around his exact nature and strict control of his comings and goings and whereabouts.  This is where his writing becomes quite heavy and illegible, but he gave me to understand that my interest in controlling his movement is no concern of his.  It is a fit of temper, understandable and passing, I am certain, as he comes to regain his strength and vitality.  I have made him aware that he must, under no circumstances, go out on his own again.

1 May--
He has done it again.  I came and found the door unlocked.  He was here this time, thank God, but had clearly been out in the evening.  He insisted he had not broken his word, as my demand was not the extraction of his promise, and that he had not been out alone in any event, if his safety was my concern.   He was with Leonie and others from the ballet, so he claims!  I begin to understand the frustrations of heads of house when their heirs are prone to disobedience.  I've had a lock put on the door that can only be turned by a key from the outside.  I tried to keep him from seeing it, knowing it would upset him, but he followed me the door, and I heard his wordless yelling and beating against it when I left.

2 May--
Godwin Street Laboratory
He is sulking and refuses to go through any of his exercises.

5 May--
Godwin Str. Lab.
A letter arrived - from the ballerina! - asking where he is and if he is well.  Of course I read it first, and when I showed it to him, he cheered some.  My financiers have requested an updated report and an inspection, so I must have him behaving well.  I've told him if he will perform all his exercises and answer any questions put to him, I'll take him to the ballet again, and he has agreed.  I will put my faith in his word as a soldier.  I don't know that I have any other choice.

8 May--
All is lost!  The culmination of so many years' effort and research, gone!  I do not know by what power I may recover from this blow.  John performed masterfully for the inspectors, and wrote as eloquently as ever, and made noises to demonstrate our efforts at restoring his speech, and I believe they were well satisfied.  As promised, I took him to the ballet.  Our elegant shining star danced as beautifully as ever - 

20 May--
Godwin Street Laboratories
I will own that I broke off in my previous record being fully overcome by emotion at the tragedy I have witnessed, as well as my own great loss.  The beautiful Leonie, in her performance - what was to be her final performance - passed too closely to the gaslights illuminating the stage.  Her flowing skirts lit up before anyone could stop it.  As she ran to and fro across the stage, screaming, John jumped over me and pushed into the aisle, where several patrons were already evacuating in case the danger spread.  I noted again that he had become very agile with his cane.  Then my brave Soldier climbed onto the stage, dropped his cane, and wrapped himself around the ballerina.  Yet rather than snuffing the flames, his coat caught, and then she stopped screaming, and he stood there, in brave silence, until he also fell.  I confess to being struck motionless in my seat, paralyzed by the awfulness of what unfolded before me.  The fire marshal arrived and put out the flames, and all were evacuated from the building.  The reports list John as an unnamed soldier who perished alongside Leonie in an effort to rescue her.  Was he returned to this land of the living only to once again meet such a sudden and complete end?  I have acquired a new specimen and find I am unable to achieve a similar result.



Kiyomi Appleton Gaines loves folklore and fairy tales for what they teach us about what it means to be human; more of her writing can be found on Medium.  She lives in New Orleans with her husband, and pet fish.

THE STEADFAST CADET

THE STEADFAST CADET
by Luisa Kay Reyes


Once upon a time in an old southern college town, there was a strapping young man who attended the local military institute.  Tall, handsome, and broad of shoulders, the cadet was also known for his honesty and integrity.  So much so, that his nickname at the institute was “Steadfast.”  He was very studious and taking a full load of difficult courses, one of which was physics.  One day, as the new semester began, his professor told him that there were now two sections of physics.  The main one which all the military cadets took and then another section which included some of the young ladies from the women’s college nearby.  The section with the students from the women’s college was actually more advanced and the professor was wanting to make sure some of the cadets signed up for it. Steadfast hesitated since he already had a full load of coursework,  but the professor assured him that he wouldn’t regret it.  Especially since one of the young ladies in the class was also a ballerina.  Steadfast signed up for the class.

On the first day of the new class, Steadfast arrived early and took his seat.  Shortly after his arrival, one of the young ladies from the women’s college arrived. Steadfast knew immediately she must be the ballerina.  For she opened the door to the classroom with a flourish of her arms and walked so smoothly to her seat, that it looked like she sashaying across the floor.  In a few minutes some of the other students in the class arrived, but Steadfast could only think of the ballerina now sitting in front of him.  

With the arrival of all the students in the class, the professor began teaching the principles of gravity while they took notes as rapidly as they could.  After covering the basics for the day, the professor decided to introduce everybody to one another.  He introduced the ballerina as one of the young ladies from the women’s college, then he introduced another one of the military cadets taking the class, and then he introduced Steadfast.  When the ballerina turned to look at him while he was being introduced, Steadfast felt pleased as he detected a look of approval in her eyes.  After completing all of the introductions, the professor began talking about some of the student groups on campus and he mentioned the Sons of Washington.  Much to the shock of Steadfast, the ballerina quickly stated that she had heard negative things about the Sons of Washington.  The professor was momentarily caught off guard, but as soon as he recovered his bearings he gave the homework assignment and declared the class to be over for the day.

Steadfast immediately pulled out his notebook and approached the ballerina, asking her where she had received her information.  The ballerina declined to answer, until finally asking him why he was so interested in knowing.  At this point, the professor intervened on his behalf, explaining that Steadfast was the commander of the Sons of Washington.  It was quite an honor for a cadet to be given such a position, but the ballerina merely hurried out of the classroom and made her way back to the women’s college without saying a word.  

Before the next class, the military institute announced it was hosting a ball that weekend in conjunction with the neighboring women’s college.  The student bodies at both institutions were eagerly looking forward to the event as they began pulling out their formal attires and making plans for the event.  Right before the next class began, the students began talking about their plans for the formal evening.  One of the cadets asked the ballerina whom she was going with and Steadfast held his breath.  Thankfully, she very nonchalantly stated that she was on the student committee that was involved in the planning of the ball and she would be helping serve the punch as well as being busy with other details of the event.  She added that she had rehearsal earlier in the day and would be barely making it to the ball in time to fulfill her responsibilities. Steadfast took note. 

The evening of the ball was a lovely one with the stars shining brightly in the sky and lending a soft glow to the sparkling jewelry the young ladies had donned for the event.  As the commander of the Sons of Washington, Steadfast greeted the attendees as they arrived and kept an eye out for when the ballerina would be making her arrival.  When the line to enter the ballroom wound down, it appeared that the ballerina was going to be arriving late, if at all.  Working hard to maintain his composure in spite of the disappointment that was filling his chest, Steadfast ordered his men to begin escorting the ladies onto the dance floor and he took his leave to inspect the premises.  For sometimes, some of the cadets who weren’t able to attend the ball were so disgruntled they would make plans to sabotage the evening.  

As he circled around the building and came back around to the front, noting that everything was in order, he saw a lovely young lady in a soft pink formal dress rushing towards the entrance.  Steadfast knew immediately she was the ballerina, for her dress seemed to flow with the wind behind her as she ran gracefully like a gazelle.  Suddenly, she began hobbling on one foot.  One of her heels had broken, so hurriedly has she been running. Steadfast rushed to her side.  Upon seeing him, the ballerina seemed startled.  But then gave him a beaming smile.  He found himself left speechless by the beatific light in her eyes and then felt his heart race as she told him that she apologized for what she had said earlier about the Sons of Washington.  She explained to him that she had since heard very good things about him and Steadfast took the moment to assure her all was well.  He then asked her if she wouldn’t mind dancing with him once before taking her post serving the punch.  The ballerina deliberated for a moment, but then acquiesced and said she thought she could spare him one first dance.  Steadfast swept her in his arms and led her into the ballroom.  With kind fortune smiling upon him, the band was playing a waltz and the two of them took everyone’s breath away as he twirled her around on one leg as smoothly as the swan over the lake in the early evening. 


Luisa Kay Reyes has had pieces featured in the "Fire In Machines," Hofstra University's "The Windmill," "Halcyon Days," "Fellowship of the King," and other literary magazines. 

viernes, 2 de junio de 2017

IL SOLDATINO DI STAGNO

Diario, 27 settembre
Sono ancora vivo. Tutti mi dicono che dovrei pensare a questo e ringraziare il Cielo e Signoriddio, ma per me in cielo ci sono solo gli astri e il giorno e la notte, a volte i nembi, le nuvole che portano pioggia, gonfie, grigie. E ora che dico dei nembi mi viene in mente il mio amico Nino che era fissato con la geografia e con il meteo e leggeva sempre sui libri che andava a prendere in biblioteca e sapeva tutti i nomi delle nuvole. Non lo vedo da tanto tempo. Lui si è salvato perché era piccoletto e non l’hanno voluto uno così a combattere nel nome della Patria. Che se il cielo è il Cielo, la terra è la Patria e io nemmeno questo riesco a capire. Vedo solo la mia gamba, vedo anzi dov’era la mia gamba e ora c’è l’aria, il niente, anche se a volte mi fa male come se ci fosse ancora. Io solo questo vedo e mi fa arrabbiare.
Diario, 4 ottobre
Oggi sono caduto. Ci mancava anche questo. Ora ho una ferita in testa e le palme delle mani piene di pietruzze che bruciano. Stavo andando a mangiare alla mensa, lì c’è quel passaggio tra le casse della roba scaricata e sono inciampato su una pietra e sono caduto. Mi sono riparato con le mani, ma ho sbattuto con la fronte sullo spigolo di una cassa. E per forza, con questa gamba che mi manca vado sempre storto, ho la stampella, ma non mi ci sono ancora abituato. Oggi piove. Ho mangiato poco, il pomodoro nella zuppa di fagioli è sempre un po’ acido, ma non è tanto questo, è che mi sono intristito per la caduta. Ora scrivo e fumo. Non c’è nessun altro nella camerata. L’unica cosa buona con una gamba in meno è che non devo fare più niente, solo aspettare, stare ancora col gruppo, prima o poi rientreremo.
Diario, 6 ottobre
L’aria è elettrica, pioverà. Non c’è nulla da raccontare oggi, ma volevo dire dell’aria.
Diario, 7 ottobre
Ho deciso di scrivere tutti i giorni così diventa veramente un diario che racconta una storia dall’inizio alla fine, però siamo sempre accampati qui, non stanno bombardando, non è successo niente di nuovo.
Diario, 8 ottobre
Non so che scrivere, le parole sono tutte povere.
Diario, 20 ottobre
Sono su una barca da diverse ore.  Prima stavo male e non potevo scrivere. Mi sono imboscato, sono andato via dall’accampamento, ormai non ci sono più tanti controlli e da quando non ho la gamba non mi considerano  tanto. Mi sono messo dei vestitacci, sono arrivato piano piano  alla spiaggia, che non era tanto lontana. Meno male, per stavolta, che non avevo la gamba. Un po’ facevo pena, un po’ pensavano a un poveretto, insomma nessuno è venuto a farmi domande, nessuno mi ha bloccato. C’erano dei pescatori vicino a una barca che stavano pulendo le reti. Le facevano scorrere su un tavolaccio di legno e con un martello molto grande riducevano in poltiglia i granchi e altri crostacei, pescetti e conchiglie che erano rimasti impigliati. Battevano col martello sui gusci e schizzavano pezzi ovunque. Alcuni mi sono schizzati anche addosso. Ho pensato, che metodo strano e brutale di pulire le reti. Sì, però è il metodo più veloce in effetti. Dopo ripiegavano le reti dentro casse di zinco. Ho chiesto se potevo andare con loro, come aiuto. Prima hanno riso, secondo me perché pensavano che aiuto può dare uno senza gamba. Però io ho detto che avrei aiutato a preparare da mangiare, a mettere in ordine le cassette di pesce e anche a pulire le reti, che lo sapevo fare (in verità l’avevo appena visto, ma non ci vuole mica tanto a fare una strage di animali che non si possono muovere). Mi hanno fatto salire. All’inizio stavo male, poi mi sono abituato, ho sbucciato le patate.
Diario 22 ottobre
Gli altri di sera quando rientriamo in porto se ne vanno a dormire a casa, quindi io dormo in barca da solo e mi sono aggiustato un letto niente male. La barca è come una culla molto grande, quindi è un piacere dormire.
Diario, 30 ottobre
Da soldato che ero alla fine sono diventato un pescatore. O meglio uno che aiuta i pescatori. Mi piace quando siamo in mare, a volte si avvicinano i delfini, poi il tempo cambia in un attimo, i tipi di nuvole del mio amico Nino secondo me li ho visti tutti, i pesci sono belli, argentati, a volte saltano dalle cassette. Anche gli altri pescatori mi hanno preso in simpatia, si vede. Il problema è che quando rientriamo al porto e faccio il lavoro delle reti ho sempre un po’ paura che qualcuno dell’esercito mi viene a cercare e per un disertore poi non è un bell’affare. Altro problema, non riesco a scrivere il diario ogni giorno come avevo pensato.
Diario, 30 ottobre
Prima ho dimenticato di dire che i miei compagni pescatori conoscono tantissime storie, strane anche, e stanno sempre a raccontare e mi piace tanto che mi fa un effetto al cervello come se qualcuno ci infilasse le mani per massaggiarlo.
Diario, 15 novembre
Sono successe tante cose, sono stato costretto a sparire dal porto, ho dovuto lasciare i pescatori miei amici. Sto navigando su una nave da diversi giorni ormai, un po’ nascosto, nel senso che durante il giorno non mi faccio vedere in giro e esco  solo di sera sul ponte. Mi è sembrato di notare qualcuno che fa come me, però meglio non fare domande, ognuno ha i problemi suoi. Io dal porto mi dovevo allontanare, avevo visto gente con la divisa che chiedeva.
Diario, 17 novembre
Acqua, acqua, acqua. Non si sa dov’è il davanti e dov’è il dietro. Il mare mi piace, ma ho capito che ogni cosa se ce n’è troppa o dura troppo stufa.
Diario, 20 novembre
Vedo qualcosa, come un’ombra all’orizzonte, che non sono sicuro se c’è davvero o no.
Sì, è la terra. Domani mattina approdiamo da qualche parte.
Diario, 27 novembre
Arrivato al porto qualche giorno fa, sono sceso veloce (più veloce che potevo senza una gamba) e mi sono allontanato perché non si sa mai, forse mi cercano ancora e poi forse fanno i controlli e magari mi mandano in carcere perché ho disertato. Ormai sono arrivato qui e pure se sono ancora lontano da casa, in qualche modo ci arriverò. Più che altro mi muovo di notte, di giorno sto nei paeselli così trovo qualcosa da mangiare e sembro a tutti un mendicante senza una gamba e quindi non mi chiedono niente, anzi mi fanno anche delle offerte a volte.
Diario, 28 novembre
Sono lento, sono pieno di dolori. Chissà quanto ci metterò a ritornare.
Diario, 29 novembre
Sulla riva di un piccolo fiume. L’acqua è così bella, amica. Mi sono seduto su una pietra e l’acqua mi scorre intorno alla vita e sulla gamba. Ho un peso nel petto. Non so chi trovo quando torno a casa. E se non mi riconoscono? In certi momenti penso che era meglio stare là, almeno ci ero abituato. Invece adesso ho paura di qualcosa e non so che cosa. Voglio solo riposare, non pensare a niente, riposare.
Diario,  10 dicembre
Più nessuno, più nessuno, non c’è nessuno. Perché? Perché? Perché? Io non dovevo tornare. Quando non si vede il male non c’è.
Diario, 22 dicembre
“E io dovrei vivere, tu dici! Vivere questa vita? Allora dimmi anche: a che scopo? Per chi? Per cosa?
Per te stesso! Per la vita! La tua strada ti aspetta. E di quando in quando potrai incontrare dei lampioni.
Avanti, camerati, questo dramma dobbiamo naturalmente recitarlo imperterriti fino alla fine. Chissà in quale buio angolo ci ritroveremo o su quale tenero seno, quando il sipario finalmente, finalmente, cadrà.
Pesce, pesce, dove sei? Pesciolino freddo! Io? Io sono morto. Oh, sei morto? Ed io che ti sto cercando in ogni angolo della terra! Perché mi cerchi? Perché? Perché ti amo, povero fantasma! E adesso mi dici che sei morto?
Datemi una risposta! Ma perché tacete? Perché? Allora nessuno mi dà una risposta? Nessuno mi risponde??? Nessuno, proprio nessuno può darmi una risposta???”

Accettazione 10.511
Data: 20/01/****
Ref. N. 4
In data 23/12/****  il paziente  B*** F*** è arrivato al pronto soccorso in ambulanza riportando gravi ustioni su tutto il corpo. È rimasto ricoverato nel reparto di rianimazione per 28 giorni e poi trasportato in questo reparto di psichiatria. Non sono chiari i motivi dell’incendio divampato nella rimessa dove il paziente viveva in condizioni di abusività nonché di totale assenza di servizi e igiene. Da una ricerca è risultato che il paziente era membro del battaglione *** nel paese di *** e che è stato dichiarato disertore a partire dal 10/10/****. Il paziente era stato ferito gravemente durante un bombardamento nella città di *** e in seguito gli era stata amputata la gamba sinistra. Nessun famigliare si è presentato al presidio ospedaliero e da ciò si deduce che il paziente non ha più rapporti con i suoi congiunti, che probabilmente hanno lasciato il paese a causa della guerra o sono morti. Le pagine di diario allegate si sono salvate dal rogo e grazie al lavoro accurato dell’infermiera E*** F*** del nostro reparto sono state trascritte, nel migliore dei modi, interpretando la grafia del paziente e cercando di ricostruire i passaggi di difficile comprensione a causa dell’annerimento delle pagine dovuto al fumo. Oltre alle suddette pagine di diario, sono stati ritrovati nel luogo abitato dal paziente i seguenti oggetti: una pietra scura di forma levigata, un orologio a cipolla, un coltellino, due libri che hanno la copertina e le pagine quasi del tutto bruciacchiate (su una si legge la parola “porta” e “Borch”, probabilmente parte del nome dell’autore). Il paziente è ora ricoverato in questo reparto e sottoposto a terapia farmacologica. Non appena lo stato di salute fisica migliorerà, si procederà al colloquio di prassi.
Dott. L*** J***

martes, 17 de junio de 2014

ASSORTED FAIRYTALES

Young Ned enters a haunted mansion where enchantment reigns:



Kate, a young maidservant, seeks her new mistress, befriending magical creatures along the way:



In times without greed, corruption, or conflict... the gods entrust a very special box to a curious lady called Pandora. The rest, we may say, is history!


A master patissiere, who happens to be a wife and mother, is whisked away by the fair folk to prepare delicious desserts for them. Will Lucy be able to escape and reunite with her loved ones?


Andersen's immortal tale about a girl the size of her mother's thumb, born out of a wish and a flower. As the seasons change, she gets one unwanted suitor after the other: a froglet, a braggart beetle, a posh mole... Will she find true love somewhere?


A farm girl gets a mini calf for a pet. But some animals need to be free... such as the cattle of the fair folk! Will Jenny be able to say goodbye to Kebeg?


Three young peasant sisters accept a royal engagement challenge. Tansy (the eldest) is dark-haired, Celandine (the middle one) is fair-haired, and Grindelia (the youngest) is auburn... and rather absent-minded! Which one of them will become a princess bride?


A Slavic "Clever Lass" story, in which the czar is outwitted, time after time, by a peasant maiden. But love gradually blossoms between the unequal contestants in this dramatic battle of wits...


A crippled tin soldier falls for a lovely music-box ballerina. But her jack-in-the-box fiancé casts a curse on the lovers to separate them. After many adventures... will true love find a way?


One winter, the Snow Queen freezes young Kai's heart and whisks him away to her court north of the Arctic Circle. And thus, Kai's friend Gerda goes forth on a quest, encountering the Clever Princess, the Robber Girl, and many more enchanting characters. But will their aid and Gerda's own willpower suffice to warm Kai's heart?


A day in the life of a young otter:



Susan, the daughter of a missing captain, lives as an exile among the riverside reeds for years in her father's absence, a feral child raised by the riverside fauna. One autumn day, the gulls bring tidings of the girl's father, having landed all the way from Persia... Or is he another captain? Her swan friends hasten to meet the stranger to verify if the tall, dashing captain James is Susan's missing father...
(Part I of this two-part story is needless, since it describes Susan's mother's death and her father's departure in a quite Dickensian way that moves me to tears, aside from giving a description of the setting. So I just uploaded Part II, which I listen to as a stand-alone story, and which can be listened to as a stand-alone)



A modern story retold in an Andersenian way, with a snake for a white knight and a rose for a lady fair:



A favourite Norse myth in which Frost Giants steal Thor's hammer and will only hand it over in exchange for Freya's hand. Loki the trickster has an idea... resorting to crossdressing! And thus, comedy ensues...