Autumn
Lady
Pippa woke
up.
She looked
around. It was still dark.
The window
rattled. Pippa snuggled deeper under the duvet and clutched Tom the Cat tightly
to her chest.
She heard a strange “wheeeeee” sound.
‘Maybe
it is a ghost?’ Pippa wondered and shivered.
“Mummy!”
she called and pulled the duvet over her head.
Mum came
into the room rubbing her eyes. “What’s wrong Pippa? It’s
the middle of the night!”
Mum looked
for her in the light of the little night light. “Where are you?”
she asked sleepily.
Pippa peeped
from under the duvet. “I’m here!”
“What
are you doing under the duvet?”
“Hiding,
of course!”
“What
are you hiding from?” Mum asked.
“The
ghost! Can’t you hear it? It goes ‘Wheeeeee’, and then it’s
quiet for a bit, before it starts again,” Pippa explained.
“That’s
no ghost. It’s the wind,” Mum laughed.
“It
is a ghost. I heard it.” Pippa shouted and lifted the duvet completely
off her face. “It’s far too scary tbe just the wind!”
“It’s
the wind collecting all the most beautiful leaves for the Autumn Lady,”
Mum told her and sat down beside her.
“Who
is the Autumn Lady?” Pippa snuggled up to Mum.
“Remember
Jack Frost who makes the winter come?” Mum asked.
Pippa nodded.
“There
is also the Spring Maid, the Summer King, and the Autumn Lady,” Mum
explained.“I remember.
“They
make the seasons come, don’t they?” Pippa laughed.
Mum nodded,
“Yes, the Spring Maid sings to the flowers to make them grow and calls
to the geese to bring spring.”
Pippa interrupted,
“And the Summer King rides the sun to make it hot everywhere?”
“Yes.
He rides the sun like a horse high up in the sky,” Mum agreed.
“What
about the Autumn Lady?” Pippa reminded Mum.
“The
Autumn Lady calls the winds to collect the leaves—”
“You
told me that already. But what does she need them for?” Pippa interrupted.
“For
the dress she wears at the Great Ball,” Mum explained.
“The
whole dress is made of leaves?” Pippa wondered, and tried to imagine
it. “It must look very beautiful.”Mum smiled.
“What
is the Great Ball?” Pippa asked. [..]
Copyright,
Sybille Sterk 2002, 2003
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