Thistles of Mizgeer
Once upon a time Queen born a first boy. King was unalloyed, the court was in heavy mourning, but there was nothing to do – the boy got his family name Mizgeer and family curse in addition.
The curse was that the first boy in the royal family always got an awful dicease. Till his five years he was weakening and decaying, and then, despite all efforts of healers, spells of wizards and prays of priests, the child turned into ugly monster-spider. It was possible to cancel the curse, only if the prince were bathed into magic spring, which was situated in the heart of Spider Forest and nobody could reach it.
The King himself was the second son and he brought back to memory his brother’s fate, Mizgeer XI. At the age of three he was sent to the spring in the golden carriage, with the best horses, under the care of nurse and kept by the best warriors, whom the King had chosen by himself. Nobody was back then. However, even the boy’s death were better than the horrible transformation.
Soon after the birth, the Queen crying swore to spare her son from his tough luck. The prince was growing up, and the Queen was thinking, how to bring her baby to the miracle spring. Everybody loved the Queen, she was very beautiful and good-hearted, and her misfortune pressed upon everybody.
When Prince Mizgeer XII was 2 years old, the main resident weaver asked for King’s audience. In excitement she said, that she was ready to help – not to escort the Prince to the spring, but to make a thing that may help to reach the spring. The King was very angry, he didn’t wish to venture his beloved wife’s life, but the Queen loved her son very much. She could persuade the King that the weaver’s plan was rather good. She promised to weave for the Queen a sling, like women who worked in the fields used, and the Queen might carry her baby as far as she needed – only if all necessary materials were found.
I’ll give everything for the sake of my son’s health! –the King cried. – I’ll order to deliver silk, golden threads, furs and the most expensive dyes.
I don’t need all that things, Your Majesty, — the woman answered. – Please, tell to bring ordinary cotton, as for dyes – let the threads be dyed in yellow, green and violet, the weft let be as black as ink.
At midnight the weaver started her work. While creating the cloth she was singing:
Oh, my spindle, spin and run,
Magic work has just begun.
Fate will save the little prince,
That is all I could evince.
Oh, my shuttle, don’t be late,
Thread of hope, please, create,
And my pattern will destroy
In the Forest grim decoy,
Let my Queen and Prince survive
Peace in Kingdom will revive.
When the work was over, a long piece of cloth was brought to the Queen. Colorful threads were encurled, making a pattern of ominous unnegotiable thicket. The Queen was ready for her way and she wrapped her baby.
One day passed and the Queen came to the first obstacle. The way to the Spider’s Forest went between high mountains, and the road was burning, the fire was like a solid wall. One couldn’t see, what was burning – wood or coal, but the fire was roaring and didn’t calm down.
Did she have to go back? Of course, not, and the Queen rushed forward through the fire, covered herself with a piece of cloth, in which the baby was wrapped.
As a thunder cloud shone and sparkled a violet thread in the magic wrap.
Oh, my spindle, spin and run,
Magic work has just begun.
Wrap will save my son from fire,
That’s my uttermost desire.
…and the fire gave way, because the rain from the thunder cloud put it out. Covered by the magic wrap, the Queen and Prince survived, only the edges of cloth burned.
In the end of the next day the river appeared in front of them. It was not an ordinary river – sharp ice knives and arrows coursed along its current, there was neither bridge, no boat on the bank, and the current was very strong.
But the Queen couldn’t go back, and pulled herself together, put the Prince on her back. She wrapped him tightly and stepped into the water. The water was severe cold, the current was nearly to knock her down, and the blades of ice knives were cutting her legs…
Oh, my shuttle, don’t be late,
Wooden bridge for us create,
That for sure help to master
River’s horrible disaster!
A yellow, as wooden planks, thread sparkled in the wrap, and a firm bridge appeared under Queen’s feet. She crossed the river on it and fell down exhausted. The baby was safe and sound, ice arrows didn’t wound him. The magic wrap saved the little one, but split into parts as the Queen unwrapped him. But they had to go further. The Queen bind the rest of cloth as a loop and put her son into it.
Next day they reached the forest and realized, why it was called Spider’s Forest. Bushes of thistle twisted as nets, needles stick out, and disgusting, shaggy and soundless spiders ran on the branches. The path hardly could be found among thorny bushes.
The Queen looked at her baby, who fell asleep, looked at the rest of the wrap, at the pattern, where the thistle was weaved and it seemed that she heard:
And my pattern will destroy
In the Forest grim decoy,
Magic cloth, please don’t betray
In the end of trickish way
…and strength were back to the Queen, she felt by her heart where to go and ran bravely forward, paying no attention to needles which scratched her. Soon she came out to the spring in the heart of the forest, without hesitation ran to it and took clear water with her son in hands. At the same moment pain relieved, wounds and weariness were forgotten; the Queen looked at her son’s eyes and saw, that the disease left him. The baby lighted up, stretched his hands to her and bust out laughing.
When the Queen turned around, to the direction were their Kingdom was, she saw, that there were no cursed thorny bushes. The forest became a light wood and she might see the figures of horsemen – the King decided to follow his wife, unable to withstand the anticipation.
From then onwards nobody faced that horrible curse, children of Mizgeer XII were wealthy and healthy, the Queen gained the character of Saint defender, the weaver got a good reward… And a small piece of magic wrap with the pattern of thorny thistles is kept in royal treasury and called – Thistles of Mizgeer.
Written and illustrated by
Polina Bagnovskaya