The Tinker And The Enchanted Pool

The Enchanted Pool

    The tinker halted. How much further?

A year before, he had stumbled upon a strange pool. The other pools reflected the blue skies above. But this pool was black. He had stared into it. The pinpoints of light that gleamed beneath its surface were stars.

A year had passed since that moment.

The tinker rested for a moment longer, gazing at the sheep contentedly cropping grass on the slopes far below. Up here, the wind buffeted and numbed his face. Snowflakes whirled out of the low clouds. Massive boulders punctuated the rugged landscape.

He tapped the top of the wide-brimmed hat angled across his forehead. Bright eyes illuminated the sun-darkened face. A few straggling strands of black hair fell down on to the scarf around the nape of his neck. His breath clouded in the freezing air.

The tinker pulled his collar up and his hat down and pressed on.

An enormous boulder loomed through the dancing snowflakes. The tinker skirted it and spied two more. At the base of these nestled the pool. The other pools reflected the iron-grey sky. This pool was golden and shot through with light. The sunbeams, dancing beneath its surface, mocked the joyless day above.

Sheltered by the boulder from the elements, the tinker rested a mitten'd hand on the rock, and gazed at the bright water. What had impelled him to return?

Above him, the wind caught the clouds. The snow stopped. Patches of blue appeared.

The tinker had come prepared. He took kindling from his knapsack, coaxed a small fire into life and added lumps of coal. Over this, he rigged a metal frame from which he hung his pots. He took out potatoes and a hunk of bacon. Soon these were bubbling in one pot while water for his tea boiled in the other.

Evening arrived, and the pool became opaque. The tinker dropped his blankets beside it and fell asleep.

The stars were fading when he woke. The pool was ablaze with yellows, reds and golds. All around, the rocks glowed in the light. He shielded his eyes and looked down. A young woman stood looking up from the other side of the water's surface.

She wore a long green gown, belted at the waist with a golden cord. There were rings on her slim fingers. A band of yellow gold circled her forehead, and her hair blew in the wind. Her face was pale, and her dark, sad eyes gazed into his.

As the light in the pool dimmed, and the sky above grew bright, the girl's form became less distinct. Airy, ethereal, until it, too, faded.