(Overnight Music) #18 THE MISERS STOORWORM - Jasons Bed Time Story Time

Hello and welcome to jasonnewland.com. My name is Jason Newland and this is, this is Jason's Bedtime Storytime. And I'm going to read a story from Tales of Folk and Fairies, which was from 1919. It's quite an old book.

And I'm going to read a story called The Meester Store Worm, a story from Scotland. Now, I kind of had a little skim through and some of the wording is a little bit, it's a word different, you know, from how I would normally speak. So I'll try and put on a bit of an accent.

I don't know how that's going to go, but there you go. So relax yourself and it's going to, I'm going to send you into a nice little sleep by reading you this story. The Meester Store Worm.

There was once a lad and what his real name was, nobody remembered. Unless it was the mother who bore him. But what everyone called him was Ashy Pattle.

They called him that because he sat among the ashes to warm his toes. As you do. He had six older brothers and they did not think much of him.

Which is starting off pleasant, isn't it? How positive. All the tasks they scorned to do themselves, they put upon Ashy Pattle. He gathered the sticks for the fire.

He swept the floor. He cleaned the buyer, whatever that is. He ran the errands and all he got for his pains were kicks and cuffs and mocking words.

So why do you do it? Why do you do it then? But anyway, still, he was a merry fellow. And as far as words went, he gave his brothers as good as they sent. So he did stick up for himself.

Ashy Pattle had one sister and she was very good and kind to him. In return for her kindness, he told her long stories of trolls and giants and heroes and brave deeds, as long as he would tell, she would sit and listen. But his brothers could not stand his stories and used to throw clods at him to make him be quiet.

I'm not sure what a clod is. Is it like a cow pat? A miniature elephant? I don't know. They were angry because Ashy Pattle was always the hero of his own stories.

Hey, that would be annoying, wouldn't it? And in his tales, there was nothing he dared not do. Now, while Ashy Pattle was still a lad, but a tall, stout one, a great misfortune fell upon the kingdom. For a storm rose up out of the sea and of all storm, it was the greatest and the worst.

Don't know what a storm is. So for this reason, it was called the Meester Storm. Its length, strength stretched half around the world.

It's one eye was red as fire and its breath was so poisonous that whatever it breathed upon was withered. So there's probably a few Scottish words here that I don't know what they are or what they mean. But from the context of the sentence, I guess the word withered is not a good, it's not a good thing to have happen to you.

You know, there was great fear and lamentation throughout the land. It's a very Biblical word, isn't it? Lamentation. And throughout the land because of the worm, for every day it drew nearer to the shore and every day the danger from it grew greater.

When it was first discovered, it was so far away that its back was no more than a low, long black line upon the horizon. But soon it was near enough for them to see the horns upon its back and its scales and its one fiery eye and its nostrils that breathed out and in. We could have just said nostrils, couldn't they? I mean, nostrils breathe.

Anyway, in their fear, the people cried upon the king to save them from the monster. But the king had no power to save them more than any other man. His sword Sniggersnapper was the brightest and sharpest of the most wonderful swords in all the world.

But it would need a longer sword than Sniggersnapper to pierce through the great body to the monster's heart. Are you feeling sleepy yet? The king summoned his counsellors, all the wisest men in the kingdom, and they consulted and talked together. But none of them could think of any plan to beat or drive the storm off.

So powerful it was. So they wanted to beat off the storm, but they couldn't beat it off because it was so powerful. Now, there was in that country a sorcerer, and the king had no love for him.

Oh, I wonder what they fell out of over. Maybe they never were friends. Maybe they just heard things about him and didn't like what he heard.

I don't know. It doesn't, it doesn't say. Still, when all the wise men and counsellors could think of no plan for destroying the storm, the king said, Let us send for this sorcerer and have him brought before us and hear what he has to say, for it would seem there is no help in any of us for this evil that has come upon us.

So the sorcerer was brought and he stood up in the council and looked from one to another. Looked from one to another. Okay, right.

Last of all, he looked at the king and there his eyes rested. There is one way, and only one way, said he, by which the land can be saved from destruction. Let the king's only daughter, the princess, gem-lovely, be given to the storm as a sacrifice, and he will be satisfied and quit us.

No sooner had the sorcerer said this that a great tumult arose in the council. I don't know what a tumult is, but I imagine, does it tell me here what a tumult is? A loud, confused noise, especially one caused by a large mass of people. Okay, brilliant.

So people started talking. You would, wouldn't you, I guess. He wants to do what with the princess? Yes.

The councillors were filled with horror and cried aloud that the sorcerer should be torn to pieces for speaking such words. Now I'm not a parent. However, I can't imagine I'd be too pleased with someone turning up and saying, yes, we must sacrifice your daughter.

So I wouldn't have been too impressed. Anyway, but the king arose and bade them be silent, and he was as wet as death. Is this the only way to save my people? He asked.

The only way I know of? Answered the sorcerer. Sorry. Ahem.

The king stood still and wiped for a while, for a time. Then he said. Then he said, if it is the only way, so let it be.

But first let it be proclaimed far and wide throughout my kingdom that there is a heroic deed to be done. Whosoever will do battle with the stormworm and slay it or drive it off shall have the princess gem-lovely for a bride. And the half of my kingdom and my sword Snickerschnapper for his own.

And after my death, he shall rule as king for all the realm. Then the king dismissed the council and they went away in silence with dark and heavy looks. A proclamation was sent out as the king commanded, saying that whoever could kill the stormworm or drive it away should have the princess and half of the kingdom as a reward.

And the king's sword and the king's death should reign, and after the king's death should reign over the whole realm. When this news went out, many a man wished he might win these three prizes for himself, for what better was there to be desired than a beauteous wife, a kingdom to reign over, and the most famous sword in all the world. But fine as were the prizes, only six and thirty bold hearts came to offer themselves for the task.

So great was the fear of the stormworm. So six and thirty, so thirty-six. Why couldn't I just say thirty-six? Six and thirty.

I mean you would say thirty and an extra six, not six plus an extra thirty on top of that. No, that's weird. Of this number, the first twelve who looked at the stormworm fell ill at sight of him and had to be carried home.

The next twelve did not stay to be carried but ran home on their own legs. They used their own legs and shut themselves up in strong fortresses, and the last twelve stayed at the king's palace with their hearts in their stomachs and their wrists too weak with fear to strike a blow, even to win a kingdom. So there was nothing left but for the princess to be offered up to the stormworm, for it was better that one should be lost, even though that one were the princess, than the whole country should be destroyed.

So yeah, I guess that makes sense, but what a choice to have to make. Then there was great grief and lamenting throughout the land, for the princess, Gem Lovely, she was so kind and gentle. She was beloved by all, both high and low.

Only Ashypetal heard it all unmoved. He said nothing, but sat by the fire and thought and thought, and what his thoughts were he told nobody. The day was set when the princess was to be offered to the stormworm, and the night before there was a great feast at the palace, but a sad feast it was.

Little was eaten and less was said. The king sat with his back to the light and bit his fingers, and no one dared to speak to him. In the poorer houses there was a great stir and bustle, and laying out of coats and dresses, for many were planning to go to the seashore to see the princess offered up to the stormworm.

I suppose if you're going to have to sacrifice your princess that you love and you know worship and might as well make a day out of it, mightn't you? Have a picnic. Though a gruesome sight it would be to see, Ashypetal's father and brothers were planning to go with the rest, but his mother and sister wept and said they would not see it for anything in the world.

Now Ashypetal's father had a horse named Feetgong, and he was not much to look at.

That's nice isn't it? It's a horse. Why have a go at a horse? Oh he had an ugly horse. Why do I even say that? Nevertheless the farmer treasured him and it was not often he would let anyone use him by himself.

When the farmer rode Feetgong he could make him go like the wind, none faster and that without beating him either. That's nice. He didn't have to beat this horse that he loved so much.

That's good. Then when the farmer wished him to stop, Feetgong would stand as still as though he were frozen to the ground. I wonder if there's a point to this story about the horse.

It feels more like an ad break doesn't it? So let's talk about a horse for a little while and we'll go back to the actual story in a minute. No one could make him budge. Okay when he stood still like that.

But if anyone other than the farmer rode him then it was quite different. Feetgong would jog along. Not even a beating would drive him faster.

Only if you're a horse and this person that's supposed to be a horse lover is riding you on top of you and is beating you with a whip or a stick then go faster and then stop suddenly. Ideally just you get to the road so that the person on top of you falls over off of the horse off of you and then trample on them. Yeah that's advice to a horse that doesn't like getting whipped.

Don't whip horses. Stop it. Feetgong would jog along and not even a beating would drive him faster and then if one wanted him to stop and that was hard to do as it was as it was to start in.

Ashypetal was sure there was some secret about this that his father had a way to make him go that no one knew about. No one. A little secret.

A little secret. But what that way was he could not find out. The day before the beauteous Gem Lovely was to be sacrificed Ashypetal said to his mother tell me something how is it that Feetgong will not go for you or my brothers or anyone but when my father mounts him he goes like the wind.

None faster. And his mother answered indeed I do not know. It seemed a strange thing.

It seemed a strange thing that my father would not tell you that said Ashypetal and you his own true wife. To this his mother answered a strange thing said Ashypetal. Oh no Ashypetal said a strange thing said Ashypetal and in all the years you've lived together not a thing have you kept back from him whether he wished it or not.

Oh controversial. But even a good husband always holds back some secrets from his wife. Still his mother spoke never a word but Ashypetal could see that she was thinking.

Maybe she was pretending to think. Anyway that night Ashypetal lay awake long after the others were asleep. He heard his father snoring and his brothers too but it seemed his mother could not sleep.

She turned and twisted and sighed aloud until at last she awakened her husband. What ails you? No how does he speak? Yeah what ails you? He asked. Now you turn and twist in bed and sigh so loud that a body scarce can sleep.

It's no wonder they sigh and cannot sleep answered his wife sounding a bit too much like the king or was it the wizard. I've been thinking and turning things around in my mind I can see very plainly that you do not love me as a good husband should love his wife. How can you say such a thing? Asked her husband.

Have I not treated you well all of these years? Have I not shown you my love in every every way? Yes but you do not trust me said his wife. You you did not tell me what is in your heart. What have I not told you? What have what is it I've not told you? You've not told me about feet gong.

You never told me why it is that he goes like the wind whenever you mount him and when anyone else rides him it's so slow there's no getting anywhere with him and she because he's almost walking backwards time goes backwards when you're on him. Then she began to to sob as if her heart would break. You do not trust me she said.

Wait wait wait wait said the good man. That is a secret I have never thought to tell anyone but since you have set your heart on knowing listen listen only you must promise not to tell a living soul that I tell you now. I will tell you now his wife promised.

Then this is it said the husband. When I want feet gong to go modestly fast I slap him on the right shoulder. When I want him to stop I slap him on the left shoulder.

When I want him to go like the wind I blow upon the dried windpipe of a goose. I blow I blow upon the dried windpipe of a goose that I always carry in the right hand pocket of my coat. She carries the goose around in his pocket and blows on its windpipe.

Okay cool now now indeed I know that you do love me when you tell me this said his wife and then she went to sleep for she was oh she was satisfied. She really felt satisfied that's nice. As she petaled waited until near morning and then he arose and dressed himself.

He put on the coat of one brother and the breeches of another and the shoes of a third and so on for his own clothes were nothing but rags. He felt in the right hand pocket of his father's coat and there sure enough he found the dried windpipe of a goose. Still strange I think he took that and he took a pot of burning peat and covered it over so it would keep hot and he also took a big kitchen knife then he went out and led feet gong from the stable.

He sprang upon his back and slapped him on the right shoulder and away they went. The noise awoke the good man and he jumped from bed and ran to the window. Must be the big room.

There was one there there was someone riding away on his dear feet gong horse. Then he called out at the top of his voice Hoi! Hoi! Ho! Feet gong! Whoa! When feet gong heard his master calling he stopped and stood stock still. I guess that means still.

He just stood there stock still but an ashy paddle whipped out whipped out the dried windpipe of the goose and blew upon it and away went feet gong like the wind. None could go faster. No one could overtake them.

After a while and not so long either they came to the seashore and there a little way out from the shore lay the king's own boat with the boatman in it. He was keeping the boat there until day dawned. Then the king and his court would come bringing the beauteous gem lovely to offer up to the stormworm.

They would put her in the boat and set the sails to carry her toward him. Ashy paddle looked out across the water and he could see the black black of the beast or the black back of the beast rising out of the sea like a long long mountain. He lighted down the feet gong and called across the water to the boatman.

Hello friend how fares it with you out there? Bitterly bitterly bitty bitty so bitter oh it's cold answered the boatman. Here I sit and freeze all night for it is cold oh it's cold on the water. Not a soul except myself no just myself but what is safe asleep but what is safe asleep in a good warm bed? Everybody else but me me.

I have a fire here in the pot called ashy paddle. Draw your boat into shore and come and warm yourself for I can see even from here that you are almost perished. That may not do answered the man.

The king and his court may come at any time now and they must find me ready and waiting for them as the commands were. Then ashy paddle put his pot down on the shore stood and thought a bit. I think he might have put one of his fingers up to his chin.

Suddenly he dropped on his knees and began to dig in the sand as though he had gone mad. Gold gold he shouted. Oh what is the matter? Called the boatman.

What have you found? Gold gold shouted ashy paddle. Dig in faster and ever faster and faster and faster. The boatman thought ashy paddle must certainly have found a treasure in the sand.

He made haste to bring the boat to land. He sprang up upon the shore and pushing ashy paddle aside he dropped on his knees and began to scoop out the sand. But ashy paddle did not wait to see whether he found anything.

He caught up the pot and leapt into the boat and before the boatman could stop him he pushed off from the shore. Too late the boatman saw what he was doing. He ran down the edge of the water and shouted and stormed and cried to ashy paddle to come back with his boat.

Bring my bloody boat back. But ashy paddle paid no heed to him. He ignored him in other words.

He never even turned his head. He set the sail and steered over towards where the great monster lay with the waves washing up and breaking into the foam against him. And now the dawn was breaking.

It was time for the monster to awake and down the road from the castle came riding the king and all his court and the princess Jum lovely rode among them on a milk white horse. All the color was gone from her face and she looked as white as snow. When the king and all the others reached the shore there stood the boatman wringing his hands and lamenting and the boat was gone.

What is there asked the king. What is there asked the king. What have you done with my boat and why are you standing here? Look look cried the boatman and he pointed out the sea.

The king looked and then saw then first he saw ashy paddle in the boat sailing away sailing away sailing away towards the shouted the monster rather. Now from before his eyes he had been dim with sorrow and he had been he had seen nowt but what was close before him. The king looked and all the court looked with him and a great cry arose for they guessed that ashy paddle was sailing out to do battle with the storm.

As they stood staring in the sun shone red. The sun shone okay as they stood staring the sun shot red shone red and the monster awoke. Slowly slowly his great jaws opened in a yawn and as he yawned the water rushed into his mouth like a great flood on down his throat.

Ashy paddle's boat was caught in the swirl and swept forward faster than any sail could carry it and slowly the monster closed his mouth and all was still and all was still safe. All was still safe for the foaming and surging of the waters. Ashy paddle steered his boat close in against the monster's jaws and it lay there rocking in the tide while he waited for the storm to jaw to yawn again to another big yawn.

Presently slowly slowly the great jaws gaped and the flood rushed in foaming and the monster's jaws opened. Ashy paddle's boat was swept in with the water and it almost crushed against one of the monster's teeth. But ashy paddle fended it off and it was carried on the boat it was carried on the flood rather down into the storm's throat.

Down and down went the boat with ashy paddle in it and the sound of surging waters filled his ears. It was light there in the monster's throat for the roof of the side of it shone with phosphorescence so that he could see everything. As he swept on the roof above him grew lower and lower and the water grew shallower and shallower for it drained off into the passages that opened off from the throat into the rest of the body.

At last the roof grew so low that the mast of the boat wedged against it then ashy paddle stepped over the side of the boat into the water and it had grown so shallow it was scarce as high as his knees. He took the pot of the peat that was still hot and the knife and went a little further until he came to see where the beast's heart was he could not see the beat beat beating.

Ashy paddle took his knife and dug a hole in the heart and emptied the hot peat into it.

Then he blew and blew on the peat he blew until his cheeks almost cracked with blowing so she got yeah she enjoyed blowing but it was quite a bit too much maybe and it seemed as though the peat would never burn but at last it flared up and the oil of the heart trickled down upon it and the flame burst into a blaze higher and higher waxed the fire all the all the heart shone red with the lights of it then the lad ran back and jumped into the boat and

pushed it clear off the roof and none too soon for as the first as the fire burned deeper into the heart the monster felt the burn of it and began to riff riff and and yeah that's it then he gave a great cough that sent the water surging back out of his body and into the sea again in a mighty flood.

Ashy paddle's boat was caught in the rush and swept like a straw upon or up out of the storm worm's throat and into the light of day the monster spewed him and his wife and his boat not his wife his boat so the monster spewed him and his boat all the way across the sea upon shore almost at the king's feet the king himself sprang from his steed and randomly helped ashy paddle to his feet then everyone fled back to a high hill for the sea was rising in a mighty

flood with the beating and tossing of the storm worm then again such a sight as never was seen before and perchance will never be seen again for first the monsters flung his tail so high and next it fell into the sea with such a slap as sent the waves high up the rocks and now it was his head that flung aloft and the tongue caught on the point of the crescent moon and hung there and for a while it looked as though the moon would be pulled from the sky but

it stood firm and the monster's tongue tore so that their head dropped back into the sea with such force that the teeth flew out of its head and its mouth forever and these teeth became the orkney islands really again its head reared high and fell back and more teeth flew out and these became the shetland islands the third time his head rose and fell and teeth flew out they became the pharaoh islands so the monster beat and threshed and struggled while the king and the princess and ashy paddle and all

the people looked on with fear and wonder at the dreadful sight but at last the struggle became weaker for the heart was almost burned out then the stallworm curled up and lay still for it was dead and its great coils became the place called iceland so was the monster killed and that was the manner of his death oh no it wasn't a question so was the monster killed and that was the manner of his death but the king turned to ashy paddle and called him son and took the hand of

the princess gem lovely and laid it in his lad's hand for now she was to be as bride as the king had promised then they all rode back to the palace together and the king took the sword snicker snapper and gave it to ashy paddle for him to keep as his own a great feast was spread in honor of the slaying of the stallworm all who chose chose to come were welcome and all was mirth and rejoicing the honest farmer ashy paddle's father and his mother and his sister and his

brothers heard the feast and put on their best clothes and came but the farmer had no feet gong to ride when they entered the great hall and saw ashy paddle sitting there at the king's right hand in the middle in a place of honor with the princess gem lovely beside him they could hardly believe their eyes for they had not known he was the hero everyone was talking about but ashy paddle looked at them and nodded and all is well not long after that ashy paddle and the princess were married

and the grand wedding it was i can tell you and after the old king died ashy paddle became ruler of the whole realm and he and the princess lived in mutual love and happiness together the rest of their long lives they go to sleep