The Sculptor: A Tiny Tale

There was once a sculptor with a magical gift.

There was once a sculptor with a magical gift. Everything she sculpted was so life-like that, on the full moon, the sculptures would come to life!

The first time she discovered this magic was after completing a marble statue of the two goddesses she admired most: Athena and Artemis. She finished the final touches on the eve of the full moon and fell asleep in her studio. She was awoken in the dark of night by two voices. She opened her eyes and saw two women standing where her statue once was!

The women were confused and speaking a language the sculptor barely understood. She comforted the confused women, doing her best to speak their language. Throughout the night, the three women—for the statues were indeed women now, but not the goddesses themselves—ate, drank, and were merry. The statues didn’t know much about the world, but embodied the essence of their goddesses. They created their own small sculptures with materials in the studio, which impressed the sculptor very much.

They stayed up until the sun began to rise, and then suddenly, the women were one statue again. The full moon had set.

The sculptor was left with her Athena and Artemis statue in a different pose; instead of the goddesses standing back-to-back in warrior poses, the two women were caught in a friendly embrace, side by side, laughing. After their joyful night together, the sculptor felt it was okay if she still took credit for creating not only the new statue but the joy it expressed. But the small sculptures that the women had created, an owl and a deer, the sculptor would forever credit to the true artists: Athena and Artemis.

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Join my monthly Tiny Tale Challenge to write a Tiny Tale under 400 words, inspired by an image. Image and guidelines are posted on the first Tuesday of the month.

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Is “sculpt” the most awkward word to type ever? I changed “sculpture” to “statue” because there was too much “sculpt” lol It looks weird now, doesn’t it?

This photo was giving me “Greek goddess statue come to life” vibes, so I wrote about a wonderful girls’ night, sharing their arts and crafts, and becoming more joyful because of female friendship. Girl power!

I might have to write more adventures of this sculptor and other statues come to life…

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From last month’s inspiration¹:

f

     a

          l

               l

                    i

                         n

                               g

slipping and letting go

darkness encompasses and engulfs

swallowing the light

into the forest void

receding to the underground

               c

                 r

              a

               c

                   k

                  s

emerging from the darkened Earth

transcending the obsidian forest canopy

floating toward the moonlight

illuminated from within

harnessing hope for reunion

Every year during the Festival of Darkness all of the mythical creatures gathered underneath the fairy hammocks in the center of Sundershade Woods.

Lost children would meet here on this very day for it would be the only chance that they could possibly meet up with their loved ones again. These children are affectionately known as “slippers” in this world, for it is believed that they slipped through one of the cracks in the ground.

Shortly after last light the Elfin musicians would play their tunes while the fairy folk lay in the grass or sit up in the hammocks. The Elfin Band played songs whose notes became bright lights that would rise up into the atmosphere.

The quicker the trio played, the more note lights would be released, but they would have to be careful not to play too quickly because then the fragile notes would collide into each other and shatter, thus causing them to fall back through the fairy hammocks of Sundershade Woods.

The hope was that family and friends looking for the missing children would see the notes rising through the cracks and draw their attention there.

From above the earthly cracks, the notes might look like lightning bugs to the ordinary eye. But for one who was truly looking they might realize what they were actually seeing for they may have been fortunate enough to have heard the story of the Sundershade Slipper Children.

These observers would have to be so careful as not to fall through the cracks. They needed to secure themselves to something, or to each other if there were enough of them and catch the magic tunes.

After enough notes had been collected, the ground would then open enough for them to peer below. All the notes would join together and make a ladder connecting the worlds. Then the children could climb the ladder and go back to their families.

If successful the children would be reunited with their family. If unsuccessful the children would spend eternity in Sundershade Woods and forever be known as Slipper Children.

- Donna Consiglio

1. I didn’t get this one in time to include with mine last month, but you can submit your Tiny Tales anytime, and I’m happy to share along with mine! See the guidelines and submit link here:

Tiny Tales