The Monster in the Forest

Illustration of a young boy walking through a misty forest holding a small sword.

One day a young boy set out to discover the source of a malevolent curse that had swept over the land. He stepped out into the mist with only his wooden sword for protection. Everywhere he went, trees were dying and plants shriveled up.

Illustration of a boy talking to a fox who is sitting by a broken fence. The landscape is. barren and gray.

He came upon a fox sitting by a broken gate. “And where do you think you’re going?” the fox said.

“I’m on a quest,” the boy replied. “Do you know how to break this terrible curse on the land?”

The fox said, “I’m sorry I don’t. But you might ask the hare in the meadow, she may be able to help you.”

Illustration of a boy walking through a desolate field of dead plants, approaching a hare who watches him.

The boy found the hare in a field where the crops had been killed by the blight. He called out to the hare, “Excuse me, how do I break this terrible curse upon the land?”

The hare scratched her ear and replied, “I haven’t a clue! Perhaps the old bullfrog in the swamp could help you?” So the boy kept on walking until he came to the swamp.

Illustration of a boy in a swamp having a conversation with a frog.

He followed a winding path through the swamp until he found the old bullfrog, who sat patiently as if waiting for him. The boy said to the bullfrog, “How do I break this terrible curse upon our land?”

“You must awaken the goodness,” croaked the bullfrog. “But I can’t tell you how, for I do not know. Only the Queen Ant is wise enough to know the secret. You must look for her in the darkest wood.”

So the boy set off for the deep forest, hoping to find the Queen Ant.

Illustration of a boy in a forest facing a huge growling monster, a cross between a boar, a bear, and a dinosaur. There appears to be an arrow through the monster's leg.

He walked into the depths of the forest, where no light entered. Suddenly a ferocious monster appeared from the darkness in front of him, growling and snarling. The boy raised his sword for protection, but then realized the monster was in terrible pain. The boy lowered his sword.

Illustration of the boy kneeling by the monster and wrapping a bandage around its leg. The monster now appears calm and friendly. Nearby, an ant wearing a crown is smiling at him.

The boy removed his scarf and wrapped it around the monster’s leg, where an arrow had pierced to the bone. As he did so, all of the anger drained out of the monster, and the forest suddenly became brighter.

“I knew you could do it,” said a voice. The boy turned to see the Queen Ant smiling at him. “But I couldn’t help you. You had to do it on your own.”

Illustration of a boy raking a garden and looking out over a green landscape. In the distance we see the fox, the hare, and the monster now peacefully enjoying the newly-revived land.

The curse was lifted. The world gradually came back to life and blossomed once more. The goodness, now awakened, spread across the land through small acts of kindness. And all creatures lived in contentment ever after.

This story was written for Folktale Week 2024, using seven word prompts provided by the organizers. The words were Mist, Gate, Blight, Path, Depth, Bone, Blossom.