#§§%:=.... ....=:%§§#
##§§%:=... ...=:%§§##
###§§%:=.. ..=:%§§###
##§§%:=... ...=:%§§##
#§§%:=.... ....=:%§§#
§§%:=..... . . . .....=:%§§
§%:=...... . . . . . . ......=:%§
%:=....... . . . . . . . . .......=:%
:=........ = = = = = = = = = = = ........=:
=......... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .........=
.......... ..........
=......... Just Off The Coast To The Baltic Sea .........=
:=........ There'S A Freshwater Pond, Secluded ........=:
%:=....... Among Ashen And Juniper. A Cleft In The .......=:%
§%:=...... Limestone Bedrock, Sharp-Cut From The ......=:%§
§§%:=..... Surrounding Plains, A Ninety Degree .....=:%§§
#§§%:=.... Drop Down, Down, To The Midnight-Black ....=:%§§#
##§§%:=... Water. ...=:%§§##
###§§%:=.. ..=:%§§###
##§§%:=... ====%%%%%%%%==== ...=:%§§##
#§§%:=.... ==%% %%== ....=:%§§#
§§%:=..... =====%% Fairies Live Here. %%===== .....=:%§§
§%:=...... ==%% %%== ......=:%§
%:=....... ====%%%%%%%%==== .......=:%
:=........ ........=:
=......... They Speak To The Sloane, Caress It, .........=
.......... Urge It To Grow Thicker, Tangled, With ..........
=......... Longer And Sharper Thorns. They Tell It .........=
:=........ To Stay Just Below The Grass, So That ........=:
%:=....... The Animals What Come To Drink The .......=:%
§%:=...... Water Cannot See It Before It Draws ......=:%§
§§%:=..... Their Blood. Closer To The Pond, The .....=:%§§
#§§%:=.... Sloane Can Grow Taller, Being Able To ....=:%§§#
##§§%:=... Hide Also In The Juniper. ...=:%§§##
###§§%:=.. ..=:%§§###
##§§%:=... The Fairies Will Beckon The Animals To ...=:%§§##
#§§%:=.... Push Forward, Tell Them That They'Re ....=:%§§#
§§%:=..... Almost At The Water, That They May .....=:%§§
§%:=...... Drink Soon. And They Will Tug On The ......=:%§
%:=....... Sloane To Make Sure That The Thorns Cut .......=:%
:=........ Deep. When They Finally Find The Path ........=:
=......... Down Between The Rocks, Away From The .........=
.......... Bushwork And Into The Cleft, They Are ..........
=......... Bleeding From A Thousand Wounds. As .........=
:=........ They Drink From The Dark Water, It Is ........=:
%:=....... In Turn Drinking The Animals Blood. .......=:%
§%:=...... ......=:%§
§§%:=..... The Circle Is Complete, The Contract .....=:%§§
#§§%:=.... Carried Out; The Animal Is Abandoned To ....=:%§§#
##§§%:=... Find Its Own Way Back. The Bushes Roots ...=:%§§##
###§§%:=.. Drink The Nutrutious Water. The Fairies ..=:%§§###
##§§%:=... Dance In The Sunbeams. ...=:%§§##
#§§%:=.... ....=:%§§#
§§%:=..... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .....=:%§§
§%:=...... = = = = = = = = = = = ......=:%§
%:=....... . . . . . . . . .......=:%
:=........ . . . . . . ........=:
=......... . . . .........=
.......... ..........
=......... .........=
:=........ ........=:
%:=....... .......=:%
§%:=...... ......=:%§