,,,#,,#,,,                                          ,,,,,##,,,
##,,,,,,##                                          ####,,,,##
#,,####,,,                                          ,##,,##,,#
,,,,##,,##                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
###,,,,,,,                                          ##########
##,,###### ,                   ,                  , ##########
#,,,,##### ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , ##########
,,##,,#### -     -     -    -    -     -     -    - ##########
,,,,,,,### «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   « ,########,
######,,## **************************************** ,,######,,
,####,,,,#                                          ,,,####,,,
,,##,,##,, 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.          ,,,,##,,,,
,##,,##,,,                                          ###,,,,##,
,,,,,,,,## **************************************** ##,,##,,,,
#######,,# «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ,,,,,,,###
######,,,, -    -     -     -    -     -     -    - ######,,##
#####,,### ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , #####,,,,#
####,,,,## ,                   ,                  , ####,,##,,
,##,,##,,#                                          ,##,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,######
,########,                                          ###,,####,
,,######,,                                          ##,,,,##,,
#,,####,,#                                          #,,##,,,,#