The Magic Weaver

 

In every country there live the Have Lots and the Have Nots people. This is the story of a Have Lots lady who was a weaver. There were other weavers in the land, but this lady behaved as if she was the best weaver in the kingdom. Her name was Envia.

Sometimes other weavers would appear, but they would have little chance to show their work because Envia was very powerful and she made sure that nobody was able to compare her weaving to others.

All the Have Lots people of the kingdom were convinced therefore that Envia was the finest weaver. Not only had she said so herself, but the people could not judge since they know only her weaving.

Envia received much praise, and her vanity grew and grew. Actually, her work was done poorly. She had little patience. She did not know her materials, and she did not know how to mix the colours and dyes.

Envia loved beautiful clothes, silver, jewels and gold. Despite having all these lovely things, she was still unhappy and bored because she was not the great weaver she pretended to be.

One day Envia went out on her horse into the forest. She traveled deep into the woods, and after many hours became tired and lay down on the soft green grass to rest.

Suddenly she beard a haunting song:

"I spin and weave and sing my song,

to thank the silkworm, the furry animals

the cotton and the sheep

for their hair so long.

I am as happy as can be

for it is the Great Master

who gives this talent to me."

Envia approached the spot from where she heard the sound coming. There she saw a handsome young man seated in the grass. Much to Envia's surprise, the man was weaving and working happily away.

He looked poor and did not even have a loom. His materials were held together by the animals of the forest - birds, rabbits and squirrels - who all sang in chorus while the weaver worked.

When she saw the happy group, Envia became enraged.

"How dare you sing about weaving and hide here in the dark of the woods!", she hissed at the young man.

Surprised, the animals and weaver stopped singing and looked up.

"Oh, hello! We hope our song did not disturb you. You see, dear lady, it is the creator's song for weaving", said the young man.

"Of course, you disturbed me - you and your wild creatures. Go away! Go away!", Envia screamed, frightening the animals, who scurried behind the young weaver for protection.

"You are scaring my little friends, and you have stopped the eternal weaving", said the young man in a grave voice.

"Never mind", snapped Envia. "I am the best weaver in the kingdom. You would have known that, if you didn't live in this dark forest." While she spoke, she noticed that the weaver's work was the finest she had ever set eyes upon. It upset her very much to see the delicately woven patterns in such beautiful colours.

The young weaver said, "My working place is here in the silence of the woods. I love sunshine, rained, dew, wind, and I love to have all the living creatures around me. I do not create my weavings alone, but all the forest animals and birds help me."

Envia thought this was all nonsense. Secretly she decided that the young man was a black magician guilty of plotting against the people of the kingdom.

But Envia did not realize that the weaver and his little friends were busy preparing for the new season - for it was the weaver's task to make all the clothes for the plants and animals to be born in the future.

The young man spoke again. "I do not sell my work, but give it away. And all the animals help me so that their children will have nice clothes to keep them warm and happy."

Enraged, Envia ignored this comment and galloped back home on her horse. Soon her household was in an uproar as she told everyone about the wicked weaver who lived in a dark forest and worked with wild animals.

Before long the King's guards arrested the young weaver. He was accused of not paying taxes and of practicing black magic, which was punishable by hanging.

On the day of the trial, the animal friends of the young weaver came to see him. But they were chased away by the King's hunting dogs.

That day the young man was sentenced to be hung, and was thrown into the dungeon to spend the last few hours of his life.

Needless to say, Envia was pleased to be rid of the intruder. That same evening she went to work at her loom, and sang:

"I weave and weave

and sing my song.

I am a happy lady

and work all the day long.

Nobody has talent like me,

Tra la la la la"

But Envia's husband was very unhappy. He knew that the young man was innocent and that his wife's jealousy was the cause of his unfortunate fate.

He went to bed but could not sleep. He tossed and turned, and finally decided to go to the King. He dressed and went to the palace, but the guards wouldn't let him see the ruler of the land.

In desperation, he went to the dungeon to explain what happened. The young man told his story and added, "It is very important that I leave here as soon as possible. The longer I am kept in prison, the more living things will be born without any designs or clothes. I am the only one who can do this work."

The Have Lots man was sad to hear that the creatures of the forest would have no fur or feathers to keep them warm. "Do you mean" he asked, "that even the King's puppies will not be clothed?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so", replied the weaver.

"But this is a disaster! The King loves his dogs. He would not allow them to be born without clothes. Oh my, oh my! We must go at once to the King", cried Envia's husband.

When the King heard that in the future his puppies would be born without hair, he was awake at once. Immediately he gave orders to release the weaver.

So the young man was taken back to the forest, and the following day the townsfolk learned there would be no execution.

When Envia heard the news, she raved and screamed. Luckily for her husband, she did not know who was responsible for freeing the magic weaver.

Meanwhile, the King's dogs had her puppies. The servants rushed to tell the King that the puppies had no hair and their skin was colourless.

The King could not believe his ears and quickly went to see for himself. When he realized it was true, he ordered the young weaver back to the palace. He begged him to give proper clothes to his puppies.

Sadly, the weaver said, "I am sorry, King, but I cannot bring back the time lost while I was in the dungeon. But I promise that the next litter of puppies will be born with thick hair and beautiful colours, if nothing disturbs my work."

The weaver hurried back to the forest and his friends to continue the magic weaving, forever undisturbed. That is why all the birds and animals are beautifully clothed to this day.

Copyright 1998 Henri van Bentum