Long ago, in my grandmother's time, the Carland was all in bogs, great
pools of black water, and creeping trickles of green water, and squishy
mools which squirted when you stepped on them.
Well, granny used to say how long before her time the Moon herself was
once dead and buried in the marshes, and as she used to tell me, I'll
tell you all about it.
The Moon up yonder shone and shone, just as she does now, and when she
shone she lighted up the bog-pools, so that one could walk about almost
as safe as in the day.
But when she didn't shine, out came the Things that dwelt in the
darkness and went about seeking to do evil and harm; Bogles and Crawling
Horrors, all came out when the Moon didn't shine.
Well, the Moon heard of this, and being kind and good--as she surely is,
shining for us in the night instead of taking her natural rest--she was
main troubled. "I'll see for myself, I will," said she, "maybe it's not
so bad as folks make out."
Sure enough, at the month's end down she stept, wrapped up in a black
cloak, and a black hood over her yellow shining hair. Straight she went
to the bog edge and looked about her. Water here and water there; waving
tussocks and trembling mools, and great black snags all twisted and
bent. Before her all was dark--dark but for the glimmer of the stars in
the pools, and the light that came from her own white feet, stealing out
of her black cloak.
The Moon drew her cloak faster about and trembled, but she wouldn't go
back without seeing all there was to be seen; so on she went, stepping
as light as the wind in summer from tuft to tuft between the greedy
gurgling water holes. Just as she came near a big black pool her foot
slipped and she was nigh tumbling in. She grabbed with both hands at a
snag near by to steady herself with, but as she touched it, it twined
itself round her wrists, like a pair of handcuffs, and gript her so that
she couldn't move. She pulled and twisted and fought, but it was no
good. She was fast, and must stay fast.
Presently as she stood trembling in the dark, wondering if help would
come, she heard something calling in the distance, calling, calling, and
then dying away with a sob, till the marshes were full of this pitiful
crying sound; then she heard steps floundering along, squishing in the
mud and slipping on the tufts, and through the darkness she saw a white
face with great feared eyes.
'T was a man strayed in the bogs. Mazed with fear he struggled on toward
the flickering light that looked like help and safety. And when the
poor Moon saw that he was coming nigher and nigher to the deep hole,
further and further from the path, she was so mad and so sorry that she
struggled and fought and pulled harder than ever. And though she
couldn't get loose, she twisted and turned, till her black hood fell
back off her shining yellow hair, and the beautiful light that came from
it drove away the darkness.
Oh, but the man cried with joy to see the light again. And at once all
evil things fled back into the dark corners, for they cannot abide the
light. So he could see where he was, and where the path was, and how he
could get out of the marsh. And he was in such haste to get away from
the Quicks, and Bogles, and Things that dwelt there, that he scarce
looked at the brave light that came from the beautiful shining yellow
hair, streaming out over the black cloak and falling to the water at his
feet. And the Moon herself was so taken up with saving him, and with
rejoicing that he was back on the right path, that she clean forgot that
she needed help herself, and that she was held fast by the Black Snag.
So off he went; spent and gasping, and stumbling and sobbing with joy,
flying for his life out of the terrible bogs. Then it came over the
Moon, she would main like to go with him. So she pulled and fought as if
she were mad, till she fell on her knees, spent with tugging, at the
foot of the snag. And as she lay there, gasping for breath, the black
hood fell forward over her head. So out went the blessed light and back
came the darkness, with all its Evil Things, with a screech and a howl.
They came crowding round her, mocking and snatching and beating;
shrieking with rage and spite, and swearing and snarling, for they knew
her for their old enemy, that drove them back into the corners, and kept
them from working their wicked wills.
"Drat thee!" yelled the witch-bodies, "thou 'st spoiled our spells this
year agone!"
"And us thou sent'st to brood in the corners!" howled the Bogles.
And all the Things joined in with a great "Ho, ho!" till the very
tussocks shook and the water gurgled. And they began again.
"We'll poison her--poison her!" shrieked the witches.
And "Ho, ho!" howled the Things again.
"We'll smother her--smother her!" whispered the Crawling Horrors, and
twined themselves round her knees.
And "Ho, ho!" mocked the rest of them.
And again they all shouted with spite and ill-will. And the poor Moon
crouched down, and wished she was dead and done with.
And they fought and squabbled what they should do with her, till a pale
grey light began to come in the sky; and it drew nigh the dawning. And
when they saw that, they were feared lest they shouldn't have time to
work their will; and they caught hold of her, with horrid bony fingers,
and laid her deep in the water at the foot of the snag. And the Bogles
fetched a strange big stone and rolled it on top of her, to keep her
from rising. And they told two of the Will-o-the-wykes to take turns in
watching on the black snag, to see that she lay safe and still, and
couldn't get out to spoil their sport.
And there lay the poor Moon, dead and buried in the bog, till some one
would set her loose; and who'd know where to look for her.
Well, the days passed, and 't was the time for the new moon's coming,
and the folk put pennies in their pockets and straws in their caps so as
to be ready for her, and looked about, for the Moon was a good friend to
the marsh folk, and they were main glad when the dark time was gone, and
the paths were safe again, and the Evil Things were driven back by the
blessed Light into the darkness and the waterholes.
But days and days passed, and the new Moon never came, and the nights
were aye dark, and the Evil Things were worse than ever. And still the
days went on, and the new Moon never came. Naturally the poor folk were
strangely feared and mazed, and a lot of them went to the Wise Woman who
dwelt in the old mill, and asked if so be she could find out where the
Moon was gone.
"Well," said she, after looking in the brewpot, and in the mirror, and
in the Book, "it be main queer, but I can't rightly tell ye what's
happened to her. If ye hear of aught, come and tell me."
So they went their ways; and as days went by, and never a Moon came,
naturally they talked--my word! I reckon they _did_ talk! their tongues
wagged at home, and at the inn, and in the garth. But so came one day,
as they sat on the great settle in the Inn, a man from the far end of
the bog lands was smoking and listening, when all at once he sat up and
slapped his knee. "My faicks!" says he, "I'd clean forgot, but I reckon
I kens where the Moon be!" and he told them of how he was lost in the
bogs, and how, when he was nigh dead with fright, the light shone out,
and he found the path and got home safe.
So off they all went to the Wise Woman, and told her about it, and she
looked long in the pot and the Book again, and then she nodded her
head.
"It's dark still, childer, dark!" says she, "and I can't rightly see,
but do as I tell ye, and ye 'll find out for yourselves. Go all of ye,
just afore the night gathers, put a stone in your mouth, and take a
hazel-twig in your hands, and say never a word till you're safe home
again. Then walk on and fear not, far into the midst of the marsh, till
ye find a coffin, a candle, and a cross. Then ye'll not be far from your
Moon; look, and m'appen ye 'll find her."
So came the next night in the darklings, out they went all together,
every man with a stone in his mouth, and a hazel-twig in his hand, and
feeling, thou may'st reckon, main feared and creepy. And they stumbled
and stottered along the paths into the midst of the bogs; they saw
nought, though they heard sighings and flutterings in their ears, and
felt cold wet fingers touching them; but all at once, looking around for
the coffin, the candle, and the cross, while they came nigh to the pool
beside the great snag, where the Moon lay buried. And all at once they
stopped, quaking and mazed and skeery, for there was the great stone,
half in, half out of the water, for all the world like a strange big
coffin; and at the head was the black snag, stretching out its two arms
in a dark gruesome cross, and on it a tiddy light flickered, like a
dying candle. And they all knelt down in the mud, and said, "Our Lord,
first forward, because of the cross, and then backward, to keep off the
Bogles; but without speaking out, for they knew that the Evil Things
would catch them, if they didn't do as the Wise Woman told them."
Then they went nigher, and took hold of the big stone, and shoved it up,
and afterwards they said that for one tiddy minute they saw a strange
and beautiful face looking up at them glad-like out of the black water;
but the Light came so quick and so white and shining, that they stept
back mazed with it, and the very next minute, when they could see again,
there was the full Moon in the sky, bright and beautiful and kind as
ever, shining and smiling down at them, and making the bogs and the
paths as clear as day, and stealing into the very corners, as though
she'd have driven the darkness and the Bogles clean away if she could.