NOTE: Due to the length of the tale, this blog post has a page break inserted to keep the post short on the main page. The tale can be read after the jump.
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In the Olden Days, the days were almost always the same. It was never too cloudy or bright, not too warm or cold. There was always just enough rain to grow crops in, and never enough frost or snow that would bother the animals or people, and it was a splendid place to live in, I can tell you. But there were no seasons as there are now – no Times of Plenty or Times of Hardship, and no festivals in their honor. And this is the story of how they came to be.
In those days, there lived four great Spirits – siblings, I am told, born from the Earth itself. Their names were Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and although they were related they looked very different from one another. Spring was a fair satyr, lovely to look at, and wherever she walked flowers bloomed and birds sang. Summer was a mighty Long Dragon, with a body and mane all red and golden, and the skies burned bright and hot when he flew. Autumn was a handsome-looking goblin, for they were once a very fair race, and his touch turned the leaves red and swelled the fruit on their branches. Winter was a fierce Direwulf, with sharp teeth and cruel eyes, and the ground turned to frost wherever he laid his paws. All four of them were very powerful, but where Spring was kind and meek, her brothers were proud, vain and arrogant, respectively.
Now, it often happened that the four siblings would meet together, to talk and pass the news as family do. And as will happen with siblings, they often fell to quarreling amongst each other about something or other, each shouting out his case and not giving the other a chance to reply. Now, I'm sure you have been in many an argument before, but I don't think any of them were been quite like the quarrels the four siblings had! Winter, Summer and Autumn would argue the loudest, and whenever Spring spoke it was always when everyone else had run out of things to say. And the thing they often quarreled about the most was about how strong they believed themselves to be.
“I am clearly the greatest,” Winter would snarl, showing all his teeth. “Wherever I walk the snows and hail fall, and the people hide in their houses in fear of me. And they bring their children indoors as well, for they fear that I shall snatch them up and eat them.”
“No!” Autumn would howl, hopping up and down on the spot. “I’m the greatest of all of us! It is thanks to me that the fruit ripens on the trees and the harvest grows tall and strong! Without me to provide for them, the people would have nothing to eat and starve to death!”
“You are both wrong!” Summer would roar, rising to his full height. “Wherever I fly, plants shrivel and streams run dry, and the people take to the shade to avoid my heat. They know to respect me and not to invoke my anger, and that makes me the greatest!”
And Spring would say, in her small voice, “Think of me. I bring life to wherever I go, for the birds and the beasts all praise me whenever they give birth to strong children. Is it wrong that I do not rule with fear or greed, but kindness?”
But the other three would mock her and tell her to be quiet, for they did not think much of her, being so small and not as strong as they were. She was considered the least of them, and was therefore not allowed to speak much, if at all, and that made her feel very small indeed. And the quarrel would go on for hours and hours, with neither side winning or losing, until the four were obliged to depart from the place, very sore with each other. For as much as they argued, the four would never dare to come to blows, because - although they would never admit to this - they were secretly scared that their power would destroy the land on which they lived. This wasn't true, of course, since they were nowhere near as powerful as the Great Dragon who made the World, but of course the three couldn't bear to be told anything.
Now, it so happened that, on one particular day, the One was walking in the fields and saying how-do-you-do to all the trees and animals around him. He hadn't gone very far, however, when he heard raised voices, not far off. Curious, he turned off the path he was following and pushed his way through the tall grass to find the source of the noises, and soon came to a hill in the middle of the field, where no plants grew. And on the top of this hill he found the Four Siblings, arguing with each other as usual, and the anger in the voices of Summer, Autumn and Winter was much apparent, whilst Spring stood silently and sadly.
“Well!” said the One. “Don't they learn anything at all, these prideful Spirits? For days and days they argue, disturbing humans and people alike, and yet not one of them can agree on anything! And yet there is poor Spring, the Lifegiver, shunned and ignored because she is so small! Well, perhaps I ought to do something about this, and maybe the people can have some peace and quiet!"
And so saying, he took out his grey robe, woven from the Cold of the North, and he put it on himself. All at once he became the Wise, like an old man in appearance, and he felt in his head all the wisdom in the world and beyond. Dressed like this, so that the spirits wouldn’t recognise him, he climbed his way up the hill until he got to the top, where the Four were. And as he approached them they all stopped arguing at once and turned to face him. You see, no human or animal had ever interrupted their talks until now, for they mostly feared the Spirits and kept well out of their way, so this was a surprise to them.
“How now, Spirits of Earth!” called the Wise, and his voice was like the creaking of boughs in the wind. “For what reason do you hold council in this fair glade today?”
“This is no council, old man,” snarled Winter. “This underfed stick," and by this he meant Autumn, “has dared to call me a greedy beast, for I take all young animals that perish in my cold.”
“Underfed stick!” howled Autumn. “Why, I merely provide for the people, and it is by my will that they feed well! Better a stick than an overgrown lizard,” and by this he meant Summer,“who burns his food before he eats it!”
“Fine talk indeed!” roared Summer. “Were it not for my fire, nothing of yours would grow at all, and your precious people would starve! You should be grateful that I bestow that honor upon you and not to the flea-ridden carpet over there!” And by this he meant Winter.
And that started the argument all over again, of course. The Wise listened to one, than the other, but could not make out much of the argument, for they were shouting very loudly over each other and could barely be heard. But he was not called the Wise for nothing, and soon deduced that each of the Spirits held themselves in higher regard, and were arguing over who held the more worth in the world because of what they did. And he chuckled to himself, for none of them realized that he was the One, who was far more powerful than any one of them.
When the Spirits had stopped arguing for a moment, for they had all run out of breath, the Wise then spoke.
"It seems to me," he said, "that there is only one way to settle this matter. We must hold a race between the four of you."
"A race?" The Spirits asked in surprise.
"Yes," said the Wise, "a race. Look, I will show you." And with his stick, he showed them the course that they were to run by. Starting from the hill they stood on now, he said, they would all run down towards the Great River and swim across it, then across the field into a great patch of brambles, and then into the woods. It was there, he said, that they would find an old oak tree - the oldest in the forest - and whoever was the first to touch that tree would be the winner of the race.
"And whoever wins the race," he finished, "will be considered the greatest of you all. I will ask King Mazda to award a crown of laurels to the winner, and get the Rooster to start the race. And there shall be crowds - of animals as well as people - to watch the race as well, so they will know who the winner is. We shall hold the race tomorrow, for it is too late in the afternoon to arrange anything now."
The Spirits all agreed that this seemed fair, and at once departed, talking eagerly about the race and who among them was the most likely to win it. But as they left, the Wise noticed how sad Spring was, hanging her head in shame, for she was the slowest among them and could not possibly win the race by speed alone. He immediately felt sorry for her, for he knew at once that whoever among the other three won would forever mock her for being slow, and she would feel smaller than ever. At once, he decided that he ought to play a trick, so that Spring would win the race and make the others look foolish.
So he took off his cloak and became the One again, then took out his green cap, woven from the Dew of the West, and put it onto his head. And all at once he became the Swift, with his twinkling smile and long legs, and felt in his body the speed of the winds and a desire to make mischief. Then he turned and ran across the field in great bounding leaps, so fast that I don't think anyone would have seen him running by, if he ever passed anyone at all. It wasn't long before he came to the Great River, which he had said would form part of the course of the race, and he bent down to speak to it.
"Great River," he said, speaking the language of the Water, "I have a favour I need to ask of you. Tomorrow, Summer is going to try and swim across you, for he has made a bet that whoever can swim across in the shortest time is the greatest in all the World. I need you to make the crossing especially difficult for him, for I do not wish him to win the bet. Can you promise to help me in this?"
The Great River promised that it would help. Then the Swift ran on past the river, and came to the bramble patch that was next on the course, and he told it a similar story in the language of the Forest, except he told it about Autumn instead, and the brambles promised to help as well. Then he ran on to the woods that formed the last part of the course, and ducked and dodged through it until he met the Council of the Owls, who lived in the forest. He first asked them if they would like to be the judges of the race tomorrow, and they all agreed at once, which is a rare thing for owls!
He then asked them what time Lord Stag took his walk in the mornings, and when they told him he said "Tell him to take it later, for I shall not be meeting him tomorrow." And they promised that they would. Then the Swift ran out of the forest and all the way down to the City, where King Mazda was, and he told him all about the race and asked him if he would be there to present the crown of laurels. And King Mazda said that he would, and told all the people in the city to appear as well.
Soon, the day of the race came, and the Four Spirits assembled on top of the hill where the One had told them to. Old Bruin was there to wish good luck to all of them, and the Rooster was there to start the race with his crow when everything was ready. Not one of the Four Spirits could seem to keep still - Spring was fidgeting nervously, Summer was roaring and tossing his golden mane, Autumn was hopping up and down on the spot and Winter was pawing at the ground impatiently. There was a large crowd there, too, of both animals and people as the One had said, for word about the race had spread like wildfire, and almost everyone was keen to see it. But the One himself was not there, and that puzzled the Spirits a great deal.
When all was ready, the Rooster climbed up onto a tree stump that served as his podium, cleared his throat and then, fluffing up his feathers, let put the loudest crow he ever could.
"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!"
But no sooner had he got past the Doodle than the race was on!
The four dashed with all their might across the fields, each leaving a cloud of dust behind them as they ran, and soon it became clear among them who was the fastest. Summer was in first, moving quickly across the ground with his long body, and his lack of wings didn’t seem to bother him at all. Behind him was Autumn, his long legs allowing him to keep pace with his brother, springing like a jackrabbit across the ground. Next came Winter, his loping strides cracking the stones beneath his paws as he ran. And finally came Spring, whose dainty hooves let her skip across the grass without harming a blade of it. But she was not the fastest of them by any means, and despaired upon seeing how her brothers were already far ahead of her.
“Oh, dear!” she said to herself. “I shall never win this race!”
Across the fields and down the slope they ran, and soon they came to the Great River that flowed down from the mountains, as the One had said they would. The men hadn't yet built a bridge across it, and it stretched for I don't know how many miles on either side, so that the Four Spirits saw at once they would have to swim across it. After a bit of hesitation, for he was not overly fond of water, Summer stepped into the river first and began swimming with all his might to try and get to the other side. He was soon followed by Autumn, who was followed by Winter and then Spring, and each one of them did their very best to try and catch up with Summer.
All four got halfway across the river, and it soon seemed as though Summer was going to reach the bank first. Being a strong swimmer, he had no trouble keeping ahead of the others, beating his tail from side to side like a crocodile as he swam. Autumn, Winter and Spring, who didn't have strong tails like him, were having difficulty battling the current in the river, for they only had their legs and arms to help them along. And besides that, the river was full of dead branches and bits of debris from upstream that men carelessly threw away, so that the other three occasionally had to duck under the water lest they be swept away.
When Summer realized how far ahead he was, his pride got to his head and he looked back to jeer at the others.
“Look at me!” he called out. “I’m going to win the race! You haven’t a hope of catching me!”
But no sooner had he said this than – gulp! – a mouthful of cold, cold water from the river got down his throat, and how unpleasant it must have been! He coughed, spluttered and floundered in the water, and all his fire was put out, so all he could do was spit clouds of black smoke from his mouth and nose. Whilst this was happening Autumn managed to swim past him, and then Winter and Spring, until Summer was very soon in last place as the others climbed out of the river and went on running. And by the time he recovered and got out of the river, the others were already ahead, and he had to run very fast to try and catch up.
Spring now saw that she was in third, and her spirits began to lift. “I might be able to win this race,” she said to herself.
Up the slope on the opposite side they ran, and it wasn’t long before they came to the bramble patch, as the One had said they would. This was before King Mazda was to build his orchards, that you may have read about before, and thus the land was wild and covered in overgrown thorns that stretched for miles around. As soon as they looked at it the Four Spirits realized that they would have to crawl through it - all except Autumn, who merely bounded along it as though it were a patch of flowers. Winter followed him, and then Spring and Summer, all of them crawling on their bellies to get through the tangled brambles.
All four got halfway across the field, and it soon seemed as though Autumn was going to reach the other side first. With his long legs, he was able to jump over the brambles like a deer, and that way he didn't ever get scratched by the thorns and was able to keep a good pace. Winter, Spring and Summer, who were not able to jump over them, were obliged to crawl slowly after him through the brambles, and I can tell you that not one of them enjoyed it very much! Sometimes they got tangled up in the vines, sometimes they lost their ways and had to go back, and all whilst being poked and scratched by the thorns all over.
“Oh, dear!” she said to herself. “I shall never win this race!”
Across the fields and down the slope they ran, and soon they came to the Great River that flowed down from the mountains, as the One had said they would. The men hadn't yet built a bridge across it, and it stretched for I don't know how many miles on either side, so that the Four Spirits saw at once they would have to swim across it. After a bit of hesitation, for he was not overly fond of water, Summer stepped into the river first and began swimming with all his might to try and get to the other side. He was soon followed by Autumn, who was followed by Winter and then Spring, and each one of them did their very best to try and catch up with Summer.
All four got halfway across the river, and it soon seemed as though Summer was going to reach the bank first. Being a strong swimmer, he had no trouble keeping ahead of the others, beating his tail from side to side like a crocodile as he swam. Autumn, Winter and Spring, who didn't have strong tails like him, were having difficulty battling the current in the river, for they only had their legs and arms to help them along. And besides that, the river was full of dead branches and bits of debris from upstream that men carelessly threw away, so that the other three occasionally had to duck under the water lest they be swept away.
When Summer realized how far ahead he was, his pride got to his head and he looked back to jeer at the others.
“Look at me!” he called out. “I’m going to win the race! You haven’t a hope of catching me!”
But no sooner had he said this than – gulp! – a mouthful of cold, cold water from the river got down his throat, and how unpleasant it must have been! He coughed, spluttered and floundered in the water, and all his fire was put out, so all he could do was spit clouds of black smoke from his mouth and nose. Whilst this was happening Autumn managed to swim past him, and then Winter and Spring, until Summer was very soon in last place as the others climbed out of the river and went on running. And by the time he recovered and got out of the river, the others were already ahead, and he had to run very fast to try and catch up.
Spring now saw that she was in third, and her spirits began to lift. “I might be able to win this race,” she said to herself.
Up the slope on the opposite side they ran, and it wasn’t long before they came to the bramble patch, as the One had said they would. This was before King Mazda was to build his orchards, that you may have read about before, and thus the land was wild and covered in overgrown thorns that stretched for miles around. As soon as they looked at it the Four Spirits realized that they would have to crawl through it - all except Autumn, who merely bounded along it as though it were a patch of flowers. Winter followed him, and then Spring and Summer, all of them crawling on their bellies to get through the tangled brambles.
All four got halfway across the field, and it soon seemed as though Autumn was going to reach the other side first. With his long legs, he was able to jump over the brambles like a deer, and that way he didn't ever get scratched by the thorns and was able to keep a good pace. Winter, Spring and Summer, who were not able to jump over them, were obliged to crawl slowly after him through the brambles, and I can tell you that not one of them enjoyed it very much! Sometimes they got tangled up in the vines, sometimes they lost their ways and had to go back, and all whilst being poked and scratched by the thorns all over.
When Autumn realized how far ahead he was, he became very conceited and he looked back to jeer at the others.
“Look at me!” he called out. “I’m going to win the race! You’ll be feasting in my honor tonight!”
But no sooner had he said this than – whoops! – he tripped over a root hidden in the undergrowth and fell right into the brambles! He shouted and kicked and struggled, and the brambles held him down and scratched him all in his face and arms, and cut him all over his body. Whilst this was happening Winter managed to crawl past him, and then Spring and Summer, until Autumn was very soon in last place. And when he got out of the brambles his face was so scratched he looked completely different, and he was so ashamed of how he looked he was obliged to put a hollow pumpkin over his head as he ran to catch up.
Spring now saw that she was in second, and she began to feel more hopeful. “I think I can win this race,” she said to herself.
The four of them soon climbed out of the brambles, with Autumn just managing to catch up, and they continued to run across the fields until they got to the woods, as the One had said they would. These were the same woods where Lord Stag lived, and Old Bruin and many other animals like them, and all the trees grew for miles across, because no man ever cared to cut them down. As soon as they saw the. the Four Spirits realized they would have to run through the woods to find the finish line, and Winter went first, feeling that he would get on alright in a place he was comfortable with. He was soon followed by Spring, and then Summer and Autumn, and all of them ran and ran to try and get to where the finish line was.
All four got a good way into the woods, and it soon seemed as though Winter was going to find the finish line first. Having lived in a wood most of his life, he had no trouble ducking and dodging around the trees and undergrowth to find the easiest path through the forest. Spring, Summer and Autumn, who were not used to running through trees, had to slow down in order to make it safely through the forest, and even then they had the occasional accident! Spring almost tripped over a tree root and hurt her leg, Summer ran into a patch of nettles and got stung all over and Autumn, who could barely see where he was going with the pumpkin on his head, got lost more than once and had to turn back to find the others!
When Winter realized how far ahead he was, he became very arrogant and looked back to jeer at the others.
“Look at me!” he called out. “I’m going to win the race! You’d best lock your doors from now on!”
But no sooner had he said this than – thump! – he blundered right into Lord Stag, who was enjoying his walk through the woods. And Lord Stag was so cross with Winter that he hit him in the mouth with his antlers, and Winter’s front teeth were knocked out and fell down a rabbit’s hole, where they were never found again. Whilst this was happening Spring managed to run past him, and then Summer and Autumn, until Winter was very soon in last place. And when he got away from Lord Stag and saw how far behind he was he was very angry, and as he ran he muttered bad words that whistled through the gap in his teeth, so all the animals knew he was coming and hid.
Spring now saw that she was in first, and she was unbelievably happy. “I know I can win this race!” she cheered.
When the others heard this they grew frightfully angry with Spring, for they didn't like the idea that she was going to beat them. And they began to run faster and faster to try and catch up with her, and they made such a terrific noise as they came through the forest that everyone for miles around heard it. Summer roared and tried to breath fire to burn Spring, but all that came from his mouth was smoke. Autumn tried to call her bad names, but the pumpkin over his head muffled his voice so nobody could hear him. And Winter tried to sneak up on her, but his breath whistled in his teeth like a wind, so he couldn’t stay hidden if he tried. Some people even say the Great Dragon stirred in his sleep because of the noise, but nobody remembers who said that.
When Spring realized they were after her, she became very frightened and shut her eyes tight in fear.
“Oh, no!” she cried to herself. “I’m not going to win the race! My own brothers will kill me first!"
And she ran faster and faster, trying to get away from the other Spirits as they came closer and closer, until...
"OOF!"
Yes, you guessed it. With her eyes shut so tight, poor Spring couldn't see where she was going, and so she ran right into something and fell over backwards, the wind knocked out of her. When the other three saw just what she had run into, they all skidded to a stop with their mouths open in shock. And well they might, the silly things! - because right in front of them was the large, spreading oak tree that the One said would mark the finish line for the race. And they could see a fluttering up in the branches, where the Council of the Owls had been waiting to judge the winner of the race. It was this very tree that Spring had just bumped into, and now lay dazed at the foot of it.
And on the instant, the owls all hooted together: "Spring has touched the tree first! Spring has won the race!"
When Spring heard this, she was so full of joy that it seemed as though she was going to burst from it! She jumped up onto her feet, forgetting that she'd hurt herself, and began leaping about like a young lamb at play with it's brothers and sisters! Then a great crowd of the animals and people that had gathered there emerged from the bushes, King Mazda himself among them, and began cheering for her victory. And all the other three - Summer, Autumn and Winter - could only stand there in shock and watch as the One suddenly appeared from behind the tree, and King Mazda took out the laurel crown and and put it on Spring's head.
"That was well done," the One said to Spring. "You may not have been the fastest, but you won regardless, for you did not make the mistake of looking back like the others did. For your victory, I name you the Greatest of the Seasons, and the first months of the year shall be named after you, with their soothing rains and new birth." And Spring turned quite red, and beamed with joy.
Then to Summer, the One said "Your fire was your pride, and therefore it has been taken away from you. From now on, you may only breathe out clouds, which will give out rain to the people below to water their crops and provide relief from the torment your heat gives. And as you have come second, you shall have the months after Spring named after you, with their long droughts and dry streams." And Summer lowered his head, and was humbled.
Then to Autumn, the One said "You put too much faith in your looks, and have suffered for it. From now on, all of your children will be born with faces such as yours, so that people will know how ugly you really are on the inside despite the harvest you give. And as you have come third, the months after Summer will be named after you, with their ripe harvests and early evenings" And Autumn put the pumpkin over his head, embarrassed.
Then to Winter, the One said "Your arrogance was your undoing, and you have lost the teeth that have taken so many lives. From now on, your breath will become the cold winds, so people will shut their doors when they hear you coming and keep their children safe. And as you have come last, the last months in the year will be named after you, with their harsh winds and snows." And Winter growled back at him, but said nothing.
Finally, King Mazda turned to all the people and animals and said "Hear well! Remember this race, and what the One has said, for it has changed our world! And pass the tale down among your children, so that they will remember to commemorate the Seasons and what has happened here!"
And so the Four Spirits departed - Spring happier than she had ever been, but Summer, Autumn and Winter in very bad moods indeed.
And that was how the Seasons came about, and why we have the Times of Plenty and Hardship. It is also why, in Spring, we wear crowns of laurel, just as Spring the Satyr wore her crown after winning the race; why, in Summer, we always have great rains after long spells of drought, because Summer the Dragon is saying sorry for all the damage he has caused. And why, in Autumn, we carve pumpkins and put them in our windowsills, because it makes Autumn and his Goblin children ashamed and keeps them away from our homes; and why, in Winter, the wind howls so fiercely and we shut our doors, so that the Winter the Direwulf does not take our children.
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Notes on the text:
When Winter realized how far ahead he was, he became very arrogant and looked back to jeer at the others.
“Look at me!” he called out. “I’m going to win the race! You’d best lock your doors from now on!”
But no sooner had he said this than – thump! – he blundered right into Lord Stag, who was enjoying his walk through the woods. And Lord Stag was so cross with Winter that he hit him in the mouth with his antlers, and Winter’s front teeth were knocked out and fell down a rabbit’s hole, where they were never found again. Whilst this was happening Spring managed to run past him, and then Summer and Autumn, until Winter was very soon in last place. And when he got away from Lord Stag and saw how far behind he was he was very angry, and as he ran he muttered bad words that whistled through the gap in his teeth, so all the animals knew he was coming and hid.
Spring now saw that she was in first, and she was unbelievably happy. “I know I can win this race!” she cheered.
When the others heard this they grew frightfully angry with Spring, for they didn't like the idea that she was going to beat them. And they began to run faster and faster to try and catch up with her, and they made such a terrific noise as they came through the forest that everyone for miles around heard it. Summer roared and tried to breath fire to burn Spring, but all that came from his mouth was smoke. Autumn tried to call her bad names, but the pumpkin over his head muffled his voice so nobody could hear him. And Winter tried to sneak up on her, but his breath whistled in his teeth like a wind, so he couldn’t stay hidden if he tried. Some people even say the Great Dragon stirred in his sleep because of the noise, but nobody remembers who said that.
When Spring realized they were after her, she became very frightened and shut her eyes tight in fear.
“Oh, no!” she cried to herself. “I’m not going to win the race! My own brothers will kill me first!"
And she ran faster and faster, trying to get away from the other Spirits as they came closer and closer, until...
"OOF!"
Yes, you guessed it. With her eyes shut so tight, poor Spring couldn't see where she was going, and so she ran right into something and fell over backwards, the wind knocked out of her. When the other three saw just what she had run into, they all skidded to a stop with their mouths open in shock. And well they might, the silly things! - because right in front of them was the large, spreading oak tree that the One said would mark the finish line for the race. And they could see a fluttering up in the branches, where the Council of the Owls had been waiting to judge the winner of the race. It was this very tree that Spring had just bumped into, and now lay dazed at the foot of it.
And on the instant, the owls all hooted together: "Spring has touched the tree first! Spring has won the race!"
When Spring heard this, she was so full of joy that it seemed as though she was going to burst from it! She jumped up onto her feet, forgetting that she'd hurt herself, and began leaping about like a young lamb at play with it's brothers and sisters! Then a great crowd of the animals and people that had gathered there emerged from the bushes, King Mazda himself among them, and began cheering for her victory. And all the other three - Summer, Autumn and Winter - could only stand there in shock and watch as the One suddenly appeared from behind the tree, and King Mazda took out the laurel crown and and put it on Spring's head.
"That was well done," the One said to Spring. "You may not have been the fastest, but you won regardless, for you did not make the mistake of looking back like the others did. For your victory, I name you the Greatest of the Seasons, and the first months of the year shall be named after you, with their soothing rains and new birth." And Spring turned quite red, and beamed with joy.
Then to Summer, the One said "Your fire was your pride, and therefore it has been taken away from you. From now on, you may only breathe out clouds, which will give out rain to the people below to water their crops and provide relief from the torment your heat gives. And as you have come second, you shall have the months after Spring named after you, with their long droughts and dry streams." And Summer lowered his head, and was humbled.
Then to Autumn, the One said "You put too much faith in your looks, and have suffered for it. From now on, all of your children will be born with faces such as yours, so that people will know how ugly you really are on the inside despite the harvest you give. And as you have come third, the months after Summer will be named after you, with their ripe harvests and early evenings" And Autumn put the pumpkin over his head, embarrassed.
Then to Winter, the One said "Your arrogance was your undoing, and you have lost the teeth that have taken so many lives. From now on, your breath will become the cold winds, so people will shut their doors when they hear you coming and keep their children safe. And as you have come last, the last months in the year will be named after you, with their harsh winds and snows." And Winter growled back at him, but said nothing.
Finally, King Mazda turned to all the people and animals and said "Hear well! Remember this race, and what the One has said, for it has changed our world! And pass the tale down among your children, so that they will remember to commemorate the Seasons and what has happened here!"
And so the Four Spirits departed - Spring happier than she had ever been, but Summer, Autumn and Winter in very bad moods indeed.
And that was how the Seasons came about, and why we have the Times of Plenty and Hardship. It is also why, in Spring, we wear crowns of laurel, just as Spring the Satyr wore her crown after winning the race; why, in Summer, we always have great rains after long spells of drought, because Summer the Dragon is saying sorry for all the damage he has caused. And why, in Autumn, we carve pumpkins and put them in our windowsills, because it makes Autumn and his Goblin children ashamed and keeps them away from our homes; and why, in Winter, the wind howls so fiercely and we shut our doors, so that the Winter the Direwulf does not take our children.
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Notes on the text:
- There is little information on the origin of the Four Spirits, or indeed about any of them. They may have been entities like the One, or separate beings considering that they were "born from the Earth". Their worship is usually confined to their respective festivals on each month, and even then the One Faith is quick to remind everyone of the part their deity played in the events.
- In some translations, Spring is a maiden or a butterfly. This is because the words for satyr and butterfly in Dragonian are similar, and confusion easily arises, so many choose to use a maiden for simplicity's sake. Of course, this is to forget that the word for maiden is completely different in Dragonian.
- Long Dragons are reminiscent of the Chinese lung, Korean yong and Japanese ryu of Earth, in that they are snakelike, maned and have no wings. On the Right Wing of Dragonus, Long Dragons are considered symbols of royalty, and a golden dragon forms the symbol of the Royal House of Dailong.
- The Orcish Codex states that the first Goblin was a very handsome fellow, until the shape of his face was changed after a brutal fight with the first Orc. The fact that Autumn appears to be handsome, at least before his accident, may be an acknowledgement of this aspect of the Orc religion.
- Dire Wolves on Earth are an extinct species of canid that may have been the ancestor of modern wolves and dogs. In Dragonian culture, they are legendary beings that are considered omens of death. It is quite fitting, therefore, that the cruel and arrogant Winter should be a Direwulf.
- Laurel is considered a holy plant on Dragonus. It is often grown in churchyards, and cuttings of it are used in ceremonies and baptisms in the One Faith.
- This is one of the few times the Council of the Owls appear to agree on anything! The other time is when they helped the One trick Tarrasque, the sea monster.
- In some versions of the tale, Summer is pulled down into the water by the pike living in the Great River, spiders trip up Autumn with their webs and a squirrel drops a nut on Winter, making him hit a tree and lose his teeth that way.
- This is not the first time Spring appears in the Tales. More on this later.
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