Storytelling for Week 12: The Harper

(Harp. Web Source: Wikipedia)

Alawn shouted with glee as his father handed him his first harp. It was beautifully crafted with a strong wooden backbone and perfectly strung tight strings. Alawn's father had been a harper for years in his town and had been teaching Alawn his skill ever since the boy could sit up on his own. Today was the day that Alawn finally received a harp to call his own.

He practiced and practiced for hours each day. Eventually Alawn became not just the town's, but the whole countries most talented musician. His beautiful melodies could calm the hearts of the most troubled souls or be the excitement of a festival.

One day, the wicked prince of the land heard of Alawn's talents and of course wanted to have them for himself.  That very morning, he sent out many of his guards to go to Alawn's home town and bring him to the prince.

Alawn's beautiful wooden harp was torn from his grasp as he entered the palace and was given a solid gold harp in its place. This new harp was strangely shaped and very foreign to Alawn's grasp. The guards dressed the young man in palace appropriate attire and brought him before the prince.

"Ah! So you are the harper my people talk of so highly," said the prince. "I have heard many stories of your talents and decided that I want you to be my personal musician. You shall play for me whenever I call for you and you shall be the sole entertainment at all of my parties. You should count yourself lucky to be given the opportunity to leave your filthy town and live in my palace for the rest of your life!" the prince said with a boastful tone.

"Your highness, I am grateful that you find such favor in my music, but I must decline this offer. Where my family is is my home," Alawn replied.

"Oh dear boy, your presence here is not by request! It is my demand," the prince said viciously.

***

Fifty years later, poor Alawn was no longer the youthful happy boy who loved music. He stood mournfully in the prince's party dreaded the moment that he would be once more commanded to play the cold golden harp for the prince's guests. He crept towards the corner of the room and sunk to the floor with a frown.

Just then a bird fluttered into the room and whispered, "Vengeance, vengeance," and then flew to the door.

Author's Note: My storytelling post this week is based on the tale Bala Lake from the Welsh Fairy Book. In the original story, the harper is nameless and we are not given any sort of back story on him. The tale starts with talking about how cruel and proud the prince is. God warned the prince that "vengeance shall come" if he does not change his ways. Of course the prince ignores this warning and continues on with his evil ways. One day during a party, a bird whispers into a harper's ear, "vengeance, vengeance," and then flies to the door. The bird does this multiple times as a way of beckoning the harper to follow it. The harper follows the bird out into the wilderness where he becomes lost. In the morning when he finds his way back to the castle, he finds the Bala Lake in it's place. His life had been spared and floating on top of the lake was the harper's harp. My tale is about the back story of the harper. I gave him the name Alawn, because it is the Welsh name for harmony.

Bibliography
"Bala Lake" by Jenkyn Thomas from the Un-Textbook Unit: Welsh Fairy Book. 1908