Snow Maiden Mafe
It was a dark cold night when Paul Doloryuki walked alone in the forest, While walking, he felt the cold wind and snow as well as being saddened for the days being marred by insult and of humiliation around him in the town made by those people who are jealous of him.
And as he continued walking and feeling the cold and sadness in the forest, he sought an abandoned cottage and he went inside for a rest without heat and relying on the bread he've bought from the store for the long journey alone.
But as he remained inside without any heat and without any companion, Paul, marred by lonliness and of sadness, went out and desparately went outside and sought snow. And there he tried much in creating a maiden simply by molding and carving it, then as Paul continued carving hard snow he've found, he's accidentally got a cut from his pocketknife, and few drops of blood dropped from the white snow figures he have carved, and despite the cold and the sadness around him, Paul completed the maiden he have molded and carved out of snow, and he went back to the cottage for rest.
While resting, Paul dreamed a maiden, dressed in white and dark blue, that maiden seemed to be beautiful, white skinned and brown haired, Paul felt something different as he sought a beautiful girl trying to join with him. But meanwhile, something's happened outside as the snow maiden created by the loner turns something different though the fusion of blood coming from his and the snow, and with the help of the wood fairies and of the forest spirits who invoke spells, the sculpture made by a loner brought to life.
The next day,
Paul woke up after a long rest. This time, he sought something different, and instead, he sought a burning fireplace, fine cooked food as well as a maiden sitting in the chair. There he felt somewhat thankful since someone seemed to be nice, different from people who tend to destroy him much, and then he asked:
"Hello, who are you? And why are you here?"
Then the maiden said:
"I am here and taking care you."
"But who are you?" Paul said.
Then the maiden replied:
"I am Mafe."
"Mafe?" Paul said."Sounds new to me, where do you come from?"
"I don't know." Mafe said.
"You don't know?" Paul said."You don't know where you live?"
"Yes." Mafe said. "But I consider the woods as my abode."
And Paul said:
"Hm... I'm quite thinking because you're too beautiful to live alone in the forest, are you a fairy? A witch?"
"Nope." Mafe said.
"Then who are you?" Paul said.
"I am just the girl whom you created." Mafe said.
"You?" Paul said. "How come you say it? You are real!"
Then he immediately went outside and looking around, There he sought nothing and even think that the ice maden he've made may have melted away or destroyed by a beast. And then he said to Mafe:
"You are too beautiful to be the ice maiden I have carved, but thanks for keeping me warm and having a kind heart to help me."
"No need to worry about that." Mafe said. "I am always here to stay."
And after eating, Paul bid goodbye to the ice maiden and returned home.But Mafe said:
"So when you will return?"
"I don't know." Paul said. "But I will try to go."
Then Mafe said:
"Well then, as long as you are here in the woods I am here."
Then Paul bid goodbye and went to the town and to face the people who use to insult him.
While on the town, Paul sought the same people around the place, and as he returned home, a drunken father asked him:
"Why you didn't come home yesterday?"
"Why do you say so?" Paul said. "Are you concerned or something?"
"No." His father said. "I am just asking why you didn't come home yesterday?"
"It is none of your business father." Paul said. "How come you want to ask then you will do something terrible against me?"
Then his father immediately stood up, raised his baton and started to beat him and said:
"How could you..."
But Paul said:
"So you will do this to me again? Beating me since childhood?"
Then his mother came and tried to ease her husband's temper and said to Paul:
"Paul, how come you say this to your father?"
"Why?" Paul said. "I am sick and tired of his actions against me, How come he's doing right while he's beating me all the time? Isn't it right to treat a son like a peon to the family? Of being maltreated by those people around me?"
"But then," his father said. "I gave you food, I gave you home, so you need to pay for it, by working here!"
"Work father?" Paul said. "How come you say so? Is that the way a father treats a son? To be a slave to the family?"
"Please stop that!" his mother said. "We are just worried about you for you didn't come home yesterday."
"Worried?" Paul said. "How come all of you are concerned? Worried while all of you are blind, deaf, and mute in having me insulted? Maltreated by people around this place? Isn't it right for a father to treat his son badly, of treating his son as if a beast of burden while he is drinking too much wine all the time?"
Then his mother replied:
"But still, he's your father!"
"Stop telling me that!" Paul said. "I am not a kid anymore, I am not even a slave here in this abode! I am even tired of being a laughingstock and a curse around this town!"
But his father tried much in swaying off his wife's hand and immediately raised his baton and trying to beat him. People outside heard the noise and even went just to look how Paul's father trying to beat his son.
And out of the following events surrounding him around the town, of insults, of humiliations out of him, Paul decided to leave and there he immediately packed his things out and left the place he called home. Outside people sought him stepping out and some even cursed him, saying:
"You are such a disgrace to your family!"
"You're a curse!"
"Devil's son!"
And even threw snowballs in his face as he walked towards the gate of the town walls. While walking, he simply restrained himself since he felt how his family and people cursed him and even spoke a last insult, and as he reached the gate, there he spoke directly against them:
"So are you happy in expelling me? Perhaps tommorrow all of you are preparing a feast since you have expelled a man who is a weak, fool,and stupid in the eyes of the people here in this town, Perhaps women are even happy also since the man whom they despised is gone forever, so why not just spoke a final word for me since I will leave this cursed place?"
Then one of the people, whose name is Brien, upon hearing what he said, then apologized for insulting him too much:
"Paul, I am terribly sorry for doing anything against you."
Others followed as they felt how the person whom they insulted spoke angrily against them, but Paul didn't accept their apologies and even picked a stone just to threw directly on to the face of the one apologizing, and said:
"This is what I will give to you, I don't need your apologies, but instead may death be with you!"
Then Paul left the town leaving the people silent. His father also became conscienced after what his son said to him lately, but then he didn't stop his son from going away.
While walking alone, Paul then wept and again felt the sadness as he left the town he called as "cursed." And as he continue walking he tried much to forget it, forgetting every memory coming from them and instead walking towards the woods where he may stay again.
In the woods, Paul became tired and he stopped at the tree for awhile, there he simply sat and trying to get some bread from his bag, again he tried much to recover as he eat the last peice of bread he have bought.And after eating he lie down in sleep for a rest.
Meanwhile,
Mafe, while inside the cottage, felt a wisp of the wind, and immediately went out to look for Paul. There she walked and walked until she sought him lying beneath the tree, there she hath him wake up and Paul sought again the beautiful face of the maiden trying to awake him after a long rest, and said:
"Hey! Wake up!"
Then Paul said:
"Why?"
But as he sought Mafe, he said:
"Oh! Mafe! You're here!"
"Ya." Mafe said. "I came here just to fetch you."
"How come you know me?" Paul said.
"I heard your voice and I feel your sorrow." Mafe said.
Then Paul replied:
"Oh! Thanks for concerning me."
Then Mafe hath him raise up and the two went back to the cottage.
While in the cottage, Paul then asked Mafe:
"Seems that you are trying much in helping me."
"Yes." Mafe said. "And I am trying to ease the pain that comes from your heart."
Then Paul said:
"My heart, my body, my mind and soul, all of them are scarred because of the people around me. All of them underestimated, insulted, destroyed my reputation and dignity, is this what god or somewhere else gave to me?"
And Mafe replied:
"These people are just insecure because you have something that nobody have. They may have treated you much of a slave, a prisoner, a person chained most of the time, and because of them you tried much in breaking off."
Paul simply nod and then he said:
"I can't accept their apologies upon leaving the town, they are too dumb to say such things, for they are good in stabbing one's backs."
And Mafe replied:
"But you are lucky for you are here with a someone who concerned you most."
Then Paul said:
"Well... thanks for helping me much. Perhaps the heavens created you to help me ease."
Nighttime.
While sleeping, Paul dreamed of an old man appeared in the cottage, and as he sought him, he said:
"Old man, why are you here?"
Then the old man replied:
"I am here to tell you something."
"What?" Paul said. "Have I done anything wrong?"
"No." The old man said. "But..."
"Tell me." Paul said.
"The girl whom you met," The old man said. "Is the same girl whom you created out of snow last last last time."
"How come she is the girl whom I created?" Paul said. "She's too real to be a snow maiden!"
Then the old man replied:
"Remember the snow maiden you've sculpted?"
"Yes." Paul said.
"Do you remember the day you got a cut from a pocketknife?" The old man said.
"Yes." Paul said.
"Blood from your scar dropped in your creation." The old man said. "And through it, blood mixes with snow, turning it into flesh, giving it life and beauty around her. The fairies and wood spirits hath give her thought, idea, and even clothes to wear."
"I see." Paul said. "But will she stay in the middle of snow then melt in spring?"
"I don't know." The old man said. "But you are the one who can make her real."
"I can't understand this." Paul said. "How come she is my creation?"
Then The old man replied:
"You will recall it."
Then he disappeared.
Morning.
As Paul woke up earlier, he immediately prepared wood for fire and then food around the forest. Mafe was sleeping at that time as he prepared everything for both of them, there Paul tried hard in creating good food, lighting a fire in a fireplace, as well as cleaning anything around the house.
And after doing some basic chores, Paul simply approached Mafe and hath her wake up. While waking her up, he sought the beauty of the ice maiden, of finely brown hair and white skinned; as well as having a nice body similar to the asparas of long ago; and as Mafe woke up, she sought anything around prepared and said:
"Paul? Are you the one who prepared these?"
"Yes." Paul said. "I woke up pearly just to do these things."
Then Mafe smiled and said:
"Well... thanks. I am quite thinking that you prepared all of these that I am supposed to do."
"No need to worry about." Paul said. "I am not like any other person who do something different towards women and others."
And Mafe simply smiled and joined with Paul for breakfast.
While eating, Paul simply spoke to Mafe:
"At first, I didn't believe that you are the snow maiden whom I created."
"Why?" Mafe said. "You are now believing that I am the snow maiden?"
"I tried to belive in it." Paul said. "For it is difficult to see a real girl who in fact created out of snow and brought to life."
Mafe then smiled and said:
"Well... For now you see a girl made out of snow."
"Ya." Paul said. "A beautiful maiden carved out of snow and brought to life."
"Really?" Mafe said.
"Yes." Paul said. "And I am amazed that the snow maiden I have made is the girl who gave something what no one have given to me."
And the two continued eating breakfast. Outside, snow continues to fall in the forest.
Meanwhile, in the town Paul hath left,
Many people were quite silent as they get conscienced after Paul left the entire town. But as all of them seemingly continued working, one of them, a girl named Rizza, assembled the people around, again to dispel their mistake and instead kill the man whom they called a curse:
"All of us are deeply saddened because of a man whom we called as a curse and a dumb. However we must not worry about this since he at first created this mess not ours! We may have maltreated him, but then he created something bad against us-imagine, he became rebellious to his parents? Of doing more mistakes? And even spreading lies and creating mischief? We must not worry about him, but rather kill that cursed man so that his curse around the town will dispel forever!"
Then Brien, whose face was pelted by a stone from Paul, then said:
"I simply felt what he gave to me, I tried to apologize but then he pelted my face with a stone, he's simply mad, deply mad, and a curse that needs to be killed. If he wants that thing, then we will give him what he deserve!"
Then the people started to talk about this, and most of them started to agree about what the two said to them, and thus,
they started to get anything just to search, capture, and kill Paul! His father was even raged with anger upon recalling his name after being spoken by Rizza, and he immediately joined with the rest to capture his cursed son. There they started to pick their pitchforks, their scythes and lit off their torches, and started to march to capture the cursed boy of the town!
Paul, while outside, was working alone in the woods, cutting wood and throwing bird seed to the ravens and other birds around. And as he continued working, he seemed happy since he also enjoyed being with Mafe whom he called as "the snow maiden". However after working, he heard some noises somewhere, there he immediately seek in it-until he heard directly the noises of the people wanted him to be captured and dragged off to the town and be killed, there he immediately ran then went back to the cottage and said to Mafe:
"Mafe, there are people runnung after us!"
"Why?" Mafe said.
"I don't know why!" Paul said. "But they are calling my name, perhaps they will kill me!"
Then Mafe replied:
"No need to worry Paul, you are safe here."
"But..." Paul said. "The people are approaching near the cottage!"
And as the people approached the cottage, Rizza, sensing that Paul stayed there, called the rest to open the door forcefully until it breaks down. Paul, while inside along with Mafe, tried much in staying inside until the door broke down and sought Paul and Mafe inside, Paul tried to defend against the mob, but Brien shot him in the knee by his arrow and Paul fell down. There the mob cornered the two, and started to lynch them, only to be stoped by Rizza, Paul's father and Brien in order to be sent to the town square to be executed. There the two were being dragged back to the town, and Paul stared at the midday sky growing dark as if something terrible comes.
While at the town, Paul and Mafe were put to a mock trial in the town square wherein most people agreed to have Paul sentenced to death, but Mafe then stood up and said to the rest:
"How come he is bad since he hath done nothing?"
"You don't know who he is." Rizza said. "He was just a scumbag here in this town."
"But." Mafe said. "Why all of you want to kill him although he expelled himself in this cursed town of yours?"
"Cursed town?" Brien said. "He made this town cursed therefore he needs to be punished?"
"Punished?" Paul said. "Then fine! All of you expelled me, isn't it stupid to return me here along with her and be killed?"
Then the people around laughed, and some even threw snowballs at the two. Then Brien stopped the noise and said to Paul:
"It is our decision to return you here and be punished for your sins."
Then Paul replied:
"It is all of you who are sinful than I! All of you are empty same as your souls!"
"Hahahaha." Rizza said. "Seems that your words made us laugh. You're just a hopeless individual isn't it? Having no fiends, your family trashed you, why not accept the fate that you deserved to be dead?"
"Fine!" Paul said. "This trial is not even true or even a trial after all!"
Then Mafe said to the rest:
"All of you are seemingly blind, deaf and mute by ignorance! All of you have no conscience on what being done to us! Having no heart except of stone and cold like this winter!"
"Indeed." Brien said. "We are cold as winter."
Then he spoke to the rest:
"Are we cold as winter?"
Then the people laughed as what being said to them.
And Paul, suffered, stared at the dark sky and said to the rest:
"Kill me, but not her!"
"Sure! Why not!" Paul's father said. "We wanted you to die to restore the family's power hahaha..."
Then he approached him and prepared his death sentence by beheading. However, Mafe resisted him until he intentionally thrusted Mafe in the back, and Mafe fell down trying to defend Paul. There Paul was shocked and shouted:
"Mafe!"
And he tried much to approach her. Many of the people were quite shocked as his father killed a girl and then trying to kill his son next! And some were deeply saddened as Paul sought Mafe bleeding; there he barely approached her and then helding her body, he shouted the rest of the people surrounding him in the town:
"All of you are cursed not I or even her! How come all of you do this to us? Father, is this the way to treat a son? Why not kill me instead of her?"
Then his father said:
"Well... If you want to join with her then I will do the job!"
Then he stabbed him with the stomach with his sword and Paul, feeling the pain and the oozing blood from where the sword struck and eventually fell down where Mafe hath lied in the town square. Many people were shocked as Paul's father stabbed his "cursed son", then said as he lied down:
"This is what you are supposed to be-Dead to save the legacy of my family and the rest of the people in this town!"
And Rizza, upon staring Paul lying beside Mafe, then looked to the people and said:
"We must not mourn for the cursed one and his companion are all dead! Why not just rejoice and even burn them so that their souls will also be burned too!"
And the people immediately get some firewood and with the help of Rizza and Paul's archenemy, they burned the corpses of the two and rejoiced while some felt the concience within after what Paul said to the rest, followed by he and his companion's deaths! There blood coming from Paul's body then creates something different just like the day he created the snow maiden; this time would be different-as the body of the girl would change, perhaps of becoming real due to its effect and of the spells once being said by the spirits around. But people didn't notice what's going on around their doing, for despite the flames, the bodies of the two didn't burn completely except for the wood; and at the same time a strong blizzard blew the fire and created a mound in the place where the bodies lie. People around seemingly got shocked, and even scared as they thought that what they have done to the two led to a wrath! Rizza tried to control them, but as the storm continues, Rizza, Brien, and some of the people, including Paul's father and mother can't withstand the strong wind, even they entered their abodes until they fell and died in the extreme freeze.
The next day,
The town became a howling wilderness as everything around becomes too silent. Frozen corpses are scattered since these bodies were of people died by extreme cold by the blizzard, at the same time the old man, along with his men went to the mound of ice to unearth the bodies of the two. But as they unearth the mound, they found Paul and Mafe together with their hands held, there they raised, carried and eventually sent to the underworld where someone awaits.
While in the underworld, Paul raised back to life by the spells and incantations spoken by the people around him, at first, he felt something around then followed by blinking his eyes and even trying to move on the place where he lie. The old man then came to him and said:
"Don't move Paul!"
"Why?" Paul said.
"We are trying to cure your body." The old man said.
"But, I am dead for now!" Paul said.
"But now you are now being raised back to life." The angel of death said. "But your body still needs a cure."
"How about Mafe?" Paul said. "Where is she?"
"Your companion?" The old man said. "She's now lying somewhere."
"But..." Paul said. "I need to see her!"
"Not for now." The old man said. "You need to stay."
Then the angel of death left him away lying and listening to the long incantations around him.
At that time,
Mafe was in a cold frozen place, sealed in an ice block and the old man whom Paul hath met tried hard in making her real. Through every spell and incantation being said, of the red candles being lit in the entire place, the old man seemingly seeing anything around her whether she will return to being snow or becoming real, but then as spells and incantations continue to speak, lies a chance to make Mafe be a real maiden and not to return as a snow.
Paul seemingly felt again the lonliness as didn't see Mafe for days in the underworld. Seeing nothing but darkness and a small shaft of light, Paul promised himself to see her again, this time if not as a snow carved girl but a real one who can be with him forever; but on the other hand he thinks that Mafe may have melted away since she was out of snow brought to life, there he simply remained silent and thinking about her while listening to the incantations around him, and even speaking in tounges out of hearing the voices surrounding:
"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE oooooooooooooooooooooo uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..."
There he seemingly can't stop speaking in tounges as he was lying and listening to the voices around, only to be approached by the angel of death and said:
"Paul!"
Paul then stopped speaking in tounges to himself and he sought the angel and said:
"Why? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Yes." The old man said. "You may rise up."
"Why?" Paul said. "At first you say I will lie here then now you have me rise?"
"Yes." The old man said. "So that you may see your companion."
"Where is she?" Paul said.
Then the old man replied:
"I will show you the way where she is."
And Paul rose up from what he was lying and with the old man they walked until they reached where the snow maiden enclosed in an ice block, there the old man looked at him and said:
"Here's Mafe, she's beautiful isn't she?"
"Yes." Paul said. "Very beautiful indeed."
Then Paul approached the ice block and stared, and even touched the ice that binds her. And as he continue touching, old man then asked Paul:
"What makes you create her?"
"I was very alone then." Paul said. "Very alone for I have no someone to get along with, to help me with, to care and to seek something good than those people who were maltreating me."
"Where are the people whom they maltreated you?" The old man said.
"I don't know." Paul said.
Then suddenly...
A shaft of light appeared, then the ice quickly melted away as the light casts of its heat towards it. There Paul was quite shocked at first, then said to the old man that the prayers and incantations were fulfilled, and the old man said:
"Despite being inside, she tries to live, she tries to be real, she tries to be with you, she needs you-to be with forever!"
And as the ice completely melt, rose a real maiden like an insect shedding its skin; there Paul again approached her given a warm embrace and then said:
"Mafe? Do you know me?"
Then Mafe stared at him and said:
"Yes. And this time, I am now a real girl."
And Paul burst into tears as he embraced her warmly and said:
"Perhaps, this is the answer to my prayers then."
"You have answered a prayer Paul." Mafe said. "For blood, snow, spell and love made me real."
"Yes." Paul said. "And I want to be with you."
And the old man hath said to the two:
"Perhaps, your hardship is over Paul, for anything around you is vanquished by their fate."
"I know." Paul said. "For their fate perhaps is out of what they've done.
Outside, winter has ended, and spring hath started, giving a new life over the entire land. New trees casts off its green, flowers and fruits have sprung, anything around becomes different after a long winter around. There Paul and Mafe rose up from the underworld and sought a different place to see in it. Again they walked into the woods, staring at the trees, and even went to the cottage that looks the same as what they have stayed, anything seemingly complete as Paul and Mafe may have thought- with a burning fireplace and even furniture out of fine woodwork and woolwork in it. There Paul said to Mafe:
"All of these seems to be a gift from somewhere."
"I don't know." Mafe said. "But perhaps the forest spirits hath made these things out for us."
"It would be." Paul said.
Then the two entered the cottage and prepared their common work to do.
And in the end, after a long long days of a relationship, of hardship, and of sorrow around, Paul married Mafe, this time the girl whom he created became a real girl, not of ice but of real flesh, not of snow but of real beauty.
