The First Frost

Sorry, but this is what comes out at 5:30 in the morning. Maybe I'll come back and edit it. Maybe not. Maybe I'll write a sequal entitled "The First Snow" or maybe not, Eh. I'm gonna go sleep now. :P

When Evening Shade has dropped her cowl

Across the face of the vaults of Heaven

Star studded obsidian veil

Shimmering in the late fall night

Then rise the Moon, the glorious Queen

Her fullness round and beaming brightly

Raise her head through Darkness cowl

Laughing moonbeams upon the sleeping Earth

A whisper wafts upon the willow leaves

Curls about the ivy, rustle the rue

Upon the air currents runs a laughter

A puckish voice within the green

Then from the Emerald Deeps come lanterns

Dim stars shining upon the earth

Their lights caught deep within the mushrooms

Paraded forth by the little folk

Lines and lines of the wee running ones

Their torches held like flicker flames

A sea of candles upon the forest floor

No word is spoken, these are not summer games

They have all come now, to the old oak

Its viridian foliage gilt with gold

The gnarlled and twisted white bark

Creaks in reply to the anxious faces

When suddenly the wind whispers near

Kicks the leafy carpet of brown

A laugh is upon the breath of heaven

The wee folk draw nearer the base of the oak

And stepping out of the deepest darkness

The night itself about his shoulders hung

With skin as white as the Moon his mother,

Stepped the Prince of Ice, her son

Where ever his booted foot took step

A frost cracked as it spread on the ground

The air grew still and turned all to silver

As beating breaths came out like smoke

"I have come to thee, oh Forest Lord,

To claim what is mine by right of law

The seasons bid you hand now over

All your power to Winter's maw."

The ancient oak, its blackened seams

Creaked in reply a breathy voice

That rose from the hollow of its base

Like a silent whisper of the woods themselves

"Prince of Ice, your claim is heard

But here today you shall not prevail.

Your claim must first be prove'd still

Before these ones work to your avail."

So the Prince of Ice in furor rose

And walked the glen towards the King

But ere he passed within harming's reach

He stepped within the mushroom ring

"Come no further, you shall dare not.

The ground you step upon is mine alone

If you wish to make your claim tonight

You must first mark all you would make your own."

So retreated he from the Oaken Glade

And took upon the wings of night

And looked he far for the wandering shade

Who took many forms by the moonlight

Robin Goodfellow called was he

At least by some in some forms he would take

Puck, Trickster, Thief, Green Boy

When the moon was full none could place him

But the Prince of Ice knew he plan now lay

Upon the shoulders of the impish lad

For there was one form that Puck could take

So that all the lands by the Prince could be had

So flying high and flying low,

Across the sea and land

Searching forest, mountains, glades, fields

The hidden depths and foreign strands

But nowhere could he spot the imp

And so with feverish dispair

He cried unto his mother the moon,

"Mother! I can't find him anywhere!"

The guiding moon her soft radiant glow

Smiled down upon her child

And her lights gathered upon the forest

A place most savage and most wild

And there within the darkened bough

Beneath the willow curtain

Lay that impish boy called Puck asleep

On a bed of chamomile and lavender

"Puck! Robin! Whatever your name be!

Halt and I would have words with thee!"

"Nay, but sir I must away from here

For daylight soon shall appear,"

"Noble Puck, please hear my plea

If thou help me, I shall reward thee."

"....."

"What kind of reward?"

"Anything, anything thou desire,

Name it but, and it shall be thine.

But please, take form tonight as me

And help claim all the world as mine."

The imp though quick upon the task

And then with boyish giggling laugh

He declared he would for the proffered prize

And so set he about to make his disguise

He wove about him the same cold skin

The gleam of ice upon his brow

He took upon the same blue weeds

And silver set was his crown

Then with a merry giggle he flew

Across the ponds and woods and glades

And where he went he blew and blew

Upon forest and sea, nymph and neraid

And where his cool kiss did come

A sheath as cold as death itself

Hard as adamant, pure as pearl

And sharp as the diamond's point

The crystal dust he blew and threw

And painted upon each blade of grass

He rushed it along the river path

Enjoying his silvery task

Then came he upon dryad glade

And melting into the black guise

Crept and fell over their frames as a shade

And blew sweetly upon them the ice

Dancing upon river, writing upon glass

Dusting the world with his diamonds

He circled the land and returned again

And was hailed by the Prince of Ice

"Well done sweet Puck, they work is grand

Thou has taken my visage and done to the accord

And covered every inch of the land

Now, good imp, name thy reward."

"You Prince, you say, you are put a Prince

And carry not yet the title of King.

So how is it that you shall gain authority

To rule over everything?"

The imps question was met with reply

Both short and to the point

"I shall marry the Princess of Snow,

Then shall all my power know."

"Then my mind is made, I know what I want

To meet this Princess of Snow."

"Then follow me, thou sly sprite

And away to her castle, we shall go!"

Her castle stood on the farthest shore

Where monuments of ice stood firm

And mountains moved in waters cold

White as snow was all around

The two walked into the High Gate

And up the stairs to the throneroom

They passed into the presence of her

Whom all knew as Lady Winter

"Who comes here now at this hour?

The world seems colder to my taste.

Who threatens the serenity of my bower?

Speak now, both of you make haste!"

"I come imploring your hand princess,

For now having seen your face.

I would rather die here upon the ice

Than away from thee take a single pace."

"What now, what foolishness is this Robin?"

Cried the shocked and outraged Prince

"You are nothing but a rude forest imp

This treachery comes, from wence?"

"My name is not Robin (at least today)

And I have come a very long way,

To tell you, my name is Jack Frost

And I would have thy heart at any cost."

The Lady of Winter looked through her white veil,

Eyes glowed silver with the dancing light

Then stepping forth brought out her hand, pale

And using only a fraction of her might

She pushed both out of her court's door

And they flew from there to the snow cold

And skidded across the icy floor

Till they came to rest in the land of old

Where now all things were covered in Frost

And the Prince drew back in his cloak of night

And Jack Frost stood up, having never lost

Against man or beast or troll a fight

But then the words of the Winter Queen

Echoed through the clearing where they stood

"Foolish you have both now been,

I seek the one who my heart understood."

So they both departed in sorrow and despair,

But as they drew to leave

The Lady of Winter spoke again

So that they would not have reason to grieve

"I depart these lands, but only for a time

Till then you both shall stand

And cover all the world with what is mine

Till Winter has covered the land.

And I shall return to you once more

Once the first snow flake come down

And then whom ever has spread the most, for

him shall I share my crown."

Then the two were off night and day,

Jack Frost and the Prince of Ice

And they worked tirelessly covering the world

And uncovering each other's work in turn

So that is why the first frost came

And that is why it has come ever since

For to this day Jack Frost and the Prince

Still try to win the heart of the Lady Winter