The Dark Pond
An original folktale
Who is she?
In the thick of the misty woods, there was a small pond. It was dark and as still as a mirror. Many a folk would travel to glance into it, believing the glassy stillness reflected one’s true self.
Just outside of the misty woods lived a girl. While she heard of the stories of the dark pond and what it was said to show, the girl did not venture to look for herself.
There were other children who liked to run and play in the misty woods, and while they never invited the girl to join them, she would watch at a distance through the trees.
One day, while she was gathering brush for kindling, the girl could hear the other children laughing nearby. Curious to their merriment, she followed the sound and found the children on the edge of the dark pond. The girl crouched into the bushes to observe them.
The children were gleefully giggling and pointing at the still water. Whatever they saw must have been quite a sight indeed!
The girl never sought to look into the pond before, but curiosity now outweighed her caution as she slowly stood and stepped out from the shadowy wood.
When the children saw her coming, they quickly turned and ran, not wanting to linger with her.
