Winter Pact

Beneath the firmament of a dull white sky,
Three sons of the Earth trudged forth to a snowy hilltop,
So that the foremost among them may cry-
“Old Man Winter!”
“Old Man winter!”
“Why must ye be so bitter!?”
“My sons are fatigued and my daughters are cold,”
“They suffer from the wrath of your ire,”
“I would ask that your transgressions against us,”
“Cease if I may be so bold!”
 
A grey cloud formed in the sky,
Shifting itself into an old man’s face,
That was quick to reply-
“My transgressions shall not cease,”
“And you may not be so bold!”
“For I am the lord of ice and master of cold!”
“I order you to retreat back to your homes,”
“Deep inside the protection of your castle stronghold,”
“For you have made me mad!”

Forever having been the brave warrior amongst his brothers,
A second son of the Earth stepped forward,
To stand in front of the others,
No longer able to contain his anger,
He shouted at Older Man Winter-
“We come to you as men of reason,”
“Veiling our hatred for your season,”
“However I can no longer be discreet,”
“Why must you always be so wicked and bleak?”
“What do you gain from tormenting the weak?”
“Answer my questions truthfully,”
“Or on the field of battle we shall meet!”

Lightning crackled across the clouds,
And thunder clapped as Old Man Winter laughed,
Once the humor inside his frozen heart passed he said-
“If we chance to meet upon the field of battle,”
“You shall taste defeat!”
“I will bury your body so deep beneath the snow,”
“That your corpse will never be found,”
“Not even by a crow!”
“I order you again to return to your castle,”
“Lest I unleash the hounds of wind,”
“To howl in the air and bite at your skin!”
“Get out of my sight,”
“Or destroy your castle I just might!”
“For now you have made me mad twice!”

Forever having been the peacekeeper amongst his brothers,
A third son of the Earth,
Motioned for his brave brother to step aside,
And came forward,
Opening his arms wide,
Humbly he beseeched Old Man Winter-
“Please elder god do not be mad,”
“In a fit of rage you might destroy us completely,”
“And that would be bad!”
“If you would spare us your temper,”
“We would be glad!”
“And celebrate your glory upon the solstice of next winter,”
“With the greatest feasts and festivals we ever had!”

Old Man Winter paused to consider these words,
A silence lingered atop the hill until he said-
“Celebrate my glory,”
“Every solstice of every winter without fail,”
“And I shall be pleased,”
“So long as you drink plenty of wine and plenty of ale,”
“Let us make a pact that shall stand true,”
“So long as the moon is pale,”
“And the sea is blue,”
“As long as mortal blood is red,”
“Celebrate my glory and I shall not torment you,”
“Lest I wish for winter to be dead.”

Both parties agreed to the pact,
And Old Man Winter grew less bitter,
And less harsh each year thereafter,
As he grew fond of the yearly festivals,
That the three sons of the Earth,
And their descendants,
Held in his honor.

The End.