In the long ago a tale was told of Tea Sage and the Spirit Fox who brought blessing to our little village.
The Spirit Fox was mischievous and often bounced through life stirring up trouble. The village people had grown tired of his manifesting and creating strife. Many of the villages wanted to trap him and bury him deep while others thought to get in a larger spirit to scare him away. But getting in a larger spirit could cause even more problems and what did they have to offer a larger spirit, as they were a very poor village.
One day after a series of pranks that upset many of the villagers a meeting was called. The villagers met under the tree by the pond in the village centre. Farmer Milker started the meeting.
“We av to do summit, e’s getting out of control. E done scare my best milker out a week’s milk” he said.
His wife Mother Cheese joined in with “An he done stole a round of cheese too.”
Master Woodsman leaned on his axe “We canna kill im, e is a spirit. E be like a little child woos very naughty” he said.
“We could trap him in a barrel and throw it into the river” said Learned Bookman. He was new to the village he hadn’t lived there very long at all. He was a foreigner you could hear it when he talked all big city like.
“How’d we be about trapping him” asked Sister Stitch, she was young and unmarried and she had her eye on Learned Bookman.
“Foxes are curious creatures” said Learned Bookman “What we do is get a barrel and hide some things the fox is interested in inside the barrel under some straw, when goes in we shut the lid.” He stopped for a moment, a thinking look on his face. “Maybe we could give him away. On my journey I came across a Tea Sage about a day’s walk from here in the deep wood.”
“Aye, Tea Sages be wise, they’d know how to keep yon Spirit Fox away from village” said Blacksmith.
Decision made the villagers got down to setting the trap for the Spirit Fox. The barrel has straw at the back and amongst the straw were some cheese, some insects and mice all rustling around. The barrel was placed near Farmer Milker’s barn as the Spirit Fox like appearing in this area. As dusk came down the villagers all hid around the barn. On quick darting feet the Spirit Fox came running ears pricked towards the sound of mice squeaking and chewing on the cheese. Without a care the Spirit Fox leapt into the barrel. The villages quickly slammed on the lid. Congratulating themselves on capturing the Spirit Fox. From the barrel the Spirit Fox screamed in protest.
The following morning Learned Bookman and Master Woodman saddled up their horses with the Spirit Fox in the barrel tied to the back. They could hear the disgruntled mutters, barks and yips from the Spirit Fox almost as if he was telling them off. They rode all day until they came to the edge of the deep woods. They decided to rest for the night and find the Tea Sage in the morning as it would be rude to call on him this late in the day.
When morning came the language from the fox in the barrel had gotten worse. Learned Bookman and Master Woodman decided to find the Tea Sage as quickly as possible. As they moved deeper into the woods they noticed mist wreathing around the trees. A sure sign the Tea Sage was close by. After a short space of time they saw the Tea Sage.
A weathered old man whose skin and clothes blended in with the colour of the trees around him sat in the clearing. On his turbaned head a teapot balanced and in his hand he held a china tea cup. A small fire had a kettle burbling merrily and steam rose and swirled and floated all around the clearing. His pale eyes returned from viewing eternity and settled on Learned Bookman and Master Woodman.
At the sound of the yips and barks coming from the barrel, one eyebrow rose.
“My thanks for returning my wayward child” he said a faint chiding sound in his voice. “He has been missing these several months. He obviously forgot his way home.”
“Sit and have some tea” he invited. The Tea Sage tilted his head and a stream of tea poured from the teapot into two cups set on the stump beside him.
Learned Bookman and Master Woodman got down from their horses and lifted the barrel to the ground.
The pitch of the Spirit Fox’s cries had excited overtone and the barrel was unsteady on the ground with the movement as the Spirit Fox wanted out.
“Let him out, then drink tea with me” murmured the Tea Sage.
As they lifted the lid the Spirit Fox exploded out of the barrel and ran to the Tea Sage in a frenzy of excitement, round and round the Tea Sage he ran and as he ran his form became more and more transparent as he blended into the steam surrounding the Tea Sage.
In wonder Learned Bookman and Master Woodman watched the Spirit Fox become Spirit.
“Drink, drink” said the Tea Sage.
They lifted the teacups to their lips and as the tea touched their lips inside their head pictures flowed. Learned Bookman saw himself and Sister Stitch living together in his house and Master Woodman saw himself walking through the wood with his unborn son beside him. From the Tea Sage they received a gift of the future for the return of the Spirit Fox to his home.
