I was alerted to this beautiful story and its beautiful art by this entry of ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
osprey_archer's. She calls it a beautifully dreamy fairytale, and it is.
When hard times hit the little Florida community where Calpurnia lives, she sets out to catch fish for her father to sell, "so that hard times will be soft times." Mother Albirtha, the wisest woman in the community, tells her to follow her nose to get to a secret river, where she catches fish upon fish. She shares fish with increasingly scary animals on her way home and with Mother Albirtha, and hard times do become soft times. Calpurnia can never find the river again--Mother Albirtha explains why:
Those lines were so perfect. I can't quite put into words why they move me so. That a river should appear when we need it. That it then will take itself away and we can't find it again.
( more wisdom, as well as breathtaking art by the Dillons, under the cut )
A remarkable story, with beautiful art. Thank you,osprey_archer!
osprey_archer's. She calls it a beautifully dreamy fairytale, and it is. When hard times hit the little Florida community where Calpurnia lives, she sets out to catch fish for her father to sell, "so that hard times will be soft times." Mother Albirtha, the wisest woman in the community, tells her to follow her nose to get to a secret river, where she catches fish upon fish. She shares fish with increasingly scary animals on her way home and with Mother Albirtha, and hard times do become soft times. Calpurnia can never find the river again--Mother Albirtha explains why:
"Child, sometimes a thing happens once, and does not ever happen anymore."
Calpurnia said, "But I want to catch more catfish in the river."
Mother Albirtha said, "Child, you caught catfish when catfish were needed. Hard times have turned to soft times. So you will not find the river again."
Those lines were so perfect. I can't quite put into words why they move me so. That a river should appear when we need it. That it then will take itself away and we can't find it again.
( more wisdom, as well as breathtaking art by the Dillons, under the cut )
A remarkable story, with beautiful art. Thank you,
osprey_archer!
