Quest 237

[primrosella]

Well, that was certainly an...interesting curse yesterday, wasn't it? Rather tedious after a while, of course, but the same could be said for most of the curses, anyway. When they're not dangerous, they're tedious, and even the nicer ones begin to get a bit wearing after a while, in the hours winding down toward midnight. But I did like yesterday's curse, in its own way; some of the songs were terribly catchy, and even if things did get a bit repetitive, at least it made it that much easier to learn the tune and the words. I recognized a few of them, even, from around Christmas last year--like the one about the holly and jolly, or the one about the star dancing in the night with the tail as big as a kite. I like both of those very much.

I'm, er, not quite as certain about the one about the hippopotamus, though. It does seem like a terribly odd gift to ask for, doesn't it? Whatever would one do with a hippopotamus, anyway? I could understand a horse, perhaps, but certainly not that.

Goodness, and speaking of horses, it's almost two years now that I've had Valor in the City! He was my Christmas present two years ago, and it's been just lovely having him. I wonder if there are any places to find a sleigh around the City? Or if there's time to build one, even, before Christmas Eve. It'd be great fun to go sleighing around to see everyone, especially with all this snow, and I'm sure Valor would enjoy the chance to trot about with a harness of bells and holly in his mane and so on.

And wasn't it lovely to see all of the visitors earlier this week? Most of them were They were all so nice! I saw Blue again, and Duo, and the Goblin King, and made plenty of other new friends besides. It's always so wonderful to visit with them all when they manage to come, and I think it made for a perfect start to the holiday season, really. Except for that awful

Oh, er--and Nigel, I do hope you've been settling in all right? If there's anything else you need, please do let me know and I'll be happy to see to it for you. Or...er, ask, if you'd rather, and I'll help you find it yourself, instead.

Comments

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

I know I couldn't stand the music myself. I'm not sure how you managed as you did.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, I knew some of them already! It did get a bit repetitive, hearing them over and over again all day yesterday, but they weren't all so terrible. Some were rather pretty, really.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

A few of them were, I suppose. I still found it immensely frustrating since I knew almost none of them and liked even fewer of them. I think I may be the only person in this entire City who knows the 'Wren Song'.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

The Wren Song? I'm afraid I'm another of the ones that doesn't know it, actually. How does it go?

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

'The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
Saint Stephen's Day was caught in the furze.
Although he is little, his honour is great;
Jump up, me lads, and give him a treat.'

It goes on from there about all the boys in town chasing after this wren and finally catching it, then taking it from house to house to show--for good fortune in the new year, I think--and being given a treat or a coin at each house. I think I heard an Irish boy singing it, so perhaps it comes from Ireland, properly.

Of course, there's also all the endless 'Wassail' songs that someone or other will start to singing sooner or later. Just start saying 'wassail' more often than one should and that's mostly the words. I suppose they're really very old songs, the ones I'm thinking of. I don't know that anyone really knows what, exactly, they mean anymore. With some of the stories I've heard, it seems almost like something like trick-or-treat from Hallowe'en went on come Christmas a bit too. If one refused the carolers something hot to drink, they could curse you. But if one was generous, they would very nearly bless the house. That's how another song sounds to me.

And this, of course, is to say nothing of the songs sung properly in the church.

[wandbreaker]

What song about the hippopotamus?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

The one about wanting one for Christmas? And how only one of them will do, and not anything else. It's a terribly odd song.

[wandbreaker]

How does it go?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Oh, um...do let me think a minute. It starts off with 'I want a hippopotamus for Christmas', and then it goes, er...

'Only a hippopotamus will do,
No crocodiles, or' ...something about toys,
And then it's something about 'a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy'.

...Or did you want me to try to sing it for you, rather?

[wandbreaker]

Well can you sing it?

text

[fatespoken]

You keep Valor at the stables? Which one is he?

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[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I do, yes. He's an Arabian bay? With a bit of white on his forehead.

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[fatespoken]

I've him before.

I shouldn't a-

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[fatespoken]

Would you do me a favor?

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[primrosella.livejournal.com]

He wasn't unpleasant to you, was he? He can be a bit...er, disagreeable to people that aren't, um, me.

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[primrosella.livejournal.com]

What favor would you like?

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[fatespoken]

I don't bother other people's horses.

[windsorknot.livejournal.com]

What happened earlier this week. You said something like that has happened before.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

When the visitors came, you mean? Oh, yes, they usually stop by about once a season or so. I think we must've skipped fall, though, since the last time they came by, it was summer, and this time it's winter.

[windsorknot.livejournal.com]

So in a few months, we can pretty much expect that the same thing will happen again.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Mmhmm! In the spring, I should think. Which ought to be especially nice, since it means I might have visitors for my birthday.

voice;

[pike]

You don't think you've helped enough already?

[ That was a joke, by the way, but it's hard to tell sometimes with Nigel. ]

voice;

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I...er, well, not if there are still things to do, I suppose. Are there?

[Yeah, she kind of missed it.]

voice;

[pike]

[ Somehow this doesn't surprise him. His voice lightens, becomes more obviously cheerful -- though still in that slightly off kilter way that even Nigel's best moods seem to take. ]

You mustn't worry yourself needlessly over me, Rosella.

voice;

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll try my best at it, from now on. Are you feeling a bit more settled in, though?