The Four-Fold World - The Old Bear and the Ogre Duke

This is one of the many tales that is told of the Old Bear.

Back in the days when you grandpa's grandpa was still tugging at his dam's teat the Duke of the Ogres...Why a duke?  Well the ogre leader had heard from a man, probably a duke hisself, that dukes were better than kings so the leader of the ogres is always calling hisself a duke.  Well back then the Ogre Duke decided that he and his people had had enough of hiding from the Old Bear.  There was plenty to eat down here in the Valley and the ogres were tired of being scared and sick of eatin' mountain goats and the odd lost hunter.

But.

But, they were still a little cautious and a lot scared so instead of barreling down the mountain like an avalanche grown legs they decided they'd sneak down and have a look around.  So all the ogres got together and came slowly and cautiously down the mountain all lined up behind their Duke.  So cautious they was that they didn't even eat anyone they came across, and they came across plenty of unsuspecting people cause you never saw no ogres coming a sneakin' down so quietly before or since.  And all these people, when they saw the ogres up and hightailed it for the Old Bear, a yellin' and a hollerin'.  And the Ogre Duke and his people, they let them go 'cause they wanted to see what was a gonna happen.

And the closer they got to The Den the more people they had a runnin' afore 'em.  When they came to the Reach the ogres was surprised by the great gashes in the rock on the valley's side.  The Ogre Duke shrugged and they came on a goin'.  Way past The Reach the ogres came to a dark cave across the path.  This puzzled 'em cause they'd never heard of no caves along the path tween The Reach and The Den.  They scratched their heads and shrugged and went in.  That cave smelt awful funny and got warmer and smellier as they went in.  Finally the Ogre Duke decided it was too damn dark and they turned around and went back.  

Once the last ogre had gotten out they heard a snap loud enough to crack a glacier and turned around.  There in front of 'em was the head of a huge bear.  They'd been down the gullet of the Old Bear hisself.  The Old Bear yawned and stretched and his arms reached as far as The Reach and his claws deepened the gashes there.  Well you never saw no ogres run as fast as those ogres did that day.  And since then the Ogre Duke keeps his folk up in the mountains and we stay safe down here thanks to the Old Bear.

Created July 20, 2012.  Last updated July 20, 2012