The forest spirit asks, “What do you want the most?”
The child stands on tippy-toes, “I want to snatch at the stars and play with them.”
Gently, the forest spirit asks, “Why?”
“If I play with the stars, I might get stardust to help someone…”.
“Someone?”
“Yes.”
“My Bear.”
While watching snow upon a branch, the forest spirit turns to see a familiar sight. “Hello, lover of a bear. Why do you carry a pot?”
“Hello! I took your advice and found something to carry the stardust in.”
With a smiling voice, the forest spirit says, “Come along then, let’s find you some stars to snatch and play with”.
Leaving only one set of footprints in the snow, the forest spirit and the girl walk further into the forest.
“Where are we going?”
Without looking down at the girl, the forest spirit says, “We won’t be going too far.”
“Bear will be cross if we travel too far… oh, look! Snow carpet!.”
Jovially, the forest spirit says, “Snow carpet? That’s a new one.”
“Bear would love it.”
A Bullfinch sings. The forest spirit turns and smiles.
Watching the forest spirit and the bird, the girl unwittingly says, “What does he say…”
“How do you know we are speaking?”
“I feel it.”
“…The Bullfinch speaks of a blizzard.’
“Mum says they’re like a cyclone.”
“Your Mum misses home.”
“Come, let’s find some stardust before it gets dark.”
Thinking of rolling and tumbling, the little girl says, “The snow is like powder here!”
Thinking about how much the girl has made her smile, the forest spirit dives into the snow; the little girl follows.”
The forest spirit says, “We must go! Snow will start falling soon.”
Getting to her feet, they restart the journey.
Along the path, they see a Troll sitting in the forest.
“Should we go and address him? He looks sad.”
“Trolls are troublesome. Come, I will take your pot.”
“I think we won’t get you back home before dark. Stardust is hard to find.”
Weary from walking, the girl says, “I would like rest. It is bitterly cold now.”
“Perhaps the church will be a good place to stop…”
“Churches are scary. I haven’t been since my Bear took me in.”
Wryly, the forest spirit says, “This church is not scary. You’ll see. Take my arm.”
Theodore Kittelsen, Church in the Snow, 1907
The forest spirit and the girl stand side by side in silence.
They do not speak, for this is a rare and lovely night.
Nostalgic and full of love, the forest spirit touches the pot as stardust falls from the stars for her only friend’s Bear.
Theodore Kittelsen, A Nordic Fever
The forest spirit thinks about the years she walked alone, placing one foot in front of the other. An imagined sorrow clouds her mind.
Then, out of the dark, the girl says, “Do you want to come home and meet Bear?”
Unaware of her smile, she says, “I’d love to.”
Theodore Kittelsen, Sorgen/the woe, 1894-95
Before the forest spirit and the girl leave, they take turns counting the stars.
Excited, the girl says, “I want to pick a star for you.”
Not sure what to say, the forest spirit watches and waits for the girl to choose the star.
“That one! That’s your star!”
“What a star this is! I will place it in my crown and keep it with me always”.
C & K 