The Forgotten Fable of Fern Hollow
Once upon a time in the winding woods of Wyndemere, nestled deep behind lush emerald curtains and clandestine creeks, was a tiny, secluded hamlet known as Fern Hollow. Its existence remained a mystery to the nearby towns, concealed within nature’s cradle. This quaint settlement was home to a variety of beings; fairies tittering invisibly under toadstools at sundown, spirited nymphs dancing around age-old oaks, and whispering willows that exchanged secrets with the winds. Fern Hollow was a land of enchantment, sheltering untold tales waiting to be unveiled.
The story of Fern Hollow unveiled an unlikely hero, a little hedgehog named Hewie. Unlike his mates who would burrow beneath dense undergrowth during daylight, the eccentric Hewie, had a peculiar inclination. He was eternally captivated by the hues of the sunset and the romanticism of the moonrise, continuously aspiring to stay wakeful throughout the day to appreciate the miracles of light and shade that nature offered.
One day, while exploring the fringes of the hamlet during dawn, Hewie stumbled upon an old, gnarled tree stump. It looked desolate, stripped of its vitality, unlike the flourishing flora surrounding it. Intrigued, Hewie approached and, to his surprise, found an ancient scroll nestled within a crevice. It narrated the story of the 'Grande Oak' – the once opulent centrepiece of Fern Hollow – which had been brutally mutilated by an ill-tempered ogre.
The death of Grande Oak had caused Fern Hollow to lose its protective charm, leaving it vulnerable to malevolent entities lurking in Wyndemere. The scroll revealed a way to resurrect Grande Oak. It required the coalescence of celestial light from each phase of the day – dawn, midday, dusk and mid-night; and, the one who accomplished this would gain a ‘Poet’s Heart’ - a soul sensitive to nature’s nuances, relatable only to those like Hewie who wished to witness the day in its entirety.
Hewie, despite initially daunted, determinedly embarked on his quest. The scroll prescribed elaborate rituals but also warned about the ‘Cursed Slumber’, which would trespass anyone who beheld each part of the day to sleep eternally.
Nevertheless, using his ingrained connection with nature, Hewie successfully absorbed dawn’s first light. Likewise, he collected the zenith’s sunbeams and dusk’s last hues. His final challenge, however, was the most formidable - how would he stay awake till midnight, risking potential eternity in the realms of dreams?
As midnight drew closer, Hewie could feel his eyelids grow heavier. Just as he was about to surrender, the whispering willows swayed rhythmically, the nymphs rustled leaves conjuring melodious symphony, and fairies radiated vibrant hues, creating a mock sunset in the dead of the night. The tantalising display held Hewie in amused bewilderment, fighting off the menacing drowsiness.
With midnight’s arrival, Hewie caged the moon’s shimmer within his tiny form, thus amassing all the light segments required. A sudden aura enveloped the wilderness as beneath the shrivelled tree-stump; Grande Oak rose in its previously spectacular form, its branches reaching out to the star-flecked sky above.
An emotional turmoil filled Hewie's heart with joy, sorrow, awe and fear all at once - he was the beholder of a ‘Poet’s Heart’. Alongside the refurbished Grande Oak, the enchantment of Fern Hollow was restored, its exposure to evils diminished. And with that, our little hero, Hewie slipped into a peaceful slumber beneath the Grande Oak, forever becoming an integral part of Fern Hollow's folklore.