JILLAN AND THE ENCHANTED WOLF

by

BRADLEY W. SIMPSON

     There was once a beautiful young orphan girl named Jillian, who worked as a maid for a very wealthy family.  She was gentle and warmhearted, and the master and mistress of the house were very fond of her.

     Living in the same town as the family, was a young man named William.  It happened that he and Jillian had fallen deeply in love with one another, and the family planned to bestow a lavish wedding for the two of them.  But fate decreed, and before the wedding took place, a terrible war broke out in the land and all the able men in the kingdom were called off to battle.  It was not long before William received his summons from the king, and was obliged to leave the town and his beloved Jillian.

     Before he left, he took Jillian’s hand and said, “Do not forget me, for I will soon return, and we will be married, at last.”  With that, he rode off on his horse through the meadows and disappeared over the hills.

     As the days passed, Jillian went about her duties with a song in her heart, and dreaming of the day when William would return home to her.  Every night, she knelt at her bedroom window overlooking her master’s orchards and said a prayer of safekeeping for William.  Then she would fall asleep, and dream of a wonderful wedding day with bride’s maids in lovely long, flowing gowns, a towering cake, and a feast fit for a king.

     Finally, came the day when the war ended and all the soldiers were sent home to their families.  But alas, William did not return.  Many days passed as Jillian waited, but still there was no word of him.  She cried as though her heart would break, for she feared he had been killed in battle.  But she thought of him everyday, and never gave up hope of his return.

     Time passed the seasons away, and when winter had come, and snow covered the ground in a thick blanket, the mistress sent Jillian and three other servants into the next town to buy a supply of sugar, flour, and other necessary wares.  Along the way, they came upon a desolate stretch of road that led deep into a dark forest.

     Suddenly, a band of fierce robbers sprang from the trees.  They quickly loosed the horses, ransacked the small carriage, and brutally attacked the passengers.  Soon they all lay dead, except for Jillian, who had slipped unnoticed into the dark woods.  Stricken with fear, she ran deeper and deeper into the forest.  When she finally could run no longer, she fell to the ground and wept bitter tears.

     However, Jillian was strong, and she soon pulled herself together and sat up beneath a tree, looking all about her.  She had never been that deep into the woods before, and she did not know the way back.

     She searched and searched for a path that would lead out of the forest, but everything was covered in snow.  In all this frozen wilderness, she lost her way, and ended up going in circles.  “How will I ever find my way home?”  she cried as she searched for the trail in vain.

     Heavy snow flurries had started falling, when Jillian came upon a strange little cottage in a clearing.  She could see smoke bellowing from the chimney, and imagined a warm fire burning inside.  She hoped the owner of the house would be kind and let her inside to warm, otherwise, she might freeze.  She did not know the house belonged to a wicked enchantress.

     Jillian knocked gently on the door, and all at once it opened, and out stepped an old woman.

     “Ah, child, why are you here in the cold?”  asked the woman in a harsh tone.  “Go away.”

     But Jillian told the enchantress of her deadly run-in with the robbers, and how she escaped only to find herself lost in the cold, and she feared she would perish if left in the forest.

     Then the old woman changed her tone and said, “If what you say is true, then you may sleep on the rug by the fire.  But in turn, you must promise to stay and work for me.”

     Jillian thought it was a reasonable enough bargain, so she agreed, thinking that it would at least keep her from freezing.

     But so began a miserable time for the poor maiden, for the next morning, the enchantress led her to the kitchen where she was forced to haul water, wash, cook, sew, and weave until nightfall.  In the evening, when she was worn out from work, she was not given so much as a blanket to wrap herself in, but had to lie down on the hearthrug next to the kindling.

     All of this she endured willingly, but that only made the enchantress more hateful to her.  The harder Jillian worked, the more spiteful and cruel the enchantress became, until at last, the enchantress could no longer stand to be near the kindhearted girl.  Therefore, she made up her mind to do away with Jillian.   

     One frosty day, the enchantress took a longing for some orchids.  She called Jillian to her and said sternly, “Go into the forest and bring back a bunch of orchids so I might enjoy their scent.”

     “Oh, madam, orchids do not grow under the snow,” answered Jillian gently. 

     But the witch snapped out angrily, “Hold your tongue, and do as I bid you, lazy goose, or else you will regret it!”  With that, she seized Jillian by the arm, and thrust her into the cold.

     The poor maiden wandered about the forest weeping sadly.  Everything was covered by snow, and there was no path anywhere.  The great cedars hung there branches low, borne down by heavy icicles.  Soon, Jillian lost her way and wandered aimlessly, perishing with cold.

     Suddenly, she saw a light in the distance, one that gleamed in the sky and flickered from time to time, as if radiating from some magnificent fire.  She set her eyes on the glow, and climbed toward it.  She climbed higher and higher until at last, she came to the top of a giant hill, and there, warming himself in front of a fire, sat a weary-looking wolf.

     Reluctantly, she eased forward and said, “Dear wolf, please let me warm myself by your fire; I am chilled to the bone.”  The kind wolf nodded his head and signaled for her to draw close to the blaze.

     “Why have you come here, child?”  he asked in a gentle voice.

     Sadly, she answered, “The old woman whom I serve has sent me to pick a bunch of orchids.”

     “Does she not see the snow on the ground?  It is no season for orchids,” said the wolf.

     “True,” replied Jillian.  “But the old woman told me to get them, or else I will regret it.  Oh, dear wolf, can you tell me where I might find them?”

     Without speaking, the wolf thrust his paw into the heart of the flames and pulled out a handsome bouquet of orchids.  “Take these to the old woman,” he said, and he handed Jillian the bouquet.

     She thanked the wolf and ran back to the enchantress’s cottage joyously.  The wicked woman was astonished when she saw Jillian with the large bouquet.

     “Where did you find such flowers in the time of snow?”  the enchantress asked.

     “Just over the hill,” Jillian answered simply.

      The witch snatched the orchids away and threw them into the fireplace.  Then she said harshly, “Go into the forest and bring me back a bluebird so I can hear it sing.”

     “But bluebirds are not found in the winter,” answered Jillian softly.

     “Shut your mouth and do as I say,” commanded the enchantress.  “Or you will be sorry.”  She took Jillian by the arm and thrust her outside into the cold once again.

     The gentle girl wandered through the forest, shivering with cold, and searching for the light she had seen before.  After a time she spotted it, and climbed up to the great fire with nearly frozen bones.  The wolf sat in his place, warming before the fire.

     “Oh, dear wolf,” said Jillian.  “Please let me take a place by your fire; the cold is more than I can bear.”

     “Why have you come again,” asked the wolf.  “What are you looking for now?”

     “The old woman wants a bluebird so she can hear it sing,” said Jillian sadly.

     “Even so, it is not the time for bluebirds,” replied the wolf.  “Does she still not see the snow?”

     “But she bade me find one, or else I will be sorry,” answered Jillian.

     The wolf thrust his paw into the flames as before, and pulled out a golden birdcage with a beautiful bluebird inside.  “Take this back to the old woman,” he said, and handed Jillian the cage.  Once again, she thanked the wolf, and ran back to the cottage.

     “Where did you find that bird?”  the enchantress asked bitterly when she saw Jillian with it.

     “Just over the hill,” Jillian answered, again.  But the enchantress seized the birdcage and flung it out the door into the snow, setting the bluebird free.

     “I do not want a bird,” she hissed.  “I have a craving for some delicious peaches.”  And she sent Jillian out to gather them with the same threat as before.  Jillian hurried through the snow, and came once more to the top of the great hill, and the wolf who sat before the fire.

     “What does the woman want now?”  asked the wolf as he motioned Jillian to the fire. 

     “Alas, now she wants delicious peaches to eat,” she answered.

     The wolf poked his paw into the fire and pulled out one large peach.  “Take this to the woman,” said the wolf.  The good maiden thanked the wolf, and ran quickly back to the witch’s cottage.

     “What’s this?  Peaches in the middle of winter?  Where did you find this?”  snapped the enchantress bitterly.

     “Just over the hill,” Jillian replied, once again.

     “But why did you bring me only one?  You hid the rest for yourself!”

     “Nay, ma’am, I was only allowed this one,” explained Jillian.

     “You liar!  I don’t believe you,” cried the enchantress angrily.  “Away with you!”  With that, she drove Jillian from the room.  Then she sat down and ate the peach.  She had never tasted such a delicious peach before.

     As she finished the peach off, she thought she must have more of the amazing fruit.  She bundled up in her warm winter clothing.  “I shall go up the hill and fetch as many peaches as I like,” she thought to herself.

     Pulling her fur cap over her ears, the wicked woman hurried away.  Snow covered everything.  There was no path to be found.  The witch lost her way, but she was urged on by greedy desire for the peaches.  She trudged forward until she spied a light in the distance.  Then she climbed and climbed until she reached the spot where the wolf sat before the fire.

     “Why have you come here?”  asked the wolf.

     “Stupid wolf, it is no business of yours!”  she snapped.  Then she turned and walked into the woods.

     This made the wolf very angry, and he stood up and howled at the sky.  All at once, the fire went out, darkness covered the land, the wind rose, and snow began to fall.

     The enchantress could not see where she was going.  The snow beat against her face and into her eyes, and she stumbled about in the thick drifts of snow.  She was quite lost, and vainly tried to find her was home.  She cursed and called out wildly.  The snow fell, the wind howled, and darkness gripped the earth.

     The enchantress sat down beneath a pine tree, and started crying like a pitiful child.  The wind blew and the snow loomed up, burying her from head to toe in a cocoon of ice.  And there she remained, rocking herself gently as she wept, until at last she froze to death beneath the snow.

     Jillian waited at the witch’s cottage through the night, but the witch did not return.  In the morning, she set about her chores as usual, every now and then pausing to look out the window.

     “What could have happened?”  Jillian wondered.  But the only answer was the cracking of the ice as it melted from the tree branches.

     Winter passed, and summer came, and as the wicked-hearted enchantress never returned home, Jillian just stayed on at the little cottage in the woods.  She planted a small garden where she grew fruits and vegetables; the trees around the house provided wild cherries and muscadines; and beautiful roses grew up over the cottage.  And so the gentle maiden lived happily enough.

     Sometime afterwards, when Jillian was walking alongside a trickling brook, she came upon the wolf who was carrying a dagger in his mouth.

     Jillian was pleased to see the wolf who had been so kind to her.  But the wolf greeted her sadly and said, “Dear child, you have a happy enough life here in the forest, but I am a tortured soul and have lived in misery for a very long time.  It lies within your hands to free me.”  So saying, he placed the dagger before the young girl and begged her to thrust it into his heart.

     Jillian was completely unwilling at first.  But finally, seeing great sadness in the wolf’s eyes, she took pity and did as she was asked.  As soon as it was done, the wolf changed into a man, no other than her beloved William.  At last, he was set free from the evil spell the enchantress had cast upon him long before. 

     William took Jillian’s hand and led her through the forest and back to their town, where they were received with great rejoicing.  Soon after, a splendid wedding was bestowed for the two of them.  And indeed, there WERE beautiful bride’s maids in lovely, long, flowing gowns, a towering cake, and a wonderful feast fit for a king.