The Tunes Of Toloc

By Paul McCann

One bright sunny morning beside Toloc Forest , the cows that stood in the glade chewed and Mooed away until Wirera the Chieftains son scattered them in a furious gallop as he took his morning ride to the mountain path . A wise lad was Wirera for his age and commanded respect from the warriors of Toloc On the way up the steep mountain path Wirera’s horse stopped suddenly and threw him off .
Slowly Wirera got to his feet and brushed the dirt from his cloak .. He made his way to his horse and stroked the Old Grey Mare . The horse seemed agitated and troubled . As Wirera tried to get up on the horse it bolted .

“You’ll never catch her you know “ Said a high pitched voice .

“Who said that”  Said Wirera .

“T’is but the wee one from grassy slope and who would you be ?“ Said the little man who appeared at the feet of Wirera who jumped back in a hurry .

Wiping his forehead and blinking his eyes several times he said ,.
“I must have taken a bad fall”
Wirera took off his hat and walked over to the mountain stream .
Standing upon a large stepping stone there he filled his hat with cool water and threw it over his head . Washing his face and neck he returned to the grassy slope by the stream and lay down .
“All I ask is that you don’t take my trout from the stream”
Wirera sat up ,and standing there beside him was another little man wearing a gold tunic with a green belt . His shoes shone like the sun and on his head he wore a tall pointed hat . His long red beard almost touched his feet .
“ Who are you?” said Wirera .
“I am the wee one of the crystal stream, and who might you be ? “
Suddenly another little man came along and joined in the conversation .
“He doesn’t talk you know .I asked him the same question “
Said the wee one of the grassy slope .
A trout jumped out from the stream and landed beside the wee ones .
It began to sing an enchanting melody .
The wee ones joined in the song and the old grey mare trotted back to
Wirera ‘s side .
“ Am I dreaming ?” Said Wirera .
“I’d say surely not “
Came the reply from the old grey mare .
“ We are not going to ask you again , so tell us who are you ?”
The little men said .
”I am Wirera , son of the Chieftain of Toloc” was the reply .

Suddenly Wirera began to dance and sing like never before .

“Be gifted Wirera “ Said the little men .
The trout in the stream began leaping in and out as the wee ones played music on their fiddles . They drank and laughed for some time as Wirera uncontrollably danced away .
“Take these tunes with you when you go”
Said the little men .
Suddenly there was silence . The wee ones had disappeared .
Lying on the ground was a fiddle . Never before had Wirera played an instrument but as if called to do so , Wirera picked up the fiddle and began playing lively tunes .
When he had finished playing the grey mare brushed up beside him .
Wirera got up on his horse still clutching the fiddle, and with one hand on the reins he rode down the mountain path towards the glade .

When Wirera returned to the Toloc he told all the clan about the experience on the mountain . They all began to laugh and make fun of him saying he had too much to drink , but when he began to play the fiddle , they changed their tune . Everyone who heard the tunes couldn’t help themselves and started to dance and sing .
And to this very day those same tunes are played by musicians all over the land , and with the same effect everyone who hears them , cannot control their feet as they dance and sing away .

THE END

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