The Village Of Harmony Hill

The Village Of Harmony Hill  

By Paul McCann

Halfway home he stopped at the abandoned village and sat down on the ground in the ruins of an old cottage . He took out an empty jar from a carry bag and made wish before screwing off the lid and  letting the dragonfly inside fly away .

The dragonfly carried his wish to the King of Harmony who sat daydreaming  on his throne in the great hall of wisdom where the sun shone through the coloured glass on the castle windows .  The dragonfly started to sing the wishing song that stirred the King from his daydream .

Immediately the King started to sing in harmony with the dragonflies song and the enchanting sound echoed all over the Magic Kingdom and it touched the ears of the wish granting fairy who floated in a trance to the great hall of wisdom  where she sang along with the dragonfly and the King of harmony until the wish was granted .Back in the ruined cottage the young boy’s wish came true .

Halfway to nowhere he gazed into space thinking about what life might have been like in Harmony Hill Village before it was abandoned . As he sat there looking into space a window of time opened up and a huge dragonfly flew through the window and landed nearby and called the boy over saying .

“Let me see your face then . Was it you that made a wish to know what life used to be like here in the village ?”

The little boy nodded and said .

“Yes it was .“

The huge dragonfly replied .

“Well then , you might like to know that your wish has been granted . So come now  let’s go and I’ll take to a place where you have never been before and you’ll see things that you have never seen before “

The boy climbed into a saddle on the dragonflies back and they flew through the window of time and into a mist , then through winding tunnels that brought them back to Harmony village where people lived happily together . Children played games and men and women were  walking hand in hand with each other living  peacefully  .

Then something happened to change all that .

Invaders came in ships  from  another land and slowly began to take over some of the land . The invaders were aggressive and angry . 

They laughed and mocked the people who lived in harmony hill village but deep down they were  envious of them and the gift they had with sone and music so they  forbid them to sing or play their musical instruments and afterwards they made slaves out of them and sent them on ships to countries to be sold to rich landowners who needed workers on their plantations .

The truth of what had happened to the folk at harmony hill  village was now revealed and the dragonfly brought him on another journey to the fields of Barbados where most of the people from Harmony Hill were taken to as slaves . In the fields of Barbados those slaves still sang every day and even though they were in chains they were happy in their own way to be able to sing and play their music .

The owners of the properties did not mind if they sang as long as the work was done The window of time stayed open and allowed the dragonfly to show the boy what had happened to the people from harmony village ,

The slaves now were gaining some interest from people who heard them singing around the fields in Barbados and they were asked to perform for the local people in different events around Barbados . Everyone who heard them sing and play loved the sound they made  and the slaves started now started to receive better treatment and were offered an early release from being a slave due to their popularity in the country . The singing slaves were set free from slavery and lived free lives once again Some were married and started families and others were able to get an education and start careers . The important thing was they were allowed to sing and play their music as often as they wanted which made them happy.

The Dragonfly and the boy returned back through the tunnels to the mist of time and back to the ruined house in Harmony village . Before the dragonfly disappeared, he ang as song that sent the boy into a deep sleep and when he awoke, he had no recollection of where he had been or what he had seen.

In the spring of that year there was a spring festival in the village of harmony hill and people came on horse and carts bringing life back into the abandoned village .

There were young girls picking wildflowers for the young men they fancied , there was singing and dancing . Many people were in attendance and after the festival a group of local people decided  to make an effort to rebuild the houses in the village and with a working committee and the support of tradesmen who offered their services for free work began on the Harmony Hill Village project .

Produce , building supplies from companies were given for free .

Other resources arrived and in twelve months all of the houses were rebuilt .

There were many local people who were in need of accommodation . One of those families who had been sleeping rough for many months was.the parents and siblings of that little boy who had made a secret wish once in an abandoned house in Harmony village but somehow, he had forgotten all about that day .

The End

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