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Queery Tales; Where Rainbows Begin	By : shikiblade Category: Fairy Tales, Fables, Folklore, Legends, and Myth > Fairy Tales Views: 23001 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own rights to these stories. They were writen long ago and far away. These are re-tellings, but not for mass publishing. No money is being made from these stories.

Chapter List
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Chapter Three: Master of his Trade

A few days later, the Mayor and many of his friends sat in the kitchen and placed the ring on the mantle in clear view of everyone. So they sat and chatted and kept a good eye on it.

Tanner, in the mean time, had gone out into the woods and caught three rabbits and dyed them to look like rare rabbits as oppossed to their normal coloring. Disguising himself as a worker, he hid by the kitchen door and waited untileveryone had settled. When they did, he reached into his bag and took out one of the rabbits and let it loose in the kitchen. Of course, the people in the room were startled by the rare rabbit running around, and tried to catch it. While the anarcy occured, Tanner slipped in and joined the ravel until the hare escaped. He and a few of the others chased it into the woods. Tanner slipped away and returned to the kitchen. He let the second of the rabbits out and it too ran about the kitchen, causing a bigger stir than the first. As the people chased the rabbit around, Tanner stole into the room to try and help catch it, and he and a few others chased it into the woods. Sure enough, Tanner slipped away and returned. Many of the people remaining in the room were tired. Tanner released the last rabbit and the chaos started anew. Tanner slipped in again and this time he stole the ring before he and a few others chased the rabbit into the woods. By the time the Mayor and his friends realised the ring was not where they thought it was, Tanner had returned home and removed his disguise. Nolen was there waiting for him. Upon his return, Tanner fell on one knee before him and propossed. Nolen instantly agreed and Tanner placed the ring upon his finger. When the Mayor came over to see Tanner, he saw the wedding ring on his son’s finger and he saw he had lost the first round.

In the next few days, the Mayor warned the Priest of the impending theivery and warned him not to visit. The priest took these words to heart and remained calm and alert. Tanner, however, was ready for this. He had taken a few dead geese and removed their wings and feathers. From them he crafted larger wings and added them to a white robe. Tanner then went to the kitchen and applied flour to his face and hands. Taking a rope, a harp, a large sack and his disguise, he went to the Priest’s house in the middle of the night. He hoisted himself into a tree with the rope and started playing his harp and calling to the priest. When the priest came out he saw the angel.

“Dear Lord, have you sent this being to see me?” the Priest asked.

“Yes, I have come for you to take you to heaven. You will not need much, but to remove your clothing, for you shall not need it, and crawl into this sack which I lay before you.” The angel Tanner replied.

“Whatever for?” the Priest asked.

“You will not need any earthly possessions in Heaven, and I must take you in a sack for otherwise your soul may see things that are not meant for human eyes.” The priest, believing this, undressed and climbed into the large sack Tanner threw down before him. Tanner lowered himself from the tree and tied the sack up.

“Wait here Holy Father, for I must prepare the path to Heaven.” The Priest waited as silently as the grave while Tanner went into the church and took the Holy Water. Coming back out, he took the sack with the Priest and dragged it across the road. Every time the Priest complained of pains, Tanner said that it was the forces of heaven removing his sins. Finally, they reached the Mayor’s house, and Tanner told the Priest to be silent, for the part of heaven they were in was a place of silent worship. When they got through the yard, Tanner dumped the Priest, sack and all, into the chicken coop and threw seeds over him.

“What are you doing?” the Priest asked as quietly as he could.

“Covering you in blessing seeds,” Tanner answered. The priest remained quiet and waited, feeling cold and stiff. As dawn came, Tanner disappeared back to his house, and as the chickens arose, they came and pecked at the sack, trying to get to the seeds. The priest screamed and yelled in pain, but to no avail. It wasn’t until the yardmaid came and shooed the hens away did he find relief. She opened the sack just as the Mayor came down to see what all the yelling was about. As the sack was removed and the Mayor saw the priest lying naked and humiliated in his own chicken coop, he knew that Tanner had succeeded.

The next day, Tanner was summoned to the Mayor’s house.

“You have done well so far Tanner. But now I will test you beyond any skill. I am going riding tomorrow and I want you to steal my horse from under me and take it home. If you can do this, I willl allow your marriage to my son.”

“Very well, that shouldn’t be too difficult,” Tanner answered politely.

“We shall see,” The Mayor said.

That evening, Tanner took his magical ring and summoned one of the thieves. One of the younger theives, Richard, appeared before him.

:I have a job for you Richard,” Tanner said. “It will not require much and is worth ten gold pieces to you,” Tanner said.

“Tell me the job,” Richard said without accepting.

“I will hide you in a wine barrel and you need to keep your mouth over the hole. If I take my finger out, spit out some wine. If I take it out a second time, I will give you twenty extra gold peices.”

“That is much agreeable,” Richard said.

The next day, Tanner covered himself in soot and put on a wig and goatshair beard, dressed in rags and removed his shoes. Onto a wagon he loaded the wine barrel with the thift in it. Putting a mule onto the end of the wagon, Tanner put his finger into the wine barrel and rode off. He came to where the Mayor was riding, and he slowed the mule right down until it was moving slowly and barely making any ground. After a long time, the Mayor noticed and rode over.

“Goodday sir, have you seen a young man skulking around?” The Mayor asked.

“No,” Tanner answered in a husky voice, “That I have not.”

“Would you be a good man and look around for me, for I do not think he would suspect you of being a messenger for me,” The Mayor asked.

“I would, but I am on my way to a wedding, and the wine barrel lost its tap and I must keep my finger in here while I ride.”

“I will put my finger in the hole and you can search for me, and I will give you a bushel of monnies for your troubles.” The Mayor said, holding up the bushel.

“Very well. But you must move quickly to stop the wine from spilling.” Tanner said. He waited until the Mayor had gotten off his horse and was ready. Tanner removed his finger and the Mayor jammed his finger into the hole, letting the smallest amount of wine escape. The mayor handed over the bushel and was about to ask the man to look in the forest, but before he could open his mouth, both man and horse were gone. Realsing that he had been tricked for the third and final time, he took his finger out of the barrel and waited for the wine to flow, but none came. The barrel gave a rattle and then burst open, revealing Richard.

“Thank you Mayor,” Richard said, holding up the same bushel of money, before running off with delight.

The following morning, the Mayor went to see Tanner and admitted defeat. The wedding was held, and they lived happily thereafter.
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Queery Tales; Where Rainbows Begin