Teddy slammed the door against the wolves. Jackcaught his breath.
"Welcome!" the three Norns said in unison. They alllooked exactly alike, except they wore gowns ofdifferent colors--blue, brown, and gray.
"How are you, Jack, Annie, Teddy, and Kathleen?"said the blue Norn.
"We're good now," said Annie.
Jack was amazed that the Norns knew all theirnames. Despite their strange appearance, theirfriendly smiles and twinkling eyes put him58at ease. In their cozy house, he began to feel warmfor the first time since they had left home.
"Was your journey pleasant?" asked the brownNorn.
"Yes. We came in the Ice Wizard's sleigh," saidAnnie.
"With the help of a wind-string," said Teddy. Jackheld up the string to show them.
The gray Norn cackled. "Yes, we know! I like astring with knots," she said.
"A string without knots would be a boring stringindeed!" said the blue Norn.
"A life without knots would be a boring lifeindeed!" chimed in the brown Norn.
As they spoke, the Norns kept weaving. Theirbulging eyes never blinked. Jack sensed that theynever closed their eyes--or stopped their work.
"Sorry to bother you," said Annie. "But Jack and Ineed the eye of the Ice Wizard of Winter so we cansave our friends Merlin and Morgan."59"We know," said the blue Norn. "We are weavingthe story of the Ice Wizard now. Come look."Jack moved with the others to the loom. Dozens oftiny pictures were woven into the tapestry. Thethreads were all wintry colors-- blues, grays, andbrowns.
"The pictures tell the story of the wizard's life,"explained the brown Norn.
One picture showed two children playing together.
Another showed a boy running after a swan. Anothershowed two white wolves--and another showed aneye in a circle.
"What's the story of the eye?" Jack asked.
"Long ago, the Ice Wizard came to us seeking allthe wisdom of the world," said the gray Norn. "Wesaid we would give him wisdom if he gave us one ofhis eyes. He agreed to the bargain.""The wizard doesn't seem very wise," said Annie.
"Indeed he is not," said the brown Norn. "Weplanted the seeds of wisdom in his heart, but theynever grew."60"Why did you want his eye?" asked Jack.
"We wished to give it to the Frost Giant; said theblue Norn.
61"The Frost Giant?" said Teddy. "Who is the FrostGiant?"
62"He is neither magician nor mortal," said the blueNorn. "He is a blind force of nature that sparesnothing in his path.""We hoped the Frost Giant would use the wizard'seye to see the beauty of the world, so he might chooseto care for it rather than destroy it," said the brownNorn. "But alas, the Frost Giant does not use our giftat all! Instead, he keeps it hidden away--right wherewe left it!""Where's that?" asked Annie.
"The Frost Giant sleeps inside the Hollow Hill," saidthe gray Norn.
"In the Hollow Hill is a hole," said the blue Norn.
"In the hole is a hailstone," said the brown Norn.
"And in the heart of the hailstone hides the wizard'seye," said the gray Norn. Jack closed his eyes andrepeated:
In the Hollow Hill is a hole.
In the hole is a hailstone.
63In the heart of the hailstoneHides the wizard's eye.
"Yes!" said the gray Norn. "That is where you mustgo. But beware: You must never look directly at theFrost Giant. Anyone who looks directly at the FrostGiant will freeze to death at once."Jack shivered and nodded.
"Well, we'd better get going," said Annie. "Thanksfor your help. The Ice Wizard's rhyme tells us to payyou whatever you ask us to pay."The Norns looked at each other. "I like thatweaving around her neck," the gray Norn said to hersisters. "'Tis red like the fiery dawn." The other twoNorns nodded eagerly.
"My scarf?" said Annie. "Sure. Here." She took offher red woolen scarf and placed it on the floor nearthe Norns' loom.
"Lovely!" said the blue Norn. "Perhaps we will stopweaving fates and start weaving scarves!"64The other Norns cackled. "Well, go now," said thegray Norn. "Travel toward the North Star. When youreach the snowy hills, look for the one whose peak ismissing."Jack, Annie, and Teddy started toward the door, butKathleen stayed behind. "Forgive me, but I have onemore question," she said. She pointed to the picture ofthe swan and the boy on the tapestry. "What is thisstory?""'Tis a sad tale," said the gray Norn. "The IceWizard had a younger sister who loved him morethan anything in the world. One day they fought oversomething foolish. He lost his temper and told her toleave him alone forever. She ran down to the sea intears. There she found a flock of swan maidens. Theygave her a white feathered dress. She put on the dressand became a swan maiden herself. She flew awaywith the others and never returned.""After that the Ice Wizard was never the same,"said the blue Norn. "When his sister left,65he grew cold and mean-spirited. 'Twas as if hissister took his heart with her when she flew away.""That is sad," said Annie. "How will the IceWizard's story end?""You--not we--will determine the threads we weavenext," said the brown Norn.
"We will?" said Annie.
"Yes," said the gray Norn. "Our powers are fading.
Our plans no longer work the way we expect them to.
The Ice Wizard has no wisdom! The Frost Giant hasno sight! You must go now and finish the story."The three sisters smiled at their visitors. Theirskinny fingers fluttered over their weaving likebutterflies over flowers.
Jack couldn't help smiling back at them. But then hethought about Merlin and Morgan. He thought aboutall the dangers waiting outside. "One last question,"he said. "What's the story of the two white wolves?""Oh, the wolves!" said the blue Norn. "Do66not fear the wolves! A life without wolves would bea boring life indeed!" Her two sisters smiled inagreement. For the moment, their smiles made Jackfeel unafraid of the white wolves-- and the IceWizard and the Frost Giant, too.
"Good-bye! Good-bye! Good-bye!" said the threesisters.
Jack and the others waved good-bye. Then theyslipped out of the House of the Norns and into the icynight. |