Member-only story
Fiction | Short Story | Fairy Tale
The Carpenter and The Hunter
One day, two decades ago, an author overdosed on the tales of the Brothers Grimm…
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a carpenter and his wife lived in a comfortable wooden cottage, nestled in a stand of tall, shady cedar trees that grew along the side of a great mountain ridge. The carpenter, whose name was Jack, had all the strong cedar wood he could want, and busied himself with the pleasant work of carving, sanding, and building beautiful pieces of furniture to sell on the other side of the valley. His wife, Anita, tended a little garden behind the cottage, where she grew beans and squash, tomatoes and peppers, lettuces and radishes. All along the edges of her garden, she planted bright golden marigolds that were cheerful to look at, but tasted terrible to insects. This is how she kept the tiny pests from devouring the vegetables that she and Jack ate for their supper.
After several years, the carpenter and his wife began to wish for a child. They had plenty for themselves and plenty to share. “A child would bring laughter and joy to the house,” said Jack.
“If it is a boy,” said Anita, “he will grow strong and learn to be a carpenter, so as to help you with your work as you grow old.”
