A Robins Tale

Around the time of the Middle Ages there were two sisters, the eldest was 7 the youngest was 5. Anna, the eldest, had long, straight, beautifully blonde hair that went a little past her shoulder. She was rather tall and very slender. She was lovely in every way and cared deeply for her sister. Rose, the youngest, was very similar to Anna; she loved her sister dearly and would do anything to save anyone. Rose had long auburn hair that curled ever so slightly to give it the long ringlet look. She was a little shorter than her sister but not by much. She was even almost as skinny as her too.

One harsh cold winter day, two small young girls happened to be chasing each other in a seemingly empty meadow. The wind blew across sending a sudden chill up the girls’ spines.

“Anna!” Rose cried out to her sister in terror. Anna rushed over to see what her sister seemed so worried about and stumbled upon a dead robin. Anna held her hand out to her sister

“Rose” she cooed “we can’t help it. There is nothing we can do. It’s dead. It’s just how life is.” She tried to explain to her sister who sagged to the ground in tears, crying as her cheeks turned pink. Rose steadily reached out to the bird, whimpering softly. Anna tried to grab Roses hand away but was too late. Rose had already gently placed her hand on the birds’ wing, and it began to flutter. At first it was impossible to believe, and Anna had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, but it was certain. Rose had brought the bird back to life; Anna quickly and without effort snatched Roses hand away.

“Don’t you ever do that again!” she scolded “You could get killed if you ever tried to do that with someone else around!” she cried embracing her sister tenderly. “Please, I don’t want to ever see you get hurt!” tightly she squeezed her eyes shut. A single tear rolled down her flushed cheeks falling ever so slightly to the cold dirt ground.

Ten Years Passed and a plague had taken over their small little village. Day by day Rose watched as dozens of people fell ill and piled up on the streets. Most begged for death to take them rather than pray for a cure. They realized that no cure was going to be found. Every day Rose cried herself to sleep as she listened to their cries of pain in the night. Anna felt terrible, she didn’t want to lose her sister, but if her sister didn’t help these people she would lose her to the guilt. Late in the Night Anna watched over her sister as she slept wondering if she would ever catch the plague and what would happen if she did. Slowly her eyes grew heavy and she could no longer keep them open. She drifted into unconsciousness and didn’t even wake to her sister leaving the small little cottage they called home.

Rose wondered aimlessly through the village, and down ruined cobblestone streets. Turning a corner she stumbled upon a young woman gripping her young daughter who looked to be at the age of about five or six. She had hair down to her shoulders that was the color of strawberries, and her skin was white with death. Her eyes closed in peace, no smile across her lifeless face. Tears covered the young woman’s face as she suddenly glanced up from her daughters’ lifeless body.

“Please” she begged “Please bring her back!” she shook with grief and mourning. “Please! I’d give ANYTHING just to have her back” she cried out in agony.

Rose couldn’t stand it anymore, the pain and horror got to her and she reached out a shaking hand and gently places it on the girls still body. Tears spring to her eyes as she moves her hand across the girls’ torso and her eyes flutter open. The little one looks at her mother as her mother embraces her in her arms. The young woman looks at Rose and thanks her for what she did. Rose smiles a weak and effortless smile and tries to stand but her weakened body won’t allow it and she falls back onto the cobblestone and passes out from exhaustion.

Confused Rose carefully opens her eyes and shakes her head remembering the little girl and her mother she peers around at her room wondering how she got there. Smiling she sees her sister sleeping peacefully on the bed next to her. She reaches out and brushes the hair out of her face only to realize that her sister feels cold to her touch. Horrified she rushes to the other side of the bed and shakes her sister trying to wake her up but to no avail.  Hot tears sting her cheeks as she wraps her arms around her sisters’ non-moving body. “Please” she silently begs pulling her sister closer pushing all that she had into the thought of bringing her sister back, but nothing happens.

WHY? WHY WOULD YOU LET ME HEAL ALL THE OTHERS, BUT NOT MY SISTER? WHY NOT THE GIRL I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED AND CHERISHED? WHY? She screamed into the air not expecting an answer to her question, to her secret prayer. “I LOVED HER!” suddenly as if in response the sun shone through the clouds on the meadow outside her bedroom window. Shining down on a little girl about the age of five or six with hair that looked like strawberries that was level with her shoulders. A smile across her face, her cheeks pink with life that flowed through her. Her laughter floated in from across the meadow and suddenly Rose understood. Her gift was never meant to save her sister, it was meant to save her, it was meant to save others, but never her sister. Crying alone she held tight to her sisters lifeless body mourning her loss until it was time bury her. Rose carried Anna’s cold, still body up to the hill where they had first found the dead robin and buried her on the top of that hill where all could see. Rose visited her sister until she too joined her on that very hill. Some Say that on the night of the full moon you can see Anna and Rose on that hill smiling at a robin who sings the tune of a sad song.