Praxis In The Dark
Children's Story
Praxis the colourful pixie was feeling very blue. He was blue partly with cold, but partly with fear. It was night, and he should have been tucked up in bed asleep with all the other pixies. But as soon as it was quiet and everyone was breathing heavily, he had pulled on his little pixie boots and his little pixie tunic and had slipped out into the woods.
He'd heard that the pixie pool in the centre of the woods was silver in moonlight, and he wanted to check it out for himself. It had seemed like such a good idea in daytime, but now it was night and as black as pitch and he was in the woods alone, he wasn't quite so sure. Everything looked so different in the dark. And the woodland sounds were strange, for the familiar daytime sounds of daytime animals had been replaced by night-time sounds of night-time animals, which were unfamiliar to Praxis.
The trunks of the trees loomed huge and seemed to sway towards him, their branches clipping his face. There was a breeze sighing through the leaves which seemed to be saying, "Watch out, Praxis, it's dangerous here at night."
Clouds hid the stars and the moon, and even the familiar pixie glade had disappeared into the darkness. Praxis took a few steps in one direction, then he hesitated and moved in a different direction. Then he thought he might turn round and go back, so he began to retrace his steps. But he couldn't see a thing, and it was very cold. Praxis shivered and turned again.
When he heard a loud hoot by his left ear, he was terrified. He'd heard about owls, and about the way they hunted silently at night swooping down on unsuspecting small animals and pixies. Praxis began to run, crashing through the undergrowth as fast as his legs would carry him. When he paused for breath, he found himself in the thickest part of the wood. He had never been here before, even in daylight. There were dark shadows everywhere, until Praxis was certain goblins and ghosts and witches were hiding behind every tree.
Praxis sank down on a pile of leaves, put his head in his hands, and began to cry. Then he said a prayer, "Please God, help me!" Immediately the wind began to rise, and very soon the clouds had been blown away from the face of the moon. Praxis sat up. He took his head out of his hands and looked around.
The light from the moon was very bright, and to his amazement Praxis discovered he could see very clearly. Suddenly everything looked entirely different. The dark shadows melted away, the witches and goblins and ghosts disappeared. Even the owl had gone, intent on pursuing an easier target.
Praxis found he was less afraid. He tried another prayer, "Please God, help me to find my way home." Nothing miraculous happened, but he began to move from the trunk of one big tree to another, following the trunks as though they were a path. The moon continued to shine brightly, lighting his way, and even the night sounds seemed less threatening.
In just a little while, Praxis found himself by the pixie pool. To his delight, he saw that the surface of the pool shone like burnished silver. "It's true," he whispered to himself. "The moon really has transformed our pool. And it's transformed me, for I'd never have been able to find my way home without it."
He slipped back into his pixie home in the glade, with his head full of the beauty of the silver pixie pool. He didn't think he'd ever visit it at night again, for he knew he was lucky to have reached home at all. But he was glad to have seen the transformation both of the pool and of the whole wood by the light of the moon. And as he snuggled down between the sheets, his blue now transformed to pink, he whispered a heartfelt "thank you" to God.
He'd heard that the pixie pool in the centre of the woods was silver in moonlight, and he wanted to check it out for himself. It had seemed like such a good idea in daytime, but now it was night and as black as pitch and he was in the woods alone, he wasn't quite so sure. Everything looked so different in the dark. And the woodland sounds were strange, for the familiar daytime sounds of daytime animals had been replaced by night-time sounds of night-time animals, which were unfamiliar to Praxis.
The trunks of the trees loomed huge and seemed to sway towards him, their branches clipping his face. There was a breeze sighing through the leaves which seemed to be saying, "Watch out, Praxis, it's dangerous here at night."
Clouds hid the stars and the moon, and even the familiar pixie glade had disappeared into the darkness. Praxis took a few steps in one direction, then he hesitated and moved in a different direction. Then he thought he might turn round and go back, so he began to retrace his steps. But he couldn't see a thing, and it was very cold. Praxis shivered and turned again.
When he heard a loud hoot by his left ear, he was terrified. He'd heard about owls, and about the way they hunted silently at night swooping down on unsuspecting small animals and pixies. Praxis began to run, crashing through the undergrowth as fast as his legs would carry him. When he paused for breath, he found himself in the thickest part of the wood. He had never been here before, even in daylight. There were dark shadows everywhere, until Praxis was certain goblins and ghosts and witches were hiding behind every tree.
Praxis sank down on a pile of leaves, put his head in his hands, and began to cry. Then he said a prayer, "Please God, help me!" Immediately the wind began to rise, and very soon the clouds had been blown away from the face of the moon. Praxis sat up. He took his head out of his hands and looked around.
The light from the moon was very bright, and to his amazement Praxis discovered he could see very clearly. Suddenly everything looked entirely different. The dark shadows melted away, the witches and goblins and ghosts disappeared. Even the owl had gone, intent on pursuing an easier target.
Praxis found he was less afraid. He tried another prayer, "Please God, help me to find my way home." Nothing miraculous happened, but he began to move from the trunk of one big tree to another, following the trunks as though they were a path. The moon continued to shine brightly, lighting his way, and even the night sounds seemed less threatening.
In just a little while, Praxis found himself by the pixie pool. To his delight, he saw that the surface of the pool shone like burnished silver. "It's true," he whispered to himself. "The moon really has transformed our pool. And it's transformed me, for I'd never have been able to find my way home without it."
He slipped back into his pixie home in the glade, with his head full of the beauty of the silver pixie pool. He didn't think he'd ever visit it at night again, for he knew he was lucky to have reached home at all. But he was glad to have seen the transformation both of the pool and of the whole wood by the light of the moon. And as he snuggled down between the sheets, his blue now transformed to pink, he whispered a heartfelt "thank you" to God.
