Blackberry Blue
Page 12
A burst of flame seared high into the skies, then broke up into a million specks of stardust as, all day long, the vengeful Sun King rampaged across the skies in his rage, bringing havoc to the world below. But as evening approached, and with his fury spent, he gazed down at the temple of stones built to honour him as well as the moon. He saw beyond the broad doorway facing towards the east a stone, separate from the rest; a leaning stone, reaching inwards towards the circle, as if trying to see the rising sun and yet escape its rays. Here, the mortal, Day, knelt weeping silently, his arms embracing the stone. At last, the Sun King felt pity, and marvelled at the love of the Night Princess for her mortal. With his ebbing rays, he enveloped the farmer and bore him home.
As the sun set and the day finally darkened, the Night King and his queen rode out frantically in their chariot to find out where their daughter was. A trail of stardust and sparks from a horse’s hooves led them to the great plain. Dismounting, they wandered among the giant stones, and there they saw the leaning stone, and realized with awe their daughter’s fate.
Another stone lay fallen near by. At last the Night King and Queen understood. Of all the gifts the princess had been given on the occasion of her birth – courage, beauty, justice and love – she had finally used her last: sacrifice. And with Dark’s sacrifice in trying to save her, the farmer and the earth were spared and life could go on.
It was the day of his wedding, and the farmer awoke just before sunrise. There was a strange pre-dawn light in the room, and a sound sweeter than any music he had ever heard: it was raining. He leaned out of his window. The smell of honeysuckle overwhelmed him as he looked up into the fading night sky.
Twinkling high above was a star he fancied he had never noticed before. As it dimmed, he was overwhelmed with a sense of loss.
But then the sun burst through, turning the raindrops into a million rainbows. The farmer smiled and turned away, ready to greet his new bride.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I was so fortunate in having Kirsten Armstrong as my meticulous and supportive editor who ensured the stories in Blackberry Blue were as good as could be, and I thank Richard Collingridge for his eerie, romantic and evocative illustrations. Also much appreciation to Dominica Clements and Clair Lansley for their creative designs and layouts. Finally, I thank my sister, Romie who, with her excellent eye and ear gave me such useful feedback.
About the Author
Jamila’s first book, The Magic Orange Tree, was published in 1979 and she has since been writing steadily, producing critically acclaimed novels and collections of short stories.
She has been shortlisted for many of the major children’s book awards, including the Smarties Award and the Guardian Award. Coram Boy won the Children’s Whitbread Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, before being adapted for the stage. The Wheel of Surya, part one of the Surya trilogy, was runner up for the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, and the other two titles were also shortlisted.
Selected works by Jamila Gavin:
The Magic Orange Tree
Grandpa Chatterji
The Wheel of Surya
The Eye of the Horse
The Track of the Wind
Grandpa’s Indian Summer
Coram Boy
Grandpa Chatterji’s Third Eye
Danger By Moonlight
The Blood Stone
The Robber Baron’s Daughter
Alexander the Greatest
Praise for
Blackberry Blue
and other fairy tales
‘These joyful stories are a delight’ The Times
‘Jamila Gavin is one of our most consistently good writers of fiction for children young and old [ . . . ] the feel is timeless, but the stories are all original, touched with the magic of Gavin’s vibrant and varied imagination’ Independent on Sunday
‘Love, sacrifice and endurance are foregrounded in these timeless-feeling tales, delivered in language as sharp and sweet as the ripe fruit of the title. An instant classic’ Metro
‘Gavin’s six stories are spooky, engaging and refreshing in their originality. Complemented by Richard Collingridge’s atmospheric illustrations, this lovely book deserves to become a classic’ The Bookseller
‘Absolutely gorgeous . . . Perfect for sharing and for reading alone, I can’t recommend Blackberry Blue highly enough’ The Bookbag
A stunning collection of mystical fairy tales, Blackberry Blue is packed with picturesque moments that will bewitch readers’ Booktrust
The talented Jamila Gavin is an author to watch and these refreshingly original and exciting stories are guaranteed to enchant children of every age’ Lancashire Evening Post
A real winner, and should be up for several literary prizes’ Books Monthly
Beautifully told, magical, dark and mysterious in the best fairy-tale tradition . . . these are exactly the stories a 21st century classroom needs’ ReadingZone
www.tamarindbooks.co.uk
BLACKBERRY BLUE
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 12129 8
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2013
Text copyright © Jamila Gavin, 2013
Cover and inside illustrations © Richard Collingridge, 2013
First Published in Great Britain by Tamarind Books, 2013
The right of Jamila Gavin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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