The Spirits in the Flames

Mummy and Daddy took me and Jason to the bonfire on Saturday. Daddy said that it was safer than having our own fireworks, but that afterwards we could stay up late and have hot-dogs, and a special bedtime story.

            The bonfire was lovely, all red and golden flames that kept spitting and changing shape. Some flames jumped from the fire and threw off crackling sparks that vanished in to clouds of swirling white smoke. And I could see fiery caves inside the fire, grottoes filled with wispy shapes that I imagined were elves and fairies.

            Suddenly, a big red star exploded overhead, spreading more coloured stars in to the sky. Then there were some little bangs and more stars flew up in huge circles that floated apart and then faded away, The stars kept flying up and then I heard loud bangs, like thunderclaps, and saw shooting stars flying in all directions. Then, after a long while, the stars disappeared and it went quiet, and all that I could see were the stars in the sky and the embers of the fire.

            “That was lovely,” said Mummy, “now let’s go home for our hot-dogs.”

           

            We had barbecue sauce with the hot-dogs, and ice cream, and when we’d washed and cleaned our teeth, we got in to bed and Daddy told us a story

            “Long ago, when the world was new, there was no moon or stars so the nights were completely black.  People couldn’t see and kept bumping in to things, talking to complete strangers by accident and tripping over cats. So they went to the Wise Men for help."

            "The Wise Men nodded and said, 'Light at night? Interesting concept, we’ll come back to you on that.' But they didn’t come back, because that didn’t have an ‘O’level in light creation between them."

            "Then someone said, 'How about Mr Zang, he knows everything?' and everyone went 'Ewwwwww!' because Mr Zang was very smelly and had been sent to live by himself in the woods. But they went, and Mr Zang said, 'You lot must want something real bad if you’ve come to see me. Light at night? Not a problem,' and he picked up his backpack and led everyone back to the village."

           " Mr Zang made everyone collect lots of wood, and they built a bonfire in a clearing. At sundown, they formed a circle around the bonfire and Mr Zang lit a brushwood torch, shouted 'Abracadoppoluss, Abracadoppolus,' very loudly and set the bonfire alight, and smelly black smoke started billowing out. Mr Zang said the black smoke was evil spirits who were being chased away by the good spirits in the fire, Mr Zang then took out lots of brightly coloured packets from his backpack. The packets were filled with different coloured dusts that he threw on to the flames, and masses of crackling sparks shot in to the air. The sparks flew higher and higher and everyone went 'Ohhhhhhhh' and 'Ahhhhhhh', because they looked so beautiful. Then the sparks faded away and everyone stared in amazement because the sky was now full of twinkling lights which were casting a strange and beautiful light over the earth."

            “'Those lights are called stars' said Mr Zang, 'not good enough to read by, but you can see to avoid tripping over the cat.  I’d do you a moon, but I’m not due moon dust till Tuesday.'

            "Mr Zang said that the stars were good spirits who had chased the evil spirits from the fire, and gone to live in the sky so that they could watch over the earth at night and keep little children safe."

            “'More than you deserve,' said Mr Zang, who was as grumpy as he was smelly, “Try not to bother me again please. Goodbye,' and he went back to the forest to be smelly by himself."

            “'Did Mr Zang make the moon?" asked Jason.

            “Yes,” said Daddy, “but that’s another story.”