How Issaries Got Shoes for his Mule

    This is a minor myth that I had to come up with during a game. It's more of a children's story than a full myth. Theoreticaly, it could be used for a heroquest, perhaps to gain mobility powers for a mount or to help restore harmony to a community.

How Issaries Got Shoes for His Mule

    One day, when Issaries was getting ready to take his goods to market, his mule refused to let him load it up. "Every time you take things to market, you load me down with heavy objects. I am strong enough to bear them, but when we walk over the rough hills and roads, my hooves become broken and sore and it hurts a great deal. So I will not do this any more."

    This purturbed Issaries, so he went to Gustbran at his forge and said,
"Gustbran, make me a set of shoes for my mule, so he will carry my goods to
market." But Gustbran said, "I am too busy driving the rats out of my store-room to make anything just now."

    So Issaries went to Yinkin the Shadowcat as he lay by the fire and said,
"Yinkin, chase the rats out of Gustbran's store-room, so he will make a set
of shoes for my mule, so it will carry my goods to market.' But Yinkin said, "Right now, I am too hungry to chase rats."

    So Issaries went to Uralda the Cow-Mother in her barn and said, "Uralda, give Yinkin a bowl of milk so that he will chase the rats out of Gustbran's store-room, so he will make a set of shoes for my mule, so it will carry my goods to market." But Uralda said "My cows will not give milk at the moment, because there is a great wolf which frightens them when they try to graze."

    So Issaries went to Orlanth in his stead and said "Orlanth, kill the wolf which frightens Uralda's cows, so she will give Yinkin a bowl of milk, so he will chase the rats out of Gustbran's store-room, so he will make a set of shoes for my mule, so it will carry my goods to market." But Orlanth said, "Eurmal has stolen my sword, so I cannot kill the wolf."

    So Issaries went to Eurmal out in the waste places and said "Eurmal, return Orlanth's sword, so that he will kill the wolf which frightens Uralda's cows, so she will give Yinkin a bowl of milk, so he will chase the rats out of Gustbran's store-room, so he will make a set of shoes for my mule, so it will carry my goods to market." But Eurmal said, "I have forgotten where I hid it."

    So Issaries went to Lankhor Mhy in his study and said, "Lankhor Mhy, remind Eurmal where he has hidden Orlanth's sword, so he can return it to Orlanth, so he will kill the wolf which frightens Uralda's cows, so she will give Yinkin a bowl of milk, so he will chase the rats out of Gustbran's store-room, so he will make a set of shoes for my mule, so it will carry my goods to market." But Lankhor Mhy said, "I have hurt my hand cutting a new quill."

    So Lankhor Mhy went to Chalana Arroy in her hospital and said, "Chalana Arroy, heal Lankhor Mhy's hand, so that he can remind Eurmal where he hid Orlanth's sword, so that he will kill the wolf which frightens Uralda's cows, so she will give Yinkin a bowl of milk, so he will chase the rats out of Gustbran's store-room, so he will make a set of shoes for my mule, so it will carry my goods to market." But Chalana Arroy said, "I need a certain herb and cannot find it."

    So Issaries went to Ernalda in her field and said "Ernalda, show Chalana Arroy where the healing herb is, so she can heal Lankhor Mhy's hand, so that he can remind Eurmal where he hid Orlanth's sword, so that he will kill the wolf which frightens Uralda's cows, so she will give Yinkin a bowl of milk, so he will chase the rats out of Gustbran's store-room, so he will make a set of shoes for my mule, so it will carry my goods to market."

    Ernalda showed where the herb was, so Chalana Arroy healed the hand, so Lankhor Mhy reminded where the sword was, so Eurmal returned the sword, so Orlanth slew the wolf, so Uralda gave the bowl of milk, so Yinkin chased the rats, so Gustbran made the shoes, so the mule carried Issaries goods to market.

Andrew E. Larsen