A mysterious song fills the snow-covered mountains, and the owl Frida and the raven Kjetil set out to find its source -- and discover a trial that tests their wisdom and courage.
Atop the snow-covered mountains, where the wind howled and the trees bent in the cold, lived the owl Frida. Every evening she sat so still on her branch that she could tell the wind in the pines from the wind over the bare rocks. Not far away, in a dark ravine, lived the raven Kjetil. He kept a hoard of odd little things -- a bent nail, a splinter of mirror, a knot of string -- because sooner or later one of them turned out to be the answer to something.
One morning, as the sun slowly rose over the horizon, a low, melodic tone filled the air. It was a sound no one had ever heard before, a song that seemed to come from the mountains themselves. Frida woke in her nest and tilted her head, listening a long while. No wind she knew had ever sung like that.
An Invitation from the Mountains
Frida flew across the valleys and came to the ravine where Kjetil lived. He sat on a stone, bobbing his head in time with the mysterious tone.
"Kjetil," Frida said in her calm but firm voice, "have you heard it? The song's source is unknown, and the mountains carry an unease."
Kjetil nodded, but smiled slyly.
"I've heard it, Frida. But maybe it's just a winter game played by the wind?"
Frida stared at him.
"This isn't the wind. This is something greater. The mountains are calling us to act."
Kjetil laughed, but he knew Frida was rarely wrong.
"Well, if the mountains are calling, we'd best answer."
The Journey Upward
Together they began climbing higher into the mountains. Snow fell thick, and the wind turned biting. Frida, with her sharp eyes, led the way, while Kjetil flew close to the ground, searching for clues. The higher they climbed, the stronger the song grew, but at the same time the sound became more confusing, as if it came from every direction at once.
After hours of searching, they found a large, ice-covered tree, standing alone on a snowy mountainside. The sound seemed strongest here. Kjetil landed on a branch and studied the tree.
"What do you think this is?" he asked.
Frida studied the tree's roots, covered in ice crystals that glittered in the faint light.
"This tree carries memories. It's telling a story, but it's hidden beneath the ice."
Winter's Secret
Frida and Kjetil decided to clear away the ice, but it was easier said than done. As they worked, the wind began to howl louder, as if nature were trying to warn them. Suddenly the ice cracked beneath the tree, and a dark opening appeared in the ground. Frida and Kjetil peered down into the darkness.
"What now?" asked Kjetil, a little nervous.
"We have to go in," Frida answered firmly.
Inside the opening, they found an old shrine, partly filled with ice, its walls covered in inscriptions that reflected light from a hidden source. In the middle of the room was a small crystal, pulsing in time with the song.
Frida read the inscriptions aloud:
"'When the mountain's song is heard, the time has come for wisdom to grow.'"
The Time of Trial
Suddenly the room filled with a cold wind, and the light from the crystal began to flicker. Voices whispered around them, and Kjetil pressed his feathers flat and edged back towards the opening.
"We should leave," he said quickly.
But Frida stood calm.
"This is a trial. The mountains are testing our wisdom and courage."
She approached the crystal and gently laid her wings over it. The light grew stronger, and the song fell silent. A deep, calm voice filled the room.
"You came far, and you heard the mountain before you touched it. That is why the song can rest now."
The Mountains' Reward
Light filled the room, and the cold went out of their feathers. The crystal began to melt, and the water flowed back into the mountain. Outside, they saw the snowstorm calm, and the mountains sparkled in the sun.
"The mountain is quiet again," said Frida.
"But only because we listened," Kjetil added, with a rare, serious tone.
The Moral of the Story
Wisdom isn't just knowing what's right, but acting on it with understanding and respect for the world around us.
-- An original story for Animal Tales.
English
Norsk
Svenska
Dansk
Deutsch
Nederlands