Between the great standing firs,
Sat a small wooden cottage,
Built by John Mann and John Kerl.
Two men,
Who had found love,
But from the fear they faced,
Had turned,
And hid,
Tucked away in Gleich,
Where they could live out their lives,
Without fear of persecution.
They lived with their two children,
John Mann’s son Raynard,
And John Kerl’s daughter,
Mala.
Both born to their wives,
Who were no longer around,
Now raised,
By two fathers,
Loving and proud.
They were a happy family,
Who spent their days,
Enjoying the forest,
Picking berries for lunch,
Catching wild rabbits for dinner,
Taking the wood they needed,
To heat their cosy home.
Until one day,
When Raynard and Mala,
Were traipsing through the trees,
And came upon,
A black wolf,
Waiting,
To pounce and strike.
It launched out and growled,
“I am the black wolf of this forest,
And I have eaten four children,
Just like you…
And now two more,
One for bread,
One for stew.”
He chased,
And hunted them down,
As they ran all the way back,
To their fathers,
And the safety of their cottage.
The children screamed and cried out,
For the wolf had not lost interest,
And was edging ever closer,
With each huff and husky growl,
Spat out from its dribbling mouth.
John Mann,
Was first to hear the cries,
Whilst he was hunting the coney,
Holding bow and arrow.
He charged towards the wolf,
And pulled the string tight,
Launching forth a fright, tipped with arrowhead,
Which did imbed into the black wolf.
The creature shrieked and charged away,
Hiding behind the far wall of the family lodge.
John Kerl,
Heard the commotion near,
Whilst he was chopping logs in two,
Clasping the long handled axe.
He ducked around the wolf,
Sneaking up behind him,
And with one fell swoop, took off its head,
Which did imbed into the ground.
The Fathers had saved their children.
When word spread to the nearby villages,
Of the Two Fathers of Gleich,
And how they had,
Fuelled by the love for their family,
Fought bravely against the dark wolf,
And had taken its head.
The people began to talk,
No longer preaching hateful words,
But instead,
Spoke only of their good deed,
And the love they had,
And from that day forth,
The family of John Mann and John Kerl,
Never hid from fear again.