The Coming of the Unicorn (7 page)

Wherever she went the black bull-calf went with her. And the calf got bigger and bigger as the days went on.

Now, many months had passed by. A year had passed by, two years had passed. And Mary Rushiecoats still had her coat and Mary Rushiecoats still had her black bull-calf. Mary and her calf enjoyed life together like nobody in the world did. And Granny still sent her to the village and the bull went with her. Now, the bull-calf was getting so big that sometimes when Mary got tired, she used to jump on the bull’s back and the bull would walk with her on his back. No bridle, no saddle, nothing. This was Mary’s pet from the world. And the people in the village always said when she came, “Here comes Mary Rushiecoats and her black bull.” Everyone knew Mary Rushiecoats.

But life with old Granny became very hard, because she had no money and her hens didn’t lay. Her ducks didn’t lay and the geese didn’t lay. Things began to get worse and worse for old Granny. And she wanted to take care of Mary… It came market day once more. One night Granny called her, “Mary, I want to talk to ye.”

“What is it, Granny? What’s the trouble?” Now, by this time Mary had grown into a beautiful young woman and the bull had grown into a beautiful young bull.

She says, “Mary, tomorrow’s market day and I have very little to sell. My geese have not grown. I have no hens to sell. I’ve nothing. And, Mary, I’m very sad to say this to you, but we need money very badly.”

“Well, Grandmother,” she says, “what can I do?”

“Mary, I’m sorry, to ask you. But I was wondering if we could sell the bull in the market and get some money for me and you?”

“Oh, no, Granny, Granny, Granny!” she says. “No way in the world. Suppose we starve to death, Granny, I cannae sell my bull.”

She said, “Mary, look, he’s getting too big now and I canna see that we need him any more. You’ve had him for—”

“I’ve had him now, Granny, for two years and he’s my pet and my love. I love him and we have great times together – Granny, I could never part with him in my life!”

“But, Mary, I’m your grandmother and I’m getting old. I cannae supply food and clothes for ye any more. I had to make you a coat from rushes and we need the money. Wouldn’t it be nice if we sold the bull and we got some money, because someone will take—”

Mary says, “Someone will take him! They’ll kill him and use him for food. They’ll kill him. No way I’m going to sell my bull!”

And Grandmother said, “Look, Mary, tomorrow we must sell the bull, there’s no other way!”

Mary was very upset at this. She just walked upstairs and went to bed, never even said goodnight to her grandmother. Went to bed, but she couldn’t sleep. No way in this world, no way could she sleep. Her grandmother went to bed. And she waited and she waited till she thought her grandmother was asleep. Then, lo and behold, the moon came out, the moon was shining clearly. Mary quietly slipped down the stairs, as quietly as a mouse, and walked out to the shed where she kept the bull. She put her arms round the bull’s neck and it rubbed its head against her.

She said, “Little friend, Granny wants to sell you for money. But I’ll never sell you, no way, little bull. I’ll never sell you.” And the bull rubbed his head against her. She says, “Me and you, we’re going to run away – where they will never find us – we’ll go into the forest. I’ll take care of you and you can take care of me. We’ll run away into the forest!”

So, the moon was shining and Grandmother was asleep. Mary quietly opened the shed and then she walked away. The bull went with her. Off they went into the forest and they travelled and they travelled, and they travelled for many, many hours.

When old Grandmother wakened up in the morning she called for Mary. Mary was gone. She walked down and she
called round the place, round the shed. But Mary was gone. And she walked into the little goose shed where Mary kept the bull. The bull was gone. Grandmother was upset and she wondered what happened, but Mary and the bull were gone. But the old grandmother worried. She went back in, she made herself a cup of tea and she was upset. She searched. She called and shouted and she tried her best to find them. She looked round all the fields and all the moors, thought they were out for a walk or something. But no way; Mary and the bull were gone. So, now we’ll leave old Grandmother for a little while and we’ll travel with Mary and the bull.

But as usual, when people travel, Mary got tired and Mary got hungry. She was so hungry and so tired. She came to a large tree at the end of the forest. She put her back to the tree and she sat down so exhausted she couldn’t go another step. So hungry, so tired, so exhausted after travelling so many, many miles she couldn’t go another step!

When the bull came up, it put its head right beside Mary and it spoke to her. It said, “Mary.”

Mary just… she said, “You can speak to me?”

And the bull said, “Yes, Mary, I can speak to you. I didn’t want to speak to you before but I want to speak to you now. You have run away with me. You have saved my life. Your grandmother got me. You took care of me and now it’s up to me to take care of you! What would, what is it that you would like?”

“Oh,” Mary says, “little bull, if you really can talk to me and do any wonderful thing… I’m hungry and I’m tired. I’m hungry – I need something to eat!”

“Look in my ear!” says the bull. And Mary looked in the ear and there in the bull’s ear was a wee bit o’ cloth.

“Pull it out!” said the bull. And Mary pulled the wee bit o’cloth out.

“Put it on the ground!” says the bull. And Mary put it on the ground. Lo and behold, when the cloth was spread on the ground, there was the most beautiful things in the world to eat that Mary could ask for. There were sweetmeats, there was food, there was everything that Mary could ask for – fruit, vegetables, meat, everything. And the bull just stood there with his head nodding.

And Mary said, “Is this for me?”

And the bull said, “Eat to your heart’s content, Mary.” It shook its head there, it never said another word.

So, Mary sat and she ate and she ate. She ate fruit and vegetables, she ate meat till she was so full she couldn’t go another bite. She wondered to herself, why is this happening to me? Is this my bull?

And the bull said, “Are you finished, Mary?”

And she says, “Yes, I’ve had a lovely session. I’ve had everything I need to eat.”

“Well,” he said, “throw the crumbs on the ground and put the cloth back in my ear!” And Mary threw the crumbs on the ground. She finished and put the cloth back in the ear.

“Now,” says the bull, “put your arm round my neck and we’ll go on wir way!”

So, Mary put her arm round the bull’s neck and they walked on and they walked on, for hours and hours, till at last they came to the end of the forest. There was no more forest. There was an open plain and grass growing as high as the bull’s feet. Mary and the bull made their way through it. When lo and behold, they came to a cliff-face, a great cliff, and there was no passage. They couldn’t get by no way in the world.

And Mary said, “We can’t walk through the rocks. We’ve got to go this way.”

And the bull says, “No, Mary, we’ll go
this
way. Follow me!” And Mary followed the bull. He said, “If you’re feart, hold on to
my tail.” And they came to a narrow passage in the rocks. Mary gripped the bull’s tail. And the bull went on and on and Mary’s holding on to his tail when they pass through a narrow passage. Lo and behold when they came to the end of the passage there was a great valley. And the bull stopped.

Mary said to the bull, “Why are you stopping?”

And the bull turned round. He says to Mary, “Look, Mary Rushiecoats, you must remember; Mary, listen to what I tell you and do what I say. Have no fear! But if anything ever happens, don’t have fear, just listen to me and do what I tell you!”

Mary walked up. She put her hand round the bull’s neck and they walked forward. But they hadn’t walked more than two yards when, lo and behold, right before them was the greatest, biggest, ugliest looking ogre they ever saw in their life. He’s standing there right before them!

And he said, “Where are you going? Why have you come here? Why have you entered my valley? No one is allowed into my place!”

Mary was terrified and the bull whispered quietly to her, “Fear not, Mary, have no fear!”

And the ugly ogre-hunchback said, “O-oh, such a beautiful calf! It’ll just make such a wonderful supper for me.”

And he came over and said, “Come with me, both of you. Because I’ve been at hunting today and I have not found any deer or anything. But now I found a wonderful calf that’ll give me such a wonderful supper. Come with me!”

And he caught the young bull by the ear and he pulled it. Mary hung on to the bull’s neck. He pulled it by the ear and led it in through the valley up to a great castle built among heavy rocks. He pulled the bull by the ear.

And the bull went naturally. It never did anything, just went – pulled by the ear by this great ogre who was big and ugly. He half pulled the bull, half forced it, and poor Mary is hanging
on. She’s wondering what’s going to happen. But she doesn’t know, and she believed what the bull had told her, have no fear! Then, up they came to this large castle in the cliff, wonderful castle built on the rocks. And the ugly, big hunchback pulled them into a large room. On the floor were a great big fire and a great pot boiling. The ugly ogre pulled and he shoved them in this room.

He turned round to Mary. “Now,” he said, “you, woman, you must make me something to eat. Because I’ve been hunting today and I’m starved from hunger. I need something to eat! I’ve got myself one fat calf that needs to be roasted and boiled and made me for something to eat! But I’m tired and I’m hungry. And woman,” he said, “if you don’t make me something to eat, you shall die!”

Poor Mary! She was upset. She was trembling in her shoes. But she knew that the bull had told her to be calm. The bull-calf never said a word. And poor Mary Rushiecoats stood there.

Then the great ogre said, “There is my bed and there is my fire! There is my pot and there is a knife on the table. And I am tired and weary. I am going to sleep. You’ll kill that calf and put it in the pot and make me something to eat.”

The great ogre stretched out in his bed. He was the ugliest ogre you ever saw – hump on his back and plooks on his face and long fingernails and curled toes. But he owned all this great castle. And he’s lying in bed because he was tired. And Mary and the poor bull-calf are standing there in the great hall with a great fire burning, the great pots by the fireside.

When lo and behold the bull spoke to Mary, “Mary, don’t be afraid, little one. He’ll be asleep for five minutes and ten minutes and fifteen minutes. But now and again his voice will speak to you. But listen: when his voice speaks to you, it won’t be talking to you; it will be talking to
me
– but we’ll be gone! Take the knife on the table and cut my ear!”

“Oh,” Mary says, “no way can I cut your ear.”

“Please,” said the calf, “cut my ear. Cut my ear, go on, Mary! Cut behind my ear!”

“Why,” says Mary, “should I cut your ear?”

He says, “Cut my ear and get three drops of blood from my ear!”

So, Mary took the knife, shaking and trembling and worried, and wondering what she’d do with her wee calf.

He says, “Cut my ear, Mary, don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt me in any way. And take three drops of blood from my ear. Put them beside the fire, and then me and you shall escape.”

So, Mary took the knife and she cut the calf’s ear, behind his ear. And she took three drops of blood. She put them – one drop there, one drop there – on her chair by the fireside.

The calf said, “Mary, search round the kitchen and see if you can find some salt, a wee bit o’ salt.”

And Mary ran around the kitchen. And lo and behold, there was a bag o’ salt. She took a handful o’ salt and the calf said, “Get two handfuls o’ salt and find a wee bag. Put it in the bag!” So, she took two handfuls o’ salt, put it in the bag and he says, “Mary hang on to that and don’t let it go – for the peril of your life – don’t let it go!” said the calf.

Mary did what the bull-calf told her, because whatever the calf had told her seemed to work out all the way and she believed in it.

“Now,” said the calf, “climb on my back!” And Mary climbed on the calf’s back. “Put your arms round my neck, Mary, and we shall be gone!”

So, Mary put her arms around its neck. And the calf went out through the door and was gone. It went perump, pitterohn, pitterohn, pitterohn, running and running, running as fast as he could go.

“Hold on, hold on, Mary,” he said. “And it doesn’t matter whatever happens, don’t let go of my neck!”

So, wee Mary Rushiecoats didn’t know what to do. She’s holding on to the bull-calf’s neck and the calf’s running on and running on to try to get away from the ugly monster.

But back in the castle the wicked ogre has wakened up, and he called for food. “Is it ready, yet, woman, or I’ll eat you alive? I’ll eat you the way you are!”

And the first drop of blood from the calf’s ear said, “Not yet!”

The ogre stretched back. He fell back. Then he lay again, lay for a few minutes. And Mary and the calf’s running on and running on. And the ogre said, “Is it not ready yet? I’m getting hungry – I’m dying for something to eat – have ye roasted that calf for me yet, woman?”

And the second spot o’ blood said, “Not yet, it’s not ready yet, but will soon be.”

And the ogre lay back once more. And then, Mary and this bull-calf ran on and ran on and ran on once more.

When lo and behold the ogre wakened up once again and he said, “Woman, it must be ready now!”

And the third spot o’ blood said, “Yes, it’s ready. Come and get it!”

And the ogre got up. He rubbed his eyes and he walked to the pot – it’s empty. And he saw – “They have deceived me,” he said, “they have deceived me! There’s nothing in the pot,” and he put his hands in the pot – nothing! “Where is my calf and where is that woman?”

And with his vision he looked out and he saw them in the distance: the black calf and Mary Rushiecoats on its back – they’re running on and running on. “Oh,” he says, “they may run, but I’ll get them before the night is out!” And the ogre set off as fast as he could. He’s running as fast as he could.