Things to Do before Reading the Story

Narration will be forthcoming soon.

One day while Anne's mother Agnes was visiting her sister in Breslau, Anne and her father decided to walk to the village for fresh supplies of flour, cheese, and chamomile tea. They also wanted to buy some straw and strong twine so they could make a new broom. Early in the morning, father and daughter shook out their featherbeds and dressed for their walk. As they strolled hand in hand down the well-worn path, Anne sang happily and gazed at the beauty around them. Suddenly she slowed her steps and flashed a mischievous smile at her father. With a sigh which meant that he had understood his daughter's silent request, Anne's father began the often retold story of the forest.

"It's been 20 years since anyone has dared go into the forest," Johann said. "Before then, I loved to listen to the stories the hunters told when they returned to the village. The hunt sounded exciting, but I wasn't allowed to go into the forest. My father had died and my mother was afraid a wolf might attack me. 'Later, Johann,' my mother used to say, 'when you are much older.'"

Anne skipped on ahead of her father, then stopped and turned back to make sure he would continue the story, "Yes, Papa?"

Johann's face grew stern. "One day when my mother and I were in the village, I heard the old priest speak to a group of townsfolk,. 'Klaus Opfer hasn't come back from the hunt and it has been three days now,' he said.

'Probably got lost,' one man suggested.

Another man said, 'Klause is so stubborn he's probably tracking down some deer and won't give up the chase.'

'We should form a search party,' said the priest, 'whatever the reason.'"

Anne waited for her father to catch up to her, and then she took his hand. Johann cleared his throat, looked away, and continued as they walked. "That afternoon, my mother and I walked back with the search party as far as our cottage. Mama went inside but I followed the others to the edge of the woods. Big Rudolf led the way with his brother Fritz. Behind them followed the village blacksmith, the brewer, the tanner, and two hunters.

At the entrance to the forest, Big Rudolf turned around and caught me trying to hide behind the blacksmith. 'Far enough for you, Johann,' Rudolf said.

'Please let me come along,' I begged, 'I can take care of myself.'

'And your mother will take care to give us a good kick in the pants,' said Fritz. He laughed and the other six laughed too. My face turned red and I turned back. I heard them singing as they went into the woods.

As I approached our cottage, I heard Rudolf yell, 'Look out, Fritz!' I ran to the edge of the forest. A deep roar rose above the screams of the men. I stood on the path, frozen with fear. The screams grew louder and then faded.

Just then Sepp, the farmer who lived nearby ran up behind me with a pitchfork in his hand.

'What was that?' he asked. I could only point toward the forest."

Johann paused to wipe his eyes. Anne arched her eyebrows and said, "Did the farmer ever find anything?"

"Sepp went into the forest and soon came out without his pitchfork. He held something in his hand, close to his chest. I couldn't keep up as he ran back to the village. Later, I heard he had fainted as he arrived at the market square. In Sepp's hand was Big Rudolf's left boot with Rudolf's bloody foot still in it."

Anne looked up into her father's eyes and said, "But you didn't see it yourself, did you, Papa?" Johann just shook his head.

When Anne and her father reached the village, They noticed a crowd had gathered at the central square. Because her curiosity always got the best of her, Anne insisted they investigate. As she led her father through the tangle of fearful citizens, he also became curious and began to ask people what all the excitement was about. An old woman wearing a flowered head scarf said, "This man," and she pointed to a pale-faced young man who sat trembling in the center of the crowd, his eyes large as white saucers, "this visitor from Rabka says he saw phantoms at the edge of the forest."

"They were ghosts, I tell you," he babbled. "Two of them looked like women. Floating in a big pine near an abandoned path. Chanting something about don't go into the forest, danger there. Scared me to death. I ran so fast I almost ran out of my shoes."

His hands shook as he spoke; wine sputtered out of his cup. As she watched him, Anne knew this was the chance she had waited for, the chance to unlock the forest's mystery.

Quickly Anne dropped her father's hand and hurried back on the path toward the cottage. When she reached the towering pine tree, she turned onto the abandoned path. Because she was unsure of what she would find, Anne walked cautiously and concentrated on the old faded markers on the trees. Blackberry bushes grew everywhere and she halted for a feast of ripe berries. The forest path was dim, but the atmosphere seemed quiet and peaceful.

Exhausted by her journey, Anne had just sat down on a fallen log when the leaves on a nearby bush began to shake. She jumped back, and a bristly brown figure darted out. Only a hedgehog! As she started to breathe again, she laughed at herself for being frightened. It must not be time to rest, she thought and continued deeper into the woods, still excited but less confident.

What was the real reason no one journeyed into the woods? Was there a wondrous secret hidden there, or did the ones who never returned simply get lost? Her thoughts were interrupted as she came upon a clearing with a shining lake. Tall pines on the distant shore reflected on its silver surface.

A few steps later, she heard it--a low growl and then a wheeze. She froze in her tracks, her heart pounding. In the next moment, she saw the beast who had terrified the villagers for the last 20 years. He was as large as a bear and had the face of a wolf. His massive body was covered with ragged black fur. Slowly the beast's bulging bloodshot eyes met her own frightened stare. Drawing back his lips to reveal long yellow fangs, the creature spoke.

"Pity you are so small, little one."

"How do you know I'm alone?" Anne shot back. Her rebellious tone surprised even herself.

The monster threw back his head and opened his mighty jaws showing the depth of his ruby throat.

"I am Grindelstark, and I shall devour you as I have the others. Many seasons have passed since I last feasted on the bones of a two- legged creature. My appetite is big. If you are not alone, I will be pleased."

Anne's mind worked furiously. The path was long and Grindelstark was surely swift.

"Some monster you are. You stay in the woods when there is a whole village . . . ." Anne sucked in her breath trying to recapture her last words.

"Alas, my eyes only serve me well in dim light. I am almost blind in strong sunshine or night's blackness, so I cannot leave the forest."

Anne looked up and saw storm clouds had filled the sky. She reached into the pocket of her dress and nervously fingered a forgotten piece of chalk. Suddenly, she spied a deer lying on a small rocky island in the lake.

"Look, Grindelstark, you missed an easy meal right there on that island. Why don't you go for it now? It's only a couple of swim strokes away."

"Unfortunately, I cannot swim, my little morsel."

As he spoke, Grindelstark moved between Anne and the safety of the water. Anne brought her perspiring hands together.

"What have you there, tasty one?" demanded the beast as he caught a glimpse of the chalk in her right hand.

Anne looked down. "Oh, nothing." she said. "Nothing but the bone of a chalkenwritingstick. It's a one-legged animal with the most delicious bones in the world."

Grindelstark drooled. "Ah, then I shall save this delicacy for after I have made a meal of you."

With that, the monster reared up, ready to spring, his bloodshot eyes focused on Anne's right hand. Anne whipped back her arm and flung the chalk missile high over Grindelstark's head.

With lightning speed, the monster spun around and leapt high into the air. The chalk barely rippled the surface as it hit the water. Grindelstark bellowed and writhed in midair as he realized he was to follow the little bone to a watery grave. A spray of water covered Anne as the beast splashed into the lake. Grindelstark thrashed wildly and churned the water's surface into foam. Soon only the monster's head remained above the surface. He rolled a bloodshot eye toward Anne and said, "I had you, all mine," then opened his cavernous mouth wide against the sky and sank to his death.

"The forest is safe now," Anne told herself as she watched the last bubbles break on the lake's surface. She held her arms across her chest and hugged herself. Somehow she didn't feel ready to celebrate. Papa must be worried to death, she thought.

Anne turned and raced across the clearing back into the forest. Clouds covered the sun, and she barely saw the markers on the trees. Halfway through the forest, she heard heavy footsteps on the path, and they seemed to be coming closer. She crouched down as a tall figure broke through the trees.

"Papa!"

"Anne, you're safe! Hurry, let's get out of the forest while we still can."

Anne jumped up into her father's arms and said, "We don't need to hurry any more." Johann pulled his head back and looked into her eyes.

"It's true, Papa," she said in a confident voice. "The monster is dead."

"But how?" said Johann.

"At first, I didn't believe the old story," Anne said, "But then I saw it, down by the lake, a huge monster named Grindelstark." As Anne told her story, the pines began to hum in a strong wind. Ann stopped, and father and daughter stood silently and listened to the sound in the trees. Anne, Johann, and the forest let out a long sigh of relief.

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