Long ago and far away, The Wyvern pushed his vast, red, horsey head out of the mouth of the cave. All around, rabbits were sniffing dispiritedly around in the deep, crisp snow.
"Huloo!" called the Wyvern. "You all look upset. Whatever is the matter? Are you looking for grass?"
A rabbit hopped and sniffed its way over to Wyvern. Rabbits are kinder than people, and were all friends with the Wyvern, even the Oldest and Wisest Rabbit, who lives in the depths of the earth.
"Hello," said the rabbit quietly. It was a baby rabbit, which is called a kit. "There's no grass here at all under the deep, crisp snow. We have to wait for Springtime to arrive before the snow melts, but Springtime is late this year."
The Wyvern was most concerned, for he liked the rabbits, and he liked the way snow melted, and the way new flowers struggled up as green shoots from the brown earth. So, he decided to find out why Springtime hadn't arrived yet.
Perhaps, thought the Wyvern, Springtime is staying in the North. So off the Wyvern went to the North of the land, where the mountains rise high and stone-grey and rocky. The Wyvern threw back his great head and called "Huloo! Is Springtime here yet?"
The people of the mountains
gathered together, and said "No! Springtime isn't here yet! It's still
all cold and dark!"
So off the Wyvern went to the East of the land, where the winds whistle coldly
over the fens and swamps. The Wyvern threw back his great head and called
"Huloo! Is Springtime here yet?"
The people of the swamps gathered together, and said "No! Springtime isn't here yet! It's still all cold and dark!"
So off the Wyvern went to the South of the land, where in the summer the sandy beaches are bright and golden and burn the toes. The Wyvern threw back his great head and called "Huloo! Is Springtime here yet?"
The people of the beaches gathered together, and said "No! Springtime isn't here yet! It's still all cold and dark!"
So off the Wyvern went to the West of the land, where the ocean sloshes grey and green. The Wyvern threw back his great head and called "Huloo! Is Springtime here yet?"
The people of the oceans gathered together, and said "No! Springtime isn't here yet! It's still all cold and dark!"
The Wyvern went home, very worried that Springtime hadn't arrived anywhere yet. Back at his cave, the rabbits were still snuffling in the snow. "I suppose Springtime hasn't been here, either."
"No," said the rabbits, "but we know now where she is. You'll have to come with us, and it's an awful long way down."
"All right, then," said the Wyvern.
The Wyvern was ever so big, and the rabbit holes were ever so small, because rabbits aren't very big, after all, but the Wyvern squeezed, and squeezed some more, and eventually found himself going deeper and deeper into the deep and secret warrens, and came face to face with the Oldest and Wisest Rabbit ever.
"Huloo," said the Wyvern. "I'm the Wyvern. I'm looking for Springtime, but I can't find her anywhere. She's not in the North, in the East, South, or the West. Please, can you tell me where Springtime is?"
"I can," the Oldest and Wisest Rabbit said. "In the centre of the land is a city, as dark as black ice. In the centre of the city is a Tower, as pointed as an icicle. It is ruled by the king of Winter, and in the centre of the Tower is a girl, with a dress as white as a snowdrop, and hair as yellow as a daffodil. She is Springtime, and the king of Winter is keeping her prisoner so that he can rule forever."
"That's terrible!" The Wyvern was so angry that he shook the warren from top to bottom. "I shall go to rescue her at once!"
So off the Wyvern went to the city in the centre of the land. He waited until night fell before he went into the city, for there were many people walking around in the day, and they would certainly report seeing a great big Wyvern slithering through the streets.
Finally, though, the Wyvern looked up at the Tower that was as sharp as an icicle, and slowly, slowly, wound himself around the Tower in a big spiral like a helter-skelter.
Finally, the Wyvern peeked through a window, and saw, trapped in a little locked room a short girl with a dress as white as a snowdrop, and hair as yellow as a daffodil. She was crying very quietly.
"Huloo," said the Wyvern, poking his head through the window. "Are you Springtime? I'm here to rescue you."
Springtime was very startled to find a big, red, horsey head poking through her window, but she smiled, and kissed the Wyvern's nose. For a moment, all he could smell were hyacinths. "Thank you! The king of Winter has kept me here, because unless I go and visit all the corners of the land, it will be Winter in the land forever."
Suddenly, they could both hear footsteps thudding along the corridor outside. The Wyvern pulled his head from out of the window, so that Winter couldn't see him.
The king of Winter wore a robe as white as a snowflake, and had eyes as brown as trees when they have no leaves left. "It's working! It's still Winter all through the land! I'm winning! In a little while, people will forget you were ever in the land at all."
"That's not true," said Springtime bravely. "Without me, no flowers bloom, no lambs are born to play in the fields. All the animals that hibernate won't wake up, and all birds won't return from the warm lands they fly off to when our sister Autumn rules. The land will always need me."
"Be quiet!" Winter was very angry. "If you don't be quiet, I shall cut off your head with this big sharp axe." The axe was indeed very big, and very sharp, as sharp as a cold wind that cuts through the warmest coats and scarf.
At this, the Wyvern was so angry, that he pushed his head back through the window, with big angry eyes and big sharp teeth showing.
"If you don't put that axe down," said the Wyvern, "and stop frightening that poor lady, then I shall eat you all up."
Winter was so cruel that he thought everyone else was cruel too, especially big monsters with sharp teeth. So he didn't know that the Wyvern would never eat anyone all up, even though Winter would have tasted like a rather nice ice lolly.
Winter was very scared. "All right, I'll put that axe down. But I won't let Springtime go. Not even if you eat me. This is my Tower, and I'll do as I please."
"If you don't let Springtime go," said the Wyvern, "I shall make this Tower fall down into nothing more than a big heap of stones."
To demonstrate, the Wyvern rippled from head to tail, and because he was wrapped all around the Tower like a helter-skelter, the whole Tower shook most alarmingly.
"All right, all right!" Winter stumbled as the Tower shook. "You can have Springtime back." He turned, and ran away, into the city, to wait until his sister Autumn told him he could come back to the land.
Springtime stood up. "What shall I do now? I can't get to all the land in time. It's an awful long way to walk."
"No problem," said the Wyvern. "Hold on tightly, and I'll take you all over the land."
So Springtime climbed onto the Wyvern's back, and the Wyvern unfolded his big red wings, uncoiled himself from the Tower, and flew away into the night.
Springtime and the Wyvern flew off to the North of the land, where the mountains rise high and stone-grey and rocky.
They flew off to the East of the land, where the winds whistle coldly over the fens and swamps.
They flew off to the South of the land, where in the summer the sandy beaches are bright and golden and burn the toes.
They flew off to the West of the land, where the ocean sloshes grey and green.
Finally, when Springtime had arrived everywhere else in the land, the Wyvern took her off to his cave where he lived, because by now he was very tired.
"Thank you very much!" cried Springtime. "Whatever can I give you in return?"
"Well," said the Wyvern, "I don't like Winter too much, and Summer's too hot, and Autumn's too windy. I think I'd like it if it was always Spring, just around my cave. I think the rabbits would like it, too."
"Anything for you," said Springtime happily.
And so, however hot or cold or windy the weather is, it's always the most perfect Spring day around the cave of the Wyvern, and has been from that day to this.
THE END
