On the Tuesday a giant seagull appeared out of the mist, borne by three of her kin who were smaller and looked less haughty than she. She was wrapped in a blanket so that her wings were hidden from sight.
She spoke to the people walking the cliffs and said:
"Kah-ka-kah-kah. Frat-frah-fra. Frat. Kah."
But the people assembled there (and quite a crowd was gathering now) did not understand her. Later she was borne back into the mist, carried south by her kin. Since a spell of quite nice weather began from that moment, the people declared that the Seagull Mother had blessed them and blessed the land of Jernezee.
A celebration was held that night. This too was part of the miracle, people said, since ordinarily such expressions of were reserved for planned events. No permits were secured. For instance, permission to congregate in the high street was unsought and of course never granted. And yet the authorities joined in with the merry-making. A police officer danced outside Creaseys. Songs were devised and sung in honour of the Seagull Mother. The party went on late into the night and plans were made for further celebrations, including a yearly Seagull Mother Day.
One week later, once the sunshine and lack of wind had become the norm for everyone and people had begun to resume the duties that had occupied them before the apparition, she appeared once again. This time she could be seen from a distance, which gave people time to assemble properly on the cliffs to meet her.
The crowd was a hundred strong at least. More were on their way. Banners (albeit in English rather than the seagull's own language) were hauled up on sticks. A band of bearded types brought drums that they proceeded to play on, apparently desperate to express their love for the enormous bird.
And then she arrived once again. Again wrapped in a blanket and being carried by her kin. She spoke to the people assembled there and said:
"Trat-trah. Tra-tra-tra-trah. Ka-ka-ka-ka-kah. Trat.".
No one understood. A solemn silence was observed. The Seagull Mother was borne away once again. The spell of really rather nice weather came to an end almost immediately, leaving people wondering how they had upset their deity.
She spoke to the people walking the cliffs and said:
"Kah-ka-kah-kah. Frat-frah-fra. Frat. Kah."
But the people assembled there (and quite a crowd was gathering now) did not understand her. Later she was borne back into the mist, carried south by her kin. Since a spell of quite nice weather began from that moment, the people declared that the Seagull Mother had blessed them and blessed the land of Jernezee.
A celebration was held that night. This too was part of the miracle, people said, since ordinarily such expressions of were reserved for planned events. No permits were secured. For instance, permission to congregate in the high street was unsought and of course never granted. And yet the authorities joined in with the merry-making. A police officer danced outside Creaseys. Songs were devised and sung in honour of the Seagull Mother. The party went on late into the night and plans were made for further celebrations, including a yearly Seagull Mother Day.
One week later, once the sunshine and lack of wind had become the norm for everyone and people had begun to resume the duties that had occupied them before the apparition, she appeared once again. This time she could be seen from a distance, which gave people time to assemble properly on the cliffs to meet her.
The crowd was a hundred strong at least. More were on their way. Banners (albeit in English rather than the seagull's own language) were hauled up on sticks. A band of bearded types brought drums that they proceeded to play on, apparently desperate to express their love for the enormous bird.
And then she arrived once again. Again wrapped in a blanket and being carried by her kin. She spoke to the people assembled there and said:
"Trat-trah. Tra-tra-tra-trah. Ka-ka-ka-ka-kah. Trat.".
No one understood. A solemn silence was observed. The Seagull Mother was borne away once again. The spell of really rather nice weather came to an end almost immediately, leaving people wondering how they had upset their deity.
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