Goffon the Wizard who Beat Death
There was once upon a time a wizard known by Goffon who was traveling, and an unknown man sprang before and said “I am Death, no one resists me, and thou must obey me.” But the wizard refused, and began to speak his thoughts as they came to him. The wizard unleashed a torrent of fifteen thousand words to push Death back. It was a long, violent battle and at last when it seemed that there was nothing left for the wizard to speak of, he got the upper hand, and spoke of all that he could see around him, and finally began speaking of things that were not seen, which he filled into fifty pages of a book, and then finally the wizard pulled a stone out of the air, and struck Death down with it, so that he slid to the floor. And the wizard went on his way.
And Death lay there conquered, so weak that he could not get up again. “What will be done now,” said Death, “shall I stay here? No one will die in the world, and there will be so many people that they won’t have enough room.”
“Listen,” said the wizard into the air, and what he said was, to no-one in particular, “You do not kill me, to get a pair of my magic cards, or shoes that will be made for me, there I can go, and you do not stop me.”
A Miller’s son walked past in wonderment, that the Wizard Goffon so spoke with such energy, but because he talked to the air, he turned himself around, and followed the wizard, to the forest.
The whole forest was full. The lion knew that and considered to do his matter better; when he walked through the forest, he let out a roar, and saw the partridges running, and one after another would hop into his grasp. And when the lion decided to stop lurking and move strait towards those twisting their heads around, the huntsman cried: “Halt!” But the huntsman could no longer kill the Lion. And so the Lion roared louder than before, and louder than the huntsman’s rifle.
And when the Wizard heard the lions roar continue after the shots of the huntsman, he starting humming and spinning louder and louder, and so then he heard the slings of a trap that caught the lion.
Now the Wizard Goffon was walking and rhyming while using his hand to support his head, and the poor miller’s son wanted to make sense of the Great Wizard. Thereon he wondered if Goffon was wealthy or needed money, but as he was thinking this, the Wizard approached the miller and said: “I do have money enough now, but, tomorrow I will become richer still, that I am the Wizard Goffonyx.” And he pulled a gold coin out of the air, and gave it to the Miller’s son, and spoke aloud, “The king also greets you and says many thanks to you.” The miller’s son was glad to have the gold coin, without understating rightly, how or where it came to be, so he offered the Wizard his shoes. So it went on all day, and the Miller’s son followed to the Wizard to the Kings Palace.
When they arrived to the Palace, the King had heard that, Goffon had defeated Death, and that he had been driven spazieren on his journey, but he was a popular wizard by the King, that he was allowed to stay in the palace, if he wanted. Now the Wizard replied, “I wanted to go Wirsthaus and play the card of the King.” And the King thought, and really did not know what he should say to that, but the Wizard continued, “Ach! Merciful King! If I but freeze in the water, I will not die.” And when the king heard what the wizard was beginning to the describe, he called halt, and one of his people received him and carried the wizard into the palace, where a young princess was waiting for him, and she liked him quite well.
But now, outside the palace, over three people were making hay. “Who defeated death?” Said the mob. “The great wizard.” - and the chief of the people continued, “Listen, and the wizard will soon ask who the grass field belongs to: The Wizard Goffon. And if you do not see that, the King will be struck dead just as Death was.” Thereon the King stepped boldly in front the growing crowd, and prepared to address them.
While this was occurring, the Wizard cleared his busy mind with the young Princess.
She asked, without death, where he wants to go?
And he answered, that he wanted to go out of the world; and so she asked, “How does one go out of the world?”
And the Wizard said, that one had to go into a new world, one which lies beyond. And the wizard drew out his book and began to read. He recalled that he had written Death once pushed a greedy-neck into the great water, and because he could not swim, he drowned to the bottom, before he could reach shore. All those who followed after him, also drowned.” And he looked at the Princess to see if she would halt him, and he found her merry, and said: “Will you now go with me?” And she went with him, together with the Miller’s son, into the great water, and as he left the palace the chief of the mob placed a kingly crown upon him, and they all followed him into the deep, and there they are still to be found.
Here is the golden book of tales that will be published and illustrated. Please let me know what you think of this rendition. Do the tales work well together? I’m currently looking into self-publishing and having books shipped sometime next month, before the word waves writers conference.
Please critique this work, so I can make any minor or major changes while in the editing process.
Anything I need to rework? Anything feel unfinished? Any parts drag or need flow?
The Golden Book of Tales
(Cover Image)