Star And Mother Holle

During this holiday season, many of us find ourselves in lockdown again. I hope very much that you are safe and well, and that this short holiday story brings a smile to your face today! For those of you that enjoyed my previous Yule story, reminding us to be kind, you will be happy to learn that Star and Mother Holle is a sequel to Star and Baba Yaga. Don’t worry newcomers, it works well as a standalone story as well. Bright Blessing to you all!

Transcript

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping you are all safe and well.

I miss story sends some warmth to your heart this holiday season,

As most of us are in lockdown.

If you enjoyed Star and Baba Yaga last year,

This is part two.

It also works as a standalone story if you haven't heard the first.

Wishing you many bright blessings this holiday season,

No matter what you celebrate.

Star and Mother Holly by Olivia Statler Star felt a giddiness in her soul as her boots crunched through the snow towards Baba Yaga's cottage.

The open invitation to share the old witch's hearth every year after losing her mother meant so much to her.

She smiled,

Patting her pocket,

Hoping the ornament she had carved for Yaga would please her and that the old witch would hang it on her yule tree.

As she neared the cottage,

Star noticed that none of the pine trees around Baba's place were decorated in the seed and nut butter balls that had sustained her and the other woodland creatures the previous year.

Without them,

She would have died in the snow before the winter witch decided to befriend her.

Star kicked the snow off of her boots before entering the cottage and was vastly confused.

No candles were lit,

There were no sumptuous smells of food,

And the cottage was almost as icy inside as it had been outside.

She found Baba sitting in the gloom in front of a dying fire puffing on her pipe.

Owl Cat with sad eyes perched beside her on the arm of her overstuffed chair.

Star looked around dismally.

Where are the sun ornaments?

The games,

The candles all aglow,

And the cakes?

Her belly rumbled.

The meat jellies,

The chicken,

Roast potatoes,

Dumplings?

Seeing her,

Owl Cat jumped down excitedly to greet her.

Star,

You came back to spend the Yule Festival with us!

He wove himself between her ankles in a figure eight,

Looking up at her with his huge,

Round owl eyes.

Then he jumped back up on the arm of the old witch's chair,

Bumping his head against her shoulder.

Isn't it great,

Yaga?

Star came back!

Baba mumbled something and puffed hard on her pipe.

Smoke wreathed this gathering above her head like thunderclouds.

Star went to the witch,

Sinking cautiously to her knees in front of her.

Yaga?

Is everything okay?

The Winter Witch smacked the arm of her chair loudly with a gnarled hand,

Startling Owl Cat,

Who leapt back to the floor bristling.

Everything is most certainly not okay.

She pushed herself up from her chair,

Grunting,

And started pacing in front of the fireplace,

Sucking hard on her pipe.

I should have known better than to let that witch in here.

Baba threw her hands in the air.

Stole my wand right out from underneath my nose.

Star looked away,

Covering a smile.

She didn't want to say anything,

But Baba's nose was so big,

She wondered how Yaga saw anything past it.

Who stole your wand?

Mother Holly!

The old witch left her pipe on the mantle and sat back heavily into her chair,

Covering her face with her wrinkled hands.

I can't do anything without my wand.

She started to wail.

I can't decorate the trees,

Inedible ornaments for the woodland creatures.

Her whole body shook.

There will be no Yule Festival.

No spring.

Many will starve.

Star leapt forward,

Fists curling tight.

What do you mean no spring?

Dread nodded the fire spirit's belly.

Eternal darkness and cold?

I cannot bear it.

I cannot do anything without my wand to channel my power.

Then make a new one!

Yaga bent again,

Covering her hands over her face as her shoulder shook some more.

I cannot.

Yidrisil gives but one of his branches to each of the Winter Witches.

Star who was feeling cold inside and out tossed some more wood on the fire,

Lighting the new logs with a fingertip.

Then we must get it back.

Baba looked at her,

Eyes devoid of hope.

She lives in the sky,

High up in the clouds.

Star ground her teeth.

This just gets better and better,

Before smacking her fist down on the mantle,

Making Yaga's pipe jump.

Well,

That tears it.

I can't fly.

I can,

Said Owlcat,

Running to the door.

Come on!

Owlcat called to her from outside.

A giant cat's eye peered at her through the window.

Going to the doorway,

Star found an owl with cat's eyes looming larger than a horse.

Get on!

I'll take you where you need to go.

Star climbed upon his snowy back as Yaga limped to the door.

I am not sure this is a good idea.

What else are we supposed to do?

The old woman shook her head,

Looking at the ground.

Trust me,

Baba.

I know I can do this.

Just tell me what your wand looks like.

After a long pause,

She held her palms out.

It's about this big,

Measuring about a foot with her hands,

And is brown and twisting.

Star felt a weight settle on her.

Great.

So it looks like every broken branch in the forest.

Baba nodded sadly.

I'll try my very best.

Yaga nodded,

Her face devoid of hope.

Hold on tight,

Said Owlcat as he leapt into the starry sky,

Wings beating powerfully,

Sending a snow shower over Baba's head from the roof.

She cursed them while shaking her fist.

Maybe we don't have to get the wand back?

Star laughed,

Patting his neck.

She's definitely getting us back for that wander-no-wand.

As they flew through the night,

Star could see that they were passing over little snow-covered cottages with warm,

Glowing windows.

It saddened her to not hear or see any signs of merriment,

No music,

No toasting,

Smells of feasts cooking,

Or the sounds of feet dancing.

Her brow wrinkled,

Wondering,

Did Yaga magic everyone's yule cheer?

Then asked Owlcat,

Why did Mother Holly steal Baba's wand?

Owlcat let out a sigh.

She was quite put out when Yaga made it spring early last year.

You see,

The clouds she lives on aren't clouds at all,

But the spirits of the damned.

She's only allowed to torture them for but one winter before they go to their next life.

Star shrugged.

So some souls got off a little early.

What's the problem?

Well,

Mother Holly says that it's Yaga's fault that people are so bad.

She spoils them with feasts and festivals in early springs.

But it should be she who decides how long we get tortured,

Not on Yaga's permissive whims.

Owlcat flew higher,

Up through a misty weather cloud,

And Star could feel dampness on her cheeks.

Look,

We're almost there!

The silhouette of a humongous castle came into view.

Looking carefully at the clouds,

Star could see the clouds were indeed different.

There were roiling faces in them,

Pained looks painted on their visages as white ladies with sickles chased them through the mark.

Owlcat flew higher,

And the castle came more sharply into view.

It was a tall,

Grim thing with hundreds of balconies.

Why are there so many balconies?

Those are each of her bedrooms.

Mother Holly likes to sleep in a different bed every day of the year.

Star thought of Baba's humble cottage.

It was incredulous.

A different bed every day.

And she thinks Yaga spoils people too much by giving them something to look forward to once a year.

Shhh,

I'm going to land on that balcony and we can look for the wand.

He landed deftly and Star slid off his back.

Owlcat returned to his cat form with huge owl eyes,

And Star pushed open the front doors to the chamber with him,

Owlcat following.

With him,

They found a huge four-poster bed with sparkling white bedding with a delicate crystalline pattern embossed on the cover.

The bedding was plumped beyond all measure.

Star touched the comforter and it deflated slightly.

Owlcat jumped high in the air,

Bouncing on the pillows and then to the center of the bed,

Tail swishing.

Snow flew into the air and all the bedding collapsed,

No longer looking quite as comfortable.

Looking around the room,

Star didn't see the wand anywhere.

It wasn't on the bedside table.

It wasn't in any of the drawers.

So they moved on to the next room.

And then the next.

And then the next.

Every room looking exactly alike except for the pattern variation on the bedding,

Which seemed to be different patterns of snowflakes.

But still they found no wand.

The next room they entered had someone lying in bed.

Owlcat's ears flattened.

It was Mother Holly,

Lying in bed,

Winter cloud grey hair fanned out around her.

Sparkling white scarf pulled over her eyes.

Star's eyes darted to the bedside table where two wands lay.

Star crept forward.

Which one's which?

She thought.

Then Mother Holly pushed up her mask and Star hurried back towards the door as Owlcat dashed under the bed.

Are you trying to get fired your very first day?

Never ever wake me.

I shake my bedding from the balcony after I get up and plump all of my bedding in every room every day.

Especially the next one I'm about to sleep in.

Do that daily.

At least three times a day.

She got up haughtily as Star backed out of the room.

Where are you going?

You've woken me now so you might as well stay and fix the room.

Mother Holly said grabbing two wands and stalking past her.

Make another mistake and you'll become part of the souls of the damned like the last girl.

Owlcat blinked up at Star from just underneath the bed.

Maybe we should go?

Star scowled,

Fist curling.

I'm not scared of her.

I'm already one of the damned.

Owlcat cowered looking at the ground.

I'm kinda scared of her.

All we need to do is wait till she sleeps again and get the wand.

In the meantime I guess we fluff some bedding.

That's not so bad,

Right?

She ruffled Owlcat's fur before grabbing the comforter off the bed,

Taking it out to the balcony and shaking it over the side.

Delighted when she did.

The harder she shook,

The harder it snowed big fluffy flakes.

They spiraled and danced,

Glowing with a light of their own.

Hints of apricot and blue in their whiteness.

Star moved from room to room,

Fluffing the bedding,

Never retiring of the delightful snow or watching Owlcat trying to catch the flakes with his paws or mouth.

It grew dark again and ribbons of rainbow colored lights danced in the night skies with the stars.

As they moved on to their next room,

They finally saw Mother Holly gliding towards a bedroom holding a candle to light her way and clutching the wands in the other hand,

Silk nightgown swishing around her.

They followed her to the room and waited outside the door for a good hour before quietly creeping in.

The candle still burned on the bedside table beside the sleeping Holly,

Casting shadows around the room.

Star crept on her belly towards the bedside table and reached for the wands,

Pulling them down.

Which one?

Owlcat tucked on her boot with his teeth,

Signaling her to hurry up,

So Star took them both.

They ran for the balcony,

A shriek following them.

Stop!

Thieves!

Owlcat transformed into a huge owl with Cat's eyes and Star jumped on his back.

Mother Holly chased them outside,

Shaking her fists in the air as they flew away.

She yelled down to her white ladies to give chase.

They rushed after the two,

Holding their sharp sickles high.

Owlcat streaked to the earth as quick as he could,

Landing in a thicket near a village.

They peered through the dense branches,

Watching as the white ladies looked for them.

Finally,

At sunrise,

They left the village.

Owlcat changed back to a cat,

But he remained large.

Hop on!

They'll be searching the skies!

As he padded through the snow,

They passed through many wee villages and Star could hear children crying.

I'm hungry!

I thought I was good this year!

Did Baba Yaga forget us?

Finally after running almost all day,

They reached Baba's cottage.

The fire Star had built had long since gone out and Baba was shivering in her chair.

Star held the two wands out before Baba and she blinked,

Looking from the wands to Star.

Then her shoulders began to shake,

But instead of sobs,

Laughter burst from her lips.

Grabbing the two wands,

She ran out of the house,

Pointing both wands into the air.

The trees lit up,

Covered in seed and nut ornaments.

Snow sculptures and forts appeared.

Suddenly the aromas of wondrous food was thick in the air.

The air was full of shouts of surprise and laughter all around them from nearby villages as the very first stars twinkled in the sky.

Yaga patted Star's shoulder and bent and rubbed Owl Cat's head.

You did good.

Come,

Let's feast!

They went back into the cottage,

Now all aglow with candles,

A roaring fire making the small cottage nice and toasty.

Gorgeous foods adorn the table and another overstuffed chair for Star winked into the room,

Along with a stack of games.

Shall we play for spring again?

Asked Yaga as she settled into her chair.

Star laughed while stuffing a teacake into her mouth before settling into her own chair.

I feel like you owe me an early spring at this point.

The old woman grabbed backgammon and started setting it up.

Where's the fun in that?

Double or nothing,

Winked Star.

Yaga just cackled.

The end.

Reviews

Thank you for this story, as a child I heard about Vrouw Holle, never knew this side of her and Baba Yaga! Is this story in a book and are there maybe more stories. Nice for my grandchildren 💜Blessed Be