Wedding Bells

There was commotion in the woods. Many had an opinion on the matter, some were indifferent, others were more or less for or against, while others again went directly on the rampage. Previous Sunday the cross spider, after the service, declared an upcoming wedding between the church owl and the barn owl, and it was something that made bells ring, so it echoed. But now it was announced in the church, which meant that the plans were confirmed. The wedding was to take place the very first Sunday of May of the present year.

“It is an insult,” said many of the prospective bride couple family members. “Kill them,” shouted some with frothing at the corners of their mouth.

“It will not work in the long run,” was a common comment, or “they can fortunately be divorced again if need be.”

Some were only concerned about the offspring’s future. “If there are eggs, then what about the outcome. But if the odd owls can just hold together until the young are fledged, there might be no sacred cows on the ice.”

A ladybird, a wood louse, a skater and a dragonfly held a meeting on the matter. They were all members of the parish council of the forest and would try if they could come up with a joint statement that would settle the dispute, otherwise there could become an Armageddon. And that was not going hand in hand with the forest deep, quiet calm.

The dragonfly and the skater were outnumbered, so they had to use stronger arguments than the other four. Finally they agreed of the content of the statement, but already after the first four sessions, it appeared that they could not agree on the wording. Then they went in search of dried birch bark that were used to shorthand, for that was the way official statements was announced now a days. Stenographic messages on the inside of dry birch bark. Then they were also free from the problem to decide which font they would use. There was, in the past, when shorthand writing not was common, always bickering about whether the Times New Roman or Helvetica was best suited.

Translated by Google the stenographic statement was roughly as follows:

“The church owl and the barn owl have proven to be the leading birds in this forest. We take our hats of, for love is the greatest of everything. Has anybody so much resistance to this sacred fact that they will disrupt it we will immediately take them in their wings and feet and deport them to one of the surrounding plantations. What the most belligerent are concerned, they will be deported to the outermost dune plantations.”

“When the end is good, everything is good,” said the lizard.

“Yes, but this is not the end, so let’s just get started first, said the tiny forest mouse. I look forward to finding the right gift. They already have love then maybe a bottle of water from holy spring could be granted by the elf king. For his glasses fogged up, only he hears the words: Infatuation, wedding and love.”