A FAIRYTALE
The family had lived for some time beyond the edges of civilisation. Their home was positioned within a clearing of woodland, some miles from the nearest village. They were four—mother, father, daughter, son—and existed together there in quiet contentment. However, it was now the winter season, a period that brought with it specific hardships. Their small field grew resistant to putting up crops, the goats milked slowly, and evening arrived in late afternoon.
One cold night, they were eating their final meal of the day, when the mother expressed astonishment. “God almighty!” she screamed. “Look—the window!” The three others turned in their chairs to understand the source of her fear. Behind the window, clouding the cramped pane with breath from its nostrils, was a monster.
The father roared, pushed back his chair and leapt to his feet. The son and daughter, unfamiliar with the ways of the
