In Caesarea, two thousand years ago, lived a girl named Bluebell.
She had a real name, but everyone called her Bluebell, for her eyes
were like bluebell blossoms. She was a fisherman--or fishergirl, as
she called herself. Every day she would walk down to the beach with
rods and nets, bluebell eyes twinkling in the sun, sand and flowers
caressing her ankles. She would fill baskets with fish, eat some, and
sell the rest in town.
Until one day the giant arrived.
“Hand me your fish!” he said, emerging from his cave. “I’m hungry and
desire a good meal.”
Bluebell tried to flee, but the giant moved too fast. He shoved her
aside, grabbed her fish, and returned to his cave where he ate them.
When Bluebell returned home without fish, her brothers were furious.
“Where are our fish?”
“Why have you not brought us dinner?”
“You are a lazy girl, you had a nap instead of fishing!”
Bluebell told them about the giant, but they would not believe her.
They only laughed and taunted her.
The next day, Bluebell walked down to the water, eyes twinkling in the
sun, sand and flowers caressing her ankles. She filled baskets with
fish, but with evening the giant emerged from his cave again. “Hand me
your fish! I’m hungry and desire a good meal.”
Again he stole the fish, and again Bluebell’s brothers chastised her,
would not believe about the giant.
Every day it was the same. Every dawn Bluebell headed to the water.
Every evening the giant stole her fish. Bluebell begged her brothers
to come see the giant, to bring their swords and face him. Yet her
brothers refused, thinking her a lazy, lying girl. Every day their
scorn was fiercer.
Finally one day Bluebell gave up. Instead of going to the sea, she
walked through the city, staring sadly at the houses, walls, and
plants.
Strange plants grow in Caesarea, giant stalks sprouting alien pods.
They grew around Bluebell, and they grow today, wild and weird and
tall. Bluebell sat under one plant and sighed. Was all lost for her?
She noticed that birds and mice were sleeping on the ground. She
frowned. Why would they sleep during the day? She then noticed a bird
land on the plant, nibble it, and fall asleep.
Bluebell jumped to her feet.
She knew what to do.
The next day, she went down to the sea, bluebell eyes twinkling in the
sun, sand and flowers caressing her ankles. She filled a basket with
fish, then stuffed the fish with the plants’ leaves.
Sure enough, the giant came at evening, hungry and howling. “Where
were you yesterday?! I am famished!”
“I’m sorry, sir giant,” said Bluebell. “Here, today I’ve brought you
fish again.” She handed him the basket.
The giant licked his lips. “Mmm... these smell good.” Having missed
yesterday’s meal, he ate the fish right there and then, licking his
lips. “These are delicious, so fat and juicy. And you spiced them with
some spicy leaves! Me likes...”
The giant ate every morsel, picking the bones clean, all the while
mumbling with pleasure. Finally, when the last piece had been
devoured, the giant stretched and yawned.
“That was a lovely meal. Me thinks to take a nap. Yes, indeed, just a
short n--”
The giant could not complete his sentence. He fell backwards into
sleep, half submerged in the water.
He slept through the night. He slept through the next day. In fact, he
just kept sleeping, and nothing could wake him.
There were plenty of fish from thereon, and Bluebell grew wealthy and
loved in her city. And as for the giant, well... years went by, and he
turned to stone.
Walking down to the beach, travelers still find him today, and
remember the story of Bluebell and the giant.