The Legend of the Gentle Green Giant and Fin

During Medieval times in a town known as Svolvaer; situated above the invisible line of the Arctic Circle, in the northern most part of Norway, the Vikings ruled the lands. Where a thousand fjords disrupted the lands with frosty salt water, and mountain tops dominated most of the remaining landscape: where the summer months were few, but daylight dominated the skies: where the winter months were frigid and challenging, and sunshine was as scarce as food. There lived two teenage boys; one whom was known by the townspeople as the Gentle Giant, and the other one was nicknamed Little Fin.

Though, they were not brothers in the sense of being kin, they were thick as thieves. When one of them were in the village, chances are the other was close by, as they were most often together, walking, talking, and laughing, but most times only one of them would be seen first. This teenager was known around town as the gentle giant, Norman, his given name, who grew in height very fast at a young age, and towered over most adults, and walking alongside him was his partner in crime, known as Little Fin, Cal his given name, whom was called little fin, because he was short and skinny, and "fin" was short for dolphin, as, he could be found swimming at any time of day when the nearby fjord was not frozen over.

The sight of these two together, never ceased to surprise the villagers; they would watch the two of them walking down the street together with curious amusement. It was not only the complete opposite appearance of the two that surprised them, yes, they found this odd, but what really struck them as strange; was seeing these two teenagers always in good spirits when they were together. After all, this was Viking land, where physical confrontations with nearby clans were as common as snow in the winter, and any dispute among the people within the village was settled using brute force.

It is true, whenever Norman and Cal were together; they were two happy go lucky individuals. They were not oblivious to the constant staring from the villagers, they just didn't care, and would often look in the direction the staring came from, smile, wave, and continue on their merry way: nor, were they ignorant of the constant conflicts that took place among the villagers, and with the surrounding villages. They just didn't care, as fighting seemed like a waste of good time and energy they could use towards more important things, and the conflicts never seemed to get resolved. The most important things to Norman and Cal were hanging out together in their secret rock palace, and exploring the mountain which was now their backyard.

Svolvaer was best known as a fishing village with a fjord on one side that drained into the Norwegian Sea. On the other were some of the tallest mountains in Norway, and for explorers like Norman and Cal, there was never a shortage of things to do and places to see. One beautiful summer day, they set off on one of their first adventures together; they came across a very spacious cave that almost seemed to be created just for them. They had found the entrance by accident, as it was very well hidden, and not far into the entrance the cave split off into two directions. To the east, the path led to a cavern where cave met the fjord, and to the west, this path took them to the base of one of the least explored mountains in the area, mostly because it was very difficult to get to, but the discovery of this cave changed that, as the end of the cave led to an opening at the base of the mountain. Once, they completed their initial walkthrough of the cave; they knew they found a very special place, their very own cave clubhouse, and made a pact never to share the location of this rock palace with anyone.

When the pact was complete, they spent the first day figuring out the layout of the cave. The first order of business was determining just how far the tide came into the cave. It was still early in the day, and the tide was low, so Cal decided to find a stick long enough to determine how deep the water of the cavern was, and once he did this, satisfied that it was deep enough to dive in, he did so, and disappeared into the blue-grey water, to return to the surface moments later to tell Norman the layout, and how there were plenty of fish swimming about, which were probably pushed into the cavern during the previous high tide. This was great news to both of them, not only had they found an ideal second home, but they also had a fishing pond that would restock itself every evening once the tide subsided.

The next order of business while they waited for the tide to rise was to find an ideal location to build a campfire. They talked it over briefly and decided to set up a fire pit at the entrance to the base of the mountain. So, Cal set off out of the main entrance to find wood, while Norman used his strength to make a fire pit out of rocks heavy enough, to remain in place in case the tide made it all the way to the base. When the firepit was set with a circle lined with large rocks, and the wood was piled in, they lit the fire, and as luck would have it; there was just enough air circulating from the entrance to push the smoke directly out of the cave, and into the friendly skies outside. This was a beautiful sight to see, as not only did the smoke disappear through the opening, but once the smoke caught the breeze; it began to whirl so fast that it no longer looked like smoke, thus it would not attract unwanted attention.

A couple of hours went by, they sat by the fire talking and listening to the rush of the tide beginning to slowly fill the cave, until, they could no longer contain their curiosity, put the fire out, and went see just how far the tide would reach before descending. The tide continued to ascend until roughly twenty feet before the main entrance to the cave, as it ever so slowly retreated back towards the sea. This was yet another great stroke of luck, now they could come and go as they pleased, and set up their sleeping quarters near the fire pit. They decided it was time to leave their rock fortress, and return to the village, and begin gathering the items necessary to make the cave livable, and that is what they did.

Over the next couple of days, Norman and Cal could be seen bartering with fishermen for some fishing line, and a net, locating, rolling, and tying up padding, and thick cloth ideal for making two makeshift beds, and rummaging and collecting a few discarded pots and pans, and some metal pipes, and a wire tray in order to build a cooking stand. They made several trips to their cave, each time taking a different route, in order to make sure they were not followed by curious children. Once these items were in their proper place, Norman made their cooking stand, while Cal prepared the fishing net.

Once this was done, they decided before they began to cook food in the cave it was best to explore the mountain, for some firewood, and some strong wood to build traps; in order to keep the animals of the mountain from reaching their cave once they smelled the food. Plus, this made for a great excuse to explore a mountain few people have ever attempted to explore; they were both inwardly excited and curious to what they might find. So, they prepared for this adventure by getting eating a proper meal, and getting plenty of rest in the cave. Then, they took some of the fishing line in order to wrap up whatever wood they found: Norman brought a staff with a sharp edge on one end, in case there was a large animal looking to make a meal out of them, and off they went.

It was beautiful midsummer day, and the time of year, what is now known as "The Black Sun," which means the sun stayed in the sky for days at a time without setting. Norman and Cal knew this, and were not in a rush to collect the wood right away: they wanted to remain on the side of the mountain where the sun focused its rays, and explore as much as their body would allow. They spent hours enjoying the challenge of some of the difficult terrain as they climbed on; the higher they went the better they felt until they came upon a plateau that surprised both of them. Looking up from which they had just climbed from, the terrain looked too steep to have such a flat section as they were now standing on, so they cautiously approached, discussing what they were seeing as they went. It looked like a giant garden, but these plants looked and smelled unlike anything had ever seen or smelt. The longer they explored these strange plants and inhaled their unique fragrance, they found themselves becoming very sleepy, and agreed that a nap among these plants in the sunshine would do them some good, before continuing on with their adventure. So, they ripped down a few of the thick yet rather soft branches to use as a pillow, dug a good-sized trench and threw some of these strange leaves inside, started a fire and settled down to sleep.

During their slumber, they both dreamed some incredible, yet; very strange dreams. They each had a similar dream; where the muscles that ached from the climb, and all the work they had done over the past few weeks, began fading away. When they woke up slightly dazed, and it didn't take long for them to realize, the aches and pains they felt before they slept, were in fact gone. After discussing their dreams with one another in detail, and the lack of pain of any kind: It was quickly agreed upon to remain on this plateau, and explore the area, and these plants in greater detail. They could not believe how energized they felt, and spent the day looking at the plants. As an experiment Norman decided to rub some of this plant on some of his bruises, and Cal followed suit. They hoped this was not the type of plant that left a rash on the bare skin it was applied to, but they felt that if the smell of this plant while on fire could relieve pain, rubbing it on the skin might have some sort of positive affect. At first, nothing happened, so they both just shrugged, and went on exploring for a little while longer, until they found themselves sleepy once again, and settled down for another nap.

Again, the dreams were very strange, and in the dreams, they saw the bruises they applied the plant to float away into thin air. When they woke up, and after the initial dazed feeling passed, they looked at the places on their person where they rubbed the plant, and the bruises were gone. They could not believe what they were seeing, or not seeing; nor, could they believe how good they felt, and how in tuned their senses were with everything around them. They looked around, and felt the energy from the rays emanating from the sun, or the stillness and strength of the mountain. They discussed everything they were thinking, and feeling with anxious delight. They agreed without any doubt that this was some sort of miracle plant, and began discussing what they should do next.

Norman being the gentle giant that he was; suggested, they take some of the plants back to the town, and see if it will help some of the villagers with their aches, pains and bruises, as it had helped Cal and himself. At first, Cal was against this suggestion, and reminded Norman of all the bullying they had both endured at the hands of the villagers, because of their size, or because they (Norman and Cal) did not show any interest in the constant conflicts that took place among the villagers, and surrounding clans.

This argument did not sway Norman in the least, in fact, he was even more determined to share this miracle plant with the villagers, when Cal was done sharing his reasons why he was against it, and merely said, 'this plant helped us, it can help them as well,' All Call could do was nod his agreement, got up, and began collecting a few bushels of this miracle plant, before wrapping them tightly with the fishing line. While he was doing this, Norman got up, and began gathering handfuls of seeds that fell from the plants and stashing them away in a small leather pouch. They took one more look around, one more deep breathe, inhaling the strange fragrance that surrounded them, and began the trek back down the mountain, through the cave, and headed towards town with their energy at an all-time high, and their senses picking up every vibration that came their way.

As they approached the town, they both sensed an increased amount of testosterone in the air, they looked at each other, and just nodded, as if to say, 'here we go again.' Their pace slowed briefly, to prepare themselves for anything that might happen, and continued moving forward. No sooner, had they reached the first shop within the town limits: they saw Marius, one of the best fighters in town approaching them noticeably intoxicated, and looking like he was ready to fight someone, and that someone was most likely going to be Norman. He didn't say anything to either of them, but once he was within reaching distance, he took a swing at Norman. Norman expecting something like this might happen was ready for it; all in one motion ducked out of the way, and shoved Marius face first into a nearby wall. A loud crack was heard, as Marius punched the wall, at the same time as his face hit it. He began cursing loudly, as he tried holding both his face, and his hand, as he leaned and slumped down against the wall in agony.

Norman stood there looking down at him for a moment, before ripping off some of the plant from the bushel; leaned down and handed it to Marius, and told him to hold it to his face, and hand for a while, and once he got home, throw some of it in his fireplace. Marius just looked up at him with a painful, and stunned expression upon his face. Norman helped him to his feet, they nodded to one another, and Norman and Cal stood watching Marius for a few moments before moving on towards Normans place.

Norman and Cal began following day by burying the seeds behind Normans place, and set off towards the village to begin giving away the plant to all whom were in need of pain relief. As they were walking down the street Marius could be seen looking in every direction until he spotted them, ran up too Norman, and began thanking both of them profusely for the plant he had given him. He showed them the side of his face that only hours ago had multiple scratches, and a bloody gash that was no longer there, and his hand, even though it was not one hundred percent, most of the bruising was gone, and he was able to clench, and unclench his fist.

He asked Norman for more of the plant, in hopes that he could get his hand back to its full strength, and Norman obliged, and began ripping off a little more of the plant and handing it to him. He thanked him again, and said if there was anything Norman or Cal ever needed, all they had to do was ask, and from that day on, he would see to it that nobody ever messed with either of them again. Norman, responded by telling Marius, how he planned on sharing the plant with the town, and he was going to need Marius's help, as not everyone in town would be happy about this. Marius nodded in agreement as he knew, Norman was referring to the local chieftain who was known as Uncle Sam, whom they knew would want to turn this miracle plant into anything other than a cash crop. Marius responded with "anything you need," and it was agreed that Marius would act as security, while Norman and Cal were distributing the plant.

The news of this plant spread through the village like a stiff breeze, and before long, most of the village was lining up outside of Normans place in hopes to get their hands on some of this miracle plant they have been hearing so much about. Norman and Cal sat behind a table just outside his place talking, and giving some of the plant to each villager in turn, while Marius made sure the line of people remained orderly. Norman and Cal must have given some of the plant away to about half of the town, before Uncle Sam arrived followed by a couple of his henchmen, who made their way to the front of the line, as the henchmen glared at Marius daring him to say something. Marius was afraid of no man, and was about to attack the nearest one; when Norman waved him off, and began talking with Uncle Sam.

The conversation was brief, as of course Uncle Sam wanted a proper amount of tax money for whatever Norman and Cal were making off of the plant. Once Norman told him they were giving the plant away, Uncle Sam became irate, and started demanding the remaining plants as payment for previous taxes owed. Norman remained calm, and said he was up to date on his taxes, and just as the henchmen were about to pounce on Norman and Cal, and take the plant, Uncle Sam stopped them, and said, he was right, he was caught up, turned and walked away with the henchmen in tow.

The rest of the day went by without any further incident; Norman and Cal proceeded to give away the remainder of the plants they brought with them to as many of the villagers as they could, while Marius remained on constant alert for more potential trouble. The three of them discussed their next move, and decided, even though it was risky, as they knew Uncle Sam was not one to give up so easily: Norman and Cal were going back to the plateau, and get as much of the plant as they could carry, and return to give more away to the villagers, while Marius was going to rally the villagers to come to their aid if necessary.

The next day, Norman and Cal made their way back towards the cave, changing directions as often as they could, knowing there was very little chance of dodging all of Uncle Sam's spies. Still, they went in as many directions as they could before finally making their way to the caves entrance, down, through the cave to the base of the mountain, and back up to the plateau. When they reached the plateau they looked back down, from which they had come not seeing anyone, or anything: optimistic that they lost the spies, but no sooner did they begin pulling the plants down, and placing them in a small pile, when they heard Uncle Sam's wicked laugh from somewhere behind them. Norman turned to see Uncle Sam standing a few yards away with six henchmen behind him.

Uncle Sam laughed a little longer, and told Norman it was time to pay the mountain tax, and he would be taking all of the plants as payment. Norman was prepared for this, without saying a word, took something metal from his pocket, reached down for a rock he had placed next to the pile of plants, struck the rock with the metal piece creating a spark, which ignited the pile. Soon a flame erupted from the small pile of plants, and within seconds spread through to the plants remaining plants nearby. Just before the fire began to spread, Norman nudged Cal, and they began running down the mountain, while Uncle Sam and his henchmen stood for a moment in shock, then did their best to put out the fire, without much luck, and were forced to retreat back down the mountain.

When Norman and Cal made their way down the mountain, and through the entrance of the cave. Marius was standing just outside the cave, along with every villager in town watching the fire intensify on the mountain. When Norman and Cal reached them, everyone was looking at them with stunned expressions on their faces, but soon Uncle Sam and his henchmen made their way out of the cave, and those stunned faces changed to anger.

Once Uncle Sam and his henchmen were within reach, a dozen of the biggest villagers quietly approached them, grabbed a protesting Uncle Sam, and each of the henchmen by their arms, and proceeded to escort them towards the fjord, followed by Norman, Cal, Marius, and the rest of the villagers. Once at the mouth of the fjord, where a boat was floating along the shore, Marius notified them, that they were being forever banished to Greenland, the land of ice, and forbidden to ever return. There was boat with a dozen of the strongest sailors waiting out at sea to escort them. Once they arrived in Greenland, their boat will be taken, by some of these sailors, leaving them stranded on Greenland for the remainder of their days. They protested, but to no avail, the entire town was against them, and everyone stood watching as their boat sailed out of view, and Uncle Sam and his henchmen were never seen or heard from again.

When this was done, Norman and Cal stood on top of the entrance to the cave, thanked everyone for what they have done. Then, told them not to worry: they have plenty of seeds to make more of the magical plant. When it is ready to be harvested, they will be giving it away as they had done before. The crowd cheered, and began shouting their names in unison, and once the shouting subsided, there was a unanimous vote right then, and there, making the Gentle Green Giant and Fin the new chieftains of the town, and from that day on, the small fishing village of Svolvaer lived in peace and harmony within the town, and became a bringer of peace to the region with the aid of a magical plant they traded with the local clans. The storied exploits of The Gentle Green Giant and Fin were shared from one generation to the next; when the end of their life came about, as all of ours will eventually, the magical plant was renamed Gentle Green Fin.