Chillin’ While You Work

Happy Labor Day From An Old Tired Drain On Society

Livin’ the high life on Social Security.

http://www.nationofchange.org/what-low-wage-workers-need-most-1377874456

Bearskin Confidential

Bearskin, The Movie with Johnny Depp coming soon! To no neighborhood multiplex ever.

Bearskin Five

Years passed in a malodorous blur. The soldier was shunned along from village to village, testing the tolerance of citizens along the way, from one end of the realm to another he roamed. One night he sought shelter and kindness from an old innkeeper who had shown him both on another occasion several years ago. He did not realize that events would be set in motion this evening that would change his squalorous existence forever.

While he peeked the old man was lamenting, how he’d soon lose the inn and all his cash.
He thought there was no way of preventing his daughters living life like poor white trash.

Random Monday

Bearskin Four

It did not take more than a few weeks of wandering before the bear skin and its wearer were a fly blown horrendously reeking mess. Imagine what the months ahead held for our hero.

Bearskin Three

The story so far: A soldier returns from the war to find his home town less than receptive and welcoming. Times are hard in his village and even his own family can offer him no support. In a depressed state the soldier wanders aimlessly in the nearby Black Forest where he meets a menacing hooded stranger. As the stranger begins to address him the soldier sees a looming dark form arise from the trees behind the hooded one. It is a huge bear. His trained reflexes take over and in a matter of seconds the soldier has placed a ball into the heart of the bear which topples forward dead.
It is then that the stranger, whom our hero has begun to discern as The Prince of Darkness himself, offers the brave marksman an offer he sees no reason to refuse. Says the Devil, “If you can survive for seven years without cutting your hair or beard, without washing your clothes or body, wearing only the skin of this bear you have slain. I will reward you with fame and limitless fortune, and the love of a beautiful and faithful woman. Should you die by any means during this seven years your soul will be mine.”

“If when seven years have passed us, and by chance you still survive,
Return here where the fates have cast us, for fortune, fame and faithful wife.”

Don’t Mess With Darth Mongrel

Mirth Doggerel

Bear Skin Two, The Red-eyed Stranger

Bear Skin

A story has resurfaced recently about the 500 new fairy tales discovered in Germany a couple of years ago. They are from the collection of historian, Franz Xaver von Schonwerth, who was covering the same territories as the Brothers Grimm and at about the same time. Jacob Grimm said of him, “Nowhere in the whole of Germany is anyone collecting (folklore) so accurately, thoroughly and with such a sensitive ear.” I look forward to reading some new fairy tales although there are some good ones from the Grimm collection that are not so widely known. One of these is The Story of Bearskin and the Devil. I wrote a verse version of this story a while back and I think I’ll do a serialized illustrated presentation for you, coming up with a new page every so often between the regular, more random entries.