- I am so happy! sang the woodland sprite. And well she might, for she was dancing in the moonlight in the forest glen, the way she did every night. The woodland sprite was a creature of night and secrecy. She drank from the dewdrops, sang with the crickets, and was a friend of all woodland critters. The times were joyous for all, and the night was filled with song and laughter.

However, in the city, the men in black suits were debating the problem of night. They did not like it, because at night people slept instead of working, So to improve efficiency, they would need to stop night from arriving.

The men sent their strongest soldiers to the edge of the horizon, finding the rainbow, and used it to tie the sun up and fix it into the sky. Thus, humans could not sleep anymore, instead working all the time. And efficiency improved, and the men in the black suits made a lot of money.

The sprite waited for night to arrive, but it never did. No starlight, no moonlight, no darkness was available. The sprite was saddened, and decided to find a solution to the neverending day. She left the forest, and her critter friends, behind.

She wandered the country, but the sun was hot and when she arrived in the city she was very thirsty. She asked for some water, so she could continue her journey. But the men in the black suits told her that she would have to work to pay for the water. With no other recourse, the woodland sprite agreed.

- What do you want me to do?
- Well, what are your skills? What are you good at?
- I am good at listening to the sound of the moonlight. I can dance with the mist, and comfort the wounded rabbit. I can stalk the night with my cat friends.

The men in black suits did not find much of this very interesting. But they agreed that she could maybe dance for them, as entertainment, and maybe comfort sick people. Since everyone was working all the time, many humans fell ill. And thus the sprite worked some time taking care of the sick workers, and part time dancing for the men in black suits, who did not have to work.

She did earn some money, but in order to have the strength to work she had to drink first, and thus when she had worked for a while, and needed to drink again, she once more was indebted to the men in black. And thus she was forced to continue working, never being able to pay off the men in black suits. When she protested, they insisted that she was free to go whenever she had worked enough to pay off her debt: it was not their concern if she decided to drink more water. That was her choice, they maintained.

The woodland sprite dreamed of continuing her journey, but the constant work was wearing her down and making her tired, just like all the workers. The longer she stayed, the hotter the sun became, and the more water she had to drink, the more she had to work and the more exhausted she became. She had to get out, somehow.

While working, she had become much beloved by the workers, for she cared for them all. They realized she belonged somewhere else, and wanted to help her get away. Eventually, the senior worker spoke to her:

-Dear woodland sprite, you comfort us all the time, despite being in such a bad situation yourself. We all love you very much, and want to help you get away from here.
- You are most kind, but I am only doing my job. And if I went away, who would tend to you when you are sick? Besides, there is no way for me to get out of this job. I will always be indebted to the men in black suits.
- Not so. We have collected water for you, so that you can pay off your debt and continue on your way.
And he showed her. Each worker had donated a pinch of water, and since there were many workers, they had made a huge pool of drinking water for the sprite.

- You are too kind to me. But still: if I leave, who will take care of you when you are injured?
- Do you want to leave, or not?
- I... I want to leave, but I also want to help you. You have been kind to me, and the thought of you suffering makes me distraught.
The senior worker then looked at her with clear eyes and said:
- My dear sprite. We all love you dearly, but we know you are not meant to be here. For us, you have been a consolation in this harsh world. But we know that you are not meant to stay here forever. That would be wrong. Please, accept our gift and be on our way.

The sprite then accepted their gift. She paid off the debt to the men in black, and then let the rest of the collected water out. It was so much that it made up a stream of fresh water that ran towards the horizon, towards the base of the rainbow. And the woodland sprite could follow the stream and drink from it.

The men in black suits were outraged that the sprite had gotten away from them. However, most of them had grown fat and lazy, and had not the wherewithal to actually pursue her. However, the three youngest of the men in black suits were still strong, and they pursued her, for they deeply desired her to remain with them forever.

The three men discussed how they would be able to capture the sprite, but they could not agree on how to do it.

- We should use brute force, said the first man. As a woman, she is weaker than either of us. We can take her down and force her to come back.
- No, said the second man. Brute force is too... brutal. Besides, she will flee at the first opportunity. Instead, we must trick her to once more become indebted to us. Her honesty and integrity will then work in our favour. See, I have many beautiful things along to tempt her. I am certain this will work.
- You are both oafs, said the third man. We must charm her into staying. I, as the most handsome man, will surely be able to do that. I’ve already seen her look at me, in spite of herself. I just need the right approach to insinuate myself into her life.

Since they could not agree, the men almost started to fight, but in the end decided to let each of them try on their own, and may the best man win.

As the woodland sprite made her way toward the horizon, the three men pursued, each in his own way. The first man, lacking all subtlety, advanced on her first.

- Sprite! Return to the city immediately!
- By what right do you try to stop me? I have paid my debts to your society.
- This is not a question of right, but of might. I am stronger than you. Return with me, or I will break you down and force you to come back; you will be my slave and will have to do my every bidding. Is it not better to yield now?

With contempt in her heart, the sprite refused:
- I will never submit to you, swine!
- Very well. Prepare to be broken in by my power!

And thus the first man attacked her. And well might he have been stronger than her: for he struck with a force that rendered the earth asunder, and split rock. But the sprite was much quicker, and easily evaded his blows. The first man continued to try to hit her, but she was too lithe for him. Finally, he had exhausted himself, and she could easily defeat him by a swift kick to the groin. As he collapsed in agony, she continued on her way, unfazed by the first man’s brutality.

The second man was the next to try. He planned his strategy meticulously, rushing ahead to where she would be in some time. There he hastily assembled a market stand. Getting rid of his suit, he looked like a normal worker. As she approached, he presented himself as a salesman, and offered her the opportunity to purchase some of his goods.

- I am very sorry, she said, but there is little I need except water, and my means to pay you are even lesser than that.
- Please, dear lady. I ask you not to buy, only to browse. Maybe you will find something that you need. If so, we will work something out. And if not, there is no harm done, now is there?

She agreed to this, and the second man then presented a number of beautiful jewels, specifically designed to catch the eye of ladies. But the sprite said:

- These are all vey nice. But my jewels are my eyes, my crown is my hair. I do not need this.
- Of course not, my lady, said the second man. Instead, he presented her with fine wines made in the south, and gave her the opportunity to taste them for free. They were deliciously sweet, and she was on the verge of agreeing to his proposals, but then she stopped and asked:

- How much is one bottle?

He told her the price, and she refused. He tried to coerce her with a payment plan, but she refused, having become wary because of the cost. Silently cursing, the second man presented his third article: a carriage made out of red gold, and with powerful black stallions included, the carriage would indeed bring her to the edge of the horizon more quickly.

- I am very interested in this, she said. But it must be very expensive. How can I afford it?
- Do not worry, my dear, the second man said. You can pay it in parts. Just sign this agreement, and the carriage is yours.

The second man was close to success: if the sprite signed the agreement she would have to work off her debt, and he was certain to be able to perpetuate it this time, since the carriage was made out of solid red gold and was drawn by pure thoroughbreds. However, just as she was about to sign, the third man burst out of the nearby woods, shouting:

- My lady! It’s a trap! Do not sign it!

The sprite halted, and asked the third man to explain himself.

- I am sorry my lady. I have followed you, because ever since I’ve seen you, I’ve been in love with you. I do not want you to become the victim of this man. Please read the fine print: you will see that the agreement is designed to keep you indebted to him.

The sprite immediately took hold of the agreeement, and quickly saw that the document corroborated the third man’s story. The second man fled to avoid her rage, and she turned to the third man and spoke:

- Thank you, kind sir. I recognize you from the city, and though I have no love for your society, I feel indebted to you for saving me from this nefarious trap.
- Please, my lady. It was my pleasure. I know you are busy, but perhaps you would stay for just a glass of wine?

She could not refuse him after his kindness, and the third man eagerly helped himself to the abandoned wine of the second man. They drank together, and she quickly was affected by the sweet wine. All the time, the third man complimented her, honey dripping from his lips. When he started kissing her, she did not resist.

Thus the third man used the power of love to delay her. For he became very dear to her, and he was tender and kind to her, while he also was exciting and dangerous, due to his association to the city, where she had suffered so much. Thus she was attracted to him. and lay with him. And all seemed well. But every day, the third man pushed their campsite a little further back towards the city. But she was intoxicated with love, and did not notice this.

Finally, they were within eyesight of the city. Still, she told herself that it would all work out. But then the senior worker woke her, after both she and the third man had fallen asleep after lovemaking.

- Please, my lady. You must leave.
- What? Senior worker, why are you doing this?
- My lady, can you not see what he is doing to you? He may speak sweetly and kiss sweetly, but his heart is false. He desires to use your love to make you a slave again.
- This... I cannot believe it! How can you say such things?
- Is not the fact that I am here proof enough? You know that I must work in the city all the time. When I last saw you , you were on your way from the city. Yet here you are, almost back into the city and its bondage. Was our sacrifice to you then in vain?

She heard his words, and in her heart she knew he was right. She started crying bitterly at the betrayal of the third man, who she thought had loved her. But the senior worker said:

- I am so sorry, my lady. I wish this was real, I truly do. But it is not. And you must now flee, lest our efforts are in vain.

Still crying, the sprite nodded in agreement. She hugged him closely, and then fled as fast as she could toward the horizon.

Several hours later, the third man awoke, finding the sprite gone and only the senior worker present.

- What is this? Where is the sprite? What have you done to her, foul servant?
- She is where you cannot reach her. I have exposed your lies, and she wants nothing to do with you.
- Bah! I will punish you properly after I’ve picked her up. If my charms won’t work , there is still brute force to make her submissive.
- I am sorry. the senior worker said, but you are not going anywhere.

And with those words, he threw himself on the third man and bashed his skull in.

As the third man drew his last breath, city guards arrived and apprehended the senior worker. He was brought in chains before the men in black suits, who demanded him to confess his crime. But the senior worker only said:
- I have committed no crime.

And that was all they got out of him. So as quickly as possible, he was convicted of murder and executed. But no one pursued the sprite.


Quite a while after her second escape from the city, the sprite arrived at the edge of the horizon, where the source of the rainbow was located. She found that the rainbow was tied in a knot around the sun, just as the soldiers had left it. The sprite tried to talk to the rainbow, but it seemed wound so tight that it couldn’t answer. Not knowing what to do when she got no answers, the sprite sat down and sang. It was one of her old songs, a song of night and mystery and of the forest. Its like had not been heard since the last sunrise that began this neverending day.

When the rainbow heard this song, it was finally able to relax. Its joints loosened, and this loosened the knots. The sprite was then able to untie the major knots, setting the sun free. Both the rainbow and the sun were so exhausted by their overlong vigil that they immediately sank below the horizon to get some much needed sleep.

With the descent of the sun, night returned to the country. As the land became dark, so the workers of the city became free of their obligations for as long as the sun was gone. Ordinarily, this would not be a big deal, but since the men in black suits had altered the rythm of the sun, it had to rest for as long as it had been up. The result was a very long night of celebration, relaxation and enjoyment. The men in black suits however, had their economies ruined by this long lapse in production, and could no longer uphold their power and influence.

And the woodland sprite? She returned back to the forest to dance in the moonlight with her friends of old. She also took care to sometimes visit the workers of the city, who never forgot how she had cared for them and helped them; and she never forgot their support.

But she always went back to the peace and music of the forest. The city reminded her of the men in the black suits, and how she had been hurt by them. In time, the power of the forest would heal her, and someday she would find someone who would be worthy of her love. But that is a story for another time.