Children's Tale

Apprentice's Night During The Festival of Song

Banners are strung along the streets of Yildasa and the storytellers of the many clans are gathering in the great halls of the Great Palace. But, in the private library of a low-born cat princess children are gathered around an apprentice storyteller. She will get to go to the Great Palace someday but for now she busies herself telling the children all the stories that they wish to hear during the Festival of Song. How the first queen came to power was one of her favourite tales, and she now tells it for the children. The lights dim and she begins in a hushed tone as the children sit quietly enraptured by the story.

---

The First Tiger Queen

Once upon a time there was a tiger without fangs or claws. She wandered the lands and saw the birds flying high in the sky. Thier claws gripping their prey as they flew away with it.

"Ah, if only I had my own claws like those of the swift birds and strong falcons," the tiger sighed.

As the birds squabeled a nest fell and the tiger caught it in her soft clawless paws.

"Thank you miss tiger for saving our eggs! How may we repay you?" The birds asked as the tiger placed the nest gently on a branch.

"I should very much like to have claws like yours." The tiger asked boldly.

"I cannot give all my claws, for then I would be powerless, but you may have one of my claws." The bird nodded and flew away leaving a single little claw on the tiger's paw.

Next the tiger saw rabbits playing in a field. Even the tiny prey animals had powerful claws for digging, but their path to a greener meadow was blocked by large boulders.

"I could move those boulders for you little rabbits." The tiger offered.

"But then you would eat us!" The rabbits cowered in their warrens.

"I have no teeth to eat you, nor claws to even catch you. I have only my strength to clear the path for you." The tiger said as she moved the boulders and cleared the way to a lush green meadow.

"Then we shall gift you a claw so that you might catch something to eat in the future." With that the rabbits were gone and the tiger carried on.

In the forest the tiger found a fox in a terrible hunter's trap. She opened the metal jaws and freed the fox who in his gratitude gave her a fang and a claw. When she came across a pack of hungry wolves the tiger gave them directions to a human settlement so their bellies would never be empty. They too gifted her a claw and tooth in gratitude.

As she traveled the land, the tiger soon had a mouth of terrifying fangs and paws full of sharp claws. When the humans drove the rabbits and rats away from their cities and fields, and burned down the forest home of the foxes, and turned their spears and swords on the wolves, it was the tiger who came to aid them again. She weilded the claws and fangs gifted to her by the other animals to protect them all.

The tiger was stronger, faster, and smarter than all the other animals, so she used their gifts better than they had been used originally. But even that wasn't enough. The tiger needed the animals to help her still, and when she called they came to stand beside her for she had helped them and they trusted her to lead them.

Together the animals drove back the humans and celebrated long into the night before declaring the tiger their queen.

---

Through The Night

The apprentice storyteller continues through most of the evening and into the beginnings of night. It is only when tiny eyes begin to drift closed do parents shuffle in to take their little ones. A productive evening was had, going through the children's tales by memory and the apprentice is sure her master will be pleased to hear the good time had by all.

The First Tiger Queen

The First Tiger Queen is a children's tale that simplifies the battles and wars between humans and yildae in the earliest years of human settlements on Costrus. The Yildae Stand was the first battle in which a cat clan member led the other clans to victory. The gathering of claws and fangs from other animals is symbolic of Queen Renna gathering her forces to face the threat of humans.

Children's Tales

Children's tales are considered some of the most important tales to learn. Despite their simple nature they need to communicate complex messages and pass along key information about the society of the yildae. It is the first exposure children have to their history and it is important that it be positive and easily digested.

This is why they are some of the first tales and songs memorized by apprentices. If a master storyteller believes their apprentice does not have the tales memorized satisfactorily they will insist the apprentice carry a large storybook to ensure the tales are told properly. It is a right of passage for apprentices to spend a Festival of Song entertaining children from memory before being permitted to join their master and learn the more complex stories and histories.