I just want to clarify that this is not a work of fiction. It is a real story from my childhood, and I wanted to share it but I didn't know where else to put it.
Okay, so this isn't my own writing, in fact, I have no idea who started this story, but my family's been telling it for generations and I haven't met anyone else who's heard about it. It brought me great joy as a child, so I figured I'd share it!
My great aunt used to tell me stories about these creatures that would only appear in certain kinds of weather. She called them Emds. They would take the form of an animal and roam around until they came across a human. Then, depending on which Emd you encountered, they would either grant you a wish or give you a curse.
I did my best to make it look like the drawings she showed me.
This one is the Fog Emd, aka the Silver Stag. They only appear in areas shrouded in fog, and if you find one, they'll grant any wish you make, but they'll take something equally important. My great grandma supposedly found one and wished for a little brother. Then her mom gave birth to a little boy, but soon after that, her sister died.
I never saw any pictures of this one, but this is what I imagined it looked like.
This is the Thunder Emd. The Babbit. They take the form of little bunnies with dark, star speckled fur, antlers, and three tails. They also have a little ribbon around their neck. They show up during thunder storms, and if you meet one, they won't approach you but they'll let you approach them. If you try to take off the ribbon or mess with it in any way, they'll get spooked and run off. However, if you show them that you have another ribbon, they'll gladly trade ribbons with you and you get to take the Babbit's ribbon home. The Babbit ribbon is said to bring great fortune to its owner.
I tried to recreate a drawing I did of this when I was little.
The Lighting Emd, or as little me called it, The Bubberflee. You know the drill, they appear when lightning strikes, and much like lightning, they make a beeline for the nearest tangible thing. Whether or not you survive is up to you. Try to fend it off with a sparkler if you have one, and if you don't, any combustable source of light and heat should work just fine. Fun fact: Bubberflees are afraid of anything that emits light like they do. They will assume that you are another Bubberflee and retreat.
The visual for this one is completely made up. I never knew much about what it looked like.
The Rain Emd, also known as the Burret(That's a mix of Bunny and Ferret). These ones come out whenever it's raining, and if you make eye contact with one, you'l learn exactly how you'll die. You won't know when it happens, though.
All I know about this one's appearance is that it looks kinda like a bear.
Last but not least, the Sun Emd. They usually lurk in the woods on sunny days. If you find a baby and return it to its mother, she will reward you with one of the flowers growing on her back. You can plant it in your garden to bless and protect your home, or you can brew it in tea and use it as a healing potion. However, if you attack or harm the baby, its mother will maul you and leave you half dead in a ditch.
That's all I remember about them. I hope you found this as cool and interesting as I did. Let me know if you've ever heard any stories like this, because I really want to know where it came from! |
