The Dwarfie Stone

The Dwarfie Stone

Far to the north, among the Orkney Islands, lies Hoy. A huge hollow boulder rests among its green valleys. People called it the Dwarfie Stone.

An old legend tells that Snorro once lived in that stone.

No one knew where he came from or how long he had lived in the stone dwelling. Some said that his father belonged to the magical people, others only shook their heads and answered:

“Who knows? Snorro was here before our grandfathers were born.”

Snorro himself loved mystery. He gathered herbs on the slopes, dried roots, prepared fragrant infusions and was very proud of his knowledge. He wore a small polished mirror around his neck and often admired himself.

If someone came to him for advice, Snorro liked the visitor to speak respectfully, almost solemnly.

“Great master of herbs,” a villager might begin.

“No need for such grand words,” Snorro would say, while straightening up with pleasure.

In fact, there was another reason why he did not leave the island of Hoy.

Near the Dwarfie Stone rose a strange hill. Legend said that a magical red gem, a carbuncle, was hidden somewhere in its slopes. It was supposed to bring health, plenty, and happiness to whoever found it.

Snorro dreamed of this stone more than anything in the world.

During the day he pretended to be looking for herbs. At night he would go out with a shovel, check the cracks in the rocks, look under the stones and examine every piece of earth.

A large gray-headed Raven always flew next to him.

“Today we will definitely find it,” Snorro would say.

The Raven croaked.

“You said that yesterday.”

“And one day I will be right.”

In those days, two stepbrothers, Earls Paul and Harold, ruled the Orkney Islands.

Paul was a man of few words, but kind. He listened carefully to people and rarely promised what he could not fulfill. For this, the inhabitants of the islands loved him.

Harold, on the contrary, spoke brilliantly. He could compose a speech on any topic and convince almost anyone. But he really wanted everyone to admire him.

The more people praised Paul, the more jealous Harold grew.

One summer, Harold went to the court of the King of Scotland. There he met a young Irishwoman named Morna.

She was calm, attentive and had her own opinion on everything.

Harold decided that he definitely wanted to marry her.

“Morna,” he said one day, “you will live with me in a big castle, with jewels and a place of honor at court.”

Morna replied:

“Thank you. But I don’t want to marry just because someone offers me a castle.”

Harold was not used to being refused.

When Morna later came to visit the Orkneys, she met Paul. He didn’t try to impress her. He just showed her the harbor, told her about the islands, and listened attentively to her stories about Ireland.

They soon realized that they really liked each other.

Harold found out about this and was angry.

“Paul always gets what I want!” he complained.

At first he even went to his brother to argue.

Paul said calmly:

“Morna is not a thing that can be won. She decides for herself who she wants to be with.”

Harold did not like these words. But it was difficult to argue.

Unfortunately, there were people around Harold who fueled his envy. His aunt Fraukirk also did not like Paul and dreamed that Harold would rule alone.

One evening she secretly sailed to the island of Hoy and came to the Dwarfie Stone.

Snorro met her at the entrance.

“What does my honored guest desire?”

Fraukirk put a bag of gold on the stone.

“I need something that will stop Paul from marrying Morna.”

Snorro pushed the gold away.

“I will not interfere in someone else's choice.”

Fraukirk added a second bag.

Snorro thought for a moment.

“No.”

Then she said:

“Help me, and I’ll see that the royal court knows you as the greatest master of magic. Imagine, Snorro: a famous adviser, instead of someone living in a stone cave!”

This appealed to his vanity more powerfully than gold.

Snorro agreed to weave a strange cloth. It would be so bright and magical that its wearer would fall into a deep sleep for many hours and could not be woken. Fraukirk planned to use it to cause confusion, accuse Paul of weakness, and strip him of power.

Meanwhile, Harold himself also decided to turn to Snorro.

He sailed to Hoy and said:

“Give me a love potion. I want Morna to change her mind.”

Snorro gave him a pink tincture.

“A few drops in a glass,” he said.

But Morna noticed Harold adding something to the drink. She did not drink it.

The next day she said to Paul:

“I don’t like the way Harold refuses to hear the word ‘no.’”

“You must not be left alone with him,” Paul replied. “And he must understand that respect is more important than the desire to win.”

The winter festival was approaching.

On the eve of the festival, the gray-headed Raven flew to the castle with a parcel of marvelous cloth in his beak. It gleamed with gold, silver, and every color of the rainbow.

Fraukirk immediately set about sewing a festive vest for Paul from it.

Just then Harold entered the room.

“What a wonderful thing! Who is it for?”

“For Paul,” Fraukirk answered carelessly.

Harold flushed.

“For Paul again!”

He grabbed the vest.

“Don’t put it on!” his aunt shouted.

But it was too late.

Harold pulled on the vest and within seconds was yawning.

“What… is… this…”

Before he could finish, he fell asleep right there in the chair.

Everyone came running to the noise. Paul, Morna, and the servants saw Harold sleeping so soundly that they couldn’t wake him.

Fraukirk turned pale.

“It wasn’t meant for him.”

“Then whom was it meant for?” asked Paul.

There was silence.

Morna looked at the strange cloth, then at the pink bottle sticking out of Harold’s pocket.

“I think it’s time the whole truth was told,” she said.

And the truth began to unravel like a knot.

Fraukirk admitted her plot. Snorro’s part, the cloth, and the potion all came to light. When Harold finally woke, he was bewildered and ashamed.

Paul did not shout at him.

“Brother, you wanted to win where there was no contest. That is why you got yourself into a trap.”

Harold hung his head.

“I only thought that you had what I wanted.”

Morna replied:

“You should have thought about what I wanted.”

This time Harold did not argue.

Fraukirk was asked to leave the Orkneys and stop meddling in the brothers’ affairs. Harold also withdrew from court festivities for a while, going away from the castle to put his thoughts in order.

And Paul set off for the island of Hoy.

When he reached the Dwarfie Stone, it was quiet.

Snorro already knew what had happened. The Raven sat above the entrance, watching him silently.

“I never meant to cause great harm,” said Snorro. “I simply wanted fame.”

“And for the sake of fame you agreed to decide for others,” answered Paul.

Snorro said nothing.

That night he sat for a long time by his stone and looked at the hill where he had searched for the magic carbuncle for so many years.

Suddenly a red light flashed in the grass.

Snorro jumped up.

“Raven! Look!”

There really was a small red light shining on the slope.

They rushed towards it.

But as soon as Snorro stretched out his hand, the light went out.

Only an ordinary wet pebble remained.

“Why?” he whispered.

The Raven tilted his head.

“Perhaps because you were looking for happiness in a stone while doing things that made you less and less happy.”

Snorro sat down on the grass.

For the first time in many years he thought neither of gold nor of fame nor of who would bow low enough to him.

He thought about how easily a dream could become a trap when he set his conscience aside to chase it.

Later, Paul and Morna were married. There were no magic potions or secret fabrics at the wedding. There was much music and laughter and people who came to congratulate them of their own free will.

And Snorro remained by the Dwarfie Stone. They say that after those events he became easier to talk to and no longer demanded that people bow their heads to him.

He still gathered herbs. He still read his old book. And sometimes he still walked to the hill.

Now, though, a red gleam in the grass no longer sent him rushing to dig.

First he stopped and asked himself:

“What will I do if I really find what I've wanted for so long?”

Sometimes the most important test begins when a dream is no longer far away,

but seems just one step from coming true.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨