SFSS

I strongly suggest that you listen to your favorite instrumental (words deconcentrate) music while reading this piece of art.

“Let little Cappen go,” they shouted. “Maybe he can sing the trolls to sleep—”

NB: here's a Gemini summary:

The Valor of Cappen Varra is a humorous fantasy tale about a cowardly minstrel named Cappen Varra. While on a voyage, Cappen is forced to confront a troll-wife on a desolate island to retrieve fire. Despite his fear, Cappen uses his wit and a magical charm to outsmart the creature and rescue a captive princess. His unexpected bravery leads to a surprising reward from the princess's father.

First encounter tales, especially with language being an issue, intrigue me because of the cultural exchange angle. Here, communication and interpretation are key, leaving the reader to decide what the message is and if it is a good or bad thing (Patrick Abbott)

In this Russian story, a boy's nighttime forest journey sparks an improbable encounter (or so it seems).

As you may have read earlier, I've taken a break. Today, I'm ready to relaunch SFSS in a new direction. I don't feel like publishing Western stories anymore, so I'm looking elsewhere.