 The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze, Although he was little his honour was great, Jump up me lads and give him a treat. Chorus: Up with the kettle and down with the pan, And give us a penny to bury the wren. As I was going to Killenaule, I met a wren upon the wall. I took me stick and knocked him down, And brought him in to Carrick Town. Chorus: | Drooli, Drooli, where's your nest? 'Tis in the bush that I love best In the tree the holly tree, Where all the boys do follow me. Chorus: We followed the wren three miles or more, Three mile or more three miles or more. We followed the wren three miles or more, At six o'clock in the morning. Chorus: I have a little box under me arm, Under me arm under me arm. I have a little box under me arm, A penny or tuppence would do it no harm. Chorus: |
Above the Botanical Gardens outside UNC Asheville, a thin crescent moon gave only the barest of light upon the features of the garden. The wind blows quietly in the empty gardens, and the stream trickles along, the only sounds that break the stillness. Then all at once it was not still, and where there was no one, there was suddenly someone, feet pounding upon the wooden bridge. The dim silver light of the moon gave flashes of a man with long hair, tattered clothes ... not torn or ragged, but tattered, as though ribboned or thickly fringed. And he raced away from the garden up broadway, toward the much brighter lights of downtown. And stillness and emptyness returned to the garden.
Then the emptiness fled before the five figures who too appeared at the bridge. Menacing masks and clothes of straw hid their features from the light of the torches they carried. They paused and their heads turned from side to side, slightly upturned as though they were smelling for something. Then as one, they turned toward downtown, and drawing knives began to stalk that way, chanting off key “ As I was going to Kill them all, I met a wren upon the wall. I took me knife and cut him down, And brought him in to Winter’s Down.”
Chapter I
In Asheville land of the weird and home of the brazen, Halloween is a wyld affair. Tourists gawk at the creative and wild costumes the natives don to go downtown for a night of mystery and mayhem. But the centerpiece of Asheville's celebration is the annual Halloween Parade that marches through downtown featuring floats by local organizations, or even ad hoc float krews who put together a theme to outdo all the others.
Mikayla, Noah, and Sarah had decided that they must see this grand affair: Sarah being new to Asheville had never experienced it, and Mikayla wasn't going to miss it her last year of college and both came dressed for the affair: Mikayla had put together her elaborate Betelgeuse costume, and Sarah donned a costume that made her into a shadow creature, ready to face the night. Noah, never one for costumes, was dressed in his standard slacks and a flannel, especially nice on this chilly night of All Hallow's Eve.
Parked at the Basilica, they walked up Haywood St, a grand thoroughfare of costumed Ashe-villains. A mob of the shambling dead rounded the corner of the Civic Center toward Lexington, though it was harder to tell if they were shambling due to deteriorating muscle mass or because they'd had a bit too much to drink. Spilling out of the Bier Garten were a number of folk in costumes they thought were hilarious or sexy, but really just crude and inappropriate. As the friends passed Malaprop's Bookstore, a coterie of vampires, dressed appropriately in Victorian Goth, and led by a strikingly pale and beautiful woman with blood red lips, stared them down with a glance somewhere between lust and hunger. Unconsciously, Mikayla's and Noah's hands covered their necks as they passed.
Also out were the usual tourists and homeless, one of whom was resting on the bench just beyond Malaprops, but for whatever reason leaped up to ask "Trick or treat" of the trio obviously asking for more than candy, and reeking of alcohol. After somewhat snarling at them in their refusal he calls out "Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men." And stumbles on down Walnut for better handouts hunting.
Shaking off the encounter, they come to Pritchard Park the hub of the parade's route, just in time to catch all the costumed crews as they began to pass.
Then the emptiness fled before the five figures who too appeared at the bridge. Menacing masks and clothes of straw hid their features from the light of the torches they carried. They paused and their heads turned from side to side, slightly upturned as though they were smelling for something. Then as one, they turned toward downtown, and drawing knives began to stalk that way, chanting off key “ As I was going to Kill them all, I met a wren upon the wall. I took me knife and cut him down, And brought him in to Winter’s Down.”
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| The Wren Boys |
In Asheville land of the weird and home of the brazen, Halloween is a wyld affair. Tourists gawk at the creative and wild costumes the natives don to go downtown for a night of mystery and mayhem. But the centerpiece of Asheville's celebration is the annual Halloween Parade that marches through downtown featuring floats by local organizations, or even ad hoc float krews who put together a theme to outdo all the others.
Mikayla, Noah, and Sarah had decided that they must see this grand affair: Sarah being new to Asheville had never experienced it, and Mikayla wasn't going to miss it her last year of college and both came dressed for the affair: Mikayla had put together her elaborate Betelgeuse costume, and Sarah donned a costume that made her into a shadow creature, ready to face the night. Noah, never one for costumes, was dressed in his standard slacks and a flannel, especially nice on this chilly night of All Hallow's Eve.
 |
| Mikayla - Betelgeuse |
 |
| Sarah - Creature of the Dark |
Parked at the Basilica, they walked up Haywood St, a grand thoroughfare of costumed Ashe-villains. A mob of the shambling dead rounded the corner of the Civic Center toward Lexington, though it was harder to tell if they were shambling due to deteriorating muscle mass or because they'd had a bit too much to drink. Spilling out of the Bier Garten were a number of folk in costumes they thought were hilarious or sexy, but really just crude and inappropriate. As the friends passed Malaprop's Bookstore, a coterie of vampires, dressed appropriately in Victorian Goth, and led by a strikingly pale and beautiful woman with blood red lips, stared them down with a glance somewhere between lust and hunger. Unconsciously, Mikayla's and Noah's hands covered their necks as they passed.
Also out were the usual tourists and homeless, one of whom was resting on the bench just beyond Malaprops, but for whatever reason leaped up to ask "Trick or treat" of the trio obviously asking for more than candy, and reeking of alcohol. After somewhat snarling at them in their refusal he calls out "Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men." And stumbles on down Walnut for better handouts hunting.
Shaking off the encounter, they come to Pritchard Park the hub of the parade's route, just in time to catch all the costumed crews as they began to pass.
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