When I visited my grandparents as a child, in between the perfect little country homes with a tidy garden in front and inviting front porch there lay an orchard of plum trees surrounded by a broken down fence.
It was so out of place you couldn't help yourself from noticing it, when it was in view, you just had to stare. As a young child of eight it fascinated me, I always tried to pass by it when it was possible or even go on little walks to it, until one day when I realized I could simply ask my grandparents about it.
So, of to my grandmother I went, and she told me that's the house of miss plum, apparently she was some what of a recluse and she didn't know her real name.
Apparently when she was very young, miss plum and her sister went out to play by a near by pond in winter, and there they played till sundown. They where warned not to play on the ice as it was dangerous but they didn't listen and the ice broke and both of them went under. As they where drowning and in great pain they felt hands reach for them, hands from underneath.
Hands from under their feet reached to them and pushed them upwards. As they where pushed out out on the shore they looked back and noticed a young emaciated man come out from the lake behind them.
They could barely move from the cold and even do they knew the young man helped them and he had a kind smile they tried to run from him.
For some reason he instilled a sense of dread, of mindless fear.
But they where in no position to move, and soon enough they passed out.
Soon they awoke near a big camp fire covered with animal furs and dried fruits near their heads.
They got up, eat the fruits and noticed on the other side of the fire, the young man was sitting. Back turned to them, overlooking the lake.
Miss plum wanted to speak but her sister hushed her as she ran away giving looks back for her sister to fallow.
But miss plum was determined to thank their savior and so she did. He turned towards her, smiled and said:
-Why aren't you a polity young lady, but my help is not free, you have to repay me!
Miss plum smiled and promised to do anything the man asked, he only asked her to never trow away the seeds from any plums you eat. Needless to say both sisters thought he was joking as they left. A sort of kind way of saying it was my pleasure.
As the girls where worried what every one would say if they talked about a young man in the woods with them, they kept it a secret.
Next autumn miss plum did exactly as the man asked her to, she kept all the seeds from any plums she eat and she planted them all in her parents orchard. Her sister however laughed at her and never kept even one.
Until one night when her sister vanished. All the villagers looked and asked but she was nowhere to be found. Many years passed till miss plum told the story of that winter day, and nobody knows if they are related. But after some years miss plum didn't really care any more, she loved those trees either way.
ps: got another story related to this one if you guys are interested, will check in tomorrow if you guys want the fallow up as it's bed time on my end.
Hope you like it, good night.