Pan- Bewitched animals

The dogs sensed something first. All three of them stopped barking and came to a sudden halt. They were staring towards a wood about half a mile to the west. Suddenly, with Claw in the lead, they bounded away towards it, yelping excitedly. I called them back, but they ignored me, so I had no choice but to run after them.

I thought it was unlikely to be a rabbit or a hare. Claw, Blood and Bone were usually obedient dogs, and no matter how strong the scent they’d picked up, once given a command, they came to heel. What was wrong with them?

By the time I reached the trees, the dogs had already bounded far ahead, deep in the wood. I could hear their barks growing fainter and fainter. Annoyed, I slowed to a walk. Immediately I noticed that it was very quiet beneath the canopy of fresh green leaves. The breeze had died away and there was no birdsong. Nothing was moving. And then I heard it – the sound of distant pipes. I’d heard that music before. It was Pan!



I began to run. With every stride I took, the music grew louder. Moments later I burst into a clearing. The god had once again taken the form of a boy dressed in green, and was sitting on a log, a smile on his face. Around him stood a circle of bewitched animals: stoats, ferrets, rabbits, hares, along with my three dogs – all staring at him intently. Above, the branches were laden with birds. And there, at his feet, was a girl in a mud-splattered white dress.

B8 C23