Ebne-Tragga and the Hagraven

Based upon a Syrian folktale I'd been told once when I was a kid; pretty popular amongst refugee children nowadays.

Once upon a time there was an orc chief who had three wives, but no sons to succeed him or bring him any pride. One day, while the chief sat outside his longhouse, a merchant peddler came along crying out, “apples for fertility!” and so the chief bought three.

He gave one apple to each wife— the first two wives each ate their apples, but his third wife ate only half.

Soon the three wives were each pregnant, and in some months gave birth to three healthy boys. The first two boys were named Makug, and Magug after their grandfather. The last boy was named Ebne-Tragga, or “very tiny,” on account of his small size. When the three boys grew older, their father and chief asked what they should want for their coming-of-age gifts.

Makug and Magug both exclaimed, “a horse and a new sword!”

Ebne-Tragga exclaimed, “a donkey and a long stick!” His brothers laughed at him. One day the three boys went hunting, and with his long and silent stick, Ebne-Tragga killed three birds. His brothers could not manage to strike down one bird with either of their swords. On their ways home, they got lost in the woods upon a flinty crag. They soon saw an old woman upon the hill, who beckoned to them and called them by name.

“Oh my lovely nephews! Have you come to see your auntie?” she called.

“We have no auntie!” the boys cried. “Our father would have told us about her!”

The old woman shrieked at them, “That good for nothing old man never told you about his beloved sister?! Well come in, come in! Let me feed you well.” and so the boys followed her into her cave home.

“And what would you and your animals all like to drink, dearies?”

“Milk!” said Makug and Magug.

“Water please,” said Ebne-Tragga.

Makug and Magug were touched by the old woman’s hospitality, and said to each other “only a true auntie would welcome us so warmly!” but Ebne-Tragga shook his head, unsure.

When night came, Makug and Magug slept warmly with milk in their bellies, but Ebne-Tragga could not sleep, and heard strange noises from within the cave. When he went to investigate, he saw his “auntie’s” true form: a horrifying hagraven! He ran to his brothers and told them both what he’d seen. They all gathered up their things and mounted their horses and donkey, and ran off into the night, towards home. When the hagraven came in to check on the boys and found the room empty she shrieked and howled like nothing heard before. And she called out, in a magical tongue, “Let my milk halt! Stop them ‘fore they reach home!” and, like magic, Makug and Magug’s horses stopped moving and fell dead. But Ebne-Tragga’s donkey had not drunk any milk, and ran forward. His brothers leapt off their mounts and ran home on foot, ashamed of their foolishness. When they arrived home, they told their father what they’d seen, and Ebne-Tragga was rewarded with a trunk of his mother’s jewels, and a set of new armor. Never again did his brothers make fun of his small size, for they now knew the size of his heart and mind.