The Harp


Jonas was a young boy who lived in the big city. Father and Mother had abandoned him at the Lotios inn when he was little, and he had been raised by Marcia and Rolph in the inn until he stepped out into the big world looking for a job as a tradesman.

One day Jonas was wandering in search of work when he came upon a deserted looking shop. It has an open sign that said in small lettering, “Bad’s and goods you wouldn’t find any place else”. The sign had dust all over it, and so did the door and windows. This was not the best part of town. Jonas thought it looked interesting. He walked in and saw the shop had nothing in it. A cloaked man sat in a chair in the back.

“Umm, excuse me sir, but do you have anything left?” Jonas didn’t know how to ask if this was a shop or not. The cloaked figure took off his hood to reveal long, curly hair, but a youthful face. He had his two front teeth knocked out, but his other features were intact, complete with blue eyes and a straight nose, lips and ears.

“I do, young man.” The man looked pleased in a strange way, as he stood up and sauntered towards a large cabinet in the corner. He opened it and pulled out a small harp.

“This harp can raise the dead. I will give it to you as a gift.” Jonas was surprised at the man’s generosity. Though he didn’t believe that it could raise the dead, the harp itself was a fortune indeed.

“Thank you sir!”. The strange event taken place in the shop came to an end when Jonas ran out before the man could change his mind.

. . .


Now, Henry Clitsworth lived in a small town by the river. His mother was a seamstress and his father a carpenter. The family was happy, even with their lower income. The Clitsworths lived happily in their log cabin by the river, until one day, in the middle of June, Father Clitsworth died. It was a tragic and young death, but the rest of the remaining Clitsworth duo cried out their tears and soon boarded him up in a coffin he had built himself and buried him in a holed beside the river covered with an oval shaped rock.

Not long after Mr. Clitsworth’s death came along Jonas the peddler to the small river town. Jonas had acquired a few more goods to sell, but the harp had not sold yet. People thought it a hoaxe and had laughed and shamed Jonas from their towns. Jonas came, yelling though the town ‘Goods to be sold! Goods!’ the particular chant attracted the attention of young Henry. He took a dollar from the penny jar he and his mother had, and ran to greet the young peddler. Jonas smiled at the young boy.

“Why, hello there, you must be looking for a gift for your mama.”

Henry, only a boy, answered honestly, “No sir, it’s for meself.” Jonas laughed heartily and said cheerfully,

“I have just the thing, lad.” Jonas went into the wagon and pulled out the one thing that never selled, but just might to this little boy, “A harp that can raise the dead.” Jonas smiled a circus smile. Henry was charmed and fascinated. Could it maybe...

“How much?”

“Only a dollar.” Henry jumped up and down.

“I can get it!” They made the trade, and Henry hid the harp safely in his bed mattress. Henry knew what he wanted to do, of course, but he had to do it sneakily.

He decided to wait the four months until the national sewing invitational his mother was attending in the big city. At that time, he was left home alone for a week, being watched not~so~carefully by the unsuspecting neighbors.

. . .


It was a Friday afternoon when Henry went to the rock with the harp. The rock was on the other side of the river, so Henry had to wade through the little pebbles and the musty, but clean, water.

While he was wading and tripping and almost tumbling, a note fell out of the harp, unseen by Henry.


‘Foretell the past I do, but not the future. Speak to me and tell me what to do, for if not, I bring back all. Sing me their favorite song or else I will sing for them. Set me on a rocky bed, by the of shore of a river bed, cross their name in the flaky sand, or all will come back to life’


The note was wettened and floated away in the river, unseen by the unsuspecting boy. Henry placed the harp on the single rock. He quickly ran back, splashing to the other side, he wanted to see his father come back from that view.

Soon, the harp started to play. It sang a mournful tune, perhaps like a dirge.



‘I bring back the new, I resuscitate the old’ It repeated this low tuned song.

So it’s true! It really is true! Thought Henry. Soon his Father would rise out of his coffin and come and greet his boy! But Henry was mistaken. The harp started a new song, more like a scream:


‘I was stolen from India! My god is waiting! Bring back all who have died’


It repeated this. The harp was angry. Henry heard the sound of bones creaking and moving under him. The ground beneath all houses and earth began to shake. Henry screamed. Beneath all the panic, no one could hear the harp quietly laugh and sing,


‘My cloaked master would be proud.’