The Stone Hunting Lodge First Visit-B

I fell into a strange and shifting dream as I dozed.

At first I walked in a great garden, gigantic and lush, full of every sort of tree and plant, and birds of every size and kind. Then I was in an old library, not large but well stocked. I ambled amongst the shelves. Opening a book I saw a picture of a garden, verdant and sunlit. In the garden under a large oak there sat a beautiful maiden, seeming young but with great wisdom and laughter in her eyes.

I sat in her lap and she cradled me. I held a toy lion, sculpted of wood. She held me close and read to me from a book. I looked into the book and saw a picture of a library, colossal and well ordered. There was a young man walking between the aisles and rows of looming decoratively-carved bookshelves.

The maiden held my shoulders and turned me to look at her. She had piercing eyes. She was asking me my name, but I couldn't remember it.

I hopped off her lap and ran through the library lobby towards the other wall, where I knew my book was to be found. It would have my name.

But I couldn't find the book. So I returned to her distraught.

"Come on," she said, "You can remember it!".''

But try and I might, I could not.

But then I thought I did, and I cried out, "I've got it!". But just then, the frog that was sitting to the right of the maiden, on a stone next to the oak tree, croaked, and said, "It is yours. Keep it to yourself".''

I was confused by the interruption, and then I had forgotten my name, if I had remembered it.

Later we walked together, the maiden and I, through the library, and I got my name on the tip of my tongue, and was about to blurt it out, when the chameleon on the nearest bookshelf shot its tongue out and it slapped me on the shoulder.

I glared at him, but the chameleon just blinked (even though they don't usually do so)..

'"Come on... you know it... tell it," I heard spoken slowly from behind me, and turning I saw a turtle, the size of an elephant, who snapped his beak after I stared at him dumbfounded for too long a time, and then it walked slowly away.

"You know your name fool!," another soft voice said. I did not know where it came from. "Remember it and remember me", it said..

Looking up at one of the pot-plants on the bookshelf, I saw a long green tail disappear into the leaves, and a little time later, from that spot I heard again one word, "Say."

The maiden took me by the hand and said, "Don't fret about it. You'll remember it eventually... I know! We will think of a new name for you for now, one that fits you well, but that will not be confused with your real name, which I am sure you will remember later.".

The maiden then opened a big blue book sitting on a nearby table, and flapping her tail (which was like that of a dolphin), she dived into the picture of the sea that filled the page.

[...]