The Sure Shot.[1](#xd32e1131)
by Herman Hofberg · from Swedish fairy tales
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Adapted Version
Sometimes, people want to be the best. They want a special power. But a special power can make you sad.
Some people get a special power. This power helps them shoot very well. They always hit their target. But this power is not good. It can make them sad. It can make them very alone. It is a bad secret power.
There was a Hunter Man. He watched the forest. He was very proud. He told his friends. "I am the best at shooting," he said. He spoke very loudly. He liked to boast a lot.
Hunter Man said he could shoot far deer. He would win a prize. The prize was two drinks. He was very sure.
His Friends laughed at him. "No, you cannot!" they said. They said, 'Too far! You cannot see!' They did not believe him. They laughed very loud. This was funny.
Friends said, 'Okay, let us see!' They went. It was a cold night. The air was very cold. The wind blew. The sky was dark. It was autumn.
A small animal ran fast. It ran near the bushes. The Hunter Man lifted his gun. He aimed his gun. BANG! He shot his gun. The sound was very loud.
His Friends laughed again. "You missed!" they said. They said, 'Too dark! You cannot hit!' They thought he missed. They laughed and laughed at him.
The Hunter Man smiled. He was very sure. "Come!" he said loudly. He walked across the grass. His Friends followed him. He went to find what he shot. He was very happy.
They looked. Oh! They saw a Big Deer. It was a beautiful deer. It was dead on the ground. The shot was perfect. The Hunter Man aimed very well. This was very strange.
The Friends looked at the deer. They looked at the Hunter Man. "This is not normal," they thought. They thought, 'He used a not-good secret power.' They felt very scared.
The Hunter Man got his prize. But his Friends were quiet. They were scared. They did not want to be with him. They stayed away. The Hunter Man was alone. He felt very alone.
Original Story
The Sure Shot.1
It is not alone in Bohemia’s mountainous regions that the romantic characters are found which form the basis of Weber’s immortal fictions. Similar traditions are current in many lands, especially in ours, one of which we will now relate.
In the artless fancy of the peasantry the means of acquiring the power of unerring aim are many, the most usual by compact with the Fairies or Wood Nymphs. While the compact lasts the possessor, sitting at his hut door, needs only to wish, and the game of his choice springs into view, and within range of his never-failing gun. Such a compact, however, invariably ends in the destruction of the hunter.
Many years ago there was a watchman up in the Göinge regions, a wild fellow, who, one evening, while drinking with his neighbors, more tipsy and more talkative as the hour grew late, boasted loudly of his marksmanship, and offered to wager that, with his trusty gun, he could give them such an exhibition of skill as they had never before seen.
“There goes, as I speak,” said he, “a roe on Halland’s Mountains.”
His companions laughed at him, not believing that he could know what was transpiring at a distance of several miles, which was the least that lay between them and the spot indicated.
“I will wager you that I need go no farther than the door to shoot him for you,” persevered the watchman in defiant tones.
“Nonsense!” said the others.
“Come, will you wager something worth the while? Say two cans of ale.”
“Done! Two cans of ale, it shall be.” And the company betook themselves to the yard in front of the hut.
It was a frosty autumn evening. The wind chased the clouds over the sky, and the half moon cast fitful reflections through the breaks over the neighborhood. In a few minutes a something was seen moving rapidly along the edge of a thicket on the farther side of a little glade. The watchman threw his gun carelessly to his shoulder and fired. A derisive laugh was echo to the report. No mortal, thought they, in such uncertain light and at such a distance, could shoot a deer in flight.
The watchman, certain of his game, hastened across the glade, followed by his companions, to whom the event meant, at least, two cans of ale.
It would not be easy to picture the surprise of the doubters, when, upon arriving at the thicket, they discovered, lying upon the ground, bathed in foam and his tongue hanging from his mouth, a magnificent stag, pierced through the heart by the deadly bullet, his life blood fast coloring his bed of autumn leaves a brighter hue.
What unseen power has brought this poor animal from Halland’s Mountains in a bare half hour? Such were the thoughts of the watchman’s companions as they retired in silence to the hut.
The watchman received his two cans of ale, but no one seemed inclined to join him in disposing of them. They now understood with what sort of a man they were having to do. It was evident to them that the watchman was in league with the Evil One himself, and they henceforth guarded themselves carefully against companionship with him after dark.
Story DNA
Moral
Seeking unnatural power, even for boastful gain, leads to isolation and a pact with evil.
Plot Summary
A wild watchman boasts of his impossible marksmanship and wagers his companions he can shoot a distant roe from his hut door. Despite their disbelief, he fires into the night, and they later discover a magnificent stag, shot through the heart, confirming his supernatural feat. Though he wins the wager, his companions, now convinced he is in league with the Evil One, become fearful and shun him, leaving him isolated despite his power.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to isolation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common Scandinavian folklore themes of supernatural bargains and the dangers of seeking power outside natural means, often associated with the Devil or other malevolent spirits.
Plot Beats (11)
- The narrator introduces the concept of acquiring unerring aim through pacts with supernatural beings, which always end in the hunter's destruction.
- A wild watchman in the Göinge regions boasts of his marksmanship to his drinking companions.
- He wagers two cans of ale that he can shoot a roe from Halland's Mountains from his hut door.
- His companions laugh, disbelieving his claim of such distant knowledge and skill.
- They agree to the wager and go outside on a frosty autumn evening.
- A creature is seen moving rapidly at the edge of a thicket, and the watchman fires his gun.
- His companions laugh derisively, convinced he couldn't have hit anything in such conditions.
- The watchman, confident, leads them across the glade to retrieve his game.
- To their shock, they find a magnificent stag, dead from a single shot to the heart.
- The companions realize the watchman's impossible feat could only be due to a pact with the Evil One.
- The watchman receives his ale, but his companions are now too unnerved to drink with him and begin to shun him.
Characters
The Watchman ★ protagonist
A man of sturdy, perhaps slightly unkempt, build, typical of a rural watchman in the Göinge regions of Sweden during an unspecified historical period, likely 18th-19th century. His face is weathered from outdoor life, with a ruddy complexion from drink and exposure. He carries himself with a swagger when boasting, but with focused intensity when aiming his gun.
Attire: Practical, heavy woolen clothing suitable for a watchman in a cold, mountainous region. This would include a thick, dark wool tunic or jacket, sturdy linen shirt, wool breeches, and heavy leather boots. His clothes might show signs of wear and tear, but are functional.
Wants: To prove his exceptional skill as a marksman and gain admiration, or at least respect, from his peers. He enjoys the thrill of demonstrating his power.
Flaw: His pride and recklessness. His desire to show off leads him to reveal his dark compact, isolating him from his community.
He begins as a respected, if wild, member of the community. Through his actions, he reveals his dark secret and becomes feared and isolated, losing the companionship he once had.
Boastful, defiant, confident, reckless, isolated.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sturdy adult man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a broad, ruddy face with a short, untidy dark beard and sharp, confident eyes. His dark hair is practical and somewhat disheveled. He wears a thick, dark forest-green wool tunic, a cream linen shirt underneath, sturdy brown wool breeches, and heavy, scuffed leather boots. He holds a long, dark iron hunting gun casually over his shoulder. He has a defiant, slightly boastful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Neighbors ◆ supporting
A group of rural men, likely farmers or laborers from the Göinge regions of Sweden, with varied builds but generally sturdy from physical work. Their faces are weathered from outdoor life.
Attire: Practical, rustic clothing typical of Swedish peasantry in the 18th-19th century: woolen tunics, linen shirts, breeches, and sturdy boots, in muted earth tones like browns, greys, and dark blues.
Wants: To enjoy an evening of drink and camaraderie; to witness a spectacle; to win a wager.
Flaw: Their superstition and fear of the unknown, which leads them to ostracize the Watchman.
They begin as skeptical friends, become astonished witnesses, and end as fearful ostracizers of the Watchman, understanding the dark nature of his power.
Skeptical, jovial (initially), easily surprised, fearful, superstitious.
Image Prompt & Upload
A group of three adult men standing, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. They have weathered faces, practical short hair, and some have beards or stubble. They wear practical woolen tunics in muted earth tones, linen shirts, wool breeches, and sturdy leather boots. One man wears a dark brown tunic, another a grey, and the third a dark blue. They stand with expressions of shock and fear, some with mouths slightly agape. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Magnificent Stag ○ minor
A large, powerful male deer with a majestic rack of antlers. Its coat is a rich reddish-brown, typical of a European red deer, with strong, muscular legs. It is described as 'magnificent'.
Attire: None.
Wants: Survival, natural instinct.
Flaw: Vulnerability to supernatural hunting powers.
Appears briefly as a living creature, then becomes the proof of the Watchman's dark compact through its sudden, inexplicable death.
Wild, majestic, innocent victim.
Image Prompt & Upload
A magnificent adult male red deer lying dead on a bed of autumn leaves, full body visible from head to toe. It has a rich reddish-brown coat, large dark eyes, and a majestic rack of antlers. Its tongue hangs slightly from its mouth, and a small patch of darker red (blood) stains the leaves beneath its chest. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Watchman's Hut Interior
A rustic, simple dwelling typical of Swedish peasantry, likely constructed of timber with a low ceiling and a central hearth. The air would be warm from a fire, filled with the scent of woodsmoke and ale.
Mood: Boisterous and convivial at first, transitioning to tense and silent.
The watchman boasts of his marksmanship and makes a wager with his neighbors.
Image Prompt & Upload
A warm, dimly lit interior of a traditional Swedish peasant hut (torp). Rough-hewn timber walls are visible, with a small, crackling fire in a stone hearth casting flickering light on a sturdy wooden table laden with clay tankards. Shadows dance in the corners of the low-ceilinged room, revealing simple, functional furnishings. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Hut Yard and Glade Edge
The immediate outdoor area in front of the watchman's hut, leading to a small, open clearing (glade) bordered by a dense thicket. The ground is likely uneven, possibly covered in sparse, frost-hardened grass and fallen autumn leaves. The air is cold and crisp.
Mood: Chilly, expectant, then disbelieving and eerie.
The watchman fires his gun at a deer that appears at the edge of the thicket, seemingly from miles away.
Image Prompt & Upload
A frosty autumn evening scene in rural Sweden. The immediate foreground shows the rough, unkempt yard in front of a simple, dark timber peasant hut, with sparse, frost-hardened grass and scattered fallen leaves. Beyond, a small, open glade stretches towards a dense, dark thicket of pine and birch trees. A half moon, partially obscured by fast-moving clouds, casts fitful, pale light across the scene, highlighting the wind-blown branches. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Thicket Edge in the Glade
The specific spot at the far side of the small glade, where the dense thicket begins. The ground here is covered in a thick layer of autumn leaves, now stained with blood. The vegetation is dense, likely a mix of young pines, birches, and undergrowth, providing good cover.
Mood: Shocking, supernatural, unsettling.
The companions discover the dead stag, confirming the watchman's impossible shot and his pact with dark forces.
Image Prompt & Upload
A close-up view of the edge of a dense, dark thicket in a frosty Swedish glade during an autumn night. The ground is thickly carpeted with fallen leaves in shades of deep red, rust, and golden brown, now stained a vivid crimson. Tangled undergrowth and the lower branches of pine and birch trees form a dark backdrop. The pale, cold moonlight filters through the sparse canopy, casting long, eerie shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
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