KEBEG
by Sophia Morrison · from Manx Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
There was a deep, deep pool. It was a very old pool. People said, "Be careful." It was very deep. It had no bottom. No one knew its end. Bushes grew around it. Tall trees hid it from sight. It was a dark, mysterious place. You must be careful there. Always be careful.
A girl lived near the deep pool. Her name was Lily. She was a kind girl. She loved her animals. One day, Lily looked for her calves. Her calves were lost. She walked far to find them.
Lily walked to the deep pool. She looked for her lost calf. Its name was Kebeg. Lily heard a small sound. It was a soft sound. She thought it was Kebeg. Kebeg was on the other side. She felt a little hope.
Lily called out. She called very loud. "Kebeg! Kebeg! Kebeg!" Her voice was strong. Her voice went across the valley. Far away, people heard her voice. "Kebeg! Kebeg! Kebeg!" she called again. She called with all her might. She wanted Kebeg to come. She waited for her calf.
Then a thick mist came. The mist rolled down the valley. It was a big mist. It was cold. It was hard to see. Lily could not see far. The mist hid the trees. It hid the ground. But her voice still went out. It cut through the mist.
Then a small voice answered. It was a sweet voice. It came from the mist. It came from the trees. "Kebeg's here! Kebeg's here!" the voice said. It sounded just like Kebeg. Lily felt very happy. She heard her calf. It was a kind sound. It made her smile.
Lily was very happy. She called back. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" she said. She walked to the sound. She walked to the mist. She walked quickly. She wanted to find Kebeg. She wanted to hug her calf. She missed her calf so much.
Lily went to the deep pool. The pool was very, very deep. It was dark. She went close to the edge. She went too close. She wanted to see Kebeg. The voice came from the pool. The pool was too deep. She could not come back. She was lost.
No one saw Lily near the pool again.
So, remember: be careful near deep places. Always stay safe.
Original Story
KEBEG
There is a deep dub, or pool, on Ballacoan stream, which the children of Laxey call Nikkesen’s. It is the home of Nyker, the Water Goblin. It has no bottom; and brambles and ferns are growing round it, and fir trees and hazels are hiding it from sight. No child, no grown-up person even, will go near it after dark.
A great many years ago a beautiful girl living at Ballaquine was sent to look for the calves, which had gone astray. She had got as far as Nikkesen’s, when she took a notion that she heard the calves over the river in Johnny Baldoon’s nuts. At once she began to call to them:
‘Kebeg! Kebeg! Kebeg!’ so loud that you could hear her at Chibber Pherick, Patrick’s Well. The people could hear her calling quite plainly, but, behold, a great mist came and rolled down the valley, and shut it from sight. The people on one side of the valley could hear her voice yet calling through the mist:
‘Kebeg! Kebeg! Kebeg!’
Then came a little sweet voice through the mist and the trees in answer:
‘Kebeg’s here! Kebeg’s here!’
And she cried:
‘I’m comin’! I’m comin’!’
And that was all.
The Fairies who live in Nikkesen’s had pulled her in, and carried her to their own home.
She was never heard of again.
Story DNA
Moral
Beware of venturing too close to dangerous, mysterious places, especially when calling out into the unknown.
Plot Summary
A beautiful girl is sent to find lost calves near Nikkesen's, a mysterious, bottomless pool home to the Water Goblin. She calls out for her calves, 'Kebeg!', and a great mist descends, followed by a sweet voice answering her call. The girl, responding to the voice, is pulled into the pool by the Fairies and is never seen again, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of the unknown.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to disappearance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Manx folklore is rich with tales of fairies and supernatural beings associated with specific natural features, often carrying cautionary messages about respecting these places.
Plot Beats (9)
- The story introduces Nikkesen's, a deep, bottomless pool on Ballacoan stream, known as the home of Nyker, the Water Goblin, and a place to be avoided after dark.
- A beautiful girl from Ballaquine is sent to find lost calves.
- She reaches Nikkesen's and believes she hears the calves across the river.
- She begins to call out loudly, 'Kebeg! Kebeg! Kebeg!', her voice echoing across the valley.
- A thick mist rolls down the valley, obscuring visibility but not her voice.
- A small, sweet voice from within the mist and trees answers, 'Kebeg's here! Kebeg's here!'
- The girl responds, 'I'm comin'! I'm comin'!'
- The Fairies, who live in Nikkesen's, pull her into the pool.
- The girl is never seen or heard from again.
Characters
Kebeg ★ protagonist
A beautiful young woman of average height and slender build, with the typical fair complexion and rosy cheeks of a Manx islander. Her movements are graceful and unburdened by heavy labor, suggesting a life of relative comfort.
Attire: A practical yet attractive dress made of sturdy linen or wool, likely in muted tones of blue, green, or brown, suitable for farm life but with some decorative stitching or a simple patterned apron. She would wear sturdy leather shoes or boots, appropriate for walking across fields.
Wants: To find the lost calves and bring them home, fulfilling her responsibility to her family.
Flaw: Her impulsiveness and perhaps a touch of naivety, leading her to venture too close to the dangerous pool and respond to the mysterious voice.
Her arc is tragic and abrupt; she is lured away and disappears, becoming a cautionary tale rather than undergoing personal growth.
Diligent, determined, somewhat impulsive, and caring (towards the calves). Her beauty suggests a gentle nature, but her loud calling shows a spirited side.
Image Prompt & Upload
A beautiful young woman of slender build and average height, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has an oval face, clear blue eyes, a small nose, and full lips. Her long, thick auburn hair is styled in a single braid down her back. She wears a practical, long-sleeved, muted green linen dress with a simple, cream-colored apron tied at the waist, and sturdy brown leather boots. Her mouth is open in a loud call, and her expression is one of determined searching. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Nyker, the Water Goblin ⚔ antagonist
Invisible or takes on an alluring form. As a water goblin, it likely has an ethereal, fluid quality, perhaps with eyes that glow faintly in the dark or a shimmering, indistinct outline. Its true form is never seen, but its presence is felt as a malevolent, ancient force.
Attire: None, as it is a spirit of the water. Its 'clothing' would be the mist and the water itself.
Wants: To lure humans into its watery domain, perhaps for companionship, sustenance, or simply out of its inherent nature as a dangerous water spirit.
Flaw: Not explicitly stated, but its power seems confined to its watery home and the surrounding mist.
Remains unchanged, a constant threat in the local folklore.
Deceptive, predatory, ancient, and patient. It uses allure and mimicry to trap its victims.
Image Prompt & Upload
A thick, swirling, supernatural mist with an ethereal, faint green glow, emanating from a dark, still pool surrounded by dense brambles and ferns. The mist takes on a vaguely humanoid shape, reaching out with an indistinct, shimmering arm. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Nikkesen's Dub (Pool)
A deep, bottomless pool on Ballacoan stream, hidden by dense brambles, ferns, fir trees, and hazel bushes. The water is dark and still, reflecting the surrounding foliage.
Mood: Eerie, mysterious, dangerous, secluded
The beautiful girl, searching for calves, is lured into the pool by the fairies.
Image Prompt & Upload
A secluded, dark pool of water, almost black, on a stream in a dense, overgrown Manx glen. The banks are steep and covered in tangled brambles and large, lush ferns. Overhanging fir trees and hazel bushes create a thick canopy, casting deep shadows and obscuring the sky. A thin, creeping mist begins to roll in, softening the edges of the foliage. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Ballacoan Valley
A valley through which the Ballacoan stream flows, with distant views of Chibber Pherick (Patrick's Well) and Johnny Baldoon's nuts (hazelnut grove). The valley is open enough for sounds to carry, but can quickly be enveloped by mist.
Mood: Foreboding, disorienting, isolated
The girl's calls echo through the valley, which is then consumed by a mysterious mist, isolating her.
Image Prompt & Upload
A wide, verdant Manx valley at dusk, with a winding stream visible in the foreground. Rolling hills rise on either side, dotted with scattered hazelnut groves and distant, traditional stone walls. A thick, ethereal mist is actively rolling down from the higher ground, beginning to obscure the valley floor and soften the outlines of the trees. The light is fading, casting a cool, muted palette over the landscape. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.