Of the Ravens of Time

1. There are many strange plants and animals that were, and many strange plants and animals that will be. There are many strange plants and animals out there amongst us now, and we may see them with our own eyes and know them. But there are many strange plants and animals that were and will be and maybe even that are which we may never see. Why? We are not sure. But we are sure that they must be, for why else would we know of them? Such plants and animals are known here.
2. That is not true. The Green Queen knows of all these plants and all these animals, but She does not know why some of these plants and some of these animals are not known to us. No, that is not true. But it is ungood to say that. It will not bring you Her love to say it, so do not. She knows why this is, of course, but She does not like it. Do not ask Her: “O Wild Queen, mistress of these woods and She who is beloved by all that grows, why are there birds and beasts and plants which You know and I will never see?” For this question fills Her with rage, or is it sorrow?—that none know for certain. For in fact, She is not beloved by all which grows, though we tell Her that of politeness that She might not be made angry. For all the plants and all the animals, strange and not strange at all, love the Green Queen but one. There is but one creature of all the creatures that will ever be or have been or are still now who does not love the Green Queen, and that is Wid.
3. Wid is one of the three Sacred Ravens, which you know and love. The other two are Wisse and Witta. When the Mother cast the Father down from heaven unto the Werld and severed him forever from the above, She castrated him with lightning-sword, severing his member, which fell below to the Werld in three parts. This you know. And She sent down three ravens to gobble them up as he crawled about the Werld pathetically, pitifully, looking for his lost member that he might restore himself, and the three ravens swallowed up his penis and his two testicles before he could find them, and in so doing, they suddenly awoke with consciousness.
4. This is why so many birds are so smart and thoughtful and seem to know all: because these three ate this gift of the divine and then began to teach the other birds to think. Some of the other birds, those who do not sing so much, listened with respect, and this is why the corbies are so wise and the songbirds are so foolish. The songbirds would not listen to the ravens, but instead flew about and sang pretty songs to their vanity all day and so are not very wise. Some birds, who do not sing so much did not much listen to the ravens, for the ravens are not beautiful. This is why the swans and peacocks are not so wise, because they love beautiful things, and thus do not love the ravens and did not listen to them and so are not very wise. The parrots listened, though, for while they are beautiful, unlike the preening swans they do not value beauty above all things, and so listened well to the ravens and the two are good friends. This you know, though you do not know which raven ate which member, for no one knows that for certain. None can say that for certain, and any who say they know does not truthfully know and so are lying, for only the Mother could know this. Do not be the liar who claims to be clever, for when you die and stand before the Black Queen, will you still feel so clever then?
5. But these three ravens, whose names are Wid, Wisse, and Witta, which you know, flew back up to the Mother and told Her of what they did, and She was well delighted and thanked them for their service and gave them a gift: these three ravens will live forever on and always will, so long as they eat time. And thus they eat time up gluttonously, every day and night they scour the Werld looking for time, which they consume. The three agreed to divide up all time amongst themselves, so each may have an equal portion. And so Wid eats up all the present time, and Wisse eats up all the time that passed, and Witta eats up all the time that has yet to come. You know this, and know that they eat all the time, though maybe you forgot which eats what.
6. Wid and Wisse and Witta are good friends of the Black Queen, and She will hale them every day when the Sun prepares for bed and beautiful Night enjoins Her chamber in the Hall of Starry Skies, and She asks of them everything they have seen since She last saw them, and they will whisper into Her divine ears all which they have seen. And this is how the Black Queen knows all the fates of men and women and birds and beasts and living things and things which do not live but still change with time, because the ravens saw them while they scoured the Werld consuming the hours and told the Black Queen. You know that the Black Queen knows this.
7. All know that every bird and beast but one love the Green Queen, and of all the birds and beasts, the only one that does not love the Green Queen is a single bird, and that bird is Wid, which you now know. But no one knows why Wid does not love the Green Queen, not even the Green Queen, for Wid will not tell Her why. O! this fills the Green Queen with such rage—or is it sorrow?—for Wisse and Witta will come to the Green Queen and tell Her of all the many strange plants and animals that were and will be, and She knows when they were and when they will be, but Wid will not tell Her which strange plants and animals are now, so the Green Queen does not know why some strange plants and animals can be known to us, but we will never see them. Wid will not tell Her where they are now, so She can never guide all the animals. For the Green Queen guides all things which live into the Werld—and so they are born—and the Green Queen guides all things which die out of the Werld into the next—and so they die—but She does not guide them while they are here in the Werld, and so all things which live must live on their own accord, without Her. And so we have free will, for the Green Queen may not guide us. And this fills the Green Queen with rage—or is it sorrow?—but what is done is done and nothing may ever change this. And so there are strange birds and beasts and plants in the Werld that you and I will never see, because the Green Queen cannot guide them to us. So it is, and so we must accept this, for some things might never change.
8. And this gnashes at the Green Queen's heart, and fills Her with a great rage—or is it sorrow?—and every time She see Wid, She chases after Wid swiftly and throws rocks at Wid and shoots at Wid with arrows, but Wisse and Witta come down to Her and plead with Her, “No, my Queen! We beg you not to harm Wid! For we love Wid so dearly, though Wid loves You not.” And it is out of love for Wisse and Witta that the Wild Queen calms down and watches Wid fly away, cawing and laughing at the Green Queen, never telling Her why Wid hates Her. And that is the only living thing among all the birds and beasts and brambles, both strange and not strange, in all the Werld that does not love the Green Queen. This you now know.
9. Wassail.