The 3 trials of Nop, the little Sotê

Once upon a time, there was a young Sotê, about 170 years old, no taller than three apples. Under his red cap, his large pointed ears framed a mischievous face with a prominent nose and an infectious smile. Young, still beardless, but already very lazy. He wasn't good for much! While his brothers spent their nights repairing shoes, mending clothes, sharpening the villagers' axes, sewing and weaving for the peasant women, he slept! He was easy to find because he snored curled up against a sack of flour. When morning came, he feasted on the offerings left by the farmers. He also liked to play harmless pranks on the villagers, just enough to make them laugh a little into the beards they did not yet have.

On 31 December 1700, a Friday, a thick layer of snow hardened by frost covered Calvary Hill. The moon lit the slope with a whitish glow. The fir trees stood motionless. Nothing disturbed the silence of the night.

However, beneath the hill, in the main hall of the dwarves' cave, Riwal, the king of the Sotês, had gathered his people. Sitting on his natural stone bench, leaning against the wall, he watched his subjects gathered in this hall, whose walls glistened where they were not covered by fine moss. The light from the torches made shadows dance on the schist walls.

Suddenly, he broke the silence: "Nop, enough is enough! Sleeping and eating are your favourite pastimes, not to mention the tricks you play. I have decided to banish you until you have passed three tests. Wingmouse, the royal bat, will watch over you and relay my orders. Pack your things, you will leave at dawn on Monday."

Nop now feels fear creeping up on him. He doesn't want to celebrate New Year's Eve with his friends. He is worried and, incredibly, cannot sleep.

At dawn on Monday, at the entrance to the cave, Noctua announced the first trial. ‘Riwal gives you this twisted broom, a symbol of your jokes. Each strand of broom represents one of your foolish deeds. If you want to regain your place among us, you must remove each strand between sunrise and sunset. If you fail, the strand will return to its place and you will have to start all over again for that day.’

Sotê arrived in Meiz at the home of Henri Jacob, an elderly bachelor farmer. He remembered that he had hidden the old miser's gold coins in the ash bucket. He approached cautiously, but the dog sensed his presence and barked loudly. Nop was afraid, hid in a bush, caught his breath, and repeated the operation ten times before managing to put the gold back in the chest. He went from village to village, from house to house. After a year of effort, only the broomstick remained.

Noctua reappears. "It took you long enough! Here is the second test. It will last until the beginning of next winter. You will eat only what your heart has earned, not what your hand has stolen. You will do good deeds anonymously. When a widow does not know how to plough, you will help her; when a woman does not know how to gather dead wood, you will relieve her; when a man's clogs need repairing, you will do it..." The outcast tells himself that work in the city will be less hard and that the city dwellers will be generous. Unfortunately, a terrible famine struck the region and, despite his efforts, Nop did not have enough to eat every day. He was forced to feed on berries, mushrooms, fruits and tubers. He became a vegetarian because he was not good at hunting or fishing.

On 21 December, looking up, he saw Noctua in the sky. "Go to Fagne, walk to the old oak tree, the Tchân as Tchân. At its foot, you will find a puddle of water where the moon is reflected. If you manage to bring back the reflection without breaking or extinguishing it, the king will end your banishment."

Nop walked for a long time in the soggy moor. Around him, the mist gradually thickened. Each step sank into the black peat. He fell, got up, and set off again. The cries of nocturnal birds echoed and in the distance, wolves howled. His heart was pounding, fear knotted his stomach, but he continued to advance towards the old tree. At its foot, a puddle glistened. The wind had died down and the mist had lifted. In the clear water, he saw the moon, bent down, scooped up a handful of icy water in his hands and bravely set off towards the cave where King Riwal was waiting for him. "You have made amends for your mistakes, you have fed yourself without stealing, you have conquered your fear, the cold and the night. The fool you once were has remained in the Fagne. You are welcome among us, and to celebrate our reunion, we will gather in the city of Noël after the humans have left."

Dany Noël