The Celebrated Jumping Boggan of Sussex County is a story told about King Albion.
Overview[]
While he was only a middling ruler (according to the sidhe) King Albion had a definite genius for staying in power by keeping three jumps ahead of all opposition. He managed by manipulation, subtly encouraging rivals to undermine one another rather than his own power. That's a tricky business, but Albion and his line did it for most of five centuries.
The story I like to tell concerns what I call the Celebrated Jumping Boggan of Sussex County.
King Albion had made it known that a courtier who sought his favor must undertake a task or competition. I believe Albion himself selected these tasks for maximum mischief, but he always claimed that his ministers determined them, which, of course, was a fine way to set the courtiers against the ministers, and the ministers against one another. Senior managers at major corporations use the same tactics today.
One day, two rival boggans in Albion's court asked the king to resolve a dispute concerning ownership of an Everfolding Box. Both held influence over powerful factions at court. The king wanted to look good to both leaders, but wanted neither to have the Treasure. He commanded the two boggans to engage in a jumping contest at noon the next day. Whoever could jump higher, the king said, would earn the box. You can understand the atmosphere and customs that prevailed at court when you hear that both boggans took this command perfectly seriously.
One boggan, Cedric Longelbow, was an honest fellow, at least, as courtiers go, and had fine athletic ability. He expected to win, if the contest went fairly. But Cedric knew that his rival, Devin Twelvefinger, was an Unseelie rascal, and at times a scoundrel. Devin had no jumping ability to speak of, so Cedric expected that Devin would try trickery.
The night before the contest, Cedric stayed up guarding his good leather boots, for fear that Devin would put an enchantment upon them and weigh Cedric down. Cedric also got all his boggan friends and relations to watch Devin's quarters closely. They listened for spells and sensed for Glamour. Nothing. The supposed rogue Devin sat alone in his chambers, read scrolls, went to bed and slept soundly.
What Cedric and the other boggans didn't realize was that the alleged "Devin" was an impostor: one of Devin's cronies, enchanted to look like Devin. Meanwhile, the real Devin was out at the tournament ground, casting a cantrip on the soil.
The next day at noon, Cedric was exhausted, yet still confident that he could beat any un-Glamoured jump Devin could make. All the court gathered to watch, and the high king entered with trumpets sounding and pennons flapping. He signaled for the contest to begin, and Cedric leaped high up in the air. Rather, he tried to leap, but the enchanted ground attracted him like a magnet. He hit the dirt like a meteor and broke both legs.
Meanwhile, Devin prepared his own leap, for which he had care fully rendered himself immune to his own Glamour. But when he jumped, Devin was astonished to discover that some unknown third agent had been at work with still another enchantment. When Devin jumped, he rose high, high in the air, so high he was lost in the clouds. People heard his screams of panic, but whether he ever came down, no one ever discovered. For all I know, he may he ready to fall any day now.
Even in his agony, Cedric tried to claim the box. But King Albion decreed that because both contestants had evidently used Glamour, the contest was void, and he himself claimed the box. Cedric and Devin's two factions immediately accused one another of duplicity, and the feud weakened both sides for a decade to come. Even then most people believed, as we believe today, that King Albion himself must have cast the cantrip that surprised Devin, and a brave few dared to raise the possibility then. To respond to the accusations, Albion tried and imprisoned a few hapless pooka whom he always kept around his court for just such occasions. That, too, is a technique you'll see among major corporate managers today.
References[]
- CTD. Isle of the Mighty, pp. 19-20.