North in Alaska - Holloween and the Little People

Well Mr. Sam was right. 

At 5:30 in the morning we received our first trick-or-treats.  The only thing odd, other than the time, was there were no children with the elderly couple at our door.  We asked them in, offered them tea, and trying to be polite, asked them if they would like some home made biscuits.  They agreed to both.  A half our later another couple arrived but again with no children in tow.   They knew our guests and in fact they were related some how we eventually figured out.  They were invited for tea and biscuits also.   Ten minuets after that three elderly ladies came to the door.  Well the morning went on like that for the next three hours and at one time I counted 20 people in our little cabin drinking our years supply of tea, eating biscuits hurriedly made by Bev but still no children.  Around 10:00 A.M.  Some one decided to take a nap on the floor near the fire place and the others soon followed. 

Bev and I left everyone where they were and went out side to discuss what to do.  I was sure when they woke up from their nap they would want lunch and if the rest of the day was going to go like the morning we would have to result in using the gun and ammo we were left and become real subsistence livers in the north.  Right about then I finally got to meet Big Bear Sam.  He came strolling up out from between the trees and greeted me with a big bear hug like we were long lost friends.  He did the same to Bev but it was understandable I guess because he had met her yesterday.

He immediately told us not to worry that everyone would be leaving before noon.  It was like he had read our minds.  He told us not to worry about the tea there would be more coming in a couple of days and not to judge the elderly to hard for going to sleep on the floor.  Most of them had gotten up very early to make the trip and needed their rest before returning home insuring they would get there before night fall.  "The little people you know."

I was about to follow up on this little people business when he said that there would not be many children come by this year so we could be very liberal with the candy.  He said he would be back.  I turned and looked at Bev and then turned back to ask Mr. Sam about the little people and he had apparently faded back into the woods.

Around noon the elders started to come out of their nap and one by one they thanked us for our hospitality and went back to where ever their homes were.  Around one that afternoon families with children started showing up and we dutifully gave the kids a lot of candy and the parents tea, but they refused biscuits.  By four o'clock everyone who was going to come had we were told by the last departing guest.

Bev and I were worn out due to all the visitors and sat on the porch and watched the sun go down over the mountains on the other side of the lake.  We ate dinner and while we were watching a DVD a knock came to the door.  I got up to answer it and when I opened it Mr. Sam stood their with a frown on his face.  I asked him if anything was the matter.  He said I should not have answered the door, it could have been the little people.  After inviting him in for tea and some biscuits I finally had him cornered to ask what this little people thing was about.

He said the little people were sort of like what I might think of as leprechauns but much meaner and tougher.  They would scout out people who were out late at night on Halloween and kidnap them and take them back to their hide a way over  the mountains.  They made slaves out of the ones whom they captured and once one was taken over the mountain they were never heard from again. 

I did not believe him of course but he seem to believe what I considered a myth.  I asked him why he was able to run around at night with out fear and he said it was because he was a Shaman and the little people dared not touch him.  He left but not before me promising him that I would not open the door the rest of the night for any reason what so ever.  I told him I wouldn't and for him not to worry.  I turned to Bev and winked and when I turned back, Mr. Sam was gone.

About midnight a knock at the door woke me from a sound sleep.  I started to get up and answer it but then thought to myself that the Robert W. Service poem stating there were strange things done in the midnight sun might just have some merit so I rolled back over and went to sleep.  Who was I to challenge a ten thousand year old legend.  After all I did believe in leprechauns.