Why Castle Flags Share Joy — Before the hill castle had flags on every tower, Tavian kept one silk ribbon folded inside his tunic. Read the full story →
Before the hill castle had flags on every tower, Tavian kept one silk ribbon folded inside his tunic. He wanted to tie it to the highest spire at dawn, where only the wind would see it shimmer. The stone steps felt cool under his hands as he climbed, and the sleepy castle smelled of rain, iron hinges, and bread warming in the ovens below.
At the gatehouse, the drawbridge chain gave a soft clink. Tavian peered behind the great arch, where no one ever looked except spiders, and found a nest of tiny silver bells wrapped in scraps of old banners. When the morning breeze slipped through, the scraps fluttered and the bells rang so gently that every window opened. Bakers, guards, stable children, and sleepy cats all looked up, smiling at once. “It’s too much joy for one tower,” Tavian whispered.
So he cut his ribbon into seven bright tails and tied one to each waiting pole. Ever since, castle flags are raised in bunches, not alone, because joy that rings from a hidden place must be shared with every tower; can you spot where the wind would tug the highest ribbon first?
