Michael Scott & The White Snake

Michael Scott was a legendary Borders wizard, said to have cleaved the Eildon Hill into three. He wasn’t born with his gifts though. In his younger days he was just an ordinary man until one life changing experience.

One day he was making the long journey north to Edinburgh with two of his friends. Just as they crested a hill, a loud hiss came from behind. A great white serpent was snaking up towards them, ready to attack. Just as the creature sprang forward, Michael struck down twice with his walking staff.

Shaken but relieved, they left the snake in three pieces on the hill and carried on their way. Before long it was getting dark and the friends spotted a cottage where they could rest for the night. An old lady answered, agreeing to let them stay for a small fee. Before long, the travellers were retelling their earlier encounter.

Their host was incredibly interested in the white serpent. She told the group of friends that it was no ordinary beast, people thought it had been defeated once before. If the head crawls to the nearest stream, then it will become whole again and hunt Michael down for revenge. The only way to stop it would be to go out into the darkness and bring the middle section back to her.

Michael’s friends wanted nothing to do with it, so he put on his cloak and headed out alone. Eventually he made it to the hill where they had faced the snake and true enough, the head had disappeared. He ran as fast as he could back to the old lady’s cottage with the middle section in his hand.

She was waiting at the door with a look of excitement on her face. Michael was a little confused when she took the serpent’s body and dropped it into a pot over the fireplace. The old lady explained it was the only way to destroy it and anyway, she wouldn’t turn down a free meal.

With a shrug, Michael settled down in a chair to warm himself by the fire. His host asked him to keep an eye on things and let her know when the meal was cooked. Under no circumstances was he to interfere with the pot.

Before long, the smell of the meat cooking made Michael’s stomach growl. He decided that he would just dip his finger into the juices for a quick taste. As soon as the liquid touched his lips, Michael dropped the lid of the pot to the floor. He could feel power he had never thought existed. Simply by wishing it, his hunger had gone and his tired legs were recovered.

The old woman ran through and as soon as she saw the wonder in Michael’s eyes, she knew what had happened. She conceded he deserved the power since he had defeated the white snake. Michael never forgot about that old lady though. She would never want for anything ever again thanks to the power of Michael Scott the Borders Wizard.