The Blacksmith’s Problems | Once Upon a New Time

Once upon a time, there was a kind black smith named Cyrus. He always did whatever he could to help those around him. He fixed fences, he carried groceries, he even helped settle arguments. He was known for being reliable and always ready to help.

It had been a normal day for Cyrus, he was making horse shoes as he usually did. When a friend of his, Miranda, came into the blacksmith’s shop.

“Cyrus! How’re you today?” She greeted.

“I’m doing well, Miranda, how are you?” Cyrus replied, waving his gloved hand.

“Well, I have a bit of a problem,” she laughed awkwardly. “I can’t seem to find the reins for my horse, could you help me look?”

Cyrus glanced down at the horseshoe he was working on. He intended to make a good few sets today, leaving the smithy would mean he wouldn’t be able to do as much. But Miranda needed his help, and she was like family to him. It couldn’t hurt to help her for a bit, she needs me anyways. Cyrus sighed a bit and set down his horseshoe on the anvil.

“Of course I’ll help you, you can’t steer a cart without reins for your horse,” he smiled, removing his gloves.

The two walked to Miranda’s home, a humble cottage. Next to it was a small stable, it was big enough for one horse but not much else. Parked to the side of it was an old wooden cart.

The two of them searched high and low, the reins weren’t in the cart. They weren’t under the cart. They weren’t even in the stable. They looked everywhere they could, and they were nowhere. Miranda and Cyrus were about to give up when they decided to search through the hay. And to their surprise, the reins were there!

“I wonder how they ended up in there!” Miranda laughed.

“It sure is strange,” Cyrus smiled.

“Thank you for your help, Cyrus,” she smiled and gave him a quick hug.

“It’s no problem, Miranda,” he grinned and waved as he left Miranda’s home.

Cyrus returned to his smithy, it hadn’t been too long so he could still make some horseshoes. He banged his hammer against the hot metal, the clang echoing throughout the room. After only shaping two horseshoes, one of the local elderly people came into his shop.

Cyrus looked up from his anvil and called, “Robin, how can I help you?”

“Cyrus, sweetie,” Robin began, “I want to buy some groceries and I need some help carrying things home. Would you be a dear and help me?”

Cyrus looked from them to the anvil. He was tired from helping Miranda earlier, and he still had work to do. But Robin needed his help, and they were always so kind to him and everyone else. He could spare some more time to help them, Robin just needed help getting their groceries home.

“Cyrus! How’re you today?” She greeted.

“I’m doing well, Miranda, how are you?” Cyrus replied, waving his gloved hand.

“Well, I have a bit of a problem,” she laughed awkwardly. “I can’t seem to find the reins for my horse, could you help me look?”

“Of course I’ll help you, you can’t steer a cart without reins for your horse,” he smiled, removing his gloves.

The two walked to Miranda’s home, a humble cottage. Next to it was a small stable, it was big enough for one horse but not much else. Parked to the side of it was an old wooden cart.

“I wonder how they ended up in there!” Miranda laughed.

“It sure is strange,” Cyrus smiled.

“Thank you for your help, Cyrus,” she smiled and gave him a quick hug.

“It’s no problem, Miranda,” he grinned and waved as he left Miranda’s home.

Cyrus looked up from his anvil and called, “Robin, how can I help you?”

“Cyrus, sweetie,” Robin began, “I want to buy some groceries and I need some help carrying things home. Would you be a dear and help me?”

“Cyrus! How’re you today?” She greeted.

“I’m doing well, Miranda, how are you?” Cyrus replied, waving his gloved hand.

“Well, I have a bit of a problem,” she laughed awkwardly. “I can’t seem to find the reins for my horse, could you help me look?”

“Of course I’ll help you, you can’t steer a cart without reins for your horse,” he smiled, removing his gloves.

The two walked to Miranda’s home, a humble cottage. Next to it was a small stable, it was big enough for one horse but not much else. Parked to the side of it was an old wooden cart.

“I wonder how they ended up in there!” Miranda laughed.

“It sure is strange,” Cyrus smiled.

“Thank you for your help, Cyrus,” she smiled and gave him a quick hug.

“It’s no problem, Miranda,” he grinned and waved as he left Miranda’s home.

Cyrus looked up from his anvil and called, “Robin, how can I help you?”

“Cyrus, sweetie,” Robin began, “I want to buy some groceries and I need some help carrying things home. Would you be a dear and help me?”

“Of course, let’s go,” he said, setting down his hammer.

So Cyrus followed Robin throughout the market, helping them carry things along the way. They walked through the markets chatting, Cyrus’s arms getting fuller the more time went on. By the time the sun was high in the sky they had finished and had returned the groceries to Robin’s home.

“Oh thank you, Cyrus, you are such a dear!” Robin smiled gratefully.

“It’s really no problem,” he laughed a bit. “I should be going.”

“Of course, let’s go,” he said, setting down his hammer.

“Oh thank you, Cyrus, you are such a dear!” Robin smiled gratefully.

“Of course, let’s go,” he said, setting down his hammer.

So Cyrus followed Robin throughout the market, helping them carry things along the way.

“It’s really no problem,” he laughed a bit. “I should be going.”

“Of course sweetie, thank you again!” they waved as Cyrus left.

Cyrus walked back to his smithy, his shoulders slumped. He still had work to do but he felt so drained. He could probably make another set of horseshoes at least but all he wanted to do was lie in bed.

Yet Cyrus picked up his hammer and tiredly went back to work. He worked away and when he had finished only two more horseshoes, someone walked into his smithy, Michael, the librarian.

“Cyrus, it’s good to see you my friend,” he began, Cyrus gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement. “I truly hate to bother you but some of my bookshelves have completely broken! I figured since you’re a blacksmith you may be able to assist me?”

Cyrus’s grip on his hammer loosened, he didn’t want to let down Michael, he was also nice and good at his job. And how would people get their books if the shelves were broken? But his arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. His eyes kept drooping, and the last thing he wanted to do was help another person. He hadn’t even finished all his work.

He sighed, tightening his grip on his hammer. “Of course I’ll help you, Micheal, let’s go.”

So he and Michael walked to the library, where Cyrus saw 3 piles of wood and fallen books. “How did this happen?” he asked.

“It’s a long story, but to put it simply, I do not allow marbles in the library anymore,” Michael answered with a sigh.

They walked through the markets chatting, Cyrus’s arms getting fuller the more time went on. By the time the sun was high in the sky they had finished and had returned the groceries to Robin’s home.

“Oh thank you, Cyrus, you are such a dear!” Robin smiled gratefully.

“It’s really no problem,” he laughed a bit. “I should be going.”

“Of course sweetie, thank you again!” they waved as Cyrus left.

Yet Cyrus picked up his hammer and tiredly went back to work. He worked away and when he had finished only two more horseshoes, someone walked into his smithy, Michael, the librarian.

He sighed, tightening his grip on his hammer. “Of course I’ll help you, Michael, let’s go.”

So he and Michael walked to the library, where Cyrus saw 3 piles of wood and fallen books. “How did this happen?” he asked.

“It’s a long story, but to put it simply, I do not allow marbles in the library anymore,” Michael answered with a sigh.

So the two of them gathered the wood and the books. While Cyrus began to rebuild the shelves, Michael sorted the books.

“Of course sweetie, thank you again!” they waved as Cyrus left.

Yet Cyrus picked up his hammer and tiredly went back to work. He worked away and when he had finished only two more horseshoes, someone walked into his smithy, Michael, the librarian.

He sighed, tightening his grip on his hammer. “Of course I’ll help you, Michael, let’s go.”

So he and Michael walked to the library, where Cyrus saw 3 piles of wood and fallen books. “How did this happen?” he asked.

“It’s a long story, but to put it simply, I do not allow marbles in the library anymore,” Michael answered with a sigh.

So the two of them gathered the wood and the books. While Cyrus began to rebuild the shelves, Michael sorted the books. A few hours later, all the shelves had been remade, and their books put back to their rightful places. The sun was beginning to set by the time they had finished.

“Thank you so much Cyrus, I don’t know what I’d have done without you,” Michael smiled.

“Thank you so much Cyrus, I don’t know what I’d have done without you,” Michael smiled.

A few hours later, all the shelves had been remade, and their books put back to their rightful places. The sun was beginning to set by the time they had finished.

“It’s no problem, I’m glad I could help,” he said with a forced smile.

Cyrus managed to make it back to his smithy, it wasn’t dark outside, he could still get a little work done. But the idea of doing anything else that day seemed impossible. He set down his hammer, closed his shop, and went home.

Once he arrived home the first thing he did was slump down in his chair at the dining room table. He hadn’t noticed his little sister, Iris, sitting at the table reading. She glanced towards him.

“You look like you’ve been chasing a wagon all day,” Iris commented in concern.

“I sure feel like I had,” Cyrus responded.

“How was the smithy?” She asked.

“The same as always, I didn’t get much made today,” He sighed.

“What happened?”

“A few townsfolk needed my help.”

“It’s no problem, I’m glad I could help,” he said with a forced smile.

Once he arrived home the first thing he did was slump down in his chair at the dining room table. He hadn’t noticed his little sister, Iris, sitting at the table reading. She glanced towards him.

“You look like you’ve been chasing a wagon all day,” Iris commented in concern.

“I sure feel like I had,” Cyrus replied.

“How was the smithy?” She asked.

“The same as always, I didn’t get much made today,” He sighed.

“What happened?”

“A few townsfolk needed my help.”

“It’s no problem, I’m glad I could help,” he said with a forced smile.

Once he arrived home the first thing he did was slump down in his chair at the dining room table. He hadn’t noticed his little sister, Iris, sitting at the table reading. She glanced towards him.

“You look like you’ve been chasing a wagon all day,” Iris commented in concern.

“I sure feel like I had,” Cyrus responded.

“How was the smithy?” She asked.

“The same as always, I didn’t get much made today,” He sighed.

“What happened?”

“A few townsfolk needed my help.”

Iris sighed, setting down her book, “You always seem to do this.”

“What do you mean?” He looked towards her.

Iris sighed, setting down her book, “You always seem to do this.”

“What do you mean?” He looked towards her.

“It’s great that you want to help people, brother, it is, but you always put their needs ahead of your own and your work. You tire yourself out and you still don’t take breaks. You let others walk all over you,” she explained.

“But I love helping people, and the people of our town need me,” he reasoned.

“You may love it but I can see it slowly driving you mad, the town can survive one day without you helping them, you should take the day off tomorrow.”

Iris sighed, setting down her book, “You always seem to do this.”

“What do you mean?” He looked towards her.

“It’s great that you want to help people, brother, it is, but you always put their needs ahead of your own and your work.

You tire yourself out and you still don’t take breaks. You let others walk all over you,” she explained.

“But I love helping people, and the people of our town need me,” he reasoned.

“You may love it but I can see it slowly driving you mad, the town can survive one day without you helping them, you should take the day off tomorrow.”

“But I have several things I need to metalwork that I didn’t get done today.”

“Well then if someone asks for your help, simply say no.”

“No? But what if it’s important?”

“They can find someone else.”

“What if they never speak to me again?”

“That’s unlikely.”

“I’d be letting them down.”

“Perhaps, but it’s important to set boundaries and take care of yourself.”

Cyrus looked down to the table. It would be nice to not have to help someone all the time. In fact he’d welcome the break. He sighed, “I don’t know when you became so wise.”

Iris shrugged, “One of us needed to inherit some intelligence,” she grinned.

Cyrus laughed, “Some may wonder where you store that intelligence in such a small stature.”

Iris lightly pushed Cyrus’s shoulder, “You’re terrible,” she said with a light hearted smile.

The next day, Cyrus had to keep reminding himself of what his sister said. He opened the smithy, and began to work. He decided to make silverware that day. He hit his hammer against the metal.

Robin came into the store, a basket in their arms and said, “Cyrus dear! I hate to be a bother again so soon, but I forgot a few things at the market, can you come with me?”