The Great Marsh
Just before dawn till sunrise.
Rhayader
He lives in an old lighthouse on the Essex
marshes, caring for the wild birds. Rhayader
He lives in an old lighthouse on the Essex
marshes, caring for the wild birds.
Rhayader Goes To Town
The townsfolk react coldly towards
Rhayader because of his odd appearance.
But their fear is mixed with curiosity for he
has a noble bearing.
Sanctuary
The Snow Goose swept off course by a sea
storm just reaches the Essex coast. Fritha
finds her exhausted and wounded on the
beach and gently cradles her, for she has
heard that nearby lives a man who is a great
healer of birds.
Fritha
When she meets Rhayader she too is
fleftened, but her concern for the Snow
Goose overcomes her fear
The Snow Goose
Friendship
While the Snow Goose gradually gains
strength, tended to by Rhayader and visited
by Fritha, a strong bond of affection grows
between the three of them.
Migration
Rhayader Alone
With the departure of the Snow Goose,
Fritha no longer visits the lighthouse and
Rhayader is once more alone with the
melancholy sounds of the marshes.
The Flight Of The Snow Goose
One day high above the horizon appears the
familiar shape of the great white bird. Rhayader in
his joy sends for Fritha
Preparation
Rhayader gets ready to sail, together with the
small Armada of other boats to help in the
desperate rescue operation at Dunkirk.
Dunkirk
As Rhayader departs, leaving Fritha behind he
cannot prevent the Snow Goose following him
out across the channel and left into the heart of
battle.
Epitaph
Rhayader ferries many stranded soldiers to safety
until at last he is hit, and the Snow Goose is seen
circling low over the spot where the little boat has
gone down.
Fritha Alone
La Princesse Perdue
Fritha realizing somehow that Rhayader will not
return and is still looking out to sea when she
spies the Snow Goose. She is filled with a sweet
sadness as she follows her princess home in as if
to land only to fly away, out of sight lost forever.
The Great Marsh