Work Text:
With a gentle clasp of his hands, Caleb sweetly concludes a bedtime tale he was telling to his brother.
"... And they all lived happily ever after," the elder said, smiling down at Philip.
The brunette lets out a giggle at the story as he snuggled his little body beneath his warm blanket.
He was completely comfortable.
"Tell me another one, Caleb!" Philip eagerly requested, giddily kicking his feet.
"Another story?" Caleb asked with a chuckle as he closed his eyes.
"Let's see...," he hummed softly, trying to think up a tale for Philip.
Once he carefully crafted one in his mind, Caleb opened his eyes.
"This tale...," the blonde gradually began, excitement building up in Philip as his brother continued.
"Is the tale of Saint Patrick, the strongest saint to ever live!" Caleb exclaimed, his voice brimming with heroism.
A gutsy grin then appeared on his face.
Philip's eyes were already in a glistening state by Caleb's tone as the elder began to narrate.
He told a captivating tale about a young, red-headed man named Patrick, who was given great strength by God and tasked with driving out all the snakes who invaded Ireland.
Patrick was deemed a saint by the end for his heroic act, which led to his name being changed to Saint Patrick.
Philip was completely enthralled by his brother's story as the heroic image of Saint Patrick sprouted in his little mind.
He aspired to become a hero like him.
The next day, Philip goes into the woods and gathers every snake he can find, placing them into a brown sack.
Upon returning to the vicinity of the other homes, he releases the snakes, and they start to slither their way toward the houses.
His aim was to drive out witches who might be hiding inside any of the homes, as he believed witches were quite fearful of snakes.
Of course, things do not go according to plan, and as soon as a squeal emanates from one house, choas ensues as others begin to scream.
...
Following the catastrophe, Caleb, who was holding Philip's hand, makes his way toward a house.
The eldest was required to go door-to-door and apologize for his brother's behavior.