It wasnt always so.
There was a time when Iceland got as much sunshine in the winter as Spain.
Then a peculiar man named Jon Jonsson came along and changed everything.
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Jons parents knew he was special from an early age.
When she returned with them under her arm, the room was dark.
Carefully, she pried his fingers open.
There was a blinding flash.
In an instant the room was filled with sunlight.
Jon woke up, groggy and blinking.
Jon, dear, said his alarmed mother, what did you do?
Though Jons parents found this amazing, his ability didnt change their lives.
The family trade was shoe making, and they lived comfortably enough.
What good could taking sunlight from the air do them?
Impressive though it was, his ability didnt seem to have a practical tool.
Jon Jonssons parents died when he was still a young man.
A sickness swept through their valley and took them very suddenly.
After months of fruitless protest, he found himself homeless and penniless.
Jon Jonsson spent the next few years drifting from place to place, finding work where he could.
He didnt make friends easily or stay in one place long.
He was as curmudgeonly and disagreeable as an old hermit.
One day he was working with a road gang clearing rocks from a lava field.
Are you Jon Jonsson?
I am, Jon said.
And who might you be?
My name is Tyr, and I have a gift for you.
And why would you give me a gift?
Ive never met you before.
Never mind that, Tyr said.
From behind his back he produced a small, black box made of obsidian.
Its yours if you want it.
I have only one condition….
