"Små grodorna, är lustiga att se…" There is something surreal about pretending to be a little frog, hopping around a phallic maypole during Swedish Midsummer.
"The celebration is all about fertility," Maria giggled to herself as she hopped, combining her knowledge of Swedish history and biology from the folkhogskola where she was studying abroad for the summer.
"When frogs mate, one frog clasps the other in an embrace called amplexus," Maria recalled, "Occasionally, a courting behavior occurs but most frogs mate with anything that moves."
"That sums up tonight," Maria mused out loud just as the dance ended.
"What is summing tonight?" Rose asked, scrunching up her freckled face from the sun and tucking a wayward curl of fiery red hair behind her ear.
Maria laughed and hugged Rose. She had only known Rose for two weeks and already adored her. She was the first person Maria met when arriving in the sleepy Swedish fishing village. She was a student ambassador for the college and always smelled of cardamom and strong coffee.
"Oh Rose, I just know we're going to have some fun tonight."
"Did someone say fun?" A tan, tall fellow grabbed Rose by the waist and valiantly dipped her. He had long blond hair and Maria had seen him before, working in the kitchen at the folkhogskola.
"Hej, my name is Johan Strandberg, otherwise known as 'yes he beach mountain' in English." He reached out his muscular hand. His light blue eyes danced when he spoke and Maria had never met anyone with such thin lips.
"Jag heter Maria."
“Oh, so you do know some Swedish! And I bet this is your first midsummer?”
“Ja, it is,” Maria sighed quietly. She learned earlier in the day that Swedes loved to tell midsummer virgins that the maypole is a giant erect penis.
“Have you learned any of the songs we will be singing yet?”
"Not yet."
"You will catch on quick enough, especially when the drinking starts."
Johan leaned in to whisper to Maria, "You might think that the songs are folklore. Most are children's songs but we always end the dance with the 'Rocket' song that symbolizes ejaculation. Don't tell the kids though." He winked at her.
Maria suddenly felt two hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" She instantly got goosebumps smelling the sweet breath of her friend, Susie.
"Sorry we're late, we just got caught up in some things," Susie looked at her boyfriend Geoff, they were both suspiciously fuck flushed.
"I'm sure you got caught up in a lot of things."
Maria couldn't help but playfully chide Susie, she was the quintessential Swedish American; straight blond hair, light blue eyes, and very proud of her Swedish heritage. Her grandfather worked for the U.S. embassy in Stockholm, something Susie aspired to do someday.
Little did Susie know that she and Geoff had been helping Maria fall asleep every night for the past two weeks. Maria's dorm room was next to Susie's on the ground level. Everyone left their windows open at night and Maria could hear Geoff scurry between the honeysuckle bushes and slide through Susie's window. Soon after, she could hear muffled conversation, giggles, and gentle rocking.
Maria would lie on her bed, looking up into the twilight sky of the midnight sun, listening for Susie's sharp intake of breath. That was her cue to firmly squeeze her breasts and pull at her hard nipples. As Susie's soft vocalizations grew, Maria spread her legs, just barely sticking her finger in and circling her clit with her wetness.
Maria touched herself as she imagined Susie was being touched, adding more and more fingers as Susie's soft gasps turned into louder moans. Maria often orgasmed with Susie. Last night, Maria matched her vocalizations and couldn't hold back her moans and yells. She came so hard with them that she collapsed on her bed, fingers still inside her until she woke the next morning.
Susie grabbed Maria's hand for another circle dance. She hugged her as she whispered in her ear, "I won't tell if you don't. I heard you cum with me last night, you know."
Maria bit her lip just as Johan grabbed her other hand and twirled her around. "It's time for the Rocket dance and I want to dance with you."
The midsummer festivities were a communal whirl. The whole village danced, sang, drank, and ate together as the accordions and fiddles played well into the evening. There were long tables with ample kinds of pickled herring, firm potatoes sprinkled with dill, hardtack bread, caviar, farmer cheese, and fresh Swedish strawberries drenched in cream for dessert.
"A clear spirit to keep the bad spirits away," Johan handed Maria a shot of anise aquavit schnapps. "Has anyone ever taught you the correct way to skol?"
"You just say 'skol' and clink glasses, right?" Johan and Rose looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"It is so much more than that. You want to make a true connection with the person you are skoling with." Rose poured two more shots.
"Watch and learn, Americans," Johan's eyes glinted with mischief but his face took on a serious expression. Geoff and Susie, hands intertwined, had their curiosity piqued.
"You hold the drink in your hand and say skol, looking deep into their eyes. You swallow in one gulp, and most importantly, you look back into the person's eyes after you drink, even tilting your head, like this."
The Americans erupted in applause at the heartfelt skol. Susie and Geoff began to practice but as they tilted their heads, they couldn't resist a long passionate kiss.
"Are you ready to try it, Maria?" Johan picked up his shot glass.
Maria nodded and blushed at the same time, anticipating swimming in his ocean eyes. As they skoled, her hand trembled as she brought the drink to her lips. Rose laughed as Maria twisted her face, the spirits burning down her throat like liquid fire.
"Hej allihopa, everybody. Never fear, Viggo is here!" A dark, handsome, very muscular bloke bellowed in his baritone voice towards the table of five.
"Viggo! We were hoping that you would show up." Johan patted Viggo on the back as Rose wrapped her arms around his neck.
"We were just teaching the Americans how to properly drink."
“Did they pass the test?” Viggo asked as he lifted Rose off her feet, nuzzling into her curly red tresses, and kissing her neck.
“Yet to be determined,” Johan replied, playfully winking at Maria.
Maria didn't know if it was the drinks, Johan's winking eyes, Susie's breath, Rose's free spirit, or Viggo's voice but something felt different about this midsummer evening. There was mystical energy in the air that caressed her skin. It was so unlike her to think in magical terms, she was a biologist and only believed in things scientifically measurable.
Johan stood up from the table, "Since I am Johan Strandberg, otherwise known as 'yes-he-beach-mountain' to you Americans, I would like to invite you all to my very own beach mountain, overlooking the sea. Grab blankets for a large bonfire and lots to drink. The endless twilight evening has just begun."
"And where do we find this beach mountain?" Maria asked, feeling tipsy from her third shot of aquavit.
"Rose will show you. Ride your bikes on the beach path, past the village, and into the forest. Watch out for elves, fairies, and trolls that come to life on midsummer's night. They hold much power and energy in the woods."
Bikes were different in Sweden. They had big seats, wide handlebars, and a place above the back tire to tie a picnic basket, blankets, and lots of alcohol. The beach path was covered in tiny pebbles and Maria loved how the big seat vibrated against her. She had been wet all day and the cool air that flew up her skirt while biking was a welcome change.
"Hey, Rose, what's that?" Susie pointed to her right.
"That is the labyrinth Ulmekärr. Blow it a kiss on Midsummer's night for extra good luck." Geoff and Susie blew Ulmekärr a kiss but Maria didn't. She was not buying into that folklore.
The bottles of homemade elderberry schnapps rattled on the back of Rose's bicycle as they turned, deeper into the forest, approaching the sea. Pedaling against the steep incline, it dawned on Maria that she was mounting Johan’s beach mountain.
She could smell the bonfire even before she could see it, the scent redolent of burning aspen, birch, and pine. Maria eyed the silhouettes of Johan and Viggo, topless, feeding the fire. They each held torches of blazing heather, singing at the top of their lungs, circling the bonfire in dance.
"What are they doing?" Geoff asked, the reflection of fire bounding in his eyes.
"They are dancing with the sun, the climax for the longest day of the year. The bonfire keeps the trolls and witches away and the louder you are, the better."
"Hej, allihopa everybody!" Viggo whooped to the Americans as he picked Rose up off her bicycle and kissed her deeply.
"Are you ready to leap over the fire for love?" Johan placed his torch of heather on the sand and leaped. Viggo and Rose, hand in hand, followed after.
The Americans looked at each other in bewilderment.
"It's good luck for love and especially sex."
Without missing a beat, Geoff and Susie leaped over the heather torch. Johan reached his hand out to Maria. She thought the ritual silly but with much cajoling by Rose and Viggo, she jumped over the fire too, hand in hand with Johan.
"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Viggo poured a shot of elderberry schnapps for each person.
"Some women eat salted porridge on a midsummer night so that their future partners might bring water to them in their dreams, to quench their thirst. I hope I dream of you tonight, Viggo," Rose nibbled Viggo's neck, wrapping her arms around his smooth chest, "Also, cows can talk, seals can walk, and elves will seduce you with food."
"You have got to be kidding me-"
"Skol!" Johan interrupted Maria, their eyes locked. She did it just how Johan had taught her to, even tilting her head at the end. He leaned in closer as Maria inhaled the salty sea, his sweat, and the mossy heather. When their lips almost touched, Johan stopped, smiled, and let Maria close the distance. His thin lips brushed gently, then firmer, and more determined as the heat rose in Maria’s apple cheeks.
After dancing, singing, eating more strawberries, and drinking more schnapps, Geoff pulled out his trumpet and accompanied Viggo's song. Under blankets, all six watched the sun touch the tip of the horizon before rising again, paired up in each other's arms.
"Oh, it is way after midnight and we must wash ourselves in dew." Rose pulled off her top and wiggled out of her skirt and panties.
Maria was in awe of Rose's freckled body, her breasts were perfectly circular orbs with darkly pigmented areolas. Her ass had the best curve, with two dimples in her lower back. Her pussy, an exquisite patch of strawberry blond bush, was sticking together near the bottom in gluey wetness.
Susie and Geoff had each other's clothes off in no time and everyone stared, even Viggo and Johan, at the size of Geoff's cock. It dangled down halfway to his knees. Susie stroked his soft shaft as it began to rise.
"I believe we have our very own maypole!" Viggo coughed as he added more brush to the fire and pulled off his pants.
"Rolling around naked in the midsummer dew will bring you good luck," Johan wiggled out of his pants, looking directly at Maria, wanting to see her reaction.
"Is this another one of your love legends or a ploy to get me naked?"
"And what if it was?"
Johan kissed Maria softly as he unbuttoned her top and unhooked her bra. She surprisingly found Rose pulling off her skirt and panties.
"The dew is like how John the Baptist baptized Christ in the River Jordan. It is sacred and healing," Rose knelt at Maria's feet.
Maria jutted her pussy out and Rose kissed her softly, tracing her outer folds with her tongue as Johan cupped her breasts from behind. They guided Maria down into the dewy grass, the tiny droplets of water condensed on the ends wetting and baptizing all three of them.
"Water turned into wine and ferns into flowers," Johan held out a fingertip of dew for Maria to suck as Rose's tongue swirled on her clit.
Viggo had a perfect view of Rose from behind as she sucked Maria's clit, ass up, head down. He stroked his cock slowly, matching the rhythm of Rose's tongue. After a dozen strokes, he couldn't contain himself any longer. He crawled over to Rose, grabbed her hips, and teased his cock at her glistening entrance.
She wiggled her derriere, widening her legs open for him. He thrust his cock deeply into her pussy as he grunted. Rose's nose ground deep into Maria's clit, tongue darting, her moans vibrating directly on Maria's inner folds. His thrusts were so deep and strong that they eventually pushed Rose up Maria's body so their breasts were mashed together. Rose and Maria kissed lovingly, rolling over onto their sides.
Johan snuggled up to Maria from behind just as Viggo was with Rose. Maria could feel Johan's hard cock against her ass as her tongue explored Rose's mouth. Maria and Rose loved being sandwiched between Johan and Viggo, their fingers exploring, finding each other's slippery clits.
Maria was so aroused by both Rose and Johan that she positioned her pussy directly above his cock. She slid her slit over the tip as Johan grabbed Maria's hips hard, thrust into her deep, and held her in place. Maria moaned into Rose's mouth as Viggo mirrored Johan, thrusting his thick shaft deeply into Rose. They matched their thrusts, as Rose and Maria's engorged nipples rubbed together, taut flesh slapping against taut flesh.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maria saw Susie close by on all fours being pummeled by Geoff from behind. Their eyes met and locked, vocalizing together as they had so many nights before.
Maria pulled Johan's long cock deeper in with her velvet walls at each thrust, her orgasm mounting rapidly. Rose was also going to cum soon as their fingers circled and pressed each other's clits at a frantic pace. Viggo and Johan could feel it too and quickened their thrusts, hitting both g spots perfectly, rubbing their rounded ridges.
Susie came first, her body tensing, shuddering then bucking on Geoff's huge cock. Her familiar ah, ah, ah, ahhs combined with Geoff's thrums sent Maria over the edge with a scream.
Feeling Maria's convulsing body, Rose and Johan came next. Johan sprayed his seed deep inside Maria as Rose bit Maria's shoulder, shrieking, hissing, and shuddering uncontrollably. Viggo met Rose’s hissing, clenching his ass muscles as he thrust deep. His cock twitched before spurting out thick ropes of cum into Rose as he bellowed out Swedish profanities which turned into song.
They all collapsed together, wet with sweat and midsummer dew. Eventually, they crawled over to the bonfire and pulled blankets over each other, spooning together, all six of them. So warm and comfortable, they lingered there a long time, fingers stroking and exploring. Eyelids were heavy in a splendid combination of sex, fresh air, and schnapps. Geoff and Johan were already sleeping.
"Oh, Maria and Susie," whispered Rose, "We must pick flowers." She gently crawled out of the pile of sweaty bodies.
"Don't tell me, another ritual involving fertility and love," Maria smiled dreamily, snuggling into Johan’s back.
Susie and Maria helped each other up to join Rose. They hugged each other closely, steadying themselves. Maria wrapped her arms tight around Susie, looking into her eyes, smelling her familiar sweet breath.
"I love the sounds you make, Susie.” Maria kissed Susie passionately on the lips, savoring her succulent taste.
Susie kissed Maria back, "And I love your sounds, too." Their tongues tangled as they hugged each other harder.
"OK, you two, we need to pick seven different flowers on this early midsummer morning. And if you put them under your pillow, you will dream about your future partner."
All three went out into the foggy meadow hand in hand looking for flowers. At first, Maria plodded warily. She wanted to go back and be in the warmth of Johan. But at the same time, something in her was awakened. She hated to admit it but she loved the idea of dreaming about her future partner. Was she under the charm of a fairy, troll, or elf? Maria didn't know and didn't care, she just knew it felt wonderful.
Once they all found seven flowers each, Rose pulled three pieces of twine and three travel pillows out of her knapsack.
"You Swedes think of everything," Maria whispered as she tied her seven flowers together and kissed Rose softly on her lips. Susie joined in on the kiss too which made Maria's pussy drenched again.
"Goodnight allihopa everybody," Viggo sang as all six snuggled under the blankets in the sand.
When Maria woke up late in the morning by a pop of the bonfire's embers, she felt for her seven flowers under her pillow. She remembered she had dreamt about Johan, Susie, and Rose.
She stretched and giggled to herself, "Simply perfect," and fell back asleep, with the warmth of her friends and perhaps the magical spell of the fairies, elves, and trolls.
