The Spinning Wheel 2

The Spinning Wheel
Part 2

Jenny

September 2012

 

            Aurora was outside riding her horse, Wings, when she came upon a handsome man picking berries.  He was whistling and swinging a basket in one arm, while picking with the other.  He was a tall man with blond hair, green eyes, and a perfectly wonderful smile.

            Of course he new exactly who this was, the beautiful woman with wonderful features, it was Princess Aurora, but he acted as though he did not know. He smiled at her and said,
           "Hello.  Would you like to join me berry picking?"
            "I don't know."  Aurora said.
            "Oh, come on. It looks as though you could use some fun." 
            "Oh, all right. What's your name?" Aurora asked.

            "Me? My name is Philip, and you?" Philip asked.

            Aurora paused.  Should she tell him and break this potential friendship?  No.  It was not worth it. 

            "My name is Bernicia."

            "Oh?  What are you doing here?" Philip asked.
            "I was just riding through the forest, it helps me think."  Aurora replied.

            "I like riding through the forest as well. I like the animals and the peace here."  Philip said thoughtfully.

            "Philip, we should probably move on to a different bush we've picked most of the berries." Aurora commented.

            Philip looked up at the sun and squinted. "It's about four o'clock by the sun."  He started walking to the next blackberry bush, but Aurora mounted her horse.

            "Goodbye, Philip, I must go."

            "Goodbye, Bernicia." Philip smiled. "Do you want to come back here in say three days?  Same spot,same time?"

            "Why I'd be glad to, I'll meet you then!" Aurora galloped of to the castle, happier then she had ever been before.

            When she arrived at the castle, she went directly to the kitchen.  The cooks bowed and smiled worriedly.  Was she going to throw a fit over the food?  They wondered.

            "Megan, make something new for me. I am bored of always having turkey, beef, and chicken legs every night." Aurora said sweetly.

            "Of course Princess, what do you want?"

            "Make me a surprise!"  Aurora left and went to her room where Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were waiting for her.

            "Now Aurora, where have you been?" Fauna asked.

            "I was riding through the woods.  What should I wear to the ball tonight?"

            "You should wear this beautiful crimson dress." Fauna said.

            "I think you should wear this green dress." Flora said.

            "Definitely the lavender dress." Merryweather said convincingly.

            "I think I will wear the lavender dress. Thank you Merryweather."  Aurora agreed. She put on the lavender blue dress and twirled around the room.
 

            The meetings with Philip went on, and Aurora's temper got better and better, as she got happier and happier.

            Finally on a happy June day, Aurora asked, "Will you marry me Philip?"

Philip was very much startled, but recovering quickly he replied, "Bernicia, give me a week to decide, please?”

            "Of course, but if you would tell me just two days earlier, it would make a world of difference."

            Aurora was worried.  She was betrothed to a man named Prince Philip, King Henry's son, but she really loved Philip, the man she had been meeting with in the woods.  She was planning on running away with Philip the day before she was to get married.  And then she could be married to him instead.

            Four days passed, but on the fifth day Philip met with her in the forest.

            "Philip! I am so glad you could come.  Will you?" Aurora asked.

            "Yes, I will marry you.  I love you Bernicia, you will be my treasure forever."

            "May I come and live with you, today?"  Aurora asked.

            "No.  You must give your parents some time.  I love you Bernicia! Meet me tomorrow, if you can."  Philip smiled, waved good-bye, and rode off.

            "What am I to do now?" Aurora thought.

            Aurora slowly made her way home, thinking over what she would do.  She finally decided that she would just refuse to marry Prince Philip.

            Everywhere people where bustling around as Aurora entered the courtyard, because tomorrow was supposed to be her wedding.

            In the early morning, before the wedding, Aurora rose and went out to woods.  Philip went was already there.

           "Bernicia, I can not stay long, but I do hope to meet with you again today. Maybe this afternoon?" Philip asked.
            "I'll try, but there is a wedding at my families place, I might not be able to escape." Aurora said.
            "Of course. But I must go now.  I love you!" Philip rode off. His head back, horse flying, and back straight.  He truly was handsome. Aurora ran back to the palace, she new that Philip would not forsake her, and she was happy. 
           It was two o'clock and time for the wedding to proceed.  Aurora, decked in white and purple flowers, was walking down the aisle.  Aurora didn't dare look at her bridegroom, for all she was going to do was turn him down. But finally she dared glance at him, and there straight and tall, was her dear Philip.  Aurora ran down the rest of the aisle, and was caught in strong arms. The Philip whom she loved was the same as the Philip holding her. They were married with the consent of all, and they lived happily ever after.

 

                                                                      The End

The Spinning Wheel

The Spinning Wheel

In the beginning it’s Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty,

but it has an interesting twist as Jenny’s brilliant writing takes over!

September 2012

 

              Long ago there lived a good king named Stefan. For many years King Stefan and his queen wished and wished for a child.

              At last their wish came true. The king and queen named their daughter Aurora.  A great feast was planned to celebrate the birth of the new princess. Everyone in the kingdom came to the feast.

              King Hubert arrived with his son, Prince Phillip. The two kings decided that one day Phillip and Aurora would marry.

              “That way our kingdoms will always be united,” King Hubert told his son.

              Three good fairies came to the feast. Each had a special gift for the princess. Flora waved her wand.

              “I give you the gift of beauty.”

              “My gift shall be the gift of song,” said Fauna.

              “And my gift…”

              Suddenly a blast of wind blew open the castle doors.  A bright flame filled the room.  Then the wicked fairy, Maleficent, appeared from the flame.

              “You did not invite me to the feast, King Stefan.  But I, too, have a gift for the princess.”

              Maleficent pointed at the cradle. “Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, the princess will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel.  And she will die!”

              “Seize that creature!” shouted the king.  But Maleficent disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

              Luckily, Merryweather still had her magical gift to give.  The good fairy could not undo the evil spell.  But she could soften it.

              Merryweather waved her wand.

              “Sweet Aurora,” she said,  “Not in death, but just in sleep,

               The fateful prophecy you will keep.

               From this slumber you shall wake,

               When true love’s kiss the spell shall break.”

*** (end of Walt Disney’s version, beginning of Jenny’s)

            "Oh, Merryweather!  You are so clever! Of course, she will grow to love someone and on her sixteenth birthday she will be kissed and the spell will break!" Fauna exclaimed.

            "Oh, but how can we protect the princess on her sixteenth birthday?" Flora asked.

            "I know what we'll do!  We will burn up all the spinning-wheels in the kingdom, and then she'll be safe!"  King Stefan announced proudly.

            "Stefan! You are ridiculous!” Queen Petunia exclaimed. “Then our royal clothing would become all tattered with no new clothes to replace them!  And no spinning-wheels to make them!  No.  I have a different idea.  We will train strong, brave men in the kingdom to find Maleficent and kill her!" Kind Stefan was content. He would do that instead.

            The time passed quickly and Aurora was told never to touch a spinning-wheel. Men were selected, turned into knights, and sent to find Maleficent. All the while Aurora grew. She was truly beautiful. She had a slim figure, with dazzling golden hair, shining sky blue eyes, and the most charming smile.  The only fault in her was her temper.  She would throw a fit if she couldn't eat what she wanted to, when, where, how, and with whom she wanted to, or if she couldn't watch the play she had been ever so much wanting to see.  But other than that she was glorious.  If she chose to she could be everything you could want in a person. The farmers thought that if they could have her as their wife, they would be perfectly happy (for they had never seen her throw a fit).

            But her bad temper began getting worse and worse! All too soon the fateful day of her sixteenth birthday came.

            She was getting ready for her sister’s wedding (she really didn't want to) when suddenly she heard someone say, "Come up-stairs!  I will show you what you want."  Of course, Aurora went up-stairs, and there was Maleficent with a spinning-wheel.

            Impulsively she put her hand out to touch it, but wait, what about all the stories of her great-grandmother, and how she had touched a spinning wheel and had fallen into a deep sleep, and had never wakened (These where made up stories about what might happen to her).

            "Touch it, touch it!" Maleficent urged impatiently.

            "Why?  What will you give me for it?"  Aurora asked haughtily.

            "A man just right for you, and he will love you and care for you always."  Maleficent said trying to think of something Aurora would want.

            "All right. I will touch it if you bring this man to me right afterwards. And I'll send my fairies to make sure you will!"  Aurora said.

            "I promise."  Maleficent slyly smiled.

            Aurora reached out and touched it.  And that was all.  Maleficent had gone against her rules!

            Rule 1: If she promised something to someone, without doing it, she would die.

            Maleficent had had no thought of doing it.  It hadn't even crossed her mind.  So she died. And with her died the curse.

            Aurora was completely and perfectly fine!  The problem was that now the kingdom had a snooty princess and no way to get rid of her! Although Maleficent never intended Aurora to get her perfect man, it just so happened that she did find him.


... to be continued..

.

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses 5

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses

 Section 5 of 5

April 2007 (age 12) 
By Kimberly

            They walked into the courtyard and Sir William insisted that he would wait for Alison.

            “I’ll be back soon,” she called as she ran around the corner. After placing the two bowls in the kitchen, she retraced her steps back to Mr. Dragon’s room. Unlocking it, she entered. He growled and snorted as she approached.

            “Mr. Dragon, whatever is the matter?” Alison cooed. The dragon growled again, warning her not to come any closer.

            “Well, Mr. Dragon, I came to say goodnight to you for the last time. Tomorrow I will return to the castle with Sir William! I am very excited to…” she stopped suddenly as Mr. Dragon blew a large cloud of smoke towards her.

            “Mr. Dragon! What's wrong with you! I know I locked you up for the whole day, but it was for your own good. Are you upset that I’m leaving?” she stared at him a few moments, but it was obvious that he was not in a good mood.

            “Well, since you are not able to carry on a descent conversation I have to go. Goodnight, Mr. Dragon. I hope that you are more amiable tomorrow.”

            With that she slipped out of his room and ran around the corner to where Sir William was waiting for her.

            “Alas, Mr. Dragon seems to not be himself tonight. I’m not sure what has happened. He seems to actually be angry about something.” Alison mourned.

            “I heard him snorting, he must be close by.”

            “Yes, he is in the large room behind the dungeon. I think it used to be the great dining hall, but now it has a huge bed where Mr. Dragon stays most of the day. I suppose we can leave early in the morning. I hope that Mr. Dragon returns to normal, so that I can give him a proper goodbye.”

            “Is the entrance to my tower over there?”

            “Yes, at the end of that small corridor. See you tomorrow, Sir William.”

            “Goodnight, Princess,” he returned kissing her on the cheek.

            They hurried up the many stairs to their rooms high in the towers. From the balconies they could barely see one another in the dimness. Below them, Sir William’s horse Prince bedded down on some grass in the outer courtyard, and some disappointed townspeople slowly returned to their homes for the night.

            The next morning the dragon was not normal. He growled lowly when the princess came in and he had a fit when William peeked his head around the door.

            “Oh dear,” the Princess confided in Sir William when they were back in the courtyard. “He seems to be a real dragon now. Poor Mr. Dragon.”

            “Alison, you don’t need to be sorry about that. Now he’ll be safe from danger.”

            “Perhaps, but I didn’t get a proper goodbye.”

            The two of them opened the gates and Prince joyously trotted in nuzzling against Sir William.

            “There, there. Did you miss me?” he stroked the horse's neck. “Alison, this is Prince, my horse.”

            “Hello, Prince!” she greeted as she gently rubbed his nose. Picking up Alison’s small bundle of belongings and his own lance and shield, Sir William led the way out of the castle. People had already gathered on the steep hill in front of the castle to see what had become of Sir William. There were farmers, their wives, and children with baskets of food prepared for the day.

            As Alexandria Penelope Isabella Marguerite Monica Henrietta Beatrice Augustine Princess of Raji and Sir William son of Sebastian the Lord of North Mansion came out of the castle, the crowd of townspeople cheered.

            “Hurray! Princess Alexandria! Sir William! Hurray!!!!” they shouted.  Both the Princess and Sir William were surprised and pleased. As they continued forward nodding and speaking to the people, a rough looking peasant blocked their path and demanded, “So did you kill the dragon?”

            Sir William looked slightly embarrassed and Alison looked concerned.

            “No,” Sir William replied, “We didn’t find it necessary.”

            “Oh?” the farmer jeered, “Well I’ll get ‘im! I’ll be braver than the knight!”            

            “No!” Alison groaned, “Wait! Don’t do it!”  But it was too late. The farmer charged passed Sir William with his pitchfork in hand. Everyone was shocked by the farmer’s action. He had always been strange, had never married, and no one had every like him. In astonishment they watched as he rushed through the first courtyard, through the inner gate, and around the corner toward the dragon’s room.

            “Sir William,” Alison sobbed, “He’s gone. Poor Mr. Dragon.” William patted her hand comfortingly.

            Suddenly everyone heard a loud roar.  Then a flame shot through the open roof. No one ever saw the mean farmer again and no one missed him. But Princess Alison now knew that the dragon was safe. And the rest of the town’s people after getting over their astonishment, cheered for Sir William and Alison all the way back to the castle. When they arrived the Queen greeted her daughter and new son-in-law joyfully.

Sir William and Alison discovered that they worked well together. They often went on rides together over the numerous hills on the small island. Sometimes they watched the sunset, sometimes they watched the sunrise, and sometimes they enjoyed picnicking beside a lovely stream in one of the forests. Alison found that after being away from her animals for more than a week, they no long seemed as important to her. Perhaps it was because Sir William was much more interesting or perhaps it was because she now knew that she could handle being away from them. But I think that before her animals had filled a need for love and acceptance, but now Sir William filled it. Alison had a separate section built off of the castle for her pets.  But although she always loved her animals, they simply never held the same place of importance that they once had.

Sir William loved Alison and Alison loved Sir William.  When they became King and Queen they ruled justly and kindly. They truly lived happily ever after!

The End

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses 4

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses

 Section 4 of 5

April 2007 (age 12) 
By Kimberly

 

            When Sir William regained consciousness, he found that his sword was gone, he was in a dim dungeon cell with one wrist chained to the wall, and the princess was nowhere in sight.

            Minutes dragged on and Sir William began to think that saving the Princess had not been a good idea.  He wondered why he had even taken up the offer. The pain in his stomach was sharp and he couldn’t seem to find a comfortable place on the hard stone floor. The princess was meanwhile in Mr. Dragon’s room talking to him. He did not seem as amiable as he generally was. He was growling lowly the whole time. But Alison ignored his behavior and just kept talking.

            “Oh, Mr. Dragon, he came!” she exclaimed. “Sir William came! I’ve always liked Sir William. He’s kind, and strong, and good-looking. But he’s determined to ki…. I mean… he…” she stopped realizing that the dragon might kill Sir William if she was not careful with what she said. “Other than that he doesn’t particularly like animals I would have no complaint about marrying him.” She fell silent for a moment deep in thought.

            “I had to lock him up because I needed more time to think. I suppose I should go and talk to him. I’m a little nervous though. But I’ll be back.”

            The dragon let out a loud snort as she left the room. She ran to the small kitchen and after serving two bowls of soup she carefully walked to the dungeon. Unlocking the cell door, she greeted Sir William.

            “I hope you’re not in too much pain. I really didn’t think that it would cause you to become unconscious. I simply needed more time to think.”

            “Princess, I am…”

            “Please, Alison.”

            “Alison? Is that a middle name?”

            “No. It’s just an ordinary name. You see, I’m tired of the long troublesome name that my mother gave me. Alison is much more manageable. I’m sure you can’t imagine having such a long name that you can hardly remember yourself!”

            “I suppose I have never suffered from that.” Sir William chuckled, then he grabbed his stomach in pain.

            “Oh! Are you all right?” Alison exclaimed.

            “I’ll be fine. But it might take a few days for this bruise to heal.”

            “I am so sorry, Sir William. I never meant to cause you pain. I…”

            “Alison,” Sir William interrupted. “Alison, I’m not sure what to think. Your mother asked me to save you and after thinking about it I came to the conclusion that you are a princess that I would hate to have missed the opportunity to try to save.  I would be honored if you would consider marrying me.” Alison looked down at her soup. It seemed that no one had told her that they would be honored to marry her before. All the other Lord’s sons seemed to think they were doing her a favor by asking.

            “You are kind, brave, and beautiful.” He went on. “I know that when you become queen you will rule justly and honorably as your mother has. To be able to be part of your future would be a great honor.” Alison was now nearly in tears as she listened to him speak.

            “I know that your pets have been an area of great contention,” Sir William continued, “But I think we could figure out a way to manage that. Perhaps we could build a section off of the castle specifically for the animals so that you can visit them often without having them wandering all over the castle.” Alison was now softly sobbing. Her hair covered her drooping head so that Sir William couldn’t tell what kind of response he was getting. With his free hand he gently smoothed her hair back so that he could see her tear-streaked face.

            “Sir William,” she sobbed.

            “Please, just William.” He encouraged.

            “William,” she began again looking into his eyes, “If you would be happy to marry me, I would be twice as happy to marry you. I’ve been waiting for the day when someone would ask me because of who I am, not just the kingdom, the power, and the wealth they would receive. Ever since I met you at the banquet we held at the palace three years ago I have been interested in learning more about you. I admire your courage, strength, gentleness and kindness.  I was greatly impressed when I heard how you gave money from your own personal allowance to help several poor women. And how one day you helped build a hut for a poor family with your own hands. You have often helped those not so well off as yourself and have treated all with kindness and generosity. I would be happy to marry you.”

Sir William was somewhat surprised, though pleased that she knew so much about him.

            “As for the animals,” the princess continued, “I don’t mind making some changes, though I wouldn’t not do so for someone less.”

            They both fell silent and stared at their bowls of soup for a moment.

            “And the dragon?” Alison suddenly broke the silence. “You will let him live. I couldn’t… I mean… Even leaving him will be hard.” She looked up at Sir William pleadingly.

            “Of course,” William comforted, “We shall leave the dragon as he is. But really Alison you may not need to have all these animals so important anymore. You have me now.” Alison looked up and their eyes met.

            “Perhaps. We’ll have to see.” She softly answered. “It will be a big change for both of us. But I still can’t help but worry for Mr. Dragon he seems so helpless. What if someone decides to try to kill him just for show?”

            “He’s a dragon, Alison!” Sir William exclaimed.

            “Yes, but you seemed pretty confident that you could kill him.”

            “Well, yes.” he admitted, “But he’ll survive somehow, he did for many, many years before you came along. Don’t worry about him. Should we eat?”

            “Yes, I suppose we should. It is getting late. Oh! I almost forgot! Let me unchain your wrist, I’m sure it simply wouldn’t be at all proper to watch my husband-to-be eat while his wrist was still chained! You should have mentioned it earlier!” She quickly pulled out a key and unlocked the metal cuff.

            “There!” she sighed as Sir William pulled his hand free and gently rubbed his wrist.

            “Thank you. It was beginning to become uncomfortable,” he said taking a spoonful of soup. “This is delicious,” he approved. “Is there a kitchen in this castle?”

            “Yes, a small one. I brought along some food supplies when I left home. They are almost gone though since no one thought I would be here so long.” Alison smiled.  Sir William returned the smile and continued with his meal.

            “I suppose it is too late to return to the castle tonight,” William commented. “I guess we’ll have to spend the night here. Is there anywhere comfortable to sleep?”

            “I’m not sure about comfortable, but there is an old mattress in the front tower across from mine. If we want to we can wave goodnight to each other from across the balconies.” She smiled.

            “Hopefully it won’t be infested with rats,” Sir William commented as he stood up with his empty bowl. Alison also stood and brushed off her skirt.

            “Come I’ll show you to the entrance to the tower staircase. I can bring the dishes back and then I must say goodnight to Mr. Dragon one last time.”

... to be continued...

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses 3

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses

 Section 3 of 5

April 2007 (age 12)
By Kimberly 

            Sir William felt invigorated. Having just left the excitement in the dining hall, he was eager to save the princess.  As he walked toward the stable, he noticed that the stable boy was already waiting for him with Prince.

            “Here is your horse, Sir William.”

            “Thank you.” he replied.  Prince had an intricately designed purple and gold cloth draped over his back.  Sir William fluidly mounted and trotted out of the Mansion’s gates.  As soon as he began riding through the busy streets, people started asking questions.

            “Where are you going, Sir William?” one shopkeeper called.

            “To save the Princess!”

            “To save the Princess?” an old lady beside him asked.

            “Yes, ma’am.”

            The news spread as rapidly as fire leaping through dry brush. A crowd soon gathered behind him, not wanting to miss the fight.  People cheered and shouted, passing along the news.  Finally there was some action in the town! Sir William was marching to save the Princess!  When Sir William caught his first glimpse of the castle he felt a tinge of fear. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. The castle was an enormous looming structure of ancient stones.

“Perhaps this was a bad idea,” he wondered. But he shoved such ideas from his mind and with greater determination he continued toward the castle.

            As Sir William rode up the steep path to the old castle with a mass of people trailing behind him, Princess Alexandria was leaning out over the high tower balcony watching. 

            “Someone has finally come to try to save me,” she thought.  She watched as Sir William asked the crowd to remain outside the castle.  Then he pointed his lance and march into the castle courtyard.

            “Oh no! He’s going to kill Mr. Dragon!” Alison trembled, “He thinks he’s so smart! He thinks he can win me so easily! Humph! I’ll stop him yet!” She ran from the balcony in the tall castle tower.  Gathering up her long skirt, she slid down the lengthy banister that wound around the tower’s narrow stairway.

            As soon as she was down, she closed the inner gates of the castle and slid the giant bolt across them. Sir William was confused as he watched the gates close at his approached. He dismounted Prince and tried to push the them open. They wouldn’t budge.

            “I’ll have to climb the wall,” he thought. He was forced to leave his horse, shield and lance. The only thing he could keep was his sword.  He carefully began to climb the stone wall.  Since it was very old the stones had plenty of chips and cracks in them, so he didn’t have much trouble climbing. As he was scaling the wall, Alison ran to Mr. Dragon’s room where he was lazily resting in an enormous bed.

            “This is for your own good,” the princess exclaimed catching her breath. “I’ll lock the door so that he can’t get to you!” She dashed out of the room and locked the door as the dragon stared in bewilderment.

            Next she ran down the few dark stairs to the dungeon. She unlocked it and opened the door widely. Grabbing a short heavy chain, she walked slowly back up the five stone stairs.  As she entered the inner courtyard, she saw that the knight was slowly working his way down the wall. A sword swung from his belt and made a loud clattering noise as he jumped to the ground. While he got to his feet, the princess hid the chain behind her back.

            “Greetings, Princess Alexandria Augustine.” Sir William bowed.

            “Good afternoon,” Alison replied.

            “Someone shut the doors when I arrived so I had to climb the wall, a shame isn’t it.”

            “Indeed a shame.” Alison agreed in a reserved tone. William gave her one of his smiles that made women faint and she calmly smiled back.

            “I am Sir William, but you can call me William.”

            “I have heard of you, Sir William. I am Princess Alexandria Penelope Isabella Marguerite Monica Henrietta Beatrice Augustine. But you may call me Alison.”

            “A pleasure,” Sir William replied. “I’m sure you know why I am here. I hope that you will accept my offer to rescue you, return to the castle, and marry you. If you would be so kind as to show me where the dragon is, then we can soon be on our way.” He smiled again.

            In an instant the princess thought, “Oh, if only he liked animals! But alas, I can’t marry a man who tries to kill my friends!”

            Sir William bowed to the princess as he concluded his sentence. And though she hated to do it, Alison whirled the heavy chain out from behind her back and landed a heavy blow to William’s stomach. Caught totally unprepared he stumbled backwards in pain. As he stumbled doubled over, Alison easily guided him down the five stone stairs, and pushed him into the dungeon where he collapsed onto the ground apparently unconscious.

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses 2

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses

 Section 2 of 5

April 2007 (age 12)

By Kimberly

           When he arrive at the great estate of North Mansion, Sir William went straight to his father and told him what he had arranged to do.

            “Why, my son, do you really mean it? Going to fight the dragon, rescue the princess, and then marry her? No! You must be joking! Remember last week…”

            “Yes, but I…”

            “Yes, yes. You said, and I quote, ‘I will never in all my years marry a woman,” the jolly father paused for a second, “Yes, I will never marry a woman with so many pets as Princess Alexandria Augustine!’ Ho, ho, ho!” He roared in deep rich laughter.

            “I know what I said father, but that was with friends. Besides I had not fully understood the dilemma of the queen. You see, she asked me personally to save the princess and marry her. That alone has made me change my mind considerably. Not only that she offered me a reward.” William pulled out the 40 gold coins.

            “So money has caused you to change your mind? No, you think deeper than that.”

            “You are right, father. The offered money had little to do with it. I have been considering the Princess’s virtues. Indeed, she has many! Consider for one, the gentleness and love necessary to keep and adore so many animals. She is not a weak, trembling girl either. She is strong and brave. She enjoys riding and so do I. She loves the forests and mountains. She is beautiful, kind, and courageous. All these things have I considered. Truly father, I think that I could not find a better person to marry than the Princess Alexandria, despite all her pets.”

            “Well, I am relieved to hear that your reasons are better than wealth and power. But my son, you shall fight a dragon! Is that not reason to consider all the more carefully before acting so hastily? You might be killed!”

            “No, father! I see that you have never seen the old beast. He is as lazy as your horse and would hardly scare a mouse. As for haste, I fear that some of the other young men may come to the realization that saving the princess is actually an amazing opportunity as suddenly as I have. I was concerned about the numerous animals, but I see now that that is not nearly as great a problem as I had imagined. With the wealth of the kingdom we shall certainly be able to think of some way to deal with that. The fate of the kingdom lies in who saves the princess.  With the blessing of the Queen, and hopefully you, I intent to save her.”

            “William, you have my blessing. I am proud to have you as my son. You are brave, wise, strong, and considerate. Go fight the dragon! Go save the princess! This is all a father could hope for!” Lifting his glass of wine and handing William another, they drank to the occasion. Lord Sebastian then embraced his son and they parted.

            The sound of a hammer on metal jarred the air as Sir William hurried to the small smithy on their property.

            “Good morning!” he called to the black smith, “What are you making?”

            The black smith looked up and smiled.

            “Good morning, sir. I am making a horseshoe.”

            “Oh? For which horse?”

            “Your Prince, sir.”

            “Oh dear. When will he be ready to ride?” William asked eager to get started on his mission.

            “Perhaps after lunch, sir. Half past noon would be the earliest.”

            “That would be marvelous! I’ll be here.”

            Sir William walked directly to the stable. After making sure the stable boy would take care of his horse properly, he hurried to the Armor Hall. He was becoming excited and eagerly began selecting his weapons.

            If you ever saw the Armor Hall you would probably be overwhelmed with awe. It looked incredibly impressive due to its length and the quantity of armor and weapons. On one side of the hall suits of armor were lined up, looking like a long row of knights. On the other side were swords, lances, spears, daggers, bows, quivers full of arrows, shields, and crossbows. The overall effect was one of strength, bravery, and might.

            Sir William carefully chose a sharp, beautiful sword, a medium sized shield, a lance, and his usual suit of armor. Once he had properly prepared himself, Sir William arrived at the long dining hall where his father and the other members of their castle were eating lunch.

            “I have decided to save the princess from the old castle with dragon.” Sir William announced. “I shall bring her back to the Queen and there we shall be married!”  The group cheered and gave him a round of applause. With a clink of armor, he sat down and they all ate. During the feast, his father gave a toast in his honor and when he was ready to leave they all cheered and wished him well.

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses

Brave Knights and Stubborn Princesses

 Section 1 of 5

April 2007 (age 12)

By Kimberly

            Once a long, long time ago there lived a fair queen who had long ruled her island.  Though you may not have heard of it, do to the inaccurate textbooks the geography teachers use, it really is there.  Perhaps your teacher did know of it, but since it is such a small island in the Pacific Ocean he may not have thought it was important.  The island’s name is Raji.  It means: A very little island in a very big ocean.  On Raji the queen had only one sorrow: that her daughter was not married.  The Queen had tried to get her to marry one of the sons of any of the Lords, but she thought they were too boring, and most of them detested her many pets that she adored. 

            Finally the Queen agreed to put her daughter in an old castle with an old dragon so that some knight, whoever he might be, could save her.  In that way she would be forced to marry him.  The Queen was not happy about the arrangement, but she felt that it was the only way.

            “Send for my daughter,” the Queen gravely ordered a servant.

            “Yes, your Majesty,” he responded with great respect.  When the princess entered, the Queen started to speak in a low voice.

            “Alexandria Penelope Isabella Marguerite Monica Henrietta Beatrice Augustine…”

            “Please just call me Alison,” the princess interrupted.

            “But who will want to marry you if you go around calling yourself Alison?! It's such an ordinary name,” the Queen exclaimed. Then she sighed, “Alexandria, I have decided to send you to the old castle with the dragon.”

            “A dragon?”  Her joy at being able to get to know a dragon was covered over by her equal displeasure of leaving. 

            “But why?” she finally managed to asked.

            “Because you would not marry by choice, so instead you will be forced to marry whoever will save you.”

            “Saves me from what?”

            “From the dragon and the wretched old castle, of course!”

            “But what if nobody ‘saves’ me?” the princess wondered.

            “Well… then you’ll have to be brought back and I’ll think of another plan.”

            “Hmm…”

            “But someone will save you, my dear. Don’t worry,” the Queen tried to reassure her daughter though she didn’t sound at all convinced herself.

            Three days later, Alexandria Penelope Isabella Marguerite Monica Henrietta Beatrice Augustine was sent to the dingy old castle inhabited by an old dragon who never bothered anything so long as nobody ever bothered him.  The princess had more than a week to thoroughly get to know him before any attempt was made to rescue her.  She named him Mr. Dragon.

            One day as she sat upon his enormous belly, she sighed, “Oh, I wish I had a name as simple as ‘Mr. Dragon’.  I love simple names.  That is why you must always call be Alison, just Alison, not Alexandria Penelope… Oh, never mind.”

            “You know, Mr. Dragon, some day a knight is going to try to save me. I’m not sure if I’ll let him though. There is one knight that I wouldn’t mind, but I’m sure that he wouldn’t like my many animals at the castle.” When she thought of her animals her countenance saddened. Although she loved the dragon, she missed her other friends very much. She almost wished someone would come and save her.

            The reason why Alison had a whole week to herself was not because everyone was afraid of the lazy old dragon, nor because the word of her being there had not spread all over Raji.  No, the reason was because the brave knights were taking their time deciding whether or not it was worth it to save her.  They figured that the rescuing would be easy enough, and to rule the kingdom when the Queen died was a great incentive, but the princess herself… Well, the princess was an unusual girl.  She had a way with animals that made the most ferocious beast love her.  Indeed, she loved them too.  She would spend most of her day with her innumerable pets.  She had large ones and small ones, loud ones and quiet ones, harmless ones and dangerous ones, all of which she allowed to roam freely around the castle.  The knights were not sure that they could handle all those animals.  It was well known that whoever married the princess would have to put up with them, because the princess was sure to never speak to anyone again if even one of her precious pets was harmed.

            The Queen was distressed by the lack of response to save her daughter, but she understood their reasoning well.  She herself could hardly manage with all the animals in the palace.  Therefore she privately sent for a young knight who had been highly recommended as a suitable husband for the princess.  He was of good character, well mannered, properly educated, and very handsome.  His name was Sir William, son of Sebastian the Lord of North Mansion (there were only four Mansions on the small island of Raji: North, South, East, and West Mansions.  Lesser Lords owned Houses, normal townsfolk owned Huts, while the poor owned Shacks.)  His friends often called him just William or Will.  He was a young man of twenty-three, his light brown hair was long enough to be ruffled by the wind, he had green-gray eyes, broad shoulders, was very handsome (especially when dressed in his armor), and he had a fantastic smile that made women faint for miles around.  His friends would sometimes tease him saying,

            “You should stop smiling so much, Will.  You’re upsetting the whole town!” William would simply laugh and smile more. 

            He was presently allowed to enter the Queen’s private chambers. 

            “Your Highness,” he bowed.

            “Sir William, son of Sebastian the Lord of North Mansion, I have an honor and request to bestow upon you,” the Queen began slowly.  “My daughter the Princess Alexandria Penelope Isabella Marguerite Monica Henrietta Beatrice Augustine must be wed to a deserving young man, like yourself, so that the kingdom may be sure to remain in good hands.  I grant you the permission to save my daughter from the castle, to marry her, and in time become the next Sovereign in my place.  This is not a matter to be taken lightly.  I also realize, to my great distress, that because of Princess Alexandria’s great interest in animals many men may have been scared away.  I suggest that a brave young knight as yourself should not be afraid of a few animals.  Now I come to my request,” the Queen breathed deeply before continuing.  “I ask you, Sir William, to save my daughter and marry her.  I have prepared this amount of money for you if you will do as I have requested.  Money, of course, will not be a problem for you if you are my son-in-law, but still I offer this as a reward for your services.”

            “My Queen, I thank you for the great honor you have bestowed upon me. That you might ask me to marry your daughter and become your son-in-law is indeed a great honor.  It is not the princess herself as you have correctly guessed, but more the problem of her all too beloved pets that has kept me from acting more quickly. I suppose that arrangements might be made for her animals.  Perhaps we could build a separate wing of the castle for her pets where she might enjoy them without having them running free and wild.”

            “Perhaps,” agreed the queen. “Princess Alexandria truly is a lovely girl. It is only because she is so kind and patient that she has become fond of so many animals. I think that as you get to know her she will be willing to make adjustments.”

            “You give me hope, your Highness. I have always wished for a good marriage and I hope that the Princess is as amiable as you imply.”

            “Are we agreed then?” asked the Queen. “You will save her?”

            “I shall. May I ask what requirements there are for a task such as this?”

            “If you bring her out of the castle, then she is yours. But killing the dragon is better for records, though not necessary.”

            “I see. I’m sure I will not have any problem killing the dragon. But then you may have need of one in case of any other stubborn princesses.”

            The Queen chuckled slightly at his humor. Then with a snap of her royal fingers she summoned the servant.

            “Bring me the golden box on the table over there,” she commanded. Bowing the servant brought the box.  Carefully the Queen counted out a fifth of the promised two hundred gold coins and with great ceremony gave them to Sir William. With those coins jingling in his money pouch, Sir William graciously took his leave.

... to be continued in the next post