a fairy tale I wrote for my cousin

FAIRY TALE

Once upon a time, in a land far, far, far away, there lived a King and a Queen who both wanted a little child very, very much.

The King whose name was Phillip was always lonely, because when he went to the Royal Park, he did not have a little boy to play ball, or swing on the tire swing with. Because of that, he rarely smiled, because he could not play, as he was the King, and he always had a lot of work to do. In addition, Kings only played if they had a little boy to play with.

The Queen was no different. Her name was Anabella, and she was always sad and cried a lot, because she did not have a little girl to bake chocolate-chip cookies with, or to play tea party. In addition, because she was the Queen, she had to let the Royal Baker make all the cookies, and she could not play tea party with anyone because she always had to wear lots and lots of sparkly jewelry, and tons of uncomfortable fancy dresses that made it so she could not sit down.

One day, however, the Queen had finally become tired of all of the King’s many frowns. In addition, she was beginning to get worried about him. He had not been to the Royal Park in over three months because he was always busy working. Because of that, the Queen decided to look in the Royal Newspaper for an idea… any idea.

Then, she went to the Royal Post Office, and bought a paper. While she was looking through the newspaper, she wondered what she would do. Would she hire a clown or get a puppy? Suddenly, she saw it. In front of her, in the newspaper, she saw what she was looking for. There in the Newspaper, she saw an advertisement that read:

FRANK’S FAIRY HOTLINE

Do YOU need help for a personal problem?

Do YOU know someone who is sad and needs

Something MAGICIAL to cheer them up?

If YOU do, then WE are the ANSWER for YOU!

Simply call 1-800 MAGIC WORKS to arrange for

An appointment at any time, any day, with any FAIRY.

Smiling, the Queen took out her sparkly little scissors, and SNIP, SNIP; she cut the ad out and stuck it into the pocket on her dress. She had the perfect surprise for the King.

MEANWHILE:

The King was beginning to get worried. He was getting tired of the Queen’s frequent puffy cheeks and dripping nose. In addition, she did not laugh as much as she used to. In addition, she had not paid any secret nighttime visits to the Royal Kitchen to bake in months. It was not that he did not miss all those gooey cookies at midnight, because he did, it was the fact that the Queen did not seem to be happy anymore that worried him the most. Then, the King decided to do something… anything... everything.

After about five minutes of thinking, the King had a brilliant idea. Rapidly, he walked down to his personal office, where he kept his telephone book. Quickly, he turned to where all the advertisements were, and began looking, while muttering as he did so. “F. Fa. Fae, no. Fai… faip… No! Ah! That’s it!”

FAIRY MATILDA

Do you need help solving something impossible?

Is your loved one sad and depressed, and will not tell you why?

Is there a personal problem that needs fixing, soon?

If so, there is help! For an appointment

Call 1-800 MATILDA or go to www.fairyhelper.org

Then, the King picked up the telephone book and carried it over to his squishy armchair, and picked up his gold telephone. As he was dialing, he smiled to himself. He had the perfect surprise for the Queen.

LATER:

It was almost six o’clock, and it was almost time to eat dinner. It was tradition for the King and the Queen to give each other a gift before they began to eat. In the past, it had always been an exciting moment for each of them. However, for the last several months that had become harder and harder for each of them to do because they were so sad. However, that was not so tonight. Tonight, both the King and the Queen were very excited to give their gift.

Just as they both sat down at their table, there was a knock at the door behind the King, and a knock at the door behind the Queen. The door by the King opened, and Queen Anabella’s maid Gertrude beckoned for the King. Fairy Matilda has your surprise ready sir, she said quietly, so the Queen could not hear her.

After Gertrude entered the room, the door behind the Queen opened, and the King’s butler Wilbert beckoned to the Queen. Fairy Frank has your surprise ready Madam, he said, so the King could not hear him.

After both the butler and the maid had left, the King turned to the Queen and asked her if she would like to have her gift first. The Queen did not answer, but instead asked the King if he would like to have his gift first. There was a silence, where both the King and the Queen puzzled over why the other wanted to give their gift first. The fact was that they both usually wanted to open their gift before the other. Well, they both said tentatively, maybe we should give each other our gifts at the same time. After another silence, they both agreed.

They both turned in their seats at exactly the same moment, and beckoned for Gertrude and Wilbert to come forward with each of their surprises. When the King and Queen turned around again both of them saw their surprise next to each other’s seats. Both of them were at a loss for words.

Standing by the King, was a little girl, with long blonde curls, huge dimples, and many, many cinnamon-colored freckles. She was wearing a pink dress with ruffles, ribbons, and a wide white sash. Standing next to the Queen, was a little boy, with chubby cheeks, curly brown hair, and many, many cinnamon-colored freckles. He was dressed in a stiff white shirt, pair of fire engine red pants, and checkered suspenders. They were both staring wide-eyed at the King and Queen with looks of wonderment and awe in their faces. What a surprise!

After the shock had passed, both the King and the Queen stood up. Gently, they lead the boy and girl around the table to the fireplace, where both the fairies were waiting.

Well, we hope that you will be happy, the short, chubby, and balding fairy that was floating in mid air chortled. Matilda—my sister and I are both delighted to deliver you both with these very delightful children. Yes, we most certainly are. Matilda, a tall and very thin fairy spoke up in turn. We hope that all four of you will be happy. With that, the two fairy siblings disappeared in a puff of orange smoke.

Shyly, the little girl turned to the Queen, and asked her if she was going to be her new mother, and if they could ever bake, because she loved cookies, and cake. The Queen smiled warmly back, and said that, of course they could do that… even in the middle of the night!

The King, after listening to the Queen and the little girl, turned to see the boy looking out of the window at the Royal Park wistfully. Well, the King began hesitantly; I hope that you enjoy playing ball. I also have a huge tire swing this wide. The King held his arms far apart. Really? Asked the boy, in wonder. I love to swing!

As the King and his new little boy, whose name was Willy, went off to play ball and swing, and as the Queen and her new little girl, whose name was Sarah, went off chatting about what they would bake first, none of the four of them noticed the butler, maid, and both fairies, looking on after them, and smiling.

a funny scene... from a book

well, I've been reading quite an interesting book, I finished it yesterday. It is called 'A Company of Swans' and it has an unusual plot. well the plot itself is not quite unusual, but many of the sub-plots are.

the main character, Harriet, escapes her dull boring, depressing life in Cambridge, where her dull, boring Father--a professor of Classics--and her aunt--"a gaunt and iron-haired spinster"
(who, most unfortunately, has MY NAME!) made her life horrible. she escapes to join a Russian Ballet Company headed to the Amazon in South America.

It is a very interesting book! And woven through out it, is Dr. Edward Finch-Dutton, the absolutly DULL mad that her aunt has picked out for Harriet to marry. He has made plans very far in advance. He is a Zoologist, who is fascinated with butterflies and fleas.

He is sent off to 'fetch back Harriet.'


But what makes me really laugh, is the epilogue. Because apparently, he falls in love with/and marries the Russian Ballerina Olga Narukov, and ends up living "in harmony rearing prize goats, prize vegetables, and children..." and one thing that makes that funny, was that in the beginning of the book, he does not like children... or women that much.

there was Music in the Tower today

Yesterday, when I was walking to dinner, at about 5 o'clock, The bells in the bell tower began to play. well, actually, I'm not sure what they are, but they do not play by themselves. There is someone who plays them at five, and he is oh so good! I had my camera with me, and having learned that I can take videos, I did just that. Of course, it isn't the best, but I enjoyed making them! (there are 2 others)



it's maddening that this takes SO LONG to post here... because of the video which now I will Have to pu up later...

Writing Assignment #1

Twenty of July. Midnight. Year two-thousand-seven.

--the end of an era--

Ten years of waiting. Over.

Ten years. Away forever. Things will never be the same. Time can’t stand still.

Unfortunately.

6:00PM.

I now leave my normal life behind. Leaving my job. Schedule. Leaving behind my simple one-colored shirts and jeans. Leaving my plain, brown hair for vivid pink. Pink, and sparkly. Layering up with outrageous colors. Patterns. Multiple shirts, in 90 degree weather. Bright pink lipstick. Sometime more of one thing, matched with less of another, is a good and unusual combination. Crazy wild hairdos. Mine, short. Spiked. Limp with the humidity. I spend care getting ready. I’ve had ten years, waiting for this moment. There’s never been something this important. For me, at least.

It took me forever, the week before, to choose what I would wear. It didn’t take long, before that, for me to know who was going to wear me. Pink shirt. Bright green shirt too. White shirt underneath the other two. After I choose the shirts, I cut and tore and adjusted the way they layered on me. I didn’t want it to be like I had simply thrown it together in the last few moments. Because I hadn’t. it had taken me forever. Forever and a day. At least. I wear a tacky pair of brightly colored leggings, with a crazy-looking mini skirt put too low, over it. Several fake earrings I don’t really wear. You will only catch me wearing something like that that one time in my life—tonight. The only sensible item I’m wearing now, are my shoes. But barely.

I leave my room. My parents look up. Then go back to their reading. My appearance doesn’t startle them in the least. So you’re going now? Yes. I am. Does your brother want to go? Will you be taking him? They ask. Of course. He’s also been waiting… just not as long as I have. He doesn’t spend as much time thinking on what he is going to wear. It isn’t as important to him. He’s just eleven. He hasn’t been with this era for near as long as I have. But he loves it too. But he has other loves as well. For me, this is my one love. My only love. It has been for ten years.

My brother comes out of his room. He looks silly. He’s put on a flowing cape. Red and black. Together. Left over from a Halloween costume of mine years ago. Before the era began. He’s slicked his hair. Too much. I don’t tell him. It really doesn’t matter anyways. Even if his hair is flat against his scalp like a swimming cap. It will dry slick. It’s what he wanted. That’s all that really matters.

We get into the car. I’m driving. At the last gathering we had gone to, my dad drove. Two years before. I hadn’t been able to drive then. But this time, I can. It’s like a rite of passage. It happens only once. Because it will never happen again. Not in my lifetime, probably. My brother sits in the front seat. For him, that’s also a rite of passage. To sit in the front seat, without our parents. He’s happy.

Driving into town, I wonder. If the people driving the other way could see how I was dressed, what would they think? Would they judge me because of the crazy items I was wearing? Probably. Unless they, too, understood. Unless they too were part of the era. If they knew that, they wouldn’t really care.

First stop.

I’m picking up the boy I babysit. Bryan. He’s ten.

His dad looks at me when I get there. Wow, you’re really decked out. He tells me. Bryan has really been looking forward to this. He’s been talking about nothing else.

He’s a rather new recruit, you see. To the era.

Then he comes out the door. He’s wearing two capes. A long black one that goes past his feet, and a short, wide one. That one is see-through with a spider-web pattern. He’s told me many times that the spider cape is his favorite. His mom made it for him. He’s wearing a blue shirt. He says because that means he’s smart. My brother John is wearing a green shirt. He says because that makes him evil. Whatever floats your boats. I tell them.

Next stop.

My sister’s work.

I need to ask her if she is planning to go. She says she’s not sure. She will probably go later. But now, she has to work. But she likes how I’m dressed. Neat. She tells me. I buy each of the three of us a smoothie. My brother gets a sweet tart smoothie. Bryan doesn’t know. He ends up getting the same. And also a chocolate-chip cookie. Me? I get a peach-lemonade one. My favorite.

As we leave, I can feel people’s eyes following us.

But we don’t care.

If they were in the know, they would understand too.

As we approach our destination, my brother and Bryan chattering in the back seat. They ask me why they have to leave sooner than I do. It’s because your dad doesn’t want you to be out until midnight. I tell Bryan. He’s disappointed. Of course. But that doesn’t stop him from having fun. My brother doesn’t mind, though. As long as he gets his own copy soon. He tells me. very soon.

Me? I start to get a bit apprehensive. What will I do, after this is over? Without another gathering to look forwards to? What if this one is disappointing? There is always a chance of that happening.

As I turn into the parking lot, I am amazed on the number of ‘fellow era members.’ I see one of my friends, waving. She came to every gathering. Even if she never truly got involved with the era. Everything she knows, or says she knows, she got from me.

We enter through an archway. It’s supposed to represent the transition between our world, and the next. The world inside.

Bryan and my brother rush inside. I take my time.

There’s food. Games. Trivia pursuit. Contests for the best dressed. And the most creative. I don’t get one for my costume, but I do for something else.

Which is fine for me.

Time goes by quickly. Although I really don’t want it to go anywhere. My brother and Bryan leave to go home. I stay on.

Midnight comes quickly.

A countdown.

Down from five minutes. To one.

And then, down from 12 seconds.

4….3….2….1….0!!!

We are standing in line now. Waiting. I wander about. I’m too tense to stand still.

12:50AM comes quickly. I’m usually not here that late.

It didn’t take this long at the last gathering. I guess that this era has grown in popularity. At the last gathering, it took me about twenty minutes—thirty minutes at most to receive my ‘prize.’ This time around, it took longer.

I tried to savor every moment. Every second. Minute. Hour.

Yet time had slipped past me, unaware.

I wander around the room. There are many others who already have their copy of the treasure. I ask them if I can touch theirs. They say yes.

And are puzzled when I get super excited.

It isn’t that important to them.

There are several guys from my high school. They try to spoil the surprise of my treasure.

I run away.

After that, every time I see them, I don’t listen to what they try to say. What they try to tell me. so I make loud funny noises. And run I don’t want to know anything yet.

Soon enough, it is my turn. My turn, to receive what millions of people around the world have been receiving. After midnight, of course.

I step up to the desk.

Do you have your receipt? They ask? Yes. I’ve had it for months. I say. I bring out the slip of paper from my purse. Yes. That is it. They say.

Louisa Cheslock. One copy. Looks good.

The lady stoops down. She picks up the box from the ground. There is one left in here. She tells her assistant. Go get some others from the back room. She turns to me.

Smiling.

Did you have a good time? She asks. Yes. I did. I say. And then I ask. What will you do with that box? May I have it? She says I can. She leaves my copy inside.

As soon as it’s in my hands, I run to the nearest chair.

Slowly, I reach into my box. Yes. It’s still there. Of course. It wouldn’t go anywhere. I grasp it in my hands. Gradually, I take it from the box. Lovingly, I read what is written on my treasure.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Pause.

JK Rowling.

Pause.

Book Seven.

Pause.

I squeal.

There’s no stopping me now. As I run my hands along the spine of the book, I squeal. I giggle. I squeal again.

The heavy weight of words in my hands.

Satisfaction.

When I get home, I will read it.

There will be sadness. Of course. But there is also bound to be many good things as well.

As in life.

I can’t wait to get started. Again. But this time, with the ending.

What a way to end the era.