Written for my friend’s graduation May 2017
Once upon a time in a far away valley lived a cute little Princess who called herself Ally. Ally was fun, and sweet, and kind, she was easily a monarch you could rally behind.
She spent her days singing and dancing to songs, there wasn’t a soul who’d wish her some harm. She slept every night with a grin on her face, comfy and warm in pajamas of lace.
But then, one morning, she awoke on the ground all cold and confused she searched all around.
Instead of her home a field took its place, it seemed to have vanished without any trace! There wasn’t a castle, a garden, or den, only a sad Princess alone in a glen.
And so Ally cried “I’ve lost my dad and my mom, my friends and my family, they really are gone! Oh what can I do to help bring them back? I have nothing left, I feel so attacked!”
Then fate took its cue as Ally transported “You aren’t a donut,” a wizard purported.
She snapped around quick and saw a wizard so tall who seemed to be struggling with his cholesterol.
His lair was disgusting and smelled of beefsteak with boxes of pizza and burgers and cake
They littered the floor and the bed and the desk, this seemed like an awful start to a quest.
“You don’t seem a pastry so I’m already not thrilled, but I’ll give you a chance: are you jelly filled?”
“No sir,” said she, “Not at all. I’m a Princess quite true,” and she stood up tall.
“A Princess,” he mused as he walked around, “I guess that explains your Swarovski crown.”
“Are you sir, a wizard?” she asked in his midst, “I have a big problem if you’d care to assist. My kingdom was stolen away in the night, but I’m not quite sure how to make it all right.”
“Your kingdom was stolen? Ha! That’s so old! I’m tired of hearing this story get told. It was probably the fairies, they do it for fun, to get it all back there’s not much to be done.
“Just go find some water, they like where it’s wet, but to get it all back you’ll place a bet. They like a good challenge, for nothing or all. You should try looking behind waterfalls.”
“Oh thank you kind wizard! I’ve got nothing to say, you’ve done me a favor I can never repay!”
“Well. . . I’ve an idea of how you can pay. That thing in that cave has had its last day. You see, my neighbor up north is the Beast, so ferocious, and his extracurriculars are simply atrocious. He kills and he steals, never seen in daylight, and it’s finally time to put up a fight. So all that ask is not too extreme. . .
“Just cut off his head and make sure that he screams!”
“A murder most foul! I have morals, good sir! A Princess like me can’t commit cold blooded murder!”
“Info’s not cheap though it appears that you are, do this for me or you won’t get too far.”
So she walked up the hill with heart heavy in sin, thinking of the Beast that lies within.
She peered in the mouth of the ugly gray door, and what she saw only befuddled her more.
There weren’t any bones, or blood splats, or gore, but a cute little welcome mat in front of the door.
There was tea on the stove and a fire blazing bright, the tall wizard’s story didn’t seem to be right.
The Beast saw Ally from the back of the room, he looked adorable with no signs of gloom. She walked up to him and shook his hand and decided it best to confess her plan.
“Your neighbor the Wizard, isn’t a friend, he wishes you to meet an untimely end. He sent me to you to do him the deed, and I’m frightfully sorry to have to impede.”
The Beast breathed in deep and scratched his head, carefully thinking of what she just said.
“The Wizard and I don’t get along, I’m sorry to hear that he brought you along. You see, a while ago I borrowed some flour and I didn’t return it, now the Wizard’s grown sour.”
The Beast wasn’t bad, he’s just misunderstood by people who talk much more than they should. So Ally stood tall and brushed off her dress, “I have something that I have to confess. You’re called “the Beast” throughout the land but I know that’s not true since I met you firsthand.
“Your cave is quite cozy, the tea smells delicious and I hope I’m not being a bit too capricious but my quest, although noble, I find is quite lonely. Would you kindly accept an offer to join me?”
The Beast smiled wide then broke out in tears, “You’re the only friend that I’ve had in years! Of course I’ll join you on your travels so grand” he put on his tie and held out his hand.
“It’s time that we go,” Ally said with a grin, “the second part of this journey is about to begin,”
And so they ran off sprinting through trees, jumping off rocks and scraping their knees. They ran til they wheezed and then stopped for a breath, they weren’t really sure how far they had left.
The Beast turned to Ally with no signs of jest, “You know, you never told me about this grand quest.”
“I woke up one day and my kingdom was gone, and that’s when I knew that something was wrong. Then I was told by a wizard so tall to ask the small fairies behind waterfalls.”
“But I can’t help but notice,” said the Beast with a pout, “There’s no water around because of the drought!”
“A drought! That can’t be! I’ve come all of this way! My family’s rescue I’ll have to delay. We can’t find the fairies, for there is no water, and as the day goes the drought gets more hotter!”
Ally broke out in tears and wept ‘til she stopped, and then the Beast noted “Hey, the temperature’s dropped!”
For as it turns out a puddle of tears was exactly what’s needed to make the fairies appear. The puddle then grew and exponentially so, and a magical waterfall started to flow!
“You called?” The fairies spoke as one and the same, “we were in the middle of a card game.”
“Yes,” Ally said, “I have a request,” She didn’t want to make them upset, “You took my family, my castle, and friends, and I’m here to put this game to an end. I was told you’d return them if I won a bet and now that the place and the time has been set, I’m here to win and won’t leave empty handed, those are my terms, straightforward and candid.”
“We accept,” they all stated, their game rules are strict, “and what is the bet that you have picked?”
Ally thought long and hard and thought of a bet, one that the fairies would soon not forget. “I bet you won’t return them,” she said with a smirk and she saw that their brains were beginning to work.
Then they all screamed and startled the Beast, their brows were all furrowed and their foreheads were creased. “You won with a paradox, no, that’s not fair!”
“Don’t you rob me of this, don’t you dare.”
Ally was firm and very demanding and she soon felt the ground grow and expanding. Then Ally found that she stood on a lawn, the cave and the fairies seemed to have gone.
The castle was back, and Ally’s heart jumped, her new situation had her feeling quite pumped!
“I did it! It’s back!” She screamed at the Beast whose facial expression was looking quite eased. He held in his hand a pail full of flour to pay back the wizard who lives in the tower.
“Thank you, dear Ally, you’ve been the best friend for helping this silly feud come to an end. By beating the fairies it seems I’ve won too, and I’ve only one thing left to do.”
“You’re welcome, my Beast, tell the Wizard hello!” She watched him leave through the meadow.
Ally turned toward her home and skipped in delight with lots of details to recount of her plight.
So Ally the Princess in a far away castle lived joyfully forever without any hassle. And every night since she’s slept in bliss with only good times left to reminisce. She spent her days singing and dancing in laughter, the happiest start to her ever after.
THE END
Wendy Fernandez 