Week 14 Story: The Cloak of a Thousand Furs

Once upon a time, the beloved Queen Aurora and King Philip ruled over a happy kingdom. The people rejoiced when their first child, Prince Adalrico was born and a few years later rejoiced again At the birth of Princess Aurelia.

This happiness could not last, however. Queen Aurora became sick and weak, and on her deathbed, King Philip promised that he would never forget her and would not even marry again unless it was with her unique golden hair.

The kingdom mourned the loss of their queen but soon wished for a new Queen to take on royal duties. King Philip at first was adamant he would not marry, but when his advisers said someone must fulfill the Queenly duties, he remembered his promise to only marry with the unique golden hair of his wife. Reluctant, the advisers searched through the lands for a woman with the same hair as the prior Queen, but none were to be found. This passed on for multiple years and in the meantime the young Prince Philip and Princess Aurelia grew into their teens. When the grieved King Philip met with his children one day, he saw that his daughter Aurelia had inherited her mother's hair and decreed that she must become his bride. Despite the adamant protests of such an abominable act from the royal advisers, the priests, and his children, King Philip was not deterred.

Princess Aurelia understood her father had gone mad. She decided to buy herself time by saying that she would agree to marry her father if he gave her special gifts. Three dresses spun from the light of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, as well as a cloak made from one thousand furs given freely. However, King Philip managed to complete these tasks with the help of the Royal Magicians. In despair, Princess Aurelia was forced to flee into the forests surrounding the castle, only able to grab the three dresses and don the cloak on her shoulders.

Aurelia found a small abandoned house in a rural village and decided to rest there. However, shortly after she arrived, news from her father reached the village. The Mad King claimed that Princess Aurelia had been kidnapped with the help of their prince, who was thrown into the dungeons for his treachery. Any that could find the princess and return her safely would be granted a grand reward, such as a noble title, land, and gold.

And so Aurelia was forced to flee the kingdom and ran for many days through the wilderness into a neighboring kingdom until she, at last, stopped to rest in a hollow tree. A stick poked her awake. It was a royal envoy led by none other than the neighboring King Cedric. Aurelia was asked questions, such as who she was and why she was sleeping in the middle of nowhere.

Aurelia had heard of King Cedric's kindness and wished she could petition him for aid to stop her father and save her brother. However, would King Cedric help her and risk an international conflict or turn her in and be granted a favor. Aurelia knew that the best way to determine one's character is to see how they treat their inferiors. She decided to lie and tell the envoy she had gotten lost on her journey to find work. Out of some intent, more likely pity, Aurelia was hired to work as a kitchenmaid in the palace.

However, the life of a princess did little to prepare her for brunt work. Along with her clumsy attempts to clean the dishes, Aurelia was often scolded for covering the floors with hair from her fur cloak. They become more disapproving when Aurelia was adamant to never take it off. After all, her golden hair was a recognizable trait of her family. When the head kitchen servant petitioned the King to fire her, King Cedric agreed, but not before giving Aurelia another job.

"Your fur cloak is always kept so neat and clean. Why don't you help groom my horse," the king had said.

And so Aurelia began to attend the King's personal steed, with a daily visit from the king. Although the King only stayed for a few minutes, Aurelia took those moments and analyzed the King's true character. Aurelia discovered that King Cedric was as good as the tales claimed, and she resolved to ask him for assistance, not as the servant with the funny cloak, but as Princess Aurelia. And she knew just when to meet with him.

A week-long ball would take place at the castle, which gave Aurelia plenty of time to meet the King. On the first night of the ball, Princess Aurelia donned her sunlight dress. When she entered the hall, heads turned at the golden lady. The crowd part for her and Princess Aurelia made her way to King Cedric. When she asked if they could speak privately, King Cedric asked if they could have a dance first. Aurelia missed her palace life and dancing at balls, so she agreed. The two danced until the night was over, and Aurelia had to return as a servant for the next day of work.

The next night, Aurelia donned the moonlight dress and the night after that the starlight dance. However, each time, Aurelia became so happy to dance with a kind, handsome partner like King Cedric that all of her troubles melted away. However, one the last night, those troubles returned, when she overheard politics at the ball about her father's erratic behavior and the execution of her brother! It was here that Aurelia asked King Cedric to listen to her. However, King Cedric didn't need to be told!

"I apologize, Princess Aurelia, but I already saw through your disguise. Wisps of your golden hair would sometimes fall in front of your face, which is how I recognized you.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid that you would leave. Aside from your excellent company, you sometimes acted like a cornered animal and from the rumors I've heard, I can understand why. A princess wouldn't be working as a servant unless she was afraid of going home. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would run away and put yourself in danger. Though by the look on your face you have been able to handle yourself this whole time. I apologize for my presumption."

Aurelia and Cedric's conversation continued with a promise from King Cedric to stop Prince Adalrico's execution. With King Cedric's aid, an attack on Aurelia's old home led to the capture of Mad King Philip and the rescue of Prince Adalrico. News of King Philip's madness spread and the people rejoiced when Aldelrico was crowned king. Aurelia stayed in her home country and helped govern but soon she caught herself thinking to kind eyes within a graceful dance partner. King Cedric courted Princess Aurelia for a few years and the two married, living happily ever after.

Author's Notes:

Originally the princess was named Allerleirauh. I decided to change this because I had an idea where only the royal family is allowed to have certain names, such as those meaning "dawn," "gold," etc., which is because of the bloodline's special golden hair trait.

I chose Aurora as the dead queen's namebecause it means "Dawn" and its the name of the goddess of dawn in Roman mythology (though I did hear this name first from Disney's Sleeping Beauty).

Aurelia means "golden" and sometimes "dawn." Both Aurelia and Auroura are named for their golden hair.

Adalrico means noble, powerful and rich.

Cedric means kind and loved.

In the original story, the dying Queen asked her husband to not marry unless he found another woman with the same golden hair she did. I thought this was a strange thing to ask on your deathbed so instead, I decided it would be more interesting if the King had imposed those conditions on himself. Initially, it would mean, I will marry again only if its with you, my Queen," only for the King to twist this intent to marry a woman with the same hair had his prior wife when he has to marry again.

Another change I made was what job the princess had. In the original, the Princess continued to work in the kitchens, but I thought no cook would risk all that animal fur getting into the food. I decided she would work in the stables because animal hair from the horses is already there.

I decided to make the king more of a threat. In the original, the mad king is never mentioned again after the princess flees to another kingdom. I thought, if the people knew the king went mad, they would surely agree that another person should hold the crown. However, I also wanted the princess and neighboring king to get together, which would be difficult if they rule separate kingdoms. For this, I created Aurelia's brother, Adelrico, who would become a king. However, I also thought: Why didn't Adelrico stop his father? I decided to fill this plothole by the King pretending that his son had been killed and that his daughter had been kidnapped and offering a rich reward to anyone who brings her back unharmed. This gives a motivation for the people to find the princess and reason for the princess to flee all the way to another kingdom. This also makes the King a threat so the princess has a motivation to stop him.

Bibliography:

Original Story: "Allerleirauh" from Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (1884), translated by Margaret Hunt. Source.

Image Information: Allerleirauh illustration by Otto Ubbelohde. Source.

Week 13 Story: King Arthur Will Not Allow Any Nonsense In His Court

Original Story:  Original Story from King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang. Source.

Author's Note: This week, I really struggled with what kind of story I wanted to rewrite. I thought about having a point-of-view narrative from Arthur's adoptive father, about a land corrupt with slavery and a peasant named Arthur who rises and becomes the wisest king ever known. I thought about making the Sword in the Stone be lifted by a person of pure-heart and not because of bloodline because I believe there should be something more special about a protagonist than who their parent was. However, several rough outlines of these plot points in, I was running out of time. Instead, I decided to try a cometic, light-hearted tone of a King Arthur who will not put up with any nonsense in his court. One of those things being how all his knights abandoned Camelot's people to search for the Holy Graal, which they would never be able to find because of their sins. Another thing was how Merlin knew how the woman he loved, Vivien, would one day kill him, but Merlin does nothing to prevent his own death. In short, people made stupid decisions which caused a lot of chaos to befall Camelot later down the line, so I decided to make King Arthur put a stop to these stupid decisions. This is a very bad rough draft I had no time to polish so PLEASE tell me how you think I can improve it. Thank you!

King Arthur (1903) by Howard Pyle. Source.

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The Holy Graal

For Christmas dinner, the Knights of the Round Table had gathered in the revered halls fo Camelot to toast merrily for their good fortune and good fortune to come. However, the ruckus stilled as a brilliant light filled the halls. There was the Holy Graal, which Jesus had drank from during The Last Supper. A warm feeling filled the hearts of the people near it and felt bereft as the light dimmed and the Holy Graal vanished from sight once more. The ruler of these halls, King Arthur, felt grateful for the miracle and was about to announce for the party to commence when his right-hand-man Sir Lancelot stood.

"My King, forgive me but I ask that you pardon my oath to serve you and Camelot. The high purpose to find the Holy Graal is a calling I shall not ignore!"

To Lancelot's bold degree, all the other knights too proclaimed their wish to search for the Holy Graal.

"No. You are nor pardoned and as knights, you must still fulfill your obligations to me."

"What do you suppose will happen to Camelot if you suddenly leave? Bandits and foreign armies will march in and harm the people we swore to protect. And do you really think any of you are worthy to find the Holy Graal when I can see your own lust for honor through such a quest?'

The knights looked down, ashamed.

King Arthur spoke, "My friends, let us instead enjoy the company we have and should you still wish to go on this quest for the right reasons, train someone to take your place so the land will not be without protection."

The knights agreed.

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Merlin's Lover

King Arthur was looking over reports t his desk when his old friend Merlin the Wizard scrambled into the room. However, something was very different about his serious friend. For one thing, Merlin's pupils were heart-shaped which King Arthur was positive was impossible. However, King Arthur had no time to think on the matter further, for Merlin began to speak.

"Oh, Artie! She is just the most wonderful creature I've ever beheld. I just wish we could stay together forever! You know..."

King Arthur blinked. 'Ah, so Merlin is talking about Lady Vivien again, is he? Honestly, who would have thought the old wizard could act like a puppy in love." Something clicked into Arthur's mind.

"Merlin, what did you just say?'

"I said that Vivien is the heart of my body, and that--"

"No, before then."

"Before--oh, you mean how I said that I will gladly accept her face as the last I will ever see?"

"Yes, that. What does that mean?"

"Well, you see, Vivien plans on killing me with a spell that I'm currently teaching her! She's so talented at magic!"

"Merlin, come here real quick."

Merlin walked towards King Arthur and was promptly knocked out by a hit to the head.

Later that evening, Lady Vivien was charged with poisoning Merlin with a love potion and was charged with treason for her plans to weaken he crown by assassinating Merlin.

Week 11 Story: The Teamwork of Coyote and Raven

Photo of Raven by Greg Schechter. Source.

Photo of Coyote by Yathin S Krishnappa. Source.

Raven was perched on the Old Tree, searching for his friend Coyote. The two planned to meet up. Except Coyote was late. When Coyote did arrive, his ears were drooped. Coyote didn't even try to eat the snow that fell through the sky.
Coyote flopped onto the ground, and after a moment, Coyote's looked up to Raven.

"I don't think the people like the Dark and Cold," Coyote stated as if that sentence made any sense at all.

"Okay, I'll bite. What's 'Dark' and 'Cold'?"

"The Old Ones told me that this world we live in is Dark and Cold, and the people are unable to see, eat, or live well. I learned of something called 'Light' and 'Warm' which would better suit the people. My neighbor Old Chief has a box of Light, but he refused to share it with me. And I do not know where to find Warm."

"If you want to know where Warm is, I can help."

Coyote's ears perked, and the next moment Raven had a full view of Coyote's eager face very reminiscent of a pup's.

Raven, of course, preened at the attention. "I happen to know that Warm comes from fire, which you can get from the nearby Fire People. However, they live in hidden areas, and the only sign of them is from their smoke, which blends with Dark. We would need to make to obtain Light from Old Chiefs box first."

"But I already told you, he won't share it. And his security is really good. I tried stealing the box for hours but didn't get close."

"We'll just have to trick him into opening it then, won't we." At Raven's mischievous twinkle in his eyes, Coyote felt a thrill. "I love tricks!"

Coyote and Raven then came up with a plan. Coyote visited every animal he knew, which was all of them. The Flyers, the Climbers, the Swimmers, the Runners, and the Diggers all assembled outside Old Chief's house.

The animals began to sing, "Light, Light, Light" over and over again, each with a unique tune and tempo. Their music's power summoned Light, which quickly began to envelop the sky. However, before the Light passed on to the Old Chief's home, the man himself came out and shouted, "Let it not be!"

The Old Chief's strength restored the Dark sky. However, the animals were not deterred and continued to sing "Light, Light, Light" through the night. Over time, the Old Chief grew tired from the ruckus at his door and in his weariness, shouted, "Let it be—Light!"

With this mistake, Old Chief unlocked the box containing Light, and Light enveloped the world.

As Light fully enveloped the world, Raven's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a dark cloud, from none other than the Fire People's smoke. Raven traveled to the Fire People's lands and returned with a lit torch.

And so it was Light and Warm for a long time with the gifts from Raven and Coyote. However, some animals, such as Grizzly Bear, soon wished for Dark and cold to return. These animals began to sing for Dark and Cold to return, while the rest sang with Coyote and Raven to keep the world Light and Warm forever. However, the tremendous amount of singing later tired out the animals, and they decided to compromise.

If you wish to know the results, hear this ancient rhyme: "Dark" became "Night" and "Light" became "Day. The turns of "Cold" and "Warm" is how the Seasons were made.

Author's Note:

Excerpts from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson (1917). Source.

Creation of light. Source.

An old chief owned every bit of light, fire, and water and refused to share it. The animal people of the time gathered outside the old chief's tepee and began to try to create their own light by singing and dancing. Because of this, light began to show but the old chief banished the light again. However, after the animals sang more, the old chief became distracted at the noise level until he accidentally summoned light. Since then, people have had access to light.

Grizzly Bear and Coyote. Source.

Grizzly Bear did not like that nighttime was very short and wanted to make it night all the time. Coyote fought against this idea as people need light. They each began to sing a song. Grizzly Bear sang about how it would always be darkness, and Coyote sang about how it would always be light. The louder song then controlled whether it was light or dark. However, they both got tired and decided to make half the time light and half the time dark. This is how the cycle of day and night was made.

Later on, Grizzly Bear wanted very long winters while Coyote knew all-time winter would hurt people. Instead, Grizzly bear decided to want as many moons of winter as feathers in a Blue Grouse tail. Coyote suggested that they instead do half the number of feathers, but Grizzly Bear did not want this. Coyote suggested they instead do half the number of feathers in Flicker's tail to determine the number of moons in winter. Grizzly Bear agreed because he thought Flicker had a lot of tail feathers. This is how the seasons were made.

Origin of Light and Fire. Source.

Sea Gull owned all the light in the world, and Raven wanted to share light with the people. Ravel tricked Sea Gull into releasing the light. Raven used the light to find out where the fire was and trade for it so the people could have fire.

For my retelling, I combined these three stories. I tried to give Coyote and Raven distinct personalities. Raven is more mocking, confident, and a loner compared to the loyal, people-person Coyote.

Week 9 Story: The Lord Bag of Rice (Now on My Portfolio)

Once upon a time, there lived a small, close-knit village. Although the people did not have much, they were happy. However, a famine struck the community. The crops did not grow, and the hunting prey disappeared. As the elders discussed possible solutions, the food supply continued to dwindle. Finally, one researcher came across a legend that the Dragon King of the Lake would grant a favor to a human, for a price. In desperation, the village sent its most skilled hunter, Fujiwara Hidesato, to bargain with the Dragon King.
Hidesato traveled a grand distance until he came across the lake depicted in the legend.

Hidesato called out, "Oh majestic Dragon King of the Lake, I am Fujiwara Hidesato, and I've come to bargain with you."

The lake stood still.

Hidesato's heart trembled. "What if the legend was wrong. Without the Dragon King, how will our village survive?" But, to his amazement, the water began to ripple, and a great shape rose from its depths. The Dragon King of the Lake was far more fantastical than Hidesato had imagined. His silver scales rippled as silk in the daylight, and its horns were with silver scales and pearly teeth. However, these traits were not purely ornamental. Hidesato noted many scratches throughout the Dragon King's natural armor.

"Greetings Hidesato. I am the Dragon King of the Lake. Of what would you wish to bargain?'

"A terrible famine has struck my village, we ask for a solution."

"I can offer a solution. What do you offer in return?"

"What do you want?"

"A foolish question. I could have demanded a price to steep for you to pay. Aside from your lackluster bargaining skills, do you have skill with that bow in your possession."

"Yes. I am the strongest hunter in my village."

"Well then, Hunter Hidesato. Here is your bargain. A great centipede from the nearby mountain has made a habit of attacking my family every night. If you kill him, I will save your village."

"Deal."

Hidesato decided to stay by the dragon and waited until night fell.

As the Dragon King described, once night fell, a monstrous centipede appeared and charged towards the lake. Hidesato took his bow and struck an arrow into the middle of the centipede's forehead. However, Hidesato's skill was for naught as the arrow bounced harmlessly off the centipede. Hidesato's heart jumped when the centipede decided to focus its attention on Hideasto. As the centipede began to charge towards Hideasto, Hidesato, in turn, shot at one joint in the centipede, but the arrow still bounced itself off. The centipede was coming in close, so Hidesato fled. This became a pattern as the centipede chased Hidesato while Hidesato ran and shot at the centipede in as many places he could think of. Each arrow met its target but failed to damage. At this point, Hidesato had only one arrow left.

"This isn't working! What do I do," Hidesato thought. "What will it take to bring down this centipede? A centipede?" A new idea inspired Hidesato's mind, and so Hidesato placed the final arrow tip in his mouth and-

As sudden swipe crashed into Hidesato. "When did the centipede get here? Where're my weapons?" Hidesato's bow and arrow were crushed under the centipede, whose odious face leaned in closer to Hidesato.

"I can't die here, I won't," with this determination, Hidesato spat right into the centipede's face before it began to shriek. Hidesato ran from under the centipede that fell and became still. Hidesato rolled over the centipede's body and retrieved his bow, now cracked in two.

The Dragon King was pleased at Hidesato's completion of his task. "I heard the centipede's shriek. How did you manage to defeat it with a broken bow?"

"I remembered that human saliva was deadly to a centipede. I didn't know if the giant centipede would be affected, but I thought it was worth a try."

"A reckless strategy, but worthy of receiving praise for its effectiveness."

"So, you will stop the famine."

"I do not have to power to make the land fertile again. However, I do have a solution." The Dragon King held out a clawed fist and opened it. In his hand was a bag that contained one bag of rice, one roll of silk, and a bronze bell.

"Do not be alarmed at their ordinary appearance. These items are exceptional. The bag of rice will always be full, no matter how much you take out of it. Likewise, the roll of silk is endless. With these gifts, I would like you to help your people as you have helped mine. But beware, many will envy you for your wealth. Should you need me, you can call for aid with the bronze bell, and I swear help will come"

With the Dragon King's favor, Hidesato returned home to his village. Hidesato used the bag of rice and the roll of silk to feed his people. Over time, the town grew, and all who lived in it lived prosperously. Although such wealth often makes targets for bandits, rumors quickly spread that dragons attacked any who would harm the land. Fujiwara Hidesato's story grew and overtime, he became known as The Lord Bag of Rice.


Author's Note:

In the original story, Fujiwara Hidesato was traveling and came across a lake which belongs to the Dragon King. The Dragon King asks Fujiwara Hidesato to kill the mountain centipede, which attacks the Dragon King's family. The Dragon King asks Fujiwara Hidesato to help because he was not scared to see the dragon. Fujiwara Hidesato promises to help. The centipede comes every night, so Fujiwara Hidesato waits for the next attack. Hidesato's arrows bounce off the centipede. Hidesato remembers that human saliva is deadly to centipedes and licks an arrow before releasing it. The Dragon king throws a feast to celebrate, and when Hidesato wants to leave, the Dragon King gives him gifts. Hidesato reluctantly accepts the rewards, which include an ordinary bell, a neverending bag of rice, an infinitely long roll of silk, and a cooking pot that makes everything taste delicious. Hidesato returns home and becomes very rich and later is known as the Lord Bag of Rice.

For my retelling, I wanted to expand on the reason why Hidesato was traveling. I also wanted to make the Dragon King's gifts more meaningful. The original Hidesato was wealthy enough to have servants and was not in lack of rice or silk. Also, I wanted Hidesato not to encounter the Dragon King by chance.

From this, I recreated Hidesato to be a poor hunter. I decided to make Hidesato a hunter so he would still use a bow. I created a famine, which would cause food to be scarce and would give Hidesato a motivation to visit the Dragon King for help. Hidesato saved the Dragon King's family, so I wanted the Dragon King's gifts to have the effect of saving Hidesato's family. I could not find a way to include the cooking pot, so I left it out. The original story's bronze bell was ordinary, which I thought was lackluster compared to the other gifts. I made it so the bronze bell could call the Dragon King, so this one event would stretch out over the ages.

The Dragon King and his family also served a second purpose. One question I had was about the economic implications of endless rice and silk on the market, along with people who might want to steal from Hidesato. I decided dragons made an excellent crime deterrent and that everyone else would live happily ever after.


Bibliography:

"My Lord Bag of Rice" Excerpt from Japanese Fairy Tales (1905) by Yei Theodora Ozaki, Profusely Illustrated by Japanese Artists. Source.

Image Information: Photo of Lago Nahuel Huapi. Source.

Week 7 Story: Diary of the Monkey King's Teacher

Author’s Note:

This story is based on “The Monkey King,” which tells the adventures of Sun Wu Kung. I wanted to retell the story from the perspective of Sun Wu Kung’s spirit teacher, The Discerner. Due to the number of time gaps, I decided a diary format would work best.

Many elements are the same between the original and my retelling. The Discerner gives a lecture to his class when Sun Wu Kung jumps up in joy at understanding the lesson. The Discerner offers additional lessons for Sun Wu Kung, and he agrees very eagerly. However, Sun Wu Kung rejects any teaching once he realizes that they will not give immortality to him. The Discerner whacks Sun Wu Kung on the head three times and storms off to his chambers.

From this point, the original story has The Discerner give Sun Wu Kung a coded message to visit him in three nights to learn the secret of immortality. Sun Wu Kung follows the message, and The Discerner is impressed that Sun Wu Kung understood the message, and he decides to teach him the way to immortality. Sun Wu Kung must face more dangers, so The Discerner teaches him skills like transformation and flight. Later, Sun Wu Kung shows off to classmates bu turning into a pine tree and The Discerner sends him away for it. Sun Wu Kung is ordered not to mention he was a student of The Discerner.

In my retelling, I changed it, so there was no coded message. Instead, The Discerner ends up very relieved that he made Sun Wu Kung promise not to mention that he was a student, so the forces of the Heavens wouldn’t point at him.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Dear Diary,

Today a new student appeared during my meditation. I heard crackling sounds so disturbing that I could no longer continue. I asked one of my students to see what the racket was outside. The noise-maker turned out to be an ape, eating pine cones by the entrance. When he came in, he didn’t introduce himself because he didn’t have a name. Well, being the generous being that I am, I decided to name him Sun Wu Kung.

Dear Diary,

Seven years have passed since Sun Wu Kung’s arrival, and honestly, I had almost forgotten him. I received a sharp reminder when I witnessed Sun Wu Kung’s spectacle this morning. I was presenting a lecture when all of a sudden Sun Wu Kung began to jump up and dance! I scolded him profusely until Sun Wu Kung cut me off to tell me that he fully understood the lecture. As the gracious being that I am, I offered to teach Sun Wu Kung more about The Great Truth so that he could express his excitement out of class. At first, Sun Wu Kung was eager to agree to any lessons, until he found out that they would give immortality to him. From there, Sun Wu Kung refused to learn anything.

I am ashamed to admit that I hit Sun Wu Kung thrice before I stormed off to my chambers. The audacity of that ape! I’m immortal, but I didn’t remove The Great Truth from my life. I even teach it to others because of its value, yet Sun Wu Kung rejects any worth in my teachings if they do not lead to eternal life. The nerve of it! Anyone would jump at the chance to learn the slightest knowledge from me, yet when I offered Sun Wu Kung extra lessons, he insulted me to blatantly to my face. As a teacher, I know I should be calm with unruly students, but Sun Wu Kung is testing the ends of my patience. I need to meditate until I can be reasonable around that unruly ape again.

Dear Diary,

It’s been three days since Sun Wu Kung rejected my teachings and just as I was about to head to bed, Sun Wu Kung entered my chambers and announced he is waiting to receive the secret to immortality. I told him I would do no such thing, but Sun Wu Kung was adamant that I had, in the most convoluted logic I have ever seen. Sun Wu Kung said that when I whacked him three times in the head then stormed off, I told Sun Wu Kung in a secret message that after three nights I would reveal the secret of immortality to him in my chambers.

I realized that Sun Wu Kung is beyond reason and would not leave me alone until I taught him the way to immortality. Like I would do that! Instead, I taught Sun Wu Kung other skills, such as transformation magic and how to travel via clouds. I may or may not have pretended that these were the secrets to immortality. When he realizes the truth of the situation, he will hopefully see the value in skills that have no link to immortality.

Dear Diary,

I thought I had finally learned a way to tame Sun Wu Kung’s wild spirit, but I see that it has only spread to my other students! I heard loud laughter and found the source to be a group of students laughing at a pine tree, who was Sun Wu Kung transformed. I taught Sun Wu Kung to teach him a valuable lesson in life, yet this is the thanks I get. One thing is sure. Sun Wu Kung can no longer stay. However, if word got out that I had such a wild student, my reputation would plummet. I need to think.

Dear Diary,

After a night of deep contemplation, I sent Sun Wu Kung away! I told Sun Wu Kung that if others learned that he was my pupil, that he would be in grave danger. From that, Sun Wu Kung swore to secrecy and went back to wherever he came from. In the process, Sun Wu Kung thanked me! I should be thanking him! Thank you, Sun Wu Kung, for leaving my life, and may you never come again.

Dear Diary,

I heard rumors about some upstart calling himself “The Great Saint,” but I never paid much attention to them. But then, I learned The Great Saint is an ape who could be none other than Sun Wu Kung! 

There is a mountain of misdeeds, such as stealing the elixir of life, erasing the mortality of his ape family, stealing weapons, etc. The Lord of the Heavens attempted to arrest him, but Sun Wu Kung had evaded arrest multiple times. Finally, they trapped him with the help of Buddha. But for all the horrendous deeds, I have not heard anything about who his teacher was. Which means I’m safe! I’m so glad I told Sun Wu Kung not to mention his connection to me. To think, I was only worried about being a laughing stock in front of the other teachers, but the Lord of the Heavens could have beheaded me for teaching such a troublemaker.

___________________________________________________________________________

Bibliography: 

"The Monkey King" from The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921). Source.

Image Information: The Monkey King by Yoshitoshi. Source.

Week 5 Story: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Prequel (Now on My Portfolio)

UPDATE: This story has been chosen as an additional to my portfolio. If you would like to read the updated version, you can find it here. Please let me know what you think!

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Once upon a time, there was The Great Magician. The Great Magician was called such for his outstanding talent in the mystical arts. People from the lowest commoner to the highest king from distant lands paid respect to The Great Magician in search for his assistance.

One such traveler was a young woman who later became The Great Magician's wife. Over the years, the happy couple had three sons and became a happy family. However, grief interrupted this happiness when The Great Magician's wife died. The Great Magician wished to retire and dedicate his life to raising his sons, but he could not. Instead, The Great Magician used his vast wealth to buy everything his sons could ever be in want of, from toys to tutors. As the years passed, The Great Magician watched his sons grow into men of their own.

The eldest son, Abanoub, became a proficient magician and skilled in swordsmanship. Draped in shining armor and noble deeds, the people praised Abanoub as the protector of the land.

His second, Malik, was by far the most talented in magic matched only by his cleverness. His well-spoken manner and warm smiles became the jewel of the nobility.

His youngest, Mustapha, though not without talents, paled in comparison to in the face of his gifted brothers.

The Great Magician grew older wished to provide for his sons even after death. As per custom, The Great Magician observed his sons in secret to determine what kind of inheritance would best benefit them. However, The Great Magician soon discovered hidden sides to his sons.

Abanoub was vain. His noble deeds were performed only in times an audience would applaud him. His immaculate armor was kept clean in favor of performing acts of service.

Malik was greedy. As often as he used his charm and cleverness in proper diplomacy, Malik used them far more to speak sweet words to cheat others.

Who surprised The Great Magician most of all was Mustapha. His youngest helped those in need without a hope for a reward using magic that surpassed The Great Magician.

At The Great Magician's death, his three sons were shocked to find out the contents of the will. Mustapha had inherited most of their father's fortune, with a sum of gold to Abanoub and Malik.

The elder brothers were furious. More than the vast treasures their father owned, which included a growing garden of jewels, Abanoub and Malik desired the magical lamp and ring, which each contained a powerful genie.

In jealousy, the elder two brothers decided to kill Mustapha and split the treasures amongst themselves.

Mustapha ran once he realized what his brothers were plotting. In hopes of hiding, Mustapha sealed away his power and possessions. Thus the jewel gardens, the ring, and the lamp became hidden among the dunes of the desert.

Mustapha traveled East for many days before he settled himself in a small town in China. Over time, Mustapha began a new life as a tailor's apprentice and fell in love with his mentor's daughter. The two tailors married and months later Mustapha was ecstatic to hear that their family would soon welcome a small addition. Mustapha named his son after his father: Aladdin.

Mustapha and his family lived many happy years together, though not without its problems. It was time for Aladdin to pick up a trade; however, Aladdin did not want to. While his wife despaired over their son's laziness, Mustapha noticed Aladdin's kindness and pure desire to enjoy his childhood. One night, Mustapha resolved to talk to his wife about allowing Aladdin more time as a child, but this was not to be.

On his walk home, a shadow loomed over Mustapha. It was Abanoub on a magic carpet! Mustapha tried to escape, but without powers, he was quickly overwhelmed by Abanoub.

Abanoub knew where Mustapha had hidden his treasures; only he could not access them. Instead, Ababoub cornered Mustapha and demanded the genie of the lamp in exchange for Mustapha's life. Mustapha refused. In his fury, Abanoub murdered Mustapha and devised a plan to get his unsuspecting nephew to deliver the lamp to his father's killer.

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Author's Note:

In the original "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," Alladin was an idle boy with a tailor father, Mustapha. The father was so sad that his son was a burden on society that he died. A magician pretended to be Mustapha's merchant brother and brought Alladin to a secret entrance which contains the jewel gardens, the genie with the ring, and the genie with the lamp. The evil magician tells Alladin to take the ring, go into the magical cave, and bring him the lamp in return for treasures.

Alladin obtains the lamp, but on his way out, the magician tells Alladin to give him the lamp already. Alladin refuses to do so while he is still in the cave. The magician traps Alladin in the cave.

Alladin rubs the lamp, and the genie from the lamp appears and saves Alladin, brings him home. Aladdin can make as many wishes as he likes from the genie. Years pass. Alladin falls in love with the princess. Eventually, Aladdin and the princess married. However, the evil magician and his younger brother still posed problems for the happy couple.

When I read the original story, I was confused for why Aladdin was chosen by the first evil magician to obtain the lamp. What more, why did the evil magician pretended to be Aladdin's uncle. How did the evil magician know that Aladdin's father was Mustapha, the tailor? I thought to myself, wouldn't it have been more interesting if Aladdin wasn't just a convenient lamp obtainer. What if Aladdin was the evil magician's nephew? What if only Aladdin could obtain the magical lamp because it was his birthright.

In the original story, Mustapha died because he was sad that Aladdin was lazy. I thought, what if Mustapha was proud of Aladdin because he had a good heart? What if Mustapha remembered his cruel brothers who lusted for power. Why would Mustapha die then? Because his brothers would return and want to obtain their late father's treasures.

From this thought process, I came up with a back story for why Aladdin was chosen to obtain the lamp and created this prequel to "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp."

Concerning names:

Mustapha was the original name of Aladdin's father, and the meaning of that name in Arabic can be "the chosen." I decided that the evil magician brothers should also have Arabic names with significance. Abanoub and Malik are both Arabic names which can be roughly translated to "King."

Bibliography:

Original Story: "Alladin and the Wonderful Lamp" from "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments" by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1898). Source.

Image Information: Lamp Photo Taken by Vicki Nunn. Source.

Week 4 Story: Venus' Meddling in Pluto's Love Life

In an ethereal palace beyond mortal eyes perception, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility dwelled. One day, Venus contemplated a new plan. As the deity of love, Venus' power and influence also spread with love. However, fellows from her pantheon such as Diana and Pallas had sworn off love forever. Now there were even rumors that Ceres' daughter Proserpine would follow the same path.

This trending celibacy was not to say that every god was beyond her influence. Why, with her son Cupid, Venus had already struck love into the hearts of two of the Big Three. Jupiter and Neptune may control the skies and seas, but they were as weak as anyone when it came to love. However, Pluto remained elusive in his underworld kingdom from all attempts to bestow love upon him.

This was the whole point of Venus' frustration. Love was the most wonderful experience anyone could have, yet everyone was swearing it off as a disease. Really, any interference on her part is clearly beneficial for everyone. Though the power boost is a nice bonus.

Proserpine was a fool to swear off love when she'd never experienced before. No doubt her overprotective mother Ceres played a role in her impending chaste vow. She was young and needed to explore without her mother's constant interfering. Someplace a goddess would have trouble meddling, such as the underworld where Pluto resided. As unlikely a pair as a goddess of spring and a god of the underworld would make, Proserpine and Pluto would fit well together. With that thought in mind, Venus saw a rare upper world appearance of Pluto in his chariot the upper world, with Proserpine growing flowers not too far away.

The only problem: Pluto was headed away from his would-be bride. Well, there was only one thing to do then. Venus summoned Cupid and his archery skill for this otherwise wasted opportunity. Her dutiful son took aim, and they watched gleefully as Pluto's love-struck gaze fell upon Proserpine. What they did not expect was for Pluto to immediately snatch Proserpine and make his way back to the underworld. Proserpine was, understandably confused, but as soon as she realizes how well Pluto and she fit together, the two could make a lovely couple. With their job done, Venus and Cupid relaxed with some ambrosia.

Meanwhile, miles away, the nymph Cyane was swimming with her favorite stream and looked at the calm serenity of a beautiful spring morning...until she saw that blasted chariot.

But not just any chariot. Oh no, the chariot of none other than the all-powerful Pluto, with what looked like a very unwilling maiden. Usually, Cyane wouldn't bother. A simple nymph such as her would never match the fight of one of the Big Three. However, she couldn't in good conscience, let that maiden's cries for help go unanswered.

"My lord Pluto! Stop! Stop your chariot!"

Cyane watched as Pluto's chariot slowly descended to her stream, which swiftly turned to horror as she recognized Pluto's captive for none other than Proserpine. While Cyane did not know Proserpine personally, she was familiar with her mother, Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, and her overbearing love for her daughter. Cyane's thoughts were cut off as the newly-arrived Pluto arrived.

He proudly announced, "Good day, lady nymph! I'm pleased to tell you about the big news! I'm getting married, and everyone is invited to the wedding!"

What? Pluto and Proserpine...but based on her expression, Pluto had skipped his proposal.

Cyane fumbled for a reply. "What...wonderful news...I was not aware the two of you were courting."

Pluto opened his mouth to respond, only for Proserpine to cut in. "I would also like to know what insanity has possessed you to kidnap me."

"Insanity? Why it was only with the fervent passion of love that inspire-" Proserpine's swinging fist cut off Pluto.

Cyane gaped. "Did...did you just knock lord Hades unconscious?"

"Well, it's not like he was going to made any sense with that love arrow sickness messing with his head."

"Love arrow sickness?"

"Yeah. Wake him up."

"What?"

"Splash some water on him or something."

Cyane obeyed, and the two women watched as Pluto slowly stirred back to consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, and Pluto lazily glanced around before he shot up straight.

Hades swiftly stood up and bowed, once to Proserpine and once to Cyane. "I deeply apologize for my improper behavior. Can you ever forgive me?"

Proserpine shrugged. "It's not entirely your fault. Though...if you really want to make it up to me, I want to get back at Venus for this incident."

Pluto swiftly agreed, and the two promptly began planning their revenge on Venus and Cupid. With a brief farewell, Pluto and Proserpine departed. Cyane was left alone in her stream.

At this moment, Venus and Cupid lazily snacked on ambrosia, with no inkling of the chaos approaching their gates. But really, they deserved it for trying to force love.
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Author's Note:

This story is a retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone, with their Roman counterparts Pluto and Proserpine. One thing I changed was Pluto's name from Dis. Dis is a nickname for Dis Pater, who was the Roman god of the underworld. When the Greek and Roman gods blended, Dis Pater became synonymous with Pluto, the Roman counterpart of Hades. In the original story, the beginning is much the same. Venus, the goddess of love, wants to spread her influence and power, best done by her fellow gods and goddesses falling in love. Often, Venus orders her son Cupid to use his love arrows on many people, with not even the king of the gods Jupiter as an exception. The use of love arrows leads to many myths, particularly of Jupiter's many flings with mortals, much to the ire of his goddess wife, Juno.

However, one of the most powerful gods, Pluto, stays out of her son's range from his underworld kingdom. Another issue that Venus faces is how Pallas and Diana swore to be maidens forever, and Proserpine was planning to make the same vow. When Venus sees Pluto in the upper world, she orders Cupid to shoot a love arrow at Pluto, so he falls in love with Proserpine. Pluto whisks off with Proserpine, and the nymphs Cyane attempts to stop him.

In the original story, "attempt" is the keyword. Pluto is resolute in making Proserpine his queen, and Cyane's reasoning that kidnapping is not how to romance someone only angers him. Pluto succeeds in taking Proserpine to the underworld, and Ceres, Proserpine's mother, is devastated. Although Ceres doesn't know it was Pluto that kidnapped Proserpine, she takes away her gifts of well-growing crops and fertile land. Ceres will continue the famine until Proserpine is returned to her. As a result, Proserpine must spend some months out of the year with Ceres and the rest with Pluto. This myth is the basis for the seasons, where the winter months are when Proserpine is in the underworld.

For my retelling, I wanted to stray from a Stockholm- and lima-syndromes type situation. I decided to portray Pluto as a lovestruck fool who is eager to tell everyone about his wedding to Proserpine. This allowed Cyane to successfully delay Proserpine's kidnapping. I had Proserpine knock Pluto out because I imagined the love arrow was brainwashing Pluto to believe he is in love with Proserpine. I remembered the Avengers (2012) scene where the Black Widow breaks Hawkeye's brainwashed state via cognitive recalibration. I also figured Proserpine would be pretty angry about her attempted kidnapping and would not feel any remorse by smacking her captor.

I believe that love is the most beautiful thing a person can experience. However, I dislike Venus' methods of forcing people to fall in love. Not only should love occur naturally, but there are also many different kinds of love.

Venus is the so-called goddess of love, but her actions have created strained love if anything. Her works have played a part in wrecking Jupiter and Juno's marriage. Not to mention Venus' own infidelity, where she continually cheats on her husband Vulcan with the much more handsome Mars. In her part in the myth of Pluto and Proserpine, Venus fabricates romantic love and ignores familial love. If Venus didn't cause Pluto to suddenly fall in love with Proserpine, the situation of Ceres' famine and Proserpine's constant moving could have been avoided. Instead, Proserpine is torn between her two most precious people, and Ceres and Pluto have to deal with the sadness of a long-distance relationship with Proserpine.

Bibliography:

Original Story: Excerpt from Ovid's epic Metamorphoses, translated into English by Tony Kline. Source.

Image Information: The Abduction of Proserpina (1632) Painted by Rembrandt van Rijn. Source.

Week 3 Story: Psyche Discovers her Husband is, in Fact, Not a Monster (Now on My Portfolio)

I have decided to use this story for my Portfolio project, which you can find here. I will keep this one up so people can compare this older version with the adapted story. Please let me know your thoughts and enjoy!
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"How do you know your husband isn't a monster if he won't let you see him?"

Psyche's ears rang. A typical visit with her sisters turned into a confusing mess. True, her married life wasn't exactly normal. After the oracle of Apollo foretold her marriage to a hideous monster that even the gods fear, she walked down the altar to a funeral march. However, her first meeting with her husband was not one of him devouring her. He brought her to an ethereal palace where many servants attended her. While it is true that her husband and his servants were invisible, they were kind to her and made her feel affection. The affection she wasn't able to experience as regular people worshipped her as Venus on Earth.

Now, Psyche's perfect life with her adoring husband and new pregnancy crumbled in her mind. How could she go back to that life, after what she's been told?

Psyche loved her husband. He was so gentle and loving towards her. But...what if her sisters were right? She loves her husband, but she loves the child in her womb more than life herself. If by some chance her husband was plotting to kill them both, where could she run? She would have to kill him first.

And so that evening, Psyche took a sharp blade and a lantern and approached her husband's bedside, her hand's trembling with anxiety. They stilled as Psyche cast her eyes on her husband for the first time.

He wasn't a hideous monster, he was an ethereally gorgeous man. Mesmerized by his beauty, Psyche leaned in close, only to jerk back when she felt a sharp prick on her hand. She looked to the side and saw arrows, beautifully crafted.

His otherworldly beauty, his arrows. Psyche realized that her husband was none other than Cupid, the god of love. She felt her love for Cupid swell further than possible, not just from the arrows of love. Her husband wasn't a malevolent creature. He told the truth when he said he loved her and their baby. Psyche, assassination plan canceled, went to turn away and go back to bed, when a mysterious lamp oil drop spilled on Cupid's shoulder.

Lamp Oil POV

So this is happening. I am lamp oil. I am alive. How is this real? What is even happening? Do sentient objects count as being alive? If so, do I have a soul? Can I die? What would lamp oil death be like? How am I even thinking about this? I was just some ordinary lamp oil a moment ago. Am I panicking? I am! This is so weird. I can see? Does that mean I have eyes?

Wait...I can only see because lamp oil is being burned. I am lamp oil...I like to see...am I a masochist? Moving from those darkening thoughts, I start to look around at my surroundings, only to catch sight of the best-looking man I have ever seen.

Granted, I don't have anything for comparison since I wasn't alive a moment ago, but this guy is a serious hottie. Hottie...

He's a hottie! I'm hot lamp oil! We belong together! Who cares about existential crises when you've met the love of your life. He's so attractive! Gaaaah! Why didn't sentience come with poet skills? I can't describe his beauty enough! I need to get closer.

With my newfound determination, I use all my strength to slide off the lamp and free-fall onto Hottie's shoulder.

Cupid POV

I awake with a start. My shoulder burns. I look down and see...lamp oil with eyes? Did I accidentally bring objects to life in my sleep again? Honestly...mortals never have to deal with these problems.

Speaking of mortals... I look up and see my beautiful Psyche. She's so precious and...is looking at me? Psyche is looking at me. Psyche has a lamp? And from the glinting metal in one hand, a knife.

Was she...planning on killing me? I know she visited her sisters earlier, but she promised me that she trusted me and wouldn't listen to the advice from her jealous sisters. She...lied? I know our married life is unconventional, as I've hidden my form from her, but I've tried to treat her like a queen. I worked so hard to give us a happy life together, Psyche! Why couldn't you trust me?

For a moment, Psyche and I stared at each other. My eyes burned, and wetness spilled down my face before I fled away from her.

Psyche POV

I've made a horrible mistake.

Author's Note:

The original story of Cupid and Psyche starts with a beautiful mortal princess, the Psyche. Psyche is so stunning that worshippers of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, stopped going to the temples and started going to see Psyche's legendary beauty. Venus, of course, is enraged that mortals have begun to worship a lowly mortal like Psyche instead of her own divine self. So Venus decides to have Psyche fall in love with a hideous monster. Psyche's father at this time is looking for a husband for Psyche, and he hears about the monster that Venus wants to set Psyche up with.

Venus sends her son, Cupid, to use his love arrows on Psyche, but Cupid falls in love with Psyche at first sight and decides to marry her. Cupid and his servants stay invisible from Psyche because...

However, aside from Venus, Psyche's side of the family also has problems. She has two sisters who were married to old kings in foreign countries, and they are jealous that Psyche lives in a luxurious palace with unearthly riches. They determine that Psyche has married a god and decide to ruin her marriage. The sisters tell Psyche that her husband is a monster that is definitely going to kill her and her unborn child if she doesn't kill him first. Psyche, being naive and trusting her older sisters, listen to their "advice."

I added in the oil perspective because, in the original story, the lamp oil splashes Cupid because Cupid's otherworldly beauty makes the oil want to be closer to him. I decided to create a comedic effect from it.

Bibliography:

Original Story: "Cupid and Psyche" from Apuleius' ancient Roman novel, The Golden Ass, translated into English by Tony Kline. Source.

Image Information: "Psyché et l’Amour endormi" (1636) Painted by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640). Source.

Week 2 Story: The Girl and the Basilisk

Once upon a time, there was a young King who fell in love with a servant-girl. However, when the King proclaimed that we would marry the servant-girl, his royal advisors insisted that the King marry a noble. Eventually, the King agreed and abandoned his lover in favor of a princess.

The King and his new Queen were happy, more so when the Queen became pregnant. However, the broken-hearted servant-girl grew jealous and turned to Black magic. In her rage, she cursed the unborn royal to become a basilisk.

When the young prince was born with scales and feathers, the King and Queen were horrified. They sought a cure, but only an act of true love would break the spell. Hopeless of any such love to exist for a monster, the King and Queen sent their child away. With some kindness, the prince was sent to live at the Spring palace, enchanted to have blooming flowers all year-round.

As the years passed, the prince grew in isolation. As the curse transformed his body further, his few servants fled in fear. And so the blooming gardens of the Spring Palace became overgrown with weeds.

In a nearby town, a young girl named Mary lived with her mother on a small farm. One day, Mary's mother was due to travel to the neighboring city. Mary did not want her mother to leave, but when asked if she would like anything from the town, Mary said she wanted roses.

However, a storm delayed Mary's mother for weeks. By the time she arrived at the town, winter was already here. The mother searched across the city, but no store had roses. Any hope of finding roses was futile until she heard of a basilisk's castle that grew flowers all year. Mary's mother did not believe in monsters such as basilisks, but she decided to visit the castle in the hope that she would find even one rose. As Mary's mother approached ornate gates, she was shocked to see not only roses but every kind of flower imaginable in a garden. As she went to pick the roses, a shadow fell over her. Mary's mother turned and saw the castle's basilisk, with the face of a rooster and body of a serpent. 

Mary's mother was sure that she would be killed and crouched in fear. However, when she heard the monster spoke with a soft, mellow voice, her fear lay forgotten.

"Hello? Are you the new gardener? That's good because the garden has become quite messy since the old one left."

"No...I am not the new gardener."

"Then what are you doing with my roses?"

"I'm sorry! I just...my daughter, I promised to give her roses and didn't want to disappoint her."

"Your daughter wanted roses? Does she like them very much? I like them too."

And so the conversation continued, with the basilisk asking questions about daily human life and why didn't humans grow out their claws (they are nails, and longer nails are inconvenient) and what games do human children play (every kind they can think of). The basilisk decided.

"You will be my new gardener."

"What? I can't. My daughter needs me at home."

"Then your daughter can come to work with you."

"Why? What do you plan on doing with us?"

The basilisk eyes widened. "Oh-no-no-no-no. I'm not going to hurt you. I like you, and I think I will like your daughter too. And my gardens need a gardener. So do you promise? If you say yes, I will let you leave this place. If you say no...if you say no...you will have to stay with me until you agree." The basilisk looked proud of his cleverness.

The mother was suddenly reminded of Mary whenever she tried to squeeze out another hour before bedtime or asked for just one more cookie. This basilisk may look monstrous, but he was more child-like than malicious. So she decided.

"I promise."

After the strange encounter, Mary's mother returned home to her daughter. Mary was overjoyed until her mother explained the deal with the basilisk. However, Mary agreed that they needed to keep their promise, and so the next day, Mary and her mother met the basilisk again. After introducing the basilisk and Mary to each other, Mary's mother started to weed the gardens. The basilisk and Mary were left to look at one another.

The basilisk squinted his eyes at Mary. "I've never seen a human child before."

"I've never seen a basilisk before," Mary scrunched her face. "Why aren't you hurting us?"

"Why would I?"

Mary considered that argument before she said, "Okay. Do you want to be friends with me?"

"Friends?"

"You're scary, but you're not mean. I know the difference now. What's your name? I'm Mary."

"I don't have..."

"You don't have a name? Then...how about Florian?"

"Florian?"

"Your garden's full of flowers, so you should have a flowery name."

"Florian. I like it."

After they met, Mary and Florian became thick as thieves. They spent every day playing or learning together while Mary's mother restored the gardens.

As the years passed, Florian and Mary grew closer with hopes that their carefree days would never end. However, soon, Florian became ill. His feathers and scales fell from his withering skin. Mary, determined not to abandon her friend, nursed him as best she could. Until one day, Florian didn't wake up, no matter how Mary tried to rouse him.

Her eyes burned. "Florian please, come back to me. I don't want you to leave! You're my best friend, and I...I love you." But Florian did not respond.

Mary held Florian's talon and cried. As her tears fell, Florian's body began to glow and shift into a young human man's. Florian's eyes opened.

"Mary, why are you crying? What happened to me? I'm human?"

"It's okay. You're healthy again, Nothing else matters."

"But...I don't know how to be human."

"It's okay. We'll figure it out, together."

Author's Note:

This story is based on "The Three Roses." I wanted the basilisk and Mary to spend more time together, so I had them meet when they were young. However, a young girl going to stay at a monster castle alone is a creepy setup, so I adjusted it to where Mary's mother was on the castle grounds. I thought up the gardener position because a monster's castle would cause any servants to run in fear. 

The most important question I had when I read "The Three Roses" was how the basilisk came to be cursed. I decided to create a storyline where a scorned lover curses her ex's son with a curse that could only be reversed by true love. The basilisk's monster appearance would frighten off anyone who came in close. It was only when Mary's mother encountered the basilisk that an outsider learns that the basilisk has an innocent, kind nature. 

I changed the curse from Mary cutting off the basilisk's head to him getting sick because I love the true love will break the spell plot. Mary's growing affection for Florian reversed the curse slowly. The transformation to human puts a lot of stress on Florian's body because his very DNA is changing. His failing health made Mary afraid she would lose Florian. As Mary realized her feelings, the curse was broken. 

By the point where Florian is cured, I had hit the maximum word limit. Rather than writing in a rushed in happily ever after, I decided to leave the story on a hopeful note that Mary and Florian will face anything together.

Bibliography:

"The Three Roses" from The Key of Gold: Czech Folk Tales (1922) by Josef Baudis. Web Source.

Image Information: Basilisk by Friedrich Johann Justin Bertuch (1747-1822). Source: Wikimedia Commons.