©2003 C. Walker
In a faraway time, on a faraway mountain, in a faraway castle,
lived Prince Bartholomew with his horse, Adrian. The people called Bartholomew,
"The Magical Prince" and Adrian, "The Swiftest Horse in
All the Realm."
One day Bartholomew jumped on Adrian and rode into the Black Forest. The
Black Forest was enchanted with elves and fairies and brownies. They told
of a legend that deep in the middle of the Black Forest lived a terrible,
mean, nasty, grouchy, grumpy dragon named "Zedja." All of the
elves and fairies and brownies were frightened of being eaten by Zedja.
There was no peace in the kingdom.
As Bartholomew rode through the forest, he came to a magical river. He
got off his horse and drank of the magical waters. Music began to play.
Choong ching a ling tong zing boink boing.
The Prince couldn't believe his ears. It was lovely.
Choong ching a ling a ling a ling zing gong.
It was the most enchanting music he could remember. He couldn't understand where the music was coming from. He looked to the North.
Ching ting a ling a ling a ling poh poh.
It wasn't coming from there. He looked to the South.
Ching bing a ling a long a ling bon bon.
It wasn't coming from the South. He looked to the West.
Ching a ling a ling bonk tong a long a long.
It was not coming from the West. He looked to the East and cupped his hand to his ear to hear the magical music.
Bing bon bung a lung a lon ching ching.
It was not coming from any of the four directions of the compass. He looked up into the sky and heard
ching a ling a zing a ching a ting a ling boink boing.
The wonderful music seemed to be all around but it wasn't
coming from the sky. Finally, Bartholomew decided that the magical music
must have come from Nowhere and it was Everywhere.
Bartholomew jumped back on Adrian and rode deeper into the enchanted Black
Forest as the music played on and on. The fairies started to fly around
Bartholomew's golden hair. The brownies started to jump up on to the legs
of Adrian for a ride. The elves started peeking from behind their trees
and joined in the magical music by singing,
tra la tra la la la la la la ping ping .
All the forest creatures began cheering Bartholomew and Adrian. They shouted
"Hoorah for Adrian, The Swiftest Horse in All the Realm! Hoorah for
Bartholomew, The Magical Prince. They will save us from Zedja, the meanest,
nastiest, grumpiest, grouchiest dragon."
As Bartholomew and Adrian rode deeper into the forest they came upon a
dark cave. Adrian halted and Bartholomew dismounted. As they started into
the cave they heard a deep, dark rumbling sound. The music stopped. They
could see Zedja in the center of the cave, breathing fire and smoke. Bartholomew
and Adrian were not afraid. The Prince said, "Zedja, why are you so
mean and nasty and grumpy and grouchy?"
Zedja only belched fire and smoke and grumbled her deep,
dark rumbling sound. Bartholomew and Adrian were still not afraid and walked
even closer. The Prince said, "Zedja, even though you are larger than
a mountain, I am not afraid. Tell me, why are you so angry?"
Zedja only belched darker smoke and hotter fire and grumbled
even louder from inside her mountainous body, out her cavernous jaws. It
was the darkest, deepest sound Bartholomew had ever heard. Once again he
walked closer to the dragon and looked into her eyes. Her eyeballs were
the size of melons and glowed a fiery red. "Zedja, tell me now. Why
must you scare all the elves and fairies and brownies of the enchanted
forest?"
Zedja belched the hottest fire that singed Adrian's shining
white coat and Bartholomew's purple cloak. And yet, they were not afraid.
Zedja could not believe their courage. The dragon had always frightened
everyone else. She was so taken aback at the boldness of these two that
she did not know what to do. So, the dragon simply answered, "I am
so grouchy because no one has ever shown me any kindness."
Bartholomew ran to Adrian and began to look through his saddlebags to see
what he could give to the dragon, Zedja. He had a few pieces of cheese,
a morsel of bread and a flagon of wine. He knew that Zedja would not be
satisfied with the crumbs of cheese and bread and everyone knows that dragons
detest wine. The only other item in Adrian's saddlebags was the white scarf
that Bartholomew's mother had given him. It was made of the lightest, airiest
lace. When he held it to his lips he sensed the faint aroma of her hair
and remembered how she would hold him in her arms and rock him to sleep
singing her magical lullabies,
Tra la la la tra la la sleep sleep .
His mother had died many years ago but he always kept
the scarf with him when he rode Adrian.
He could not bear to part with the scarf. It was his most prized possession
in all the world. And yet, he knew that it was his duty as Prince to save
the elves and fairies and brownies from the fear of Zedja. He took the
scarf, went to the dragon, and handed it to her saying, "Zedja, I,
Bartholomew, The Magical Prince, present you with this gift of my mother's
white lace scarf." The dragon was so moved by emotion that a tear
fell from her eye. As the tear struck the earth the magical music sprang
forth from Nowhere and it was Everywhere.
Tum ching a ling a zing a ching pom pom.
No more fire and smoke came from Zedja. No longer was she terrible,
mean, nasty, grouchy and grumpy. In fact, she was quite tame now.
The elves ran from behind their trees to embrace Adrian and his master,
Bartholomew. The fairies flew out of Bartholomew's golden hair where they
had been hiding and joined the elves in singing,
La tra la la la tra la la ching ching.
The brownies crawled out from under Adrian's saddle where
they had been hiding and combed out the patches of his mane that had been
burned by the dragon's fiery breath. His coat was miraculously healed,
white and shiny again.
Even the trolls came out from under the moss and rocks and began celebrating
and singing with the magical music that came from Nowhere and was Everywhere.
Even Zedja, the dragon, was dancing to the magical music.
However, Bartholomew was grieved at the loss of his mother's scarf. Just
then, as Bartholomew turned to mount his stead, his mother appeared to
him in a vision. She was as light and airy as the lace of the scarf itself.
She said, "My son, Bartholomew, do not mourn after me, for I, your
mother, am here in the magical music that comes from Nowhere and is Everywhere.
The sacrifice of your most prized possession has restored peace to our
kingdom. I will be with you wherever you ride Adrian from this day forward."
Bartholomew was miraculously comforted. He flew onto Adrian and rode like
the wind out of the center of the cave, across the magical river, out of
the enchanted Black Forest, and up the mountain to his castle.
As he entered the Great Hall the magical music continued to play. He removed
the saddle and bags, gave Adrian fresh water and fresh hay, and went to
his chambers. Before his eyes stood a Magical Young Princess with radiant
golden hair and a gown of white lace as light and airy as his mother's
scarf. Within the month they were married in the enchanted Black Forest.
The elves and fairies and brownies joined in the celebration with no fear
of Zedja, the now gentle dragon.
Choong ching a ling tong zing boink boing.
The End
©C.Walker '03