The Story of Princess Maria and the Lullaby Twins
After Bartholomew, The Magical Prince, returned from the enchanted Black Forest where he tamed the dragon, Zedja, he found a beautiful maiden in a long white gown with golden hair that shined like the sun. Her name was Maria. She was just as magical as magical can be.
After their wedding Princess Maria found a cat in the castle courtyard and named him, Cristabel. Cristabel liked to play with the balls of yarn as Maria was knitting. She would knit every afternoon, sitting in a rocking chair, humming a soft lullaby. While she knitted the balls of yarn would bounce around the floor and Cristabel would bat at them and attack them, bite them, and chase them happily all afternoon.
Maria thought that Cristabel was lonely for a companion so she asked for one of the puppies born to the blacksmith’s dog. She named the puppy Pedro. Pedro was a playful puppy who loved to frolic around on the floor.
All afternoon Maria would knit. Cristabel would chase the yarn balls. Pedro would chase Cristabel. What a happy family.
As it happened, it was winter time. Bartholomew, The Magical Prince, would come into the room to find his bride, Maria, softly humming the lullaby. He was filled with the warmth of the glowing red fireplace. Maria would rock in her chair and knit. Cristabel would chase the yarn balls. By evening, Pedro was too tired to chase Cristabel and just curled up and slept on the rug by the fireplace in the Great Hall of the castle in the mountains of the realm.
One evening Bartholomew asked, “What is that lovely song you are humming?”
Maria answered, “This is the lullaby I will sing to our child when he is born.”
Bartholomew was thrilled, “Are we going to have a child?”
Maria said, “I don’t know for sure but we might.” She continued her knitting and humming.
By this late hour Cristabel was too tired to chase the yarn balls. The kitten went over to where the puppy was sleeping. Cristabel curled herself up in a little ball, snuggled up to Pedro and fell asleep on the rug next to the fireplace in the Great Hall of the castle in the mountains of the realm.
Bartholomew asked, “What are you knitting?”
Maria answered, “Why, this is the blanket I will use to cover our baby when he is born.”
Bartholomew’s eyes lit up like twinkling stars, “Are we going to have a baby?”
Maria said, “I’m not sure but we might.”
In a few month’s time there was no longer any question. They were going to have a child.
The Magical Prince, Bartholomew, went out into the enchanted Black Forest and chopped down the strongest oak he could find. Adrian, The Swiftest Horse in All the Realm, dragged it back to the castle. Bartholomew cleared the bark away, shaved the wood smooth, and cut the shapes he needed to make a new cradle for the baby. He made the cradle so it could easily be rocked from side to side. Bartholomew knew that this rocking would help the baby sleep under the blanket Maria was knitting. Maria knew singing the lullaby would help.
In a few more months the day arrived. The most magical part of all; there wasn’t just one baby but two, a little baby boy AND a little baby girl. This presented some problems. Bartholomew had only made one cradle. What to do?
Well, being magical would help. Bartholomew went to the cradle. He held a small acorn in the palm of his hand close to the cradle as if to show the acorn how a cradle was made. He passed his other hand over the acorn and said,
Acorn, acorn, grow from seed,
Grow and grow, become a tree,
For a cradle you must be,
To fill our present need.
Before his very eyes the acorn burst in a flash of golden light. And there, next to the cradle Bartholomew had made, was a twin cradle. It was like the other in every way and could easily be rocked from side to side as the babies slept under the blanket that Maria had knit.
But wait! Now there were two babies but Maria had knit only one blanket; another problem. What to do?
Well, being magical would help. Maria took a small piece of lamb’s wool in the palm of her hand. She held it near the blanket as if to show the wool how a blanket was made. She passed her other hand over the wool and said,
Into fine yarn you must spin,
Knit and purl and knit again,
Wool, wool, spin and knit,
We need another warm blanket.
Right before her very eyes in a flash of golden light the wool became a twin blanket just like the one Maria had knit. It was thick for the children’s warmth, soft for the children’s skin, and dyed bright colors for the children’s eyes.
Maria gently lifted the newborn girl to Bartholomew, “What shall we name her?”
Bartholomew scratched his head and thought. All of a sudden it came to him. His mother’s radiant vision appeared to him. She wore a long white lace gown and had golden hair that shined like the sun. Her name was Marguerite. This would be the name for the new born girl. Maria was quite pleased with the name. She gently laid Marguerite in one of the cradles and covered her with one of the blankets.
Prince Bartholomew firmly raised the newborn boy to Maria, “What shall we name the man child?”
Maria didn’t know what to name him. She thought and thought. All of a sudden her father’s image came to her. He was a strong but gentle man, wise and good. His name was Anthony. This would be the name for the new born boy. Bartholomew was quite pleased with the name. He carefully laid Anthony in the other cradle and covered him with the other blanket.
Princess Maria rocked Anthony’s cradle from side to side. Prince Bartholomew rocked Marguerite’s cradle from side to side. Princess Maria began to sing. But wait! She only had one lullaby; no problem. The same lullaby that soothed Marguerite also soothed Anthony. Being magical, the one lullaby was quite enough to sooth them both.
Princess Maria by C. Walker ©03