What Fairy Tales are Missing

"Fairy tales have a fairy-tale likeness." Kate Bernheimer

Perhaps it is the fact that fairy tales are so familiar, and they always have certain essential elements, from the 'once upon a time' to 'happily ever after', and the characters - the three brothers, the King and Queen, the Princess or the Prince, the tailor or the miller's wife - we know these people already, yet still delight to hear their story. 

But fairy tales rarely come with maps, specific names or specific places. Perhaps I like to retell fairy tales so I can add in the little details. I enjoy the little details.

Travel Journals, Part 1 of 2 (Iana's story #28)

I wonder how many fairy tales I can pack into this story. Is too many too many? I think I'm being a little too one sided with Grimm's fairy tales, I need to go out and find others. George McDonald, Oscar Wilde, L. Frank Baum, and from different countries, Japan, India, China, Australia, and Africa. Although those will be more like folk tales. 

Finally, some of the secrets were revealed in the last chapter. Below, Roderick's story continues. The last time we heard from Prince Roddy, he'd finally discovered the cursed village. 


Prince Roderick's Travel Journals, Part 1

4 days of counting before April, in the year 217 -Evening

We arrived yesterday in the cursed village, the Lost Village, or as Thomas the blind tailor calls it, the Village of Last Hope. It was hidden cleverly from the main flow of the Trade River by an embankment of tangled forest and thorny bushes. We followed a small stagnant stream up, pushing aside the overhanging branches. The water so thick with mud and dead

Decisions, Decisions - Iana's Story #27

The previously entry had King Rilan of Winding's Story, and here's the last of chapter 4, just in time for the beginning of spring!

Decisions, Decisions
"But Father," I suddenly cried out. "Now you've spoken to us about the golden flower. You promised that man you wouldn't. You've broken your promise to him."

"It doesn't matter," Father shook his head. He reached down behind his desk and brought forth a plain wooden box. The inside was unlined, and the top compartment held a dried up brown petals, the broken husk from a once beautiful flower. Below it was another compartment, a red glow pushed at the edges as if eager to escape. Father lifted the wooden shelf out, placing the  dried up rose on the desk top and exposed what lay below. It was like the one I'd seen in my dreaming, a beautiful red rose bud. The petals closed up so tightly it made it look more like a seed than a flower, and its red glow pulsed like a small flame on a candle, ready to burst into larger flames at any moment.

"The fire rose," I whispered.

How the Rose Blooms - Iana's story # 26

Iana's father began his tale last time, and now continues.

How the Rose Blooms

"It was like a dream," Father said earnestly, as if begging me and Joli to understand.

My breath froze in me as I heard this, I knew exactly what father spoke about since I'd experienced the same strange dreaming. I looked at Joli to see her reaction. Her face had turned white as ash. She clenched her hands in front. It seemed my sister had experienced it as well. I glanced toward Mother, but she shook her head.

Father was not as lucky as I was, he soon found he was trapped in this new garden. How he got there he didn't know and try as he might he could not return home. He wandered there a time, a pleasure long denied him. He came to a large standing of trees and there he met a man seated beneath it. 

Prince Wandering, Iana #25

Click here for the events from last time; below we finally have reached her father's story.

The Story of Prince Wandering

I looked at my father as he spoke, his words sounded so heavy, each one a giant boulder sinking down to the bottom of a cold dark pond. This was the story he told. I have written it down as best I can remember.

As a young man my father often traveled about his father's kingdom, so that he might see for himself all the land he would one day inherit. His parents, the Good King and Fair Queen indulged his wandering, and soon he was known as Prince Wandering. "Where did you wander today? he was often asked and he would gladly tell them. Sometimes his wandering took him to the forests on the very borders of the kingdom. In those days wandering through the forest wasn't as dangerous, but occasionally he got lost. Once he wandered so far, and got so lost he somehow ended up in the Fire Woods, and he might never have escaped if not for the help of a bright young girl he met there.

A good offer? Iana's Story #24

Actually I'm glad the story is only about midway. There is so much more to tell; so much I haven't been able to squeeze in: Iana's mother and Olwen, other family background, descriptions of Winding, more of the Aunties. And since I missed last week, I'm making a second post. It's fun writing a prequel like this. Although it's still very much Iana's story. From last time, will Iana's resolve remain strong even after the debt collections have made their intentions know? Chapter four continues...
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An Offer

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. The debt collectors intended to take either me or Joli as payment?

"You can't be serious."

"Actually I am, Princess," the Lion nodded, his grin spread so wide I thought his head might crack in half.

"Do you realize what you are asking?"

"Iantheia," Mother hissed, a warning for me to hold my tongue

"It is a great honor for you." The Lion looked at me as if I was being rude.