Insert Creative Fairy Tale Title Here
A short story by Christine Laskowski
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there lived a fair maiden who happened to be a princess. She lived in the castle with her father, the king. He was a very loving king, and an even more loving father. The princess and the king had a very close relationship and were living happily in their castle governing over their kingdom until one autumn’s day. The day when the princess was kidnapped by the evil witch of the neighbouring forest.
It happened the evening after the king’s 47th birthday. After the royal festivities were over, the princess Charity went up into her royal bed chamber to brush her long, silky tresses. When she arrived there, the evil witch was already waiting for her. Just as Charity opened her mouth to call for the royal guards, the evil witch waved her crooked walking stick with the pulsating green jewel on top at her. Charity had been shrunken down to the size of a mouse! Now when she spoke, her voice was as small as a mouse’s as well! What on earth would happen to Charity? The evil witch quickly trapped her in a jar with one air hole in the lid and put it in her bag. Then she turned into a vulture and flew deep into the forest.
Moments later, the king was pacing back and forth in the royal study. Princess Charity was supposed to join him ten minutes ago. King Gregory was worried about his daughter.
“The princess is not in her chamber, Your Majesty. I have sent troops to search the entire castle grounds.” King Gregory just nodded.
In about a half an hour, the guard returned. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but she is no where to be found.” That made the king very distraught.
“Then send for Sir Dirk, the bravest knight in the land.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Sir Dirk arrived the following afternoon. “Your Majesty, I have come as quickly as knightly possible, and I wish you my sincerest sorrows.”
“Thank you, Sir Dirk. You are to go into the forest and retrieve the princess immediately. Your efforts will not go unnoticed. You will be rewarded handsomely.”
“Handsomely?” Sir Dirk inquired.
“Yes. I’ll give you anything in the kingdom you desire. Even my daughter’s hand in marriage.” Sir Dirk rubbed his hands together with glee.
“Alright, I’ll do it!” Sir Dirk left the castle promptly after King Gregory’s dismissal.
That evening, Sir Dirk was waist high in thick vines of thorns, making his way deep into the forest. He knew of an abandonned tower in the exact center of the forest, because he had seen it from atop Mount Glory as a knight in training.
Hours later, as the sun was just starting to peer over the horizon, Sir Dirk arrived at the foot of the tower.
“Help! Help!” Came a tiny voice. Was it a fairy? Sir Dirk wondered.
“Help! Help!” It was a persistent little bugger. Wait! It was Princess Charity!
“I’m coming!” Shouted Sir Dirk. He banged down the door with his trusty broadsword and made his way up the winding staircase.
As soon as he reached the top, Sir Dirk saw three doors and a small looking glass. He moved in front of the mirror and combed his hair to be sure he was presentable for the princess.
“Which room are you in, Princess?”
“I don’t know!” Came the faint reply.
“I’ll just try all of them then.” He knocked down the first door with his broadsword. There was a bed with a small pink triangle on it. How odd. Sir Dirk moved towards the pink thing.
“Quick! Now get the staff from over there.” Sir Dirk jumped. It talked!
“Is that you, Princess?”
“Yes! Now hurry up and wave it over me a few times.”
“Alright.” Sir Dirk thought Princess Charity was going mad. He did as he was told and… Princess Charity had returned to her normal size!
The next morning, Sir Dirk was back in the castle in the presence of the good King Gregory, as well as his daughter Princess Charity. “Now that you have returned with my lovely daughter, what is it that I shall give you as your reward?”
“There is nothing I desire more, Your Majesty, than to obtain your lovely full-length mirror. You know, that really big one in your sleeping chamber?” The princess and king’s mouths dropped, and their eyes widened in shock.
In a couple of minutes, King Gregory had regained his composure. “Are you certain?”
“Absolutely.” Sir Dirk was very serious.
“Alright then.” The king clapped his hands twice. A servant appeared in the doorway. “Run along and fetch Sir Dirk my royal looking glass.” The servant did as he was told, and returned with the oversized mirror.
“I thank you with all my heart.” Sir Dirk bowed and smiled, then left the castle to return to his home in the city.
“Father, what went wrong? How come he took the mirror instead of my hand?”
“I don’t know. He seemed very excited when I said he could have your hand, but…” Then it struck King Gregory. “Aha! Hahahahahaha!”
“What is it, Father?”
“Sir Dirk began rubbing his hands at the mention of ‘anything in the kingdom’. I said that before mentioning your hand in marriage.”
“I don’t get it, Father.”
“Sir Dirk is a narcissist! Ahahaha…” King Gregory and Princess Charity errupted in laughter.
And King Gregory’s assumption was true, for later that evening, in Sir Dirk’s house, the brave knight with dashing good looks was standing in front of his new mirror, admiring his one true love; himself.
PS. Sir Dirk lived happily ever after in front of the mirror.