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Papa
Joe ~ Stuff & Things
In the Walnut Forest or What Makes Life Worth
Living
© 1992 by Papa Joe note
dedicated to Wendy
and the study of MS
Wendy's Story
Once upon a time, in the great green Walnut Forest there lived a
queen. The queen had a daughter with yellow hair and a smile that
could light up the darkest night. The princess' name was Gwendelyn, but she liked to be called Wendy. They lived in a
castle surrounded by trees which Wendy loved more than life. For
amongst the trees there were many animals and in the castle there
were none.
One day the princess went into the forest to gather walnuts. It
wasn't one of the things she was often allowed to do. As she
walked through the forest trails, she came upon a dog. He was
trapped beneath a fallen branch.
The dog called to Wendy. "Please fair lady, free me from
this branch."
Wendy immediately put down her basket and worked to free the dog.
After much pulling and lifting the dog stood before her. He
licked her hands and said, "Thank you princess, thank you. I
would have died beneath that limb. I shall never forget that you
saved my life. In your hour of need I will return your
kindness."
The princess picked up her basket of nuts and said, "Think
nothing of it Master Tracker. I am glad to be of service to
you."
The dog would not listen to such talk. "If you ever need me
just whistle three times. I will be at your side as fast as the
wind can carry me." The dog trotted off into the trees.
Wendy continued to gather nuts in the forest. Then she began to
hear sobbing just off the trail. She followed the sound until she
came to a hollow log. The sobbing seem to come from the log.
Wendy asked, "Who is crying in there?"
The sobbing stopped. She heard a high thin voice from the log.
"Oh sweet voice! I am a cat. I squeezed into this lump of
wood looking for a meal and now I can't get out."
The princess put down her basket and worked to free the cat.
After much chipping and pulling Wendy had widened the hole enough
for the cat to squeeze out.
"My thanks to you, young princess. You have saved my life.
In your hour of need I will return your kindness."
Wendy picked up her basket of nuts and said, "Think nothing
of it Master Chewy. I am glad to be of service to you."
The cat would not listen to such talk. "If you ever have
need of me click your tongue three times and I will be at your
side as fast as the wind will carry me." Then the cat walked
silently into the shadows and was gone.
Wendy continued to gather walnuts until her basket was full. As
she turned back toward the castle, she found a wild cow with it's
head stuck between two branches of a tree.
The cow called out to Wendy. "Please fair lady, free me from
these branches.
Wendy immediately put down her basket and worked to free the cow.
After much pulling and pushing the cow stood before her. The cow
mooed with relief and said, "Thank you little princess,
thank you. I would have died between those limbs. I shall never
forget that you saved my life. In your hour of need I will return
your kindness."
The princess picked up her basket of nuts and said, "Think
nothing of it Mistress Milker. I am glad to be of service to
you."
The cow would not listen to such talk. "If you ever need me
just call to me three times. I will be at your side as fast as
the wind can carry me." The cow wandered off into the forest
and was gone.
At dinner that night, Wendy tried to tell her mother about her
adventures in the Walnut Forest. The queen said, "This is
what comes of letting a grown woman wander about without a care
in the world. Imagine a princess soiling her hands on
animals."
"It is time for you to be married. I have given the matter
much thought and I have chosen a husband for you. You shall marry
Baron Boring. He is very rich and owns much land. He shall make
you a fine match. In fact, this very day I sent a letter to the
Barron, informing him of my opinion."
Wendy was very upset. "Mother, you can't be serious. Baron
Boring is the dullest, most tedious man in this kingdom. Why, if
I married him, I would die of grief within a week."
The queen's eyes grew cold and mean. "Girl, you will listen
to me and obey my commands. I am the Queen. You will marry Baron
Boring. I will not tolerate another word of refusal."
Wendy went to her room and cried herself to sleep. Never again
was she allowed to walk in the Walnut Forest. The next few months
were spent preparing for the wedding she did not want and could
not avoid.
Finally the day came when Baron Boring's guards came to escort
Wendy to Castle Boring far from the trees of the Walnut Forest.
Wendy cried as her mother's servants dressed her in layers of
silk and velvet. She cried as Baron Boring's guards lifted her
into Baron Boring's carriage. She cried as they began the trek
through the Walnut Forest.
There seemed nothing Wendy could do to stop the wedding. As the
trees began to thin near the edge of the forest, Wendy was
dreaming of her happier days. She thought of the times she had
spent gathering walnuts. She remembered the words of the dog she
had freed, "Whistle three times."
Wendy threw open the shutters on the carriage and whistled as
loud and as long as she could. Three times she whistled, then the
wind began to blow. Just as they came to the edge of the forest
the dog was beside the carriage. "What may I do for you fair
lady?"
Wendy was frantic. "Oh, Master Tracker, don't let these men
take me from the Walnut Forest."
Like the wind the dog was snapping at the heels of the horses of
Baron Boring's guards. The horses ran away carrying Baron
Boring's guards with them. In a minute, all that was left at the
edge of the forest was Wendy, the carriage, and the dog.
Wendy leaped from the carriage and wrapped her arms around the
dog. "Oh thank you, thank you. You've freed me now."
The dog smiled and said, "I've only returned the kindness
you have shown me." With that the dog trotted back into the
forest and was gone.
It was spring in the forest. The birds were singing. The flowers
were blooming. A gentle breeze was carrying clean fresh spring
scents. Wendy was happy to be free, just wandering through the
walnut trees.
Wendy wondered what she should do while wandering through the
Walnut Forest. She couldn't go back to her mother's castle. She
had no other place to go. She wondered and wandered until the sun
began to set and the day turned to night.
It was dark in the forest. Night noises filled the air. The cold
wind carried only fear. Wendy grew frightened. She had never been
in the forest after dark. She was ready to cry when she thought
she saw a light far ahead. She didn't think. She didn't wait. She
ran as quickly as she could. As she ran it grew brighter. It
really was a light. A fire light! A campfire! She ran to the
campfire without a thought of anything, except the light.
Sitting around the campfire were bandits. They called themselves
the Abominable Bandits. They made their living in the Walnut
Forest, attacking and robbing travelers.
When Wendy came running to their fire they began to laugh.
"Look at the little bird that has flown to us. Are you
afraid of the dark little girl? Oh, we'll keep you safe. No
monsters will get you here."
Wendy looked around the fire. The Abominable Bandits were all
smiling. "Oh, what a pretty little bird she is. I hope she
can cook. But if she can't, it won't matter, for she looks good
enough to eat."
The bandits came towards her. Wendy was more frightened than she
had ever been before. Then Wendy remembered how she had escaped
Baron Boring's own guards. She remembered the words of the cat
she had freed, "Click your tongue three times".
Wendy clicked her tongue as loud as she could. Three times she
clicked her tongue, then the wind began to blow. Just as the
Abominable Bandits reach out to grab her the cat was there.
Wendy was frantic. "Oh, Master Chewy, don't let these men
hurt me."
The cat could see what needed to be done. Like the wind he was
scratching and biting at the Abominable Bandits. He flew at their
faces and raked at their hands. The bandits ran off into night.
In a minute, all that was left at the fire was Wendy and the cat.
Wendy dropped to the ground and hugged the cat. "Oh thank
you, thank you. You've saved me now."
The cat smiled and said, "I've only returned the kindness
you have shown me." The cat walked into the shadows and was
gone.
Wendy climbed a walnut tree. She found a nice nook between the
branches and fell asleep. The next morning, Wendy left the tree
and headed for another part of the forest. She wanted to be as
far from the Abominable Bandits as she could get.
Wendy hadn't had any breakfast. She hadn't had any supper the
night before. She wasn't used to going without her meals. She was
hungry.
By lunch time Wendy was so hungry she was ready to cry. But Wendy
had seen difficult times before. She remembered how she had
escaped from Baron Boring's own guards. She remembered how she
had escaped from the Abominable Bandits. She remembered the words
of the cow she had freed, "Call me three times".
Wendy called as loud as she could. Three times she called, then
the wind began to blow. The cow was at her side. "Fair lady,
what need do you have of me?"
Wendy was hungry, but she remembered how the dog and cat had left
as soon as they had done what she had asked. She wanted more than
something to eat. "Oh, Mistress Milker, I need two things.
First, I need something to eat. Then I need an answer."
The cow looked at the princess with it's huge brown eyes. The cow
seemed to look right down into Wendy's soul. "Fair lady, you
may drink my milk. I will show you where to find food here in the
forest. But I am afraid that I have no answer for your
question."
Wendy drank the cow's milk. She ate the food the cow showed her
in the forest. Then she sat down and told the cow her troubles.
She told how she couldn't go home. She said that she didn't know
what to do. Wendy told the cow that she didn't even know why she
should keep on living if everyone she met tried to make her do
things she didn't want to do.
The cow finally answered her. "If you want to know what
makes life worth living, you must find out for yourself. I do
know that on the other side of the forest there is a young man
sitting in a tower with Misery at his side. He is wondering about
the same thing, although for different reasons. If you could find
him, perhaps you could find your answer."
With that the cow wandered off into the forest and was gone.
Part Two
Papa
Joe ~ Stuff & Things |