From: "Clive May"
Subject: NEW A Fairy Story   1/1
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 01:37:40 -0000


A Fairy Story.

Seventh Doctor.

The concept of Dr Who belongs to the BBC.


With a grave expression on her face, Melissa asked: "Why are your hands so
cold, Mary?"

The toddler was measuring her four and a half year old hand against that of
the Play Group Leader.  She studied the effect of the two side-by-side hands,
before tracing her gaze up the slender arm, to the kindly face.

Mary was watching her, amusement clouding her dreamy brown eyes.  With her
other hand, She swept long brown hair back from her face.  Kneeling, she put
slender arms about the young girl, giving her a big hug.  Kissing Melissa on
the forehead, she explained: "That's because I have such warm hearts, my
Little Flower." Holding the serious faced girl out at arms length, she asked:
"I think it's time for a story?  What do you think, Petal?  Would you like to
hear a story about the Enchanted Land Behind the Sky?"

The little girl's face lit up with excitement.  "Oooooh!  Yeeees
Pleeeeease!"she squealed in delight.

"You would?  Then be a dear, and pop and fetch the Story Teller's Throne."

Mary gently urged the excited child towards a great shapeless bean bag that
sparkled in a great sunbeam which streamed through a panoramic window.  The
radiance filled the play room, bathing the children at play in a warm, golden
light.

Grinning with anticipation,because Mary always told the bestest stories in
the whole world, Melissa scampered to fetch the bean bag.  Straightening with
the bag, Melissa glanced out the window.  Across the road was the park where
Mary took them for games in fine weather.  At that exact moment, a strange
blue box puffed itself into being on the grass.  The door opened.  A floppy
white hat poked out.  The hat peered all around, while a rolled umbrella
twirled.  Then the hat and brolly were withdrawn, and a wizard stepped out.
Melissa knew he was a wizard.  Mary had often told them tales of the wizard
who travelled in a magic blue box, defeating evil sorcerers.  Such was the
power of Mary's magical stories, that a blue box, appearing out of thin air,
seemed quite natural to the young girl.

Turning from the window, she trotted back with the bean bag, wondering
vaguely if Mary had invited the Wizard to visit, and teach them spells or
something.  She set down the bulgy cushion, and began to plump it into shape.

"It's story time," Mary announced.  "Come on, gather round."

All over the room, children stopped whatever they were doing, and hurried
over to cluster eagerly around the bag.  Mary ascended her throne, and
settled herself cross legged.  Arranging her light green frock over her
knees, she began the story.

"Once, long, long ago in the Enchanted Land Behind The Sky....Yes?  What is
it, Melissa?"

"Please miss, Once Upon A Time.  You must begin: Once Upon A Time;" Melissa
insisted.  "Or it's not a proper story."

Mary beamed down at the serious faced girl, ruffling her hair.  The fine
brown tresses had been gathered in bunches and tied with yellow ribbons.
"Quite right!" she exclaimed.  "Thank you, my dear...Once Upon A Time..."

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-

Once upon a time, there was an enchanted country, hidden behind the sky.  It
was a most fair land, covered by great forests.  Between the wide green
woods, were beautiful lakes of blue water.  Mighty snow capped mountains
admired their reflections in the still waters; and encircling all that
Enchanted Land, was a restless rolling ocean.

Now that fair country was ruled by a wise Queen called Greenwitch, and her
husband, the mighty wizard Rass.  While Greenwitch made sure the summer came
every year, putting leaves on trees and flowers in the meadows, Rass worked
mighty magic spells to make everyone merry.

For many years, they lived happily, ruling wisely.  Then, one day, Rass
wished to work a particularly dangerous spell.  Greenwitch thought it a bad
idea; but Rass was determined; so they quarrelled bitterly.

Greenwitch warned Rass that: "The spell is forbidden; and if you work this
dark magic, I shall have to leave the land forever.  Summer will never come
again to our country; and worst of all, there will be no babies born, ever
again, anywhere in our Enchanted Land Behind The Sky."

Rass would not listen to his wife's wise words; and so he worked the spell.

As he spoke the last of the Runes Terrible, the sky turned from summer blue,
to winter grey.  Black storm clouds rained hail and snow down upon the land.
All the beautiful lakes froze solid; and a mighty wind blew, stripping the
lovely woods bare of their green mantle of leaves.

When the Storm had finally tired of ravaging the once fair country, there
was
left behind only The Grim Grey Waste.  It was a frightful desert, full of
evil creeping things.  Ever afterwards, Gremlins, Goblins, Ogres and all
manner of monsters, lurked in the ruined lands, preying upon the frightened
people.

As the wise Queen Greenwitch had foretold, no new life grew in the land.

The unhappy people came to the palace, and demanded: "Mighty Rass, where is
the summer?"

Rass had no answer for them.

The mothers demanded: "Mighty Rass, where are our new babies?"

Once more, Rass had no answer.

All the remaining fair creatures of the fields came to the palace, and
cried:
"Mighty Rass, where are our kits and cubs and nestlings?"

The mighty Rass remained silent, for he had no answer for any of them.

He did not know what to do.  Every spell in the Books of Magic had been
tried; but none had the power to undo the Storm of Endings.  At last,
swallowing his pride, Rass begged Greenwitch to return, and bring the Summer
back to the blighted land; but the black magic worked by Rass had forever
shut her out of the Enchanted Land Behind The Sky.

For many years, Rass worked tirelessly to heal the land he had wounded, but
to no avail.  Then, just as his last hope had come to nothing, he heard
rumours of a weaver with a magic loom, who could weave new people from the
very strands of life.  Straightway, he commanded the man attend him in his
Palace, and weave a new person.

The weaver came as bidden.  He set up his magic loom and soon the shuttles
were flying back and forth.  In the twinkling of an eye, a new person took
shape on the frame.  When the little stranger was perfectly formed, the
Weaver took up a pair of sharp shears and snipped the Threads of Life.
Taking down the new baby, he made a courtly bow, and presented Rass with his
new son.

Rass was overjoyed; and proclaimed that every mother and father in the land
must soon have a new baby.  The people were overjoyed to hear this and
cheered Rass long and loud.  They said that the Weaver must have a grand
palace as a reward; and this was done.

Now, in the garden of the Weaver's new home, there bloomed a beautiful rose
tree, saved from the Storm of Endings.  Living in that tree was a little
brown bird, with her brightly coloured mate.  One day, they built a nest in
their tree.  It was a fine nest; but it made them very sad, because there
could be no new nestlings to snuggle into the soft down.

The rattling and clacking of the loom, from the weaving shed, gave the
little
brown bird an idea.  What if she should go and beg the Weaver to make them
some nestlings?  He was very busy all day long at his weaving; but she new
he
was also very kind.  He might just spare them some of the Threads of Life,
and his very valuable time to weave some nestlings, if she asked nicely.

Bravely, she flew in at the window, just as the weaver was beginning a new
person.  There was such a commotion of whizzing shuttles, rocking frames and
humming threads, that the little bird grew confused.  She flew right into
the
loom, and in a trice, was snarled in the humming threads.  The Weaver wove
on, not noticing that a tiny brown bird hadd been gathered into the heart of
the new Princess.  Though the bird struggled and struggled, she was caught
fast.

Only after he had taken his sharp shears, and snipped the Threadsof Life,
did
he notice that anything was amiss.  There seemed something extra woven into
the breast of the Princess.

A Great Lord was calling, that very hour, to collect his new Princess.  The
Weaver did not know what to do.  There was no time to weave another; and the
Great Lord would surely be angry at having to wait.

So he quickly dressed the Princess in the fine gown sent by the Lord, and
not
a moment too soon; for at that very minute the Lord called to collect his
new
baby.

After thanking the Weaver, the Wizard rushed off without even inspecting his
new daughter.  He never did notice that his new child had a little brown
bird
for a heart, which fluttered and fluttered to be free.

Which was a great sorrow, because if he hhad, then much sadness for the
Princess might have been avoided.

Now the Lord lived in a magic palace, which could talk, just like a real
person.  When he got home, he put his new princess in the care of the Magic
House, and promptly forgot her, for he had lots of very important spells to
work.

If the Lord did not notice the mistake, the House most assuredly did.  The
Magic House liked things to be "just so" and because of this, it could not
love the Little Princess as it should.

Because the House could not love her, neither could her hundreds of cousins
who were living under the care of the House.  They would not let her join in
their games.  She had no friends at all in the House, and grew up a very
lonely Little Princess.

The years passed slowly in the chilly and comfortless House.  Only when she
ventured into the garden, to stand amid the green saved from the Storm of
Endings, did she smile.  She loved the growing things, in particular, a
bright feathered bird, who every season came to perch in the rose tree and
sing a beautifully sad song.  Every time she heard that song, it would set
her heart to fluttering in her chest.  A terrible sadness would settle on
her
young shoulders, causing her to weep bitterly for days on end, while a
forlorn longing she could not name, tugged at her heart-strings.

Wise Doctors were summoned, to examine the sad Little Princess; but they
confessed themselves puzzled, as to these strange desires.  They went away,
shaking their heads sadly.  Some said that she was unnatural, and ought to
be
unwoven; but Rass forbade it.  So she was abandoned to her life of wandering
the cold corridors of the uncaring House.  In time she became like a ghost,
haunting the echoing chambers, pining away for the want of that "something"
she could not name.

One day, many years later, she was sent with her cousins to the House of the
Weaver.  There they were shown the Magic Loom and the Weaver at work.  On
seeing a new little person being woven, the Princess felt a great surge of
joy.  The bird in her chest fluttered madly; and when the Weaver snipped the
new baby from the threads, and put him into her arms to cuddle, she almost
swooned with delight.

At last, she understood what the aching want inside was.

She needed to make a baby!

So, late one night, the Princess stole away from the Magic House, and
hurried
through the horrid darkness of the ruined lands.  Though she was deadly
afraid of the Ogres and Goblins which lived there.  She had got only a short
distance, when the Great Grim Ogre sprang upon her.

He cried: "Ah ha!  What a fine, fat little Princess you are!  I shall eat
you
all up for my dinner!" He would have gobbled her up in an instant, but as
the
monster reached for her with his great clawed hands, the brave little
princess scooped up a handful of sand and threw it in his eyes.

Then she ran for her very life.

The Ogre bellowed in rage, and gave chase.  The gallumphing footfalls of the
Ogre made the ground shake like an earthquake.  The Little Princess ran very
fast; but the ogre ran faster; an soon he was right behind her, his hot
breath scorching her neck.  At that very moment, the Weaver's house came
into
sight over the dunes.  The little Princess ran as she had never run before,
and without a moment to spare, dashed into the safety of the Weaver's
garden.

After a minute to catch her breath, keeping quiet as a mouse, she crept
inside the Weaving Shed.  It was a very bad crime to want to make a baby
without permission.  If the Weaver caught her, she would be taken before the
Mighty Rass for punishment.  Perhaps she might even be unwoven.


Running to the great Loom, she took hold of the lever which set the machine
going.  The little bird in her chest began to flutter madly.  She was so
afraid of being caught that she almost ran away; but the memory of the
little
baby snugglin in her arms gave her new courage; an she pushed on the lever.

At once, with a loud rattling, the Loom sprang into life.  In great haste,
the Little Princess began to feed the Threads of Life into the wizzing
machinery.  She was so delighted when she saw twins taking shape on the Loom
that she clapped her hands in joy and did not notice her danger.

One twin was the deepest black, and the other the purest white.  Upon the
instant, she loved them both dearly.  As she lifted them down, the little
bird in her heart was fluttering with joy.

Suddenly, a great shout of anger rang out.  The Weaver came rushing in at
the
door.  He saw in an instant what the Princess had done.  His face grew
thunderous with rage.  Terrified, the Little Princess fled, clutching her
new
babies.

The Life Threads, still tied to the Loom, pulled tight.  They snapped.  As
she fled away, the Threads tangled about her ankles.  She gave terrified
cry,
and fell among the flowers.  The Weaver sprang forth and captureed her.

He was so angry, he would not listen to her pleas.  Straightway, he marched
her to the Palace of Rass, and even though it was the middle of the night,
woke up the Mighty Wizard.  When the reason for all the fuss was explained,
he grew very angry.

Still clutching the proof of her crime, the very frightened Princess was
brought before the Wizard.

She was trembling with fear, and could not meet the Wizard's stern gaze.  He
demanded she explain what had made her commit this terrible crime.

"I wanted to make a baby of my own," she confessed in a frightened whisper.
She tried to explain about the strange feelings she had; but fell silent at
the grim looks Rass's Courtiers gave her.  They were horrified by the
unnatural feelings which had tormented the Little Princess, They talked long
into the night, discussing what was to be done.  Eventually, they decided
that she must be unwoven.

Regretfully, Rass agreed.  So she was marched away, and locked in a high
tower, to await her punishment.

Sadly, the Courtiers had decided that her babies, too, must be unwoven.
This
made the Little Princess so very, very miserable, that she decided to escape
and save them.

Taking up the trailing Threads of Life, she tied them to a bedpost, and
carefully lowered her two babies out of the window.  When they were safely
on
the ground, she clambered quickly down.  Quickly, the Princess bit off the
Threads, and gathered up her babies.  She gave them a great big hug, before
setting out across the Grim Grey Waste.

The Little Princess walked, and walked, and walked, until her satin
slippered
feet were sore.  The sun rose; and it grew hot.  Dust got in her throat,
making her thirsty.  Soon, she was completely lost among the mountains of
sand.  Weary and afraid, she climbed up on a boulder to spy out the land.
The desert stretched away in all directions, as far as the eye could see.

Suddenly, the rock on which she was standing lurched.  The Princess was
very surprised to discover that she had clambered upon the tummy of a
sleeping Ogre.  The tickling of her satin slippers had woken him up.

Now, there is nothing a Big Bad Ogre likes better, on waking up, than to
breakfast on plump little Princes; and what could he smell just then, but
two
of the plumpest little Princes ever?

The Princess squealed in fright.  She jumped down, grabbed up her babies,
and
ran away as fast as her legs would carry her.  The Big Bad Ogre had no
intention of being cheated out of his breakfast; so he leapt up and gave
chase, his long legs carrying him over dunes in a single bound.

The Little Princess knew she must find somewhere to hide; but all around,
for
miles and miles, stretched the Grim Grey Waste.  The only feature to be seen
was thing far away on the horizon.  It was a little grove of trees.  She
began to run as she had never run before, feeling the Ogre's hot breath upon
her neck and the thudding of his great clawed feet getting closer and closer
behind her.

Just as he was reaching to grab her with his great clawed hands, she reached
the little wood.  Quickly, the Little Princes ducked in among the trunks.
In
a trice, she had hidden under a big pile of leaves.  Laying very still, she
cuddled her babies, and hoped that the Big Bad Ogre would soon grow tired of
searching.

What the Little Princess had not noticed in her haste, was that the trees
were evil Atishoo Trees.  Now, these trees had very big noses to smell out
people, and in particular Little Princesses.

While the Big Bad Ogre hunted under the piles of leaves, first feeling under
this pile, then that, one of the trees drew in a big sniff.  It caught the
scent of a Little Princess.  It's great big rubbery mouth began to water;
and
a sticky, icky tongue went wriggle and wiggle into the pile of leaves, where
the Little Princess was hiding.  When the sticky icky tongue wrapped itself
around her ankle, the Little Princess was so startled, she screamed.

"Aha!" cried the Big Bad Ogre.  "I hear a Little Princess, hiding under one
of these piles of leaves.  I shall huff, and puff, until all the leaves are
blown away!" So saying, he drew in a mighty breath, and huffed and puffed
for
all he was worth.

Now the Atishoo Trees were so named, because when the wind blew, the dust
got
into their noses, and made them sneeze.  The great cloud of dust and leaves,
blown up by the Big Bad Ogre, tickled the noses of all the trees.

"Atishoo!  Atishoo!  Atishoo!" went the Atishoo Trees.  Of a sudden, the
entire wood was sneezing fit to burst.  It was well known that Atishoo Trees
could not hold on, with their sticky icky tongues, and sneeze at the same
time.  So the tree holding the Princess's ankle, had to let go.

Quick as a flash, she jumped up, and raced away into the Grim Grey Waste,
cuddling her babies.  The cloud of dust was so thick, that the Little
Princess got safely away without being seen.

She walked for a long time, growing very thirsty under the hot sun.  All
day,
she saw only great dunes of grey dust and huddles of black boulders,
shimmering in the heat, until, at sunset, she came to a mountain.  High on
the slopes, was a cave where an old Wizard lived all alone.

He had been banished from the company of his fellow Wizards, because he
would
keep telling jokes, despite stern laws forbidding such behaviour.  So the
old
Wizard had gone to live in a cave on the edge of the Grim Grey Waste, where
he could tell his funniest jokes to an audience of stars in the night sky.
His jokes were so funny, they would set the stars to twinkling merrily.

Now the Sad Little Princess knew that she ought to keep away from all
Wizards; but the two plump little princes were so hungry that they would not
stop crying.  She, too, was so tired and hungry that she could not go
another
step.  So she crept up to the mouth of the cave to listen.

The Wizard was just finishing one of his best stories.  It was so funny that
she could not stop from laughing out loud.

At the sound of her laughter, the Wizard looked out of his cave.  He spied
her crouching with her babies behind a big boulder.  alarmed, the Princess
sprang up to flee; but there was such a smile of welcome on his laughing
face
and a twinkle in his eyes that she took not a single step.

"Oh Ho!" he cried, "and what have we here?  Why it's a Sad Little Princess
and her two lovely little Princes.  Come in my dear. Please do come in and
tell me why you are wandering the Grim Grey Waste?"

Captivated by the merry twinkling of his eyes, the Princess confessed to him
her crime, and asked his help.


He thought what she had done was such a fine joke that he collapsed into
gales of laughter.  His fat stomach jiggled up and down as he wheezed and
gasped, trying to catch his breath.  When there were but giggles left from
his gales of laughter, he magicked up a magnificent feast for his guest.
After they had eaten, and the Wizard had told her some of his funniest
jokes,
which made the Little Princess giggle and wriggle so much, she was in danger
of falling off her chair, the old Wizard grew suddenly serious.  "I can help
you, my dear," he told the now not so sad Little Princess.  "But if I do,
you
will never be able to cuddle your babies, ever again."

The Little Princess was horrified.  She could not face leaving her babies
behind, never to cuddle them again.  "Good Wizard?  Is there no other way?"
she pleaded.

He shook his head sadly, and explained his plan.  He told her he was on very
good terms with one of the Magic Houses which had put down foundations
nearby.  Because the House found his jokes so funny (and if he promised to
tell it a new one every day) he was sure the Magic House would take the two
little Princes into its care and hide them from the Wizards.  He assured her
that they would never be found and unwoven.  Unfortunately, it was
impossible
for the Magic House to hide the Little Princess as well, because she had
been
woven so long ago.  To be safe from discovery, she must go far away, where
the Wizards would never think to look for her.  Once there, she must never
return to the Enchanted Land Behind The Sky, lest she be captured and
unwoven.

The little princess cried and cried because she knew the kind old Wizard was
right.  Bravely, she said a very tearful farewell to her babies, commended
them to the care of the Wizard, and climbed aboard his Sky Wagon.  A team of
golden horses, made from the stars themselves, were hitched.  With a great
neighing of the horses and a great swirl of starlight, the Sky Wagon was
drawn aloft and raced among the whirling galaxies to a land far, far
distant,
where the Wizards would never think to look for her.

She cried bitterly all the way.  And when the wagon landed in the new land,
she almost did not climb down.  But it was the only way to save her babies
and so crying bitterly she jumped down.  At once the star wagon was drawn
off
into the sky by the star horses away back to the Enchanted Land Behind the
Sky, leaving a very sad Little Princess behind.

"...And she still lives in that far away land, and is still so, so sad..."


Mary broke off, suddenly aware of a tingling all along her nerves, which she
had hoped never to feel.

Melissa, who was clutching her hand, her shining eyes big with wonder,
suddenly exclaimed.  "It's the wizard from the magic box!"

Mary clutched the tiny hand, desperately trying to still the shaking that
had
taken possession of her whole being. She drew in a deep breath to quiet her
pounding hearts and rose to meet her fate.  Sensing her distress, Melissa
clung to her hand and together they turned to greet the Wizard.

"How did you find me?" Mary asked at last breaking the tension that held the
room in a silent grip.

The little man grinned broadly.  "I looked in Yellow Pages." he replied with
a merry twinkle in his eyes.

"He's a wizard!" Melissa informed the gathered children in a knowing and
confidential tone.

"No he's not!" said Robbie.  He was grown up and didn't believe in wizards
any more, or Santa for that matter.

"He is so!" Melissa insisted.  "You are a great Wizard?  Aren't you?' She
gave the Doctor such an imploring look that there was nothing for it but to
confess his true nature.  He doffed his hat, held out a hand to show that it
was empty.  Then, deliberately, he squeezed it into a fist before opening it
once more.  A bag of sweets sat upon the palm.  With a merry twinkle, the
little man began dishing out jelly babies, one to each eager hand until the
bag was empty.

Soone, everyone was sucking noisly on the sweets.  "Isn't there one for
Mary?" asked Melissa, fixing the Doctor with an imploring gaze.

The Doctor beamed.  "Oh yes," he said.  "I have a very special present for
Mary.  A very special gift indeed...for a very special person."

Melissa's smile was radient, her trust in the Wizard borne out.  Over the
girl's beribboned head, the eyes of the two adults met, and held.  "A very
special gift, indeed," the Doctor said quietly.  He lifted his hat and took
down from the top of his head a small glass bottle.  The sunlight sparked
golden from the contents, as he weighed it thoughtfully in his hand.

"It's a magic potion!" exclaimed Melissa, eyes agog.  "It is, isn't it?"

The Doctor smiled broadly.  "That's right...A magic potion..."

"What does it do?" Melissa asked excitedly.

"I bet it makes you fly?" piped up a little boy.  "Just like Peter Pan...I
bet it does...Doesn't it?"

"I know!" cried Melissa.  "It makes you invisible!"

The Doctor squatted down to her level, beaming happily.  A dozen sets of
eyes, wide with wondrous speculation were rivetted on the tiny bottle.

"That's right, my dear," the Doctor admitted.  "It makes people invisible."

"Can I try it?" Melissa cried.

The Doctor look sad.  He ruffled her brown curls.  "I'm sorry," he said
sincerely, "but it only works on Sad Little Princesses from the Enchanted
Land Behind The Sky.  You see..." He looked up to meet Mary's anxious gaze.
"...You see, my dear, the magic potion changes Sad Little Princesses into
happy little girls...forever.  So the wizards who live in the Enchanted Land
Behind The Sky will never be able to find her."


A dozen sets of eyes followed the Doctor's gaze, wide with awe, at
discovering a real Princess from the Enchanted Land Behind The Sky among
them.

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"...And they all lived happily ever after..." the Doctor heard Melissa
prompting as he pulled the door closed behind him and headed across the
reception area to the main doors a sad little smile on his face.  AS he went
through the main entrance a young man with an ernest look of nervous
resolution was just going in.  He clutched a large gift wrapped box in one
hand.  The Doctor grinned at him.  He fished in his pocket and brought out a
large white envelope which he thrust into the man's hand.  Then, he doffed
his hat and scampered down the steps.

The young man looked at the stiff card in his hand then to the man.  "Hey?"
he called out "What..."

But the strange little man was already hurrying across the road to the park
gates, the umbrella twirling merrily.

The young man shrugged and opened the envelope.  Inside was a Wedding
Congratulations card.  With a curious expression he opened the card, saw
"Best Wishes to Mark and Mary on this special day - All my Love, Dr John
Smith."

And underneath:

"PS: I think Susan is a nice name for a girl!"

--

The end.