a king

a kingdom

a tree with golden apples

~~

this king, you see

would sing every morning

“oh—how I love my golden apple tree”

~~

but one dawn

on the daily counting:

a missing apple

~~

the furious king

would seethe

like a troubled bee

~~

the gardener he summoned:

“now watch that tree

or you know what will happen”

~~

the gardener fretted

and sent his eldest son

to lay by the tree all night

~~

the lazy bum

then dozed too soon

before the midnight moon

~~

when he awoke

another apple was gone

and his father thought he was done

~~

so he sent for his second son:

“now you stay vigilant—

for the thief must be caught

or we’ll be doomed”

~~

the second son also

slept too soon:

the apple, alas, who knew?

~~

so the third son came forth

but his father forbid

for some demon must be, it seemed

~~

but the boy was brave

he would not stay

until the thief was slain

~~

at last, the father agreed

for the boy to see

if there was any demon thief

~~

the boy stayed up

till the midnight moon

and heard a rustle none too soon

~~

up with a start

he saw a golden bird

and shot his bow

quick as a dart

~~

alas, the arrow did no harm

save a fallen feather

but—eureka!—

this too was golden

~~

he took the feather to the king

a council then was called:

the people gazed in joy

at this fine-spun feather

~~

but the king

he was not pleased:

he wanted the bird,

 not just the feather

~~

so the gardener sent his first son

to seek out the bird

and get the royal treasure

~~

the son went out

to the forest dark

and met an old fox

~~

he took his bow

ready to kill

but the fox said,

“STOP!”

~~

“I have some advice,”

the old fox said,

“to find that bird,

for I know your plan”

~~

“go straight to the town

where you’ll see two inns

and stay in the one run down”

~~

the boy heard these words

and laughed

and shot at the fox at once

~~

but the fox was quick:

before the boy could even see

he flew between the trees

~~

so the boy went on

to that pretty little town

and saw two inns

~~

one was merry

the other poor:

so to the jolly inn

he went to feast

~~

every day he would eat and drink

and sing and dance:

forgetting bird and kingdom both

his life was but a trance

~~

the kingdom was lost

in the first son’s double-cross:

so the second son went forth

~~

into the old woods he came

and just the same

he saw the fox

~~

and just like his elder brother

he shot at the fox

and stayed at the rich and festive inn

~~

neither brother returned:

the kingdom, family,

golden bird—all forgot

~~

so the third son stepped forth

once again

but his father forbid

~~

for he loved his third son most of all

and feared the worst,

his other sons

gone first

~~

yet finally the boy prevailed

and went on to the trail

the forest thick

~~

he came upon the fox

and listened close

inscribing mental notes

~~

the fox so cherished the boy’s attention

so he offered his tail to sit

and whisked the boy to the village

~~

arriving at that tiny village

the boy saw two inns:

one naught, one nice

~~

though one had music and dance

he stayed true

and slept at the shabby one

all night through

~~

on the morning light

the fox came right

and said to haste

to the castle straight

~~

“there the golden bird

is perched in a wooden cage

and all around the guards do sleep”

~~

“but a word of caution:

there is a golden cage

and if you do not avoid it

you have only yourself to blame”

~~

the boy went to the castle

slipping in while the guards were asleep

and came to the golden bird

~~

he saw a simple wooden cage

enclose a lovely golden bird

and could not avoid the bait

~~

he took the bird

and set it in the golden cage

but it screeched

~~

the guards awoke

enchained his soul

and drove him to face the king

~~

“you must die,”

said the king, “unless

you bring me a golden horse,

but if you do,

you’ll live and have the bird too”

~~

now this was true

and the boy was lost

until the fox came through

~~

“you should have listened,”

said the fox,

“but I’ll tell you once more what to do.”

~~

“go on to the next castle

where you’ll find a golden horse,

but leave on his saddle

or it’ll be worse”

~~

so the boy went straight

and came to the castle

slipping past the sleeping guards

~~

sure enough, he found the horse,

saddled in leather,

next to his groom,

who slept on a golden saddle

~~

“what a shame,”

he thought,

“a fine horse

a leather saddle”

~~

so the boy took off the leather

and grabbed the gold

waking the groom

~~

the groom screamed out

the guardsmen came

the boy was shackled once more

~~

this castle’s king then said, “you must die,

unless you bring me a princess soon,

but if you do, you’ll live

and get the horse for boon”

~~

dejected again

twice sentenced to die

the poor boy did not know what to do

~~

but his hero, the fox,

came again

to help him out of this box

~~

the boy was slow

to follow the fox’s advice

(he did not listen twice)

but his heart was true

and he was nice

~~

so the fox helped again,

saying, “go on ahead

to the castle next

and there you’ll find a princess,

ready to wed”

~~

“while she goes to her daily bath

you must kiss her thrice

and she’ll leave without any wrath”

~~

“just one advice:

you must not let her say goodbye

or you’ll be caught in a vise”

~~

the boy thanked him twice

and went to the castle

where he kissed the princess thrice

~~

she agreed to run away

but wanted to say—

“mama, papa, goodbye!”

~~

he forbid it

but her weeping wouldn’t quit

so at least, feeling pity,

he gave in

~~

her parents found out!

imprisoned again,

and sentenced to die once more

~~

alas, one more path to escape:

dig out the hill

that blocked the king’s view,

then live

and get the princess too

~~

he dug and he dug

but the seven days he had

were not enough

~~

the night before the final day

the fox came

and asked why he didn’t listen

~~

the boy said he tried

and on the fox he did rely

but circumstances and pity

led him away

~~

the fox being kind

the boy he forgave

and told him to sleep

~~

as the boy slept all night

the fox lifted the hill

and threw it out of sight

~~

the king was amazed

but kept his word

and gave the princess’ hand

~~

the boy and princess

went to foreign land

with him still sentenced twice to die

~~

the boy met the fox, who said,

“you can have your life,

the princess, the horse, and even the bird”

~~

“take the princess to the king

but demand first

to see the golden horse”

~~

“he’ll bring the horse

then show the princess:

and while he’s dazzled,

—hop on—

then grab the princess too”

~~

the boy followed this to a tee

and sped away

with the princess free

~~

the fox came by again, of course,

and said, “now, at the next castle

leave the princess outside

and ride in with your horse”

~~

“demand to see the bird,

then swoop it up

and ride away”

~~

this he did too

without a hitch—

the horse really flew!

~~

a princess

a golden horse

and golden bird

now that’s a collection!

~~

back to his homeland he went

and on the way

he met the fox again

giving him praise and appreciation

~~

the fox said, “to really thank me,

you must cut off my head”

but the boy refused

~~

so the fox offered a last bit of advice:

“do not bail out any prisoners to be hanged

and do not crouch down by a river bank”

~~

simple advice, well-received

the boy continued

to the first town he had met

~~

there he saw his brothers

about to be hanged:

forgetting the fox

he bailed them out

~~

they left to the forest

outside his kingdom home

and all were famished, in want of rest

~~

his brothers said,

“we are tired, let’s stop by the river

and take our lunch”

~~

the boy agreed,

ambling to the bank,

but was pushed in,

and to the bottom sank

~~

the bank was steep

but the water was mostly dry

so he did not die

but broken bones

he could not move

~~

his brothers now had all:

princess

horse

and bird

~~

they returned to the kingdom

to great joy and merriment:

heroic loot of conquest

~~

but the princess cried

the horse would not eat

and the bird would not fly

~~

meanwhile the fox came down to the boy,

and said,

“look what a predicament you’re in,

if only you had listened...”

~~

but the fox was kind

restored his health

and lent his tail to ride away

~~

“your brothers will attack you if you return,”

the fox warned,

so the boy entered the kingdom as a beggar

~~

but as soon as he entered

the princess stopped weeping

the horse began to eat

and the bird took up flying

~~

the boy presented himself to the king

and told the story of his brothers’ treachery:

the princess agreed

~~

the king sent the brothers to the dungeon

the boy married the princess

and became heir to the kingdom

~~

years later he went for a stroll  in the woods

and came upon the fox

who asked once again to have his head cut off

~~

after all these times

the boy finally learned

to have faith

and follow the fox

~~

so he cut off his head

sending a wave of smoke around

and then appeared a prince

~~

for you see, the fox was a prince

entrapped by curse

and actually the princess’ brother:

a tearful reunion

~~

after the king died

the boy became the new king

and all lived happily ever after

(except the brothers sent to the dungeon)

~~

and this is why we say

“he’s crazy as a fox”

Note: posted on the 5/22/12 dVersePoet Open Link Night. It is an adaptation of the "The Golden Bird" (Grimm’s Fairy Tales) in a micropoetry series.