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.
Year:
2012
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