Since I'm on winter break right now, I've been trying to post more on my blog for all of you. I thought you might enjoy some old writing of mine. Here is another addition to The Sort of Old Archives (see labels at the bottom of the post for more writing under this heading).
Here is a story from 2009, "How and Where Did the Dragon Get its Name?"
ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a king. A king with a very large castle. A king with a beautiful crown. A king who had power over all the lands his eyes could reach. He wasn't a bad king, however. This king was kind. He was a king with great power, but a king with unlimited goodness. His name was Good King Sebastion. Good King Sebastion, or, King Sebastion, as I will be calling him, because it's much less awkward when one has to write it so many times, (although other people in the story will be calling him by his full title), was kind to people and animals alike. He was kind to plants and trees. All of his people loved him.
Now, one day, King Sebastion recieved news that a man had just come into one of the villages near the castle, and was speaking badly of him.
"Go get this man," King Sebastion ordered his messenger gently.
"Yes, Sire," the messenger said, and went off to fetch the man who had been speaking so rudely of the kind king.
A little while later the messenger came back; two guards followed the messenger, holding onto the man they had brought in.
"Untie the man's hands," King Sebastion said to his guards.
"Yes, your Majesty, Good King Sebastion," one of them said, and the other nodded.
The guards quickly did as they were told, and left the throne room.
"Now then," King Sebastion said, as the door closed behind the two guards, "what is your name, Good Sir?"
The messenger looked surprised. King Sebastion didn't notice; he was watching the man closely.
The man spoke up bravely, for a brave man he was.
"Richard," he answered.
"Now then, Richard," King Sebastion said, "I have heard that you were speaking badly of me in one of my villages."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I was," Richard confessed, without any hesitation.
"I am wondering why." King Sebastion said. "I am kind to people, and animals, and plants, and trees, and I am wondering what it was that I did to you to deserve this. Please tell me, so that I can set all to rights."
Richard was surprised. He hadn't expected the king to be as good and kind as people had said he was.
"Well, Sire, may I have permission to speak freely?" Richard asked.
King Sebastion nodded.
"Permission granted." He agreed.
"Thank you, King Sebastion, Sire." Richard said. "Many years ago, I lived in that village where I was just now."
King Sebastion nodded again.
"Then one day, the other people of the village decided I was guilty of a crime I hadn't commited. They wouldn't listen to an innocent man's pleas...they banished me from the village."
"How terrible." King Sebastion said.
Richard nodded in agreement.
"I wandered around and lived in different places for a while, and then finally came back to my home village where I was greeted with scorn. The people still remember me and they still think I commited the crime. Well, I couldn't stand being accused any longer, and I began to speak rashly of you to get back at them."
"Aaaah, I see." King Sebastion said.
"My greatest apologies to you, King Sebastion. I can see that you are really as great and good and kind a king as your villagers said you are."
"My sincerest thanks. I forgive you, Richard. I do not believe in harsh punishment, but I would like you to solve a puzzle for me."
"Yes Sire, whatever it is, I will find the answer." Richard promised.
"If you are able to solve it within a week's time, I will clear your name, and you may live once more in the village you love."
"Oh, my sincerest thanks to you, Good King Sebastion!" Richard cried joyously, "but what is this puzzle?"
"Come back tomorrow at this time, and I will tell you." King Sebastion promised. "In the meantime, I will have one of my servants show you to a spare room. I will make sure you get meals, and please feel free to wander around the public areas of the castle."
"Thank you, King Sebastion," Richard said, and he bowed, and then left with King Sebastion's servant.
King Sebastion got out of his throne and stepped over to his favorite window of the throne room. He sat in the wooden chair he had had put there long ago, at the start of his reign, and gazed out of the window, deep in thought. He looked out over his lands. Hours passed. Soon it was time for supper, and King Sebastion still sat, thinking hard. Finally, as the sun began to sink, he came up with the puzzle he would have Richard solve. Out of the window, down below, he saw a strange creature. It was sitting at the edge of the wood. The creature was big. It was bigger than three small village houses put together. It was of a bright green hue: the color of healthy, lush grass. As King Sebastion stared at it, he thought he saw that the creature had wings: great green wings of a strange shape. The scaley creature's mean gaze, the spikes down its back and tail, and its non-retractable claws all looked terrifying. King Sebastion, however, was not scared: he was completely captivated. He had never seen the likes of this strange animal before.
"Guards!" He called.
The two guards who had been stationed just outside the throne room came hurrying in.
"Yes, Sire?" One of them asked.
"Look at that strange creature out the window," King Sebastion commanded.
The guards peered cautiously out.
"Sire, what a terrifying creature, Sire!" One of them cried.
"Yes, Sire, yes!" Agreed the other.
"Calm down, Good Sirs, calm down." King Sebastion said gently. "I want that creature to be caught right away."
"Then you want it to be killed?" Asked one of the guards.
"Oh, goodness no, no, no," King Sebastion cried. "I want it to be brought into the castle."
"That is pure madness!" One of King Sebastion's guards burst out.
"Yes, Sire, pure madness!" Agreed the other guard. "Have you gone purely mad, Sire?"
King Sebastion laughed.
"No, no," he told them. "I need that creature for something."
The guards looked at one another.
"Very well, Your Majesty." One of the guards finally said.
"We will do as you wish, Good King Sebastion," agreed the other.
"Thank you. Make sure that it is kept under control inside the castle, and that it has its own guard--and don't chain it up! I believe in being kind to animals."
The guards promised to do all King Sebastion had commanded, and left, muttering softly to each other.
"Pure madness, pure madness..." Said one.
"I agree, pure madness...pure madness...absolute pure madness." Said the other.
King Sebastion didn't hear any of this. He got up from his chair and went to have supper.
The next afternoon, Richard came into the throne room to meet with the King.
"Oh good, you've come, Richard." King Sebastion said, smiling at him.
"Yes, King Sebastion, I have." Richard said. "I would like to know the puzzle I am to solve. By the way, Sire, I noticed you have a dragon out there in the courtyard."
"A what?" King Sebastion asked.
"Why, a dragon," Richard said.
"Did you come up with that?" King Sebastion asked. "For I have never seen anything like that creature out there."
"Neither have I," Richard said.
"Then how--?" King Sebastion said, greatly confused.
"Well, as I was coming over to the throne room, I see the creature wandering around in the circle of armed guards, and I say to myself, 'well,' I said, 'look at that; I've never seen the likes of it, but look how it drags its tail on,' and I thought, 'ah hah! That's what I shall think of this creature as: a drag-on."
"You have solved the puzzle," King Sebastion said in amazement.
"I have?" Richard said, "but, your Majesty, I don't even know what it is yet, and it hasn't been a week."
"Neither of those matter anymore, Richard," King Sebastion said hurriedly, "because the puzzle was to think up a name for that creature out there."
Richard stood there, dumb-struck, for a few seconds.
"You mean...I've solved the puzzle?" He asked.
"Yes, indeed, Richard, my friend!" King Sebastion cried happily.
I'm sure this was only the beginning of King Sebastion's adventures with a new creature known as a 'dragon'.
THE END
Tomorrow, look for a three part story, "The Cowboy from the Past."
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