The Celestial Sisters

Hello, reader. Before we start talking about fairy tales, I have something to announce. I'm publishing a book! It's called A Tale of Two Tricksters and it's set in the modern day Midwest. Although it's not a direct adaptation of fairy tales like the short stories I write for this blog, there are many elements from folk tales and fairy tales in my novel. There are also a handful of short stories that I posted on this blog that tie in, mostly indirectly, to my novel. A Tale of Two Tricksters isn't ready to buy yet, but it will be up on Amazon when it is, as an ebook and a physical book. Rest assured, I will let you know when it is officially published.

This is either just a hawk, or it used to be a person, or spirit. Who knows?

Now that that excitement is taken care of... This week's story comes to us from a North American Native American tribe. I wish I knew which tribe, but that's not listed. Either way, The Celestial Sisters is a story about a man falling in love with a woman he barely knows. Don't worry, this one's different. It has magic baskets. Check out the story in the link and continue reading to analyze with me.

Firstly, it irks me when we have stories of men kidnapping women because they're pretty. At the first opportunity, the celestial woman books it back to her home, bringing her son with her. However, it's not clear if she actually liked her husband or not. It's possible that she did like him, but she needed to go home more. After all, at the end she chooses to be a white hawk with him. It's also possible that she hated him and only chose the same animal piece he did because she felt like she had to since he was her husband. It's impossible to say. These stories are often more complicated than we give them credit for.

While we're examining motivation, or lack thereof, where was this woman's family after she got kidnapped? Her sisters all ran away when it happened and, as far as we know, never came back to try to get her. Her father never came at all, as far as we know. However, again, it might be more than it seems. It's possible her father, who is a star, couldn't come down to earth to get her. Still, you'd think he would send someone to try to bring her back. That is, unless she was actually happy and he knew that. Fairy tales are too short to explain how everyone is feeling all the time, but sometimes I wish they would.

Finally, we have the mass exodus at the end. Why did the star want to get so many celestial spirits down to earth? Again, his reasons are unknown. He might not have even known so many would choose to leave and become animals. Or perhaps the celestial world was getting a little crowded and it was time to get some folks out of it. I hope no one hunted the celestial spirits turned animals. You know, since the star asked specifically for animals that Waupee hunted. Hm. Maybe there's a reason they all wanted to leave after all.

The moral of this story is to make sure that if you're going to kidnap a woman, that she can learn to love you. Alternatively, don't kill mice that aren't doing any harm to you.

Have a different moral? Wondering what the man's family thought of his disappearance? Do you also think Celestial Sisters would be a great name for a girl band? Comment below!

Strong Like Bull

Hello, reader. I decided to try a different approach this week with my modern version of the fairy tale and keep it light. I also made sure it stayed a short story. I'm getting ready for National Novel Writing Month, so reining in my word count took some doing, but I did it for all of you.

Even if they're not made of glass, hills can still be a big deal.

"Stupid accident," Lisa muttered. Because of some big accident on the interstate, she and John were hiking up this big hill alone instead of with the rest of their friends. John was okay, but he had to remind people that his family had been a big deal in Norway before they'd had to flee. And John had to remind people of this all the time. Not that he had ever been to Norway.

They hiked up the side of the hill and it was actually pretty nice. There wasn't much for John to brag about while they were hiking, so Lisa could enjoy the scenery and swap stories with John about other hikes they'd had. Whenever he'd try to turn the conversation to how something in Norway was so much better, Lisa just started walking faster so he had to pant to keep up and couldn't talk easily. "Maybe I should only hang out with John on hikes," Lisa thought.

Eventually, they made it to the top in time to see the sunset in all its glory. Lisa sent a picture to their friends, who were currently on back roads trying to get around the accident. Lisa and John enjoyed the sunset until they needed to leave.

Of course, even with their flashlights, it was much harder to hike down the hill in the dark and Lisa lost her footing and fell. She was all right except for her right ankle. John got her a walking stick, but it soon became clear that she couldn't really walk. So John carried her down the hill.

"Thank you," Lisa said, when he put her in his car.

"Of course," he replied, starting the engine. "You'd do the same for me."

"I'm not sure I could have carried you that far, but sure."

They got her to a hospital and it turned out Lisa had sprained her ankle. "How stereotypical," she replied, rolling her eyes. At least it was simple to treat. They just gave her an Ace bandage and two crutches and told her to rest, ice her ankle, and keep it elevated.

Lisa and John made it to the cabin after their friends. At least it was a large cabin and there were things to do, since Lisa wouldn't be hiking any more this weekend. She hoped she'd be able to drive when they needed to leave.

They spent the night catching up, eating ice cream that the late car had managed to pick up, and teasing Lisa about getting hurt already. They decided that John was as strong as a bull for being able to carry her. Lisa agreed, but John kept saying it was nothing. Apparently, everyone in Norway was that strong. Eventually, they all headed to bed.

The next day, everyone else went out on a hike. Lisa demanded they go so they could enjoy the weekend, even if she couldn't. Then she started to deal with the other minor things that had happened after she fell. She had a few scratches that she inspected for infection before washing them again. Of course, her clothes from yesterday had dirt slathered on them. Guiltily, Lisa realized she must have gotten John's clothes dirty as well. He had left them in the middle of one of the boy's rooms, so it wasn't hard to find them. Sure enough, there was dirt ground into the back of his shirt. It looked like he had tried to get it out, but had no success. Lisa rolled her eyes.

With enough time, patience, and dish soap, she managed to clean the dirt out of their clothes in the bathtub and hang it all up before everyone else got home.

John was the first one back in the house. "How are you?" he asked.

"Well, you all were gone seven years and I feel like I'm wearing iron shoes, but I'm fine."

John looked at her for a moment, concerned.

"Really. I'm fine, but I was serious about the iron shoes thing. Can you bring me the pain reliever? I think I'm due for another one."

The rest of their friends came in while Lisa was taking her pill.

"So, how'd you do?" one of them, Trudy, asked.

Lisa shrugged. "Better than you all. You're covered in mud."

John was the only one who hadn't gotten covered in mud.

"Go outside and hose off. I don't want to have to pay for cleaning this place because all of you couldn't stay on your feet," Lisa mock nagged.

"You have no room to talk," Trudy replied, sticking out her tongue. Still, Lisa was right, so they went outside to clean up a little.

"They all managed to fall and you didn't?" Lisa asked.

John shrugged. "I have good balance. Everyone in Norway does. They kept asking me to give them piggy back rides. Apparently, I'm the bull of Norway now."

"It suits you," Lisa replied laughing.

John shook his head and wandered to the kitchen to find something to eat.

The Black Bull of Norroway Again

Just climbing a glass hill. No big deal.

Greetings, readers. This week, I wanted to revisit one of the fairy tales we've already looked at. The Black Bull of Norroway is a pretty great story, so I can't just leave it alone. If you want to read the fairy tale, follow the link. Then continue reading here and we'll break it down.

The last time I looked at this story, I didn't even think about the mother. When her daughters all leave to go find their fortune, she doesn't try to stop them or see what their plans are. She just makes them some food and lets them go. Now, I'm not saying she shouldn't have let them go, but she didn't even try to give them advice or anything. It's odd. I guess we can assume this lady already had these conversations with her daughters before they left. Probably.

I am still curious about the first two sisters. It occurs to me that they could have married two of the Black Bull's brothers, although if they had we probably would have heard about it when our protagonist visited those castles. Or maybe they became ladies of another house and became the mothers or stepmothers in other fairy tales. There really is no telling.

As for our protagonist, it's a shame she can't follow directions, but she more than makes up for it. I mean, have you tried to sit absolutely still for a long time? My only experience with that is when there's a dog asleep on me, not when the bull I love is doing battle, but it's really hard not to move at all. It still bamboozles me that the price of her moving is seven years of service to a smith, washing bloodstains out of some clothes, and then three successive nights of bribery and crying. That seems a little over the top just for crossing her legs.

Now, I realize I haven't looked at the title character at all. What's the deal with the Black Bull? It seems like he's a human who was under a spell, which he then broke by defeating the Old One, whoever that is. That more or less makes sense, but I'm not sure why he went and picked up this random girl first. Did he have to have a true love before he defeated the Old One? Did he not find out where to go or how to defeat the Old One until after he picked up our protagonist? And while we're asking questions we can't answer, what's with the witch washerwoman at the beginning of the story? Can she set everyone on the right path for finding their fortune? Because, if so, I need to find her.

The moral of this story is to follow directions, even if they're ridiculous. Alternatively, if you're going to be enchanted into a bull, make sure the lady you bring along with you is incredibly devoted to you so you don't wind up marrying the wrong girl.

Pictures of a Lost World

I had some trouble modernizing this story. I didn't really like it until I figured out the twist. This one isn't as closely related to the original story as some of my other efforts, but some of the bigger points are still there. Enjoy!

We take photos to preserve a moment we'll never see again.

Laura held her phone to her ear and tried not to pace. The phone rang until it went to voicemail. Laura frowned and waited for the beep. "Hi, Mom. I'm, um... Well, I'm thinking about changing jobs. You know how my pictures of that Californian forest took off? Well, I think I could make it as a nature photographer. I'm pretty good at getting pictures of things before they're gone and I really feel like I could make a difference." Laura brought herself back to her point. "So, I just wanted your opinion on that. I'm going out on a hike, so I might not have the best cell reception later today. OK. Love you. Bye!"

Laura picked up her backpack and left her apartment. It was a short drive to the trail she wanted to hike today. There were some dazzling views she wanted to get at sunset and she would have to hike for awhile to get there. Of course, the wasn't the longest hike she'd ever done, so by the time she got out there, Laura had only stopped for a water break a few times. Her preferred spot was on the side of a big hill and the sunset was just perfect from there, especially with the way the trees framed it. She got several beautiful shots before she had to leave. That night, she went home and edited her photos until she had a few she could submit to get paid. Then Laura's phone buzzed.

"Hi, Mom." Laura smiled. "I know. I'm not sure about it yet, but I was just kind of thinking about it." She listened. "That is a good point. I wouldn't quit until I had a steady stream of income, but you're right, I'm not sure what I would do about insurance." She listened some more. They went back and forth for awhile, talking about logistics and what Laura wanted to do. After awhile, Laura's mom had to go. "Okay. I'll keep thinking about it." Laura smiled. "Thank you. I know I can do this, too. Love you!"

Laura smiled and looked at her computer. Her sunset pictures had already been picked up and she should be able to see them in an article soon. It was a great day.

As it turned out, it was a few days later that Laura's pictures went live. The article they went with got some mild popularity and Laura found a few new websites approaching her for nature photography, with a higher budget than she was expecting. Laura took a few pictures for them, but didn't really believe it was real until their checks cleared. Just a few weeks later, Laura made the hike up to her favorite sunset spot to think.

"It's costing me money to go to work," she realized on the way up. She would make more money if she became a freelance photographer, but she'd lose the security of her job. It was a scary decision, but Laura knew she had to make it by herself. So, she debated on her way up, sometimes trying to talk herself out of it and sometimes telling herself it was the best move. When she made it to her spot, Laura almost didn't recognize it. The two trees that she loved so much were gone. She looked at the view without them for a moment.

"Screw it. Let's do this," Laura said. She could be gone tomorrow, just like those trees. Life was too short not to take a chance on something she loved. Laura had a smile on her face all the way back to her car. This was definitely the right move.

Laura's photography career went far better than she had expected. She had several nature photos go viral. Part of what helped her fame was that any time one of her photos went big, something about that scene was destroyed, meaning no one else could get a picture like that. A few vicious people began whispering that Laura was doing this, but Laura ignored them. She was giving people something they could see and appreciate when they thought about protecting nature. It wasn't her problem if other people were jealous of her success.

As Laura became a more and more popular photographer, clients began sending her to different places in the world to take pictures. Finally, Laura was rich enough to buy a cottage in the forest that had all of the technology she loved.

However, it couldn't last forever. One trip, Laura was strapped into a helicopter taking pictures of a beautiful rock formation. The rumors about her had been getting stronger, so part of Laura wanted to prove them wrong. Rocks couldn't burn down, after all. Not all of her pictures that went big would mean destruction for the scene. Laura got several beautiful pictures of the rocks before they had to land the helicopter. She spent the next few days editing them to be perfect. She wanted these to be her most popular pictures ever.

Laura sent her pictures off and headed back home. Once she got back to her cozy cottage, Laura started checking the news. Apparently, there had been a sudden and powerful earthquake. Laura's stomach dropped when she saw the country it was in. Sure enough, when she clicked on the story, the epicenter of the earthquake had been that rock formation Laura had taken pictures of. The nearby town had been completely destroyed.

Laura sat back from her computer in shock. That couldn't be right. It had to be a coincidence. Trying to prove herself wrong, Laura went back through all of her successful photos, checking on their locations. As soon as those pictures had gotten popular, something happened to ruin the scene she had photographed. "I've been trying to save nature, not destroy it," Laura whispered to herself, double checking she had gotten the dates right. It was inescapable. As soon as any of her photos became popular, something was destroyed by an act of God or nature. She wasn't doing this and she didn't think anyone could cause an earthquake. Her photos that hadn't gotten popular didn't cause any destruction.

Laura began to pace. It didn't make sense, but it was clear as day. To save nature, she would have to stop trying. Laura paced some more and debated. She went outside and began the hike up to her favorite sunset spot. When she got to the spot, Laura couldn't help but notice where the two trees had been. "This is my fault." Laura walked over to the tree stumps. Some new growth was starting there. Someday, there would be new trees in the same spots. Laura stared and slowly, she started to smile. "It isn't permanent," she whispered. There were all kinds of other things she could do, like be a tour guide, or write about traveling. She could stop photography and stop the destruction.

Before she lost her nerve, Laura hiked back home and started drafting her email to her clients. "From now on, my pictures will just be for me," Laura promised herself. "I won't let anything else get destroyed." Her clients complained and her fans were confused and angry, but any pictures Laura took after that day stayed with her. She only put them up in her house, hidden in the forest, where no one else would see them.

How the Phoenix Got Her Fine Plumage Again

I wonder who gave her the really long feathers.

Hello, reader. I've noticed that several of you seem to enjoy the post I wrote about How the Phoenix Got Her Fine Plumage. So, if once was great, then a second time will be even better, right? In case you've never heard this story, or you want to brush up, you can find the original tale at the link. If you remember it, then keep reading below as we dig into this tale a bit more.

This story effectively has two characters: the phoenix and the rest of the birds in the forest. I feel bad for the phoenix. She's got a realistic worry and everyone else makes fun of her for it, especially when they see her acting to prevent her worry from being a problem. I understand the rest of the birds might not have seen her worry as realistic, but it clearly was. After all, if something is plentiful, then clearly it will never run out, right? The birds were so naive. It also can't have been easy that the phoenix looked so plain because I'm sure the other birds brought that into their taunts and it was yet another thing marking her as separate. Poor phoenix.

I wonder about the rest of the birds. I suppose the forest hasn't had a terrible storm like that for a very long time, or they would have known it was possible. After they survived that storm and were facing starvation, I wonder how difficult it was for them to go and ask the phoenix for something to eat. Maybe some of them are so full of themselves that they didn't have a problem with it, but I like to think they weren't. They had to swallow their pride before they could get any food to put in their stomachs. To their credit, no one gets mad at the phoenix for being right. They all ask for food, and are given some, and then they reward the phoenix for it later. I did and still do think their gift is superficial but also the only thing they could really give. However, this solves both of the phoenix's problems: the birds now like and accept her, and she's pretty. What more could a girl ask for at the end of a fairy tale, except a prince to marry? I say that sarcastically, but it's complicated. Thinking of yourself as pretty can be very important, but too often we're told it's the only important thing or the most important thing and it isn't either one of those. Balance is the key here. See, you didn't think a story about a bunch of birds could be this nuanced, did you?

The moral of this fairy tale would have to be: don't be a jerk, even if you think someone else is being crazy. Alternatively, if you are a jerk to someone who is proved right, then be sure to thank them profusely if they agree to help you out.

See something I missed? Have a fairy tale you want me to talk about? Annoyed I didn't question how the phoenix could attach so many feathers to herself and keep them there? Comment below!

An Ocean of Music

Greetings, friends. Last week, we looked at The Crab Prince. This week, I'll be writing a modern version of this fairy tale with violinists, who aren't particularly crabby. Without further ado, let's get to it!

Our protagonist plays a carbon fiber violin.

Reika always had a strange feeling before she went onstage to play, but when she got out there, the sound of her violin covered everything else and she could forget where she was. It was always a shock to her to hear the applause afterwards. Today, she had the feeling again, but it was stronger. She'd heard a guy before her play so well, she wasn't sure she would get first place. She didn't want to come in first, but she had to. Otherwise, she would have failed. So, Reika paced backstage. She went to the dressing room that no one had wanted to share with her and picked up her violin. The feeling came over her in a wave.

Reika almost dropped her violin. She set it on the table, but the feeling wouldn't stop. Reika's hands and knees began shaking. In her beautiful dress, Reika sat down on the floor and scooted herself into the corner. She pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them tightly. Everything else fell away as her heart hammered in her chest and she tried to stop shaking. At some point, one of the handlers came to her room to tell her to get ready. He was shocked to see her on the floor.

"I can't," Reika told him. When he didn't seem to understand, she kept repeating it. After a little while, he left and Reika got herself to stop repeating it. Other handlers came, but all she could tell them was, "I can't."

Eventually, they stopped coming and Reika put her face on her forearms. They'd given up on her. She hadn't played, so she wouldn't even place. She was an even bigger failure than she thought. Reika sat there and sobbed.

"Excuse me," a guy said. Reika looked up. He was the guy she was sure would beat her. He was holding a box of tissues and a basket of chocolate. "Do you want these?"

Reika nodded and the guy set them on the ground near her. Reika expected him to leave, but he sat on the floor next to her, dirtying his tux. Reika managed to uncurl one of her arms to take a tissue and start mopping off her face and neck. She was sure her makeup was everywhere.

"I'm Michael," the boy said after a moment.

"Reika," she replied, as if they both didn't already know the other's name.

"We took my dog for a walk the other day," Michael began. He didn't say a word about finding Reika, champion of violin, in tears. He didn't mention her disarray. He talked about a silly thing his dog had done the other day. When that story was done, he had more. Eventually, Reika had uncurled herself and was eating some of the chocolate.

The backstage announcement came on that they would be announcing the winners soon.

"Oh," Michael said.

"Go on," Reika told him. "Good luck!"

Michael stood up and offered her a hand to help her. "Thank you, Reika." He smiled and hurried out the door. Reika packed up her violin, changed, and slid out the back door. She was gone like a ghost.

*
It had been months since her breakdown and Reika still hadn't touched her violin. She wasn't sure she would ever play again. She was living with her friend in a lovely apartment near a picturesque park. It should have been the perfect place to convalesce. Reika found herself taking lone walks in the park every day. She knew her friend expected her to get over it and move on with her life soon. Reika wasn't sure how.

One day, Reika discovered a fish pond. It wasn't on the trail she had been using, but Reika cut across to sit next to it. There had been a trail closed every time she had come here and it must have connected to the pond. She couldn't understand why it was closed. The koi in the pond were beautiful and Reika soon lost herself watching them swim. Then, the surface of the water broke and suddenly, the fish were converging. Reika looked up to see who had thrown something in the pond.

"Hi," Michael said, embarrassed. He was wearing a suit and carrying his violin.

"Hi," Reika replied.

"Can I come sit with you?" Michael asked, throwing the rest of the fish food.

Reika nodded and Michael sat down.

"I never really thanked you for...before," Reika said.

Michael shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You needed to forget what was happening to you for awhile. I was happy to help."

Reika smiled. She noticed he was wearing a crab pin on the lapel of his suit. "So, are you playing for Fae, then?" Fae was one of the big shots and any musician worth their salt would die to play for her. Yet, it was strange, she rarely kept a musician in residence, although she always seemed to want one.

Michael's smile turned bitter. "Yes. I'm her resident violinist."

"Congratulations," Reika replied, surprised that she wasn't jealous. But she had given up those dreams.

"I'm not sure that's the word I would use," Michael replied, looking a little pained. "But how are you? What have you been up to?"

Reika gave a small laugh. "Not much," she confessed. "I haven't touched my violin since that day."

"Really?" Michael asked. He looked down at his violin. "I suppose you don't want to play mine?"

Reika thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. She probably sounded horrible after so long away from it. She cast about for something else to talk about. "How did you get over here? The path to this place must be closed. I cut across a trail."

"Ah." Michael looked a little pained again. "Fae has taken to eating her lunch out here every day and she doesn't like sharing the space."

"And you're her music?" Reika guessed.

Michael nodded.

Reika looked at him. "Do you want to talk about how bad it is? Because it looks like it's bad."

Michael looked at the koi for a moment. "I'm in an exclusive contract," he said, "and I can't break it. Only Fae can."

"Oh." Reika didn't think it would be polite to tell him that was stupid. A musician as talented as Michael could play anywhere in the world he wanted to.

"I know it's stupid. I just thought about how lucky I was and I didn't really read it."

"Can you get a lawyer?" Reika asked.

"Where?" Michael asked. "No one will go against Fae in this town and even if I got a lawyer from somewhere else, I'm sure she'd charm her way out of it."

"Or pressure them," Reika added contemplatively.

Michael laughed. "Now you're getting it." He looked at his watch. "You'd better go. Fae will be here soon and she won't like to see anyone else in her private spot."

"Will you be here again tomorrow?" Reika asked impulsively.

Michael looked surprised. "Yes."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Reika got up and walked away before she could say anything else.

*
Reika met Michael at the koi pond every day for several weeks. Fae never seemed to tire of eating lunch there and Reika was glad to talk to someone like Michael. He understood how the violin could become your life and how it could consume you. He was also sympathetic about how Reika never wanted to play again after her breakdown.

They talked about everything. Reika kept bringing him ideas for how to get out of his contract with Fae, but none of them worked. Reika grew to hate the crab in his lapel, marking him as Fae's. Reika knew they couldn't keep meeting out here forever and one chilly autumn day, she showed up at the koi pond, but Michael never did. Reika knew it must have just gotten too cold for Fae to eat outside anymore, but she was worried. Still, what could she do? Michael would have to get Fae to break his contract.

A few weeks later, Reika was invited to a symphonic dinner. She took her roommate along and enjoyed introducing her to old friends. However, one of the friends Reika saw at this dinner was Michael. He looked awful. Reika managed to get a few words with him but only polite nonsense. She had to lean forward to hear Michael, his words were so quiet. When they filed in for the concert, Reika was quiet and she only listened with half an ear. Something had to be done and she didn't like it.

That night, Reika opened up her violin case. Her violin was still in good shape, although the strings had all gone flat. Reika slid her bow across her rosin. She shivered. Then she reminded herself that it had to be done. Slowly, she tuned her violin.

Her roommate stuck her head in the door. "Oh, playing again?"

"Yeah," Reika said, trying not to let her voice quaver. "I think so."

Every day, Reika pushed down her anxiety and fear and played. She knew this wasn't the right way to solve her problems with the violin, but she didn't have time to do it the right way  She practiced as hard as she ever had. She had to play better than Michael and that would be no easy task. She was glad she hadn't lost her calluses yet.

Finally, her playing was up to par, but Reika wasn't sure she was ready. Everything she'd had on the line before was just for herself. Now, she was playing for Michael. Reika took a deep breath and made a phone call.

"Yes, I wanted to play a recital to announce that I'm coming back." She tried to sound excited when she said it. Reika tried to sound that way when she arranged everything for her recital. Her pianist was thrilled at how Reika sounded in rehearsal. Reika tried to share her enthusiasm.

Finally, the day came. Reika was using a stage at a local college. She peered out into the audience. Sure enough, Fae was there and she had brought Michael along, perhaps as a lesson to him. Or to Reika. Reika gulped and took a few deep breaths. She could do this. No one out there would matter once she started playing.

Reika looked at her accompanist. She nodded. Reika put on a smile and walked out on the stage. The applause was deafening, but Reika tried not to hear it. She walked to the middle of the stage and gave a bow. Her pianist slid onstage in her wake and sat down. Reika checked the tuning of her violin, knowing it held its pitch well, and nodded at the pianist. Reika took a deep breath, raised her bow up high, and began.

She played for herself and all the joy she thought she'd lost in her music. She played for the anxiety and fear she'd been repressing for so long. She played for Michael to show him it hadn't been a waste to comfort that sobbing girl. Reika played and played until the recital was over. After she lowered her bow, there was a stunned silence for a moment. Then the place exploded with applause. Everyone was standing up. Reika, exhausted, smiled and bowed several times. Eventually, she made her escape offstage and stayed there. However, that was the easy part.

Reika went back to her green room and downed a bottle of water. She carefully put her violin away and wiped it down. It took a little longer than she had expected, but finally Fae barged in with Michael in tow.

"What a triumph," Fae declared. "Back from the dead! My dear, you sounded better tonight than you've ever sounded!"

"Thank you," Reika said.

"But surely you don't mean to play alone. The world can be a difficult place for a musician all on their own. You need a protector."

This was going faster than Reika had anticipated. "A protector?" she asked.

"My dear. I can get you into any concert hall you can imagine. Any fancy dinner party. Anywhere. All you have to do is sign a contract to be my musician in residence."

Reika had to admit, the bait was good. "I thought you already had a musician in residence."

Fae looked at Michael. "Oh yes. Surely you two know each other. I could have some simply divine violin duets written up for the two of you."

"I'm afraid not," Reika said with a frown. "I work alone."

"Excuse me?" Fae asked, not used to being told no.

"If you want me as your artist in residence, you've got to break Michael's contract."

Michael's eyes went wide. "No!" he said.

"Hush, Michael," Fae said, her eyes still on Reika. "So, little miss has outgrown her days of following the rules, has she?"

"I've never worked well with others," Reika said. "They're stifling. That's why I worked hard to win so many contests. Can you imagine someone with my talent and skill being concert mistress instead of featured soloist?" Reika had practiced this speech and she hoped it sounded as convincing here as it had in her bathroom.

"I see," Fae said. "Well, I shall have to think on your offer. Don't let my generous offer go to waste, my dear."

"I want to see how it stacks up against the others," Reika replied blandly.

Fae's eyes got bright and her mouth compressed to a thin line. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"I'm sure you're not the only music lover who's having the same idea," Reika said. "I want to see what other offers I get before I sign anything."

Fae drew herself up.

"Good night," Reika said to her, picking up her violin case. She left the green room and headed into the crush of well-wishers, leaving an enraged and dangerous woman behind her.

*
The next day, Fae's lawyer called Reika, hoping to iron out the details of Reika's contract. Reika held firm that her lawyer would have to look it over and that she would not sign it if Michael was still an artist in residence for Fae. "And he'll have to tell me himself that he's been dismissed!" Reika declared.

To her credit, Fae hung on for almost a week before giving in. Reika was sure Michael was looking worse and worse each day and he couldn't be playing up to his potential anymore. Finally, Reika was summoned to Fae's house. Reika went with her heart in her mouth and her violin case in her hand.

Everyone knew where Fae's house was and how grand it was, but Reika had never had to go inside it before. It didn't look like a place where one lived. Reika knocked on the door and a butler showed her in.

"I have decided that it is worth it to dismiss Michael in order to sign you up, Reika," Fae began. Reika was glad she was getting straight to the point.

"Excellent. Can I get it in writing that you are dismissing Michael?"

Fae's eyes narrowed. "Of course, dear."

Reika watched Fae write out the simple sentence and sign it. Reika took the paper and placed it in her violin case. "Excellent. To celebrate, I wondered if you might want to hear some music?"

"Of course," Fae replied.

Reika smiled and got out her violin. She tuned quickly and began to play a solo, a haunting piece. She had meant to make Fae cry, but the old woman wasn't shedding a tear. Reika transitioned into a soft, soothing piece to try to make Fae sleepy. Fae sat up straighter in her chair. Running out of ideas, Reika transitioned into a dance. Fae's foot began tapping. Encouraged, Reika began to play faster and louder. Fae was tapping both feet. Reika began to walk around the room as she played. Fae stood up and began to dance, just a little. Reika repeated the tune and sped it up. Fae began to dance in earnest. Reika played faster and faster and began to move toward the door. Fae twirled across the room.

Michael slid in the door behind Reika and darted forward to grab Reika's violin case. Then the two of them ran from the room, Reika stopping the tune only once they slammed the door behind them. She had gotten out of there without signing anything. It had worked. They didn't have time to put Reika's violin away, so they ran into the street carrying everything. They didn't stop until they were a block away from Fae's house.

"You really did it," Michael said in wonder. "I feel like a huge weight's been lifted off of my shoulders."

"You're welcome," Reika replied, putting her violin safely into its case. "I had to pay you back."

"You've done that many times over," he said.

Reika smiled and they started walking.

"So," Michael began, "did you really mean that you didn't want to play any duets?"

Reika shrugged, thinking that if she needed to play more, she would probably need to start therapy. "Depends on who I'm playing with. Why?"

"I was just thinking two all-star violinists have twice the appeal of one."

Reika laughed. "What makes you think I'm coming out of retriement?"

"Retirement? Already?" Michael scoffed. "Music runs through your veins, Reika. Even if you stop getting paid, you'll never stop playing."

Reika looked at her violin case and considered. "You know, a duet might not be such a bad idea." She looked up at Michael. "Only, you've got to take that crab off."

Michael looked down at his coat. "I forgot that thing was still there." Quickly, he unclipped it from his coat and tossed it into a garbage can.

"Perfect. Now, I might consider a duet with you."

Michael laughed and Reika wondered at how much more her life would change now that she was confronting her problems. Hopefully it would all be for the better.

The Crab Prince

Yo! Take me home and break my spell!

Greetings, dear reader. This week's tale comes to us from Italy. The Crab Prince is one of those stories where the princess breaks the spell on a handsome prince. Spoilers. Click the link to read the fairy tale and then continue reading here to analyze it with me.

I am always a fan of the princess doing the rescuing. She does fall in love with this enchanted prince as soon as she sees him, which is a bit worrisome, but I suppose at least she is able to break the spell he's under. We also see that this girl is used to getting her way. It's actually a plot point that she always gets her way. How else would she have gotten the crab? And then learned to play violin so well? And then been able to play it on the rock by the sea? That's some serious dedication. Either the fairy isn't a great judge of musical ability, or this princess spent months learning to play. I'm just going to assume that the princess was super talented and had nothing better to do than practice all day. I'm also glad that when her prince asked her to keep her mouth shut about their pending engagement, she did. That's not something women in fairy tales get to do often.

Then we have the flower that the fairy was using to keep this prince as a crab, for some reason. I have questions. Since the princess got the flower from the fairy, doesn't the princess have the prince's life now? Did he even have a choice about marrying her? What happens if the princess gives the prince that flower? Also, how did two adults fit inside a crab shell? Sorry, I should have questioned that earlier, I suppose.

Next, we have the fairy. All we know about her is that she loves music, she made this prince into a crab, and she meets with him every day for lunch. Seems to me like she just doesn't know how to make friends. Which is a shame, I bet the princess would have been her friend if the fairy had asked. I'm not sure if the prince would have. We don't get nearly as much of his personality. Also, I have to wonder about the fairy giving up the flower that was the prince's life. Maybe she was getting tired of having lunch with him every day. That's three hours out of her day she's got to spend with someone who has nothing more interesting to talk about than the movements of fish in the pond with him. She might have been ready to give up that flower, especially if she didn't think the girl she gave it to knew what it was.

The moral of this story is to always swim in the ditches next to your house. Alternatively, if you manage to get under a fairy's spell, make sure a really talented girl falls for you.

Have a fairy tale or legend you want me to talk about? Have a different moral? Annoyed I didn't talk aboutu the prince at all? Comment below!