Princess Bethel and the Enchanted Unicorn
for my Princess, Bethel
Once upon a time
(as all good stories should begin), there was Princess named Bethel. She loved to explore the kingdom where she lived with her father, mother, and brother. As a genuinely curious young girl, Princess Bethel often found herself on an adventure that she hadn't quite expected. And this day would be no different.
Her adventures had become so notorious, in fact, that her loving parents demanded she take her big brother, the Royal Prince along. This would be fine, except that he always wanted to nap at the most inconvenient times. His friends even called him "Sleepy Sammy". While he slept, he would often laugh at the funny dreams he was having.
But today, Bethel simply could not wait for him to wake up. Hmmm she thought to herself. What can I do while he sleeps?
It was then that she remembered the entrance to a cave she noticed earlier, mysteriously hidden beside the trail. After a fierce, but quick debate with herself, she decided to explore with or without the Prince. She grabbed a lantern and took off by herself.
After all, what could possibly happen?
The cave was even darker and bigger than she imagined. "Maybe I should go back?" She whispered these words to herself even as she continued further and deeper into the depths of the mountain. Curiosity and courage can feel like the same thing. For Princess Bethel they certainly were.
Just when she had given up all hope of finding anything other than darkness and stone, Princess Bethel glimpsed a tiny flicker of light. There on the wall of a great cavern sat a jar from which emanated a light that danced with the movement of the source inside. A teeny, tiny unicorn pranced magically within the jar. It seemed to be asking her to reach inside and take it out. So, of course, she did. What happened next caused Bethel's jaw to drop open in shock, amazement and wonder.
She gasped as the teeny, tiny unicorn in her hand grew into a dazzling being full of light. His little prancing movements turned into a graceful beat of giant wings. He took flight in the cavern as his feathers found freedom for the first time in ages. He landed nearby and trotted up to her, stopping just in front of her face and gazing into her eyes. She would have been scared, or at least a little nervous, but she wasn't. For one look in the unicorn's eyes told her that she did not need to be afraid. With his majestic power was also a kindness that made her feel safe.
"Thank you, child" He said. He had not called her "princess" as one really should, but she did not wish to correct him. With his deep voice, the unicorn began to tell her how it was that he came to be in a jar deep inside of that lonely cave.
The dragon came to the kingdom in the dark of night and breathed his fire (as dragons do). Of course this was ages ago and everyone in Bethel's kingdom thought it was simply an ancient tale or a silly old myth. Turns out, it's a little easier to believe when a unicorn is telling you. Just when the people lost all hope, a beautiful unicorn (yes, the very same one) came and shooed away the filthy dragon with his bad manners. The unicorn had saved them!
It was too good to be true!
So good, in fact, that the court magician made a plan to keep the unicorn and his power in case they ever needed him again. He invited the unicorn over for apple pie to thank him for saving their kingdom. Unicorns cannot resist apples, much less a good apple pie. But baked in the pie was an enchantment. As the magician watched, the great unicorn shrunk down to a teeny, tiny, toy-sized horse. He secretly placed the unicorn into a jar, which he kept hidden deep in the cave until he was all but forgotten. Powerless, the unicorn stayed in the jar for hundreds of years, trapped there until he was freed by Princess Bethel.
The Unicorn was so grateful to Princess Bethel, that he offered her something very few people on earth have ever experienced: a ride home on the back of a real Unicorn. As they soared through the clouds, Bethel felt so happy that she could rescue this mighty creature.
When they landed on the grass, she stroked his fur gently as he kissed her royal hand in gratitude and friendship. He promised to return if she ever needed him.
Let's be honest... with the famous adventures of Princess Bethel, that day might just come rather soon.
The End or is it?
...
With thanks to our friend Joshua for his help and, of course, Royal Prince Royal aka "Sleepy Sammy"
