Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Once upon time in a land not so far away, there lived a not-so-nice-looking princess and her charming prince.
The princess was locked away in the tallest tower of a desolate castle, put in there and guarded by a great dragon that breathed out fire in the place of carbon dioxide.
One day, as the princess gazed longingly out her chamber window, she saw her prince riding along the winding road down to the castle.
"Prince!" she called. "Oh, sweet knight! Please save me from this dreaded prison, for all my life I have cried and I have cried to be saved."
"Anything and everything I shall do for you, dearest!" he called in return, riding into the castle.
He gripped tightly onto his horse's reins and galloped into the castle courtyard. There lay the dragon, its eyes open and its wings spread abroad.
"Get out!" it warned. "She is naught but an ugly troll of a princess - hardly worth saving. Be gone; Jesus compels you!" And it took a deep breath and blew out flames of wrath.
"A troll she be not, but the princess I love!" He brought out his shield and watched the flickering tongues of fire lap around the edges of it, then drew out his sword and stabbed at the dragon, straight in the heart.
"Curse you..." the dragon muttered, falling to the ground.
The prince then ran through the castle and climbed the tower. He broke down the door and lo and behold - the princess...!
"You ass of a child!" she screached. She then slapped him across the face and reprimanded him for slaying the mythical creature that guarded her, saying that she deserved to be locked away for the rest of her life in the first place.
