Once Upon a Time

My story telling started with my daughter turning two and then her insatiable hunger for stories kept me weaving tales that would go on and on. Telling stories while taking her to her school bus stop and while putting her to bed were mandatory and often these stories would be like the Hindi soaps that continued one day after another. In some of them, I would include her and her friends as key characters, while in some others, her childhood idols Salman Khan (Sallu) and Rahul Dravid (Laahul) would appear to make the stories even more exciting. This time, I have once again tried telling a similar story but one that does not end. Some of you will find it childish, but if some of you find it worth their time and want to know more and the tale to wag more….I will try and continue again later. So this one is for all the little girls out there who still have the time to listen to simple tales.

A golden carriage pulled by two black majestic stallions was passing through the woods with a little princess watching and admiring the beauty outside from the window. The princess wore a pretty pink dress made of finest silk and had a small tiara on her head. The carriage was guarded by another six horsemen in their traditional uniform worn by soldiers with shining swords dangling from their waist. As the carriage passed an empty space of green flat land, the princess shouted, “Stop! I said stop!” and the carriage came to a halt. The princess knocked at the window and one of the guards jumped off his horse and opened the carriage door. The princess walked down the steps and went towards another little girl playing hopscotch alone. The little girl wore a simple dress with green and blue flowers printed on it and had her hair flying all across and she continued singing softly a song and continued playing without even bothering to look at the onlooker. She seemed quite good at the game and went from one box to another till she threw the marker slightly hard and it landed next to the princess.

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“Can I play with you?”

“Yes, you can but since you came late, I will go first.”

The princess nodded her head in agreement and waited patiently for her turn as her guards also came down their mounts and sat on the green grass enjoying these moments of fun as the royalty began playing with the commoner.  As long as no one saw the sight, they felt it was alright and safe. After a while, the princess got her chance to play. She went to one end of the court and gently threw the marker to the first rectangle and then on one leg hopped from one box to another. She had hardly done a few steps when she fell down on the court. The guards rushed in to pick her but she stopped them with a show of her hand….”No, I can get up myself. “

The other girl started laughing….started with a little giggle and went on to a loud uncontrollable laughter. The princess initially felt embarrassed but then joined the other girl in laughing and again with a gesture of her hand asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“How can you play hopscotch wearing a high heel shoe? Take it off and then play.”

The princess, a little unwillingly, took off her shoes and stockings and as she put her feet on the earth beneath, something she had never done in all her years of existence, she felt a few sharp pebbles hurting her skin.  But she did not show any pain and started playing the game again. This time, she did not stumble even once and the two girls played together for long. For once the princess began to enjoy the dust on her feet and now she did not feel any pain beneath her sole. The laughter of the two little girls dimmed the chirping of the birds that day in the forest.

“Let us rest a while.”

“Ok. Are you thirsty?”

“Yes and I have water and fresh juice in my carriage. Shall I get some for you?”

“No, I don’t need that. There is a stream nearby and if you want we can go and drink the cold clean water from it.”

“Oh…that would be fun….let’s go.”

And off they ran together holding each other’s hands with the guards behind trying to keep pace with them. In some time, the children found themselves beside a free flowing stream and the little girl in the flowery dress walked into the water, bent down and with her little hands folded like a cup picked some water and drank it.

“Come, walk into the stream and drink the way I am doing it.”

The princess seemed to enjoy this new life and without wasting any time, did as was told and now felt the cold water on her tiny feet….mmmm…. she liked it and her smile said it all. She too bent down to pick up water and suddenly a big green frog jumped out of the water…..the shocked princess lost her balance and …..splaash….she found herself in the water. She loved the feel of the cold water and started laughing and it started a roar of laughter from all her guards who were beginning to enjoy the break from the routine carriage ride. Sitting in the water, the princess saw the tiny fish swimming there….coming close to her and just when she tried to catch, they turned away leaving her empty handed. She did not mind when the other girl threw water at her. The feel of the cool fresh water on her cheeks and hair felt heavenly. This bath was surely much better than the small warm water pool at the palace with rose petals spread in it.

The two kids sat on the bank of the stream and after a while lay down basking in the sun.

“What is your name?”

“I am Sofia. I live in the palace and my father is the king. My mother is from another land whose capital is Sofia and so she named me. What about you?”

“I am Lily and my father is a gardener in the palace and my mother is at home cooking all day long. We live in this forest area and I know every tree, bird and animal….they are my friends and keep me company. But I have three special friends. Come let me show you.”

The two girls walked a while and stopped near a big tree with branches spread far and wide. The little girl put her hands in the shape of a microphone and made a funny noise….woo hoohoo…woo hoohoo…and in no time footsteps were heard and in came a small brown doggie and a baby brown bear.

“That is Chhotu my little doggie and the other is Kaku my brave bear cub. Hey where is Bahadur?”

From up above the tree came a shrill note and the two girls looked up to see a big white owl sitting on one branch…it flew down and sat on Lily’s shoulder.

The princess was thrilled.

“These are your best friends. How lovely! Can I also become your friend and come to play everyday with you and with them?”

“Yes, you may but there is one condition. You must get some good food for my friends. They think there is plenty of good food in the palace and sometimes think of sneaking inside to eat but my father has warned them that if they are caught, they will be put in the prison and even have their heads chopped off. So they have to eat what my mother cooks and what they get in the forest.”

“Great! I will get big baskets for you all every day. So now we are friends?”

“Yes…friends.”

The doggie wagged his tail, the bear did a quick somersault and the owl fluttered her wings to fly onto the shoulder of the princess, allowing her to gently caress her bald head.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes somewhat but I need to go home. Mother will be worried as I should have been home long ago.”

“Ok you can go. We are going to enjoy some fresh berries.”

As the princess turned to walk towards her carriage, she saw Lily and her friends climbing the tree. She turned around and ran towards the tree. She tried to climb but failed. The guards came close to her and decided to form a small circle and planned to hoist Princess Sofia up the branch where Lily and her friends were sitting. But Sofia refused their help.

“You cannot climb in that dress of yours. Take it off!”

Sofia got the message and snapped off her silken dress and was now in her white chemise. She slowly made her way up the tree and by the time she sat down with others on the branch, she had a number of bruises on her knee and thigh but she did not feel any pain. She was overjoyed at her achievement, at her new found friends and at her living a new life full of fun and adventure. Kaku was an expert climber and bent down branches with lots of berries on them and the friends ate till they felt full. After a while they climbed down the tree and the princess managed to get back into her beautiful dress which had become crumpled, picked up her shoes in her hands and went into the carriage. She waved to Lily and her three friends wildly and shouted….”Will come back tomorrow, same time!”

Lily and her friends waited for the princess the next day. She did not turn up.

They again came at the same time the next day and again Sofia did not come.

The third day, they decided to go to the palace. Since Lily’s father was the gardener in the palace, they were able to go inside. They waited in the palace gardens but there was no sign of Princess Sofia. Lily took courage and walked towards the palace entry where the guard stopped her.

“Go away from here. This is a royal palace, don’t you know?”

“I have come to meet my friend Sofia. Can you please call her down?”

“How dare you call the princess by her name! Go away now before I beat you up.”

Lily went back to the garden and shook her head in disappointment. The three friends understood the sign. But Bahadur decided it was time to do some flying check and went off in search.  He was back in no time and informed others, “There is something wrong in the palace. I could hear see a woman who looked like the queen crying on the shoulder of a man with crown on his head. The man must be the king, Sofia’s father and then there was this ugly looking giant of a man who had his sword out of the scabbard and making threatening advances towards the couple. Sofia is nowhere to be seen. I think our friend is in trouble and time for us to do a rescue act.”

“Are you ready?”

“Yes! Yes!! For Lily…For Sofia”…the three friends shouted in unison.

SS