RAINBOW’S END

Once upon a time, in a land hidden away from the sight of the human eye, lay a kingdom beneath the wild mushrooms growing in the forest. Unbeknownst to anyone walking by, the kingdom was full of enchanting creatures and magic.
King Rocton and Queen Sherlyn, the rulers of Fairy Land, and their beautiful children Princes Andremich, Justoug, Zachajan, Sethua, Kota and the Princesses Megnova, Taylem and Keljul oversaw the kingdom. Their castle was high upon a stone placed directly under a mushroom head. If one were to bend down to look, there’d be nothing there, for the fairies lived in invisible homes. And fairies, as we all know, are seen and heard when they wish to be seen or heard. As legend is told, fairies grant wishes when they are captured, so they are careful not to be in the eyesore of humans.
One bright, sunny day Princess Keljul, the youngest of the royal clan, was out hunting for nuts and berries so the cook would make her a pie. She left the castle with her blonde curls blowing softly in the breeze as she flew off the terrace overlooking the city she’d one day inherit. It was no different from any other day she’d gone out into the open. There were tall wildflowers and the fresh scent of moss on the tree trunks and roots was everywhere. Yet, there was something present this day.
Princess Keljul was a sweet and giving spirit. She never asked questions twice and absorbed all that went on around her. She learned from the mistakes of her older brothers and sisters and helped her mother with the youngest prince. She loved to read and enjoyed her surroundings. Frolicking in the woods was one of her favorite pastimes. “There is so much beauty in the world today. Why not take time to soak up the sun’s rays or relish in the scent of a fresh rose?” she would ask her siblings, but they often shooed her away, due to pressing business about the kingdom. It seemed everyone was too busy for the young girl. She just wanted to have some fun.
Keljul would make up her own games with the butterflies and beetles and would play with them among the foliage. She made friends everywhere she went. The butterflies adored her and the beetles protected her from the tyrannical bees that would chase her back into her castle with their stingers ready to inject their lethal venom into the precious princess. It didn’t scare her, though, because she knew that they were all a part of the same world.
There were some enemies of her kingdom she knew never to speak to or to trust. These were the trolls. Trolls were dirty and uneducated and liked to eat fairies. The trolls lived under the bridge that connected Rainbow’s End and The Human Place.
The Human Place was extremely forbidden. Stories had been written and told by Keljul’s ancestors and how they’d been caught and forced to reveal the secrets of the fairy world, but to this day, nobody could prove that any human had ever entered their land. So Keljul disregarded the rumors and flew into the open spaces to play and seek out new friends.

© 2000, Sherri Francis.

This is an excerpt from one of the stories of a series I have written for children.  If you have questons for comments, feel free to email me at the address(es) provided on the contact page. Thank you for your interest.