This story was written for a friend of mine who performs with puppets. We had hoped to collaborate on a show and a book, but it never came together. Watercolor illustrations for the book are still being planned, but until then, here is the tale itself.
Once, long ago, there was a kingdom nestled in among the mountains. The King had died leaving a council to decide which of his three beloved children should reign after him.
Princess Rosemary was his oldest daughter. She was clever and athletic. The council called her in front of them to test her. They had asked questions on every subject they could think of and the Princess answered quickly and correctly. Then the Chancellor stood up and asked, "what would be the first thing you would do as Queen?"
The Princess looked at him and the rest of the council and replied, almost without thinking, "I would do what was best for the people, of course."
The Chancellor was not satisfied with this reply, so he said: "Actions speak louder than words. Do you really know what it is to be Queen? Go prove that you understand and why you are more worthy to rule the kingdom than your brother or sister."
Princess Rosemary dressed herself in a plain blue tunic and pants and tied her hair in one dark braid down her back. She rode her horse out of the castle and into the hills at the edge of the kingdom, thinking about what she would do once she was Queen. What could she do to convince the Council she was worthy?
She was still thinking when she heard a terrified cry and rode quickly in that direction. She found several soldiers from neighboring country threatening a mother and her young son in front of their home.
Princess Rosemary's horse leapt over the low stone wall that surrounded the cottage garden and startled them. "Go away," one of the men said, "our Captain sent us to get supplies. This is none of your business."
"These people are under my protection. They will starve if you take their food," Princess Rosemary pointed out, but the soldiers wouldn't listen to her.
When she showed no sign of leaving, they attacked her and knocked her from her horse. Princess Rosemary wouldn't give up. She found a stout stick and used it to disarm one of the soldiers. Her horse kicked the sword from the hands of another. The soldiers decided that they would have to get their food somewhere else and ran away.
The Princess calmed her horse, and then came back to check on the mother and son. "Oh, thank you," said the mother, "we can never hope to repay you."
"I wasn't looking for payment," said the Princess, "but I am looking for a way to prove that I could be as good a ruler as my father, the late King."
"Oh," said the mother, "you should find the glorious Jeweled Peacock who lives in a large clearing the middle of the forest. I've heard that if you can pluck one of his tail feathers, he will give you anything you wish."
The Princess was excited by this news and set out to find the Jeweled Peacock without delay. What could she wish for that would impress the Council? She rode through the dense woods where the treetops intertwined so thickly that it was dark as night on the forest floor and the fireflies danced all day as well as all night.
She rode for quite some time. Finally, she broke through the underbrush, blinded by the sunshine. In a lush green clearing, beside a small oval lake, she saw the glorious Jeweled Peacock who was cleaning his brilliant tail.
Quietly, the Princess tiptoed up to him until she was very near. Without any warning, she grabbed a tail feather and tugged. The Peacock squawked and flew up into the air and then landed, facing his attacker.
"You have stolen my feather!" He complained.
"I was told you would grant me a wish," replied Princess Rosemary and stared at him expectantly.
"You could have asked," said the Peacock and he sighed. "What do you want?"
The Princess thought for a moment. Then she remembered the fear of the mother and son who had been attacked by the soldiers looking for food. "If my people weren't terrorized by soldiers, they would be able to make my Kingdom more glorious and what a great Queen I would be!" she thought.
But she said, "I would like our kingdom always to be at peace so that no violence would disturb the good people."
The Jeweled Peacock flicked his tail. "Very well." Then, he turned his back on the Princess and resumed grooming.
Princess Rosemary returned home to find that the neighboring kingdoms had sent ambassadors to seek peaceful friendship. When she told the council of the Jeweled Peacock and her wish, they were doubtful until she showed them feather. She could see they were impressed.
After telling Princess Rosemary not to mention her adventure to her brother or sister, the Council summoned Prince Basil, Princess Rosemary's younger brother.
The Prince was smart and observant and answered all the council's questions thoughtfully after careful consideration. Then the Chancellor stood up and asked him, "what would be the first thing you would do as King?"
Prince Basil looked at him and the rest of the council and replied, almost without thinking, "I would do what was best for the people, of course."
Again, the Chancellor was not pleased with this reply, so he said: "Actions speak louder than words. Do you really know what it is to be King? Go prove you understand and why you are more worthy to rule the kingdom than your sisters."
Prince Basil dressed himself in a plain red tunic and pants. He took with him a fine velvet cloak with a hood to hide his golden hair and to keep the chill away from him at night. He rode his horse out of the castle and into the city while he imagining the judgements he would make as King and trying to decide what he could do that would prove to the Council that he was worthy.
As Prince Basil rode along the river, he noticed a child without shoes. The Prince opened the pouch where he kept his money and gave the child a piece of gold, telling her to buy herself some shoes and something to eat.
Soon after, he found another child who was starving. To this boy he also gave a gold coin. As he rode through the streets of the city, Prince Basil emptied his purse and gave away all the supplies he had packed for his journey to all those he found in need. Finally, all he had was his velvet cloak and his horse.
By this time, the Prince had left the city and saw no one until he came to a woodcutter's cottage. The man was old and wrinkled. Prince Basil noticed that his blanket was threadbare and that he shivered.
Without a second thought, the Prince took off his beautiful velvet cloak and gave it to the old man, who was very grateful. "Oh, thank you. I know I can never hope to repay you."
"I wasn't looking for payment," said the Prince, "but I am looking for a way to prove that I could be as good a ruler as my father, the late King."
"If I were you," said the woodcutter, "I would go find Jeweled Peacock who lives in a large clearing the middle of the forest. I've heard that if you can pluck one of his tail feathers, he will give you whatever you wish."
Prince Basil found the old man's story interesting and set out to find the Jeweled Peacock without delay, trying to decide what he would wish for that would convince the Council he was worthy to be King. Like his sister before him, he rode through the dense woods where the treetops intertwined so thickly that the owls hooted all day as if it were night and the fireflies danced.
On and on he rode for some time. Finally, he broke through the underbrush, into the warm sunshine. Prince Basil saw the lush clearing and the small blue lake, but he had made so much noise that the glorious Jeweled Peacock had been warned of his approached and looked at him with suspicion.
The Prince tried to think of a way to distract the bird so that he could dart in and pluck one of his feathers. The Peacock tried to think of a way to get rid of the Prince so he could go back to grooming his elegant tail, which had been messed up by Princess Rosemary. Neither moved for a very long time.
The Peacock decided to scare the Prince by making himself look large and threatening. He slowly puffed his body up and spread his wondrous tail, but it took a lot of concentration. Basil, seeing his chance, ran to the Peacock, grabbed a tail feather and tugged.
"Ouch! You stolen my feather!" The Peacock complained.
"I was told you would grant me a wish," replied Prince Basil.
"Very well," sighed the irritated Peacock as he lowered his tail. "What do you want?"
The Prince thought for a moment and then remembered the child without shoes and the old woodcutter with his threadbare blanket. "The strength of a Kingdom is based on the strength of its citizens. If I can make my people strong, how impress the Council will be! The only logical decision will be to make me King," he thought.
But he said, "I would like the people of our Kingdom never again to know hunger, to be cold, or want for shelter."
The Jeweled Peacock flicked his tail. "Very well." Then he turned his back on the Prince and started grooming again.
Prince Basil returned home to discover that the neighboring kingdoms had sent grain and supplies after their treaties were signed. The grain and supplies had been placed in a warehouse and it never seemed to empty.
Prince Basil knew that both had been the answer to his wish and he told the council of the Jeweled Peacock. When they seemed doubtful, he showed them feather. He knew they were impressed.
After cautioning the Prince not to tell his adventure to his youngest sister, the Council summoned Princess Ginger to their chambers.
The old King's last daughter was honest but a bit of a dreamer. When she came in front of the council, she answered what questions she could and shrugged off some of the others by laughing and saying, "you would know that better than I. If I encountered that situation, I'd have to ask your advice!"
Finally, the Chancellor stood up and asked: "What would be the first thing you would do as Queen?"
Princess Ginger looked at him and the rest of the council. "I have no idea. I haven't really thought of being Queen. My sister is strong and clever and my brother is very smart. I never really thought you would consider me at all."
The Chancellor looked at Princess Ginger kindly and said, "Running a kingdom takes all kinds of talents. You should go and find out what it means to be Queen. Remember, actions speak louder than words. Maybe you can prove why you are more worthy to rule the kingdom than your brother or sister."
Princess Ginger dressed herself in a plain green tunic and pants and tied her hair in one fiery braid down her back. She rode her horse out of the castle, thinking about what the Chancellor had told her.
The more Princess Ginger tried to ponder what it meant to be Queen, the more she found that she couldn't think of such serious things on such a glorious day. In a field full of flowers, she saw children running and playing and gave them a ride on her horse. At night, she stopped by an inn and told stories and joined in the singing. She carried water from the well for an old woman with a sore back, and helped a young man compose a verse to court his sweetheart.
The young man, a scholar who was studying to become a teacher, thanked the Princess by telling her the story of the glorious Jeweled Peacock who lived in a large clearing the middle of the forest. "Perhaps he would be able to help you. I've heard that if you pluck one of his tail feathers, he will give you whatever you wish."
"A jeweled peacock!" Said Princess Ginger. "What a sight that must be." She set out to find the Jeweled Peacock without delay. As she rode through the woods where the treetops intertwined so thickly that day seemed night, she sang a song to keep the depressing gloom away from her. The fireflies danced along in a ballet and the owls hooted in harmony.
Finally the Princess broke through the underbrush, into the brilliant sunshine. She saw the lush green clearing, the small blue lake, and the glorious Jeweled Peacock who was more annoyed by this third interruption than ever. But before he could drive off this third intruder, the Princess blurted out "oh, you're as beautiful as the scholar said you'd be!"
The Peacock looked at her to see if she was merely flattering him, but he saw she was sincere. Princess Ginger sat down edge of the clearing to watch him, worried that any sudden move on her part might frighten him.
"Could I take a closer look?" She asked. He moved closer to her, as if in reply and spread his tail so she could see him in his full glory.
But Princess Ginger noticed two missing feathers. "Oh, you've been hurt." When he didn't reply, she took some ointment out of her saddlebag and rubbed it on his wound.
The Jeweled Peacock laid his head on her lap, humming with pleasure. "Thank you," he said, "but, why are you here?"
"The council sent me out to find out what it takes to be a good Queen. A scholar told me about you."
"I can't really help you with what it takes to be a good Queen. I am a peacock, you know. Different rules apply to peacocks than to people. What do you think a good Queen needs to be like?"
"I don't know."
"How about your father, was he a good King?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Ginger thought for a few minutes. "He worked hard all the time to make people's lives better and he made sure that nobody was hurt in the process."
"That's certainly a good quality in a leader."
"He treated everyone with kindness and respect, no matter who they were. People were always glad to work with him."
"Anything else?
""He was smart enough to know what he could do and when he should ask other people for their ideas and help."
The Peacock nodded his head. Then, he swished his tail and asked, slyly. "Don't you want a wish?"
"Not if it means I have to hurt you," said the Princess and the Peacock saw that she was sincere. "It's not as though you can wish away all your problems, anyway."
The Peacock and Princess Ginger spent the rest of the day sitting next to the small oval lake, enjoying the sunshine and their friendship, laughing and singing.
The next day, Princess Ginger went back home where the council eagerly waited for her tale. "The kingdom seems to be in good order. The people are happy," she said, and told the story of giving the children a ride and helping the scholar compose a poem.
"But what of the Jeweled Peacock? Didn't you find him," the Chancellor asked.
"Yes, I met the Jeweled Peacock, but he doesn't know anything about ruling people. He's a peacock," said the Princess.
"Didn't you get a feather and a wish to improve the kingdom?"
"The kingdom doesn't need anything that is worth harming that poor Peacock again." Princess Ginger was annoyed. "Besides, there are very few problems that can be wished away. Most require hard work to fix."
The council got so angry Princess Ginger had lost her chance to improve their kingdom by refusing to ask for a wish from the Jeweled Peacock that they didn't really listen to her reply. As a punishment, they exiled her to the kitchens.
Then, the Chancellor declared that the kingdom would hold a great festival with a feast each evening. On the third day, the council would announce which of the old King's children were to rule after him. Princess Rosemary and Prince Basil were excited. They each thought they would be the one the council would choose because their wish had brought the most improvement to the kingdom.
People came from all over wearing their finest clothes. Ambassadors came with gifts for the new ruler. On the night of the first feast, every light in the castle was lit. It looked like a brilliant jewel from the distance. The finest musicians played. Clowns, acrobats, and jugglers frolicked among the crowds. Mouth-watering smells drifted up from the kitchens.
One young man, dressed in brilliant clothes with glowing with jewels sat uninvited in Princess Rosemary's chair. His hair was blacker than onyx. His eyes were bluer than sapphires. When she demanded he sit elsewhere, he looked at her questioningly, but made no reply.
Finally, she was so annoyed that he had dared to take her place at the High Table, she called for the guards and had him removed from the hall. As the guards escorted him away, the young man still said nothing but looked very sad.
The next morning Princess Rosemary awoke and found that that the feather she had taken from the Jeweled Peacock has withered away. She found herself wondering if there was a connection to the strange young man at the feast.
Evening brought the second feast, and Princess Rosemary noticed the strange young man in his brilliant clothes with his hair as dark as onyx and his eyes bluer than sapphires. She got up to invite him to sit in her chair, but he ignored her and sat in the seat reserved for Prince Basil.
The Prince was annoyed but Princess Rosemary hushed him by telling him what had happened to her feather. Prince Basil looked at her thoughtfully, then grumpily sat in another chair.
The Prince tried to strike up a conversation with the odd young man, but he wouldn't say a word. He only returned the Prince's stare questioningly which annoyed the Prince. Finally, Prince Basil told the servants not to serve the young man any of the food. All evening long, servants carrying heaping platters of fragrant herbed bread, spiced sausage, saffron rice and green beans with garlic passed the strange young man by without offering him any. At the end of the evening, the young man left looking very sad.
In the morning Prince Basil noticed his feather, too, had withered away and felt a twinge of guilt since it seemed obvious to him that there had been some connection between the feathers and the man at the feast.
On the third night, the strange young man came again to the feast. This time Princess Rosemary and Prince Basil met him at the door and, personally, led him to the High Table, but he refused to sit. They served him the best of everything, but he refused to eat.
At the end of the feast instead of leaving he went to the kitchens. They were quiet now that the last feast had been served and all the dishes had been scrubbed and put away. Curious, Princess Rosemary and Prince Basil followed him. The only person to be found was Princess Ginger, who was just finishing up some pots.
The young man stood in front of her and looked at her questioningly. Princess Ginger looked at his hair as dark as onyx and his eyes bluer than sapphires and knew who it was right away. She smiled at him and said, "did you have a good time at the feast?"
The strange young man smiled back, but his eyes looked very sad. "Because of your compassion for me, you have been denied a chance become Queen."
Princess Ginger replied, "My sister is strong and clever and my brother is very smart. Either one of them would be a much better ruler than I would be."
But the strange young man who had been the Jeweled Peacock continued to smile and took her hand, leading her to the council chamber where they were still debating who should rule the Kingdom now that the feathers had withered away. The great oak door opened at his touch.
"This woman should be your Queen," said the Peacock, without ceremony.
"But Princess Rosemary ended war and violence," said one councilor.
"The best solution helps everyone but harms nobody," replied the Peacock. "Princess Rosemary knew the problem, but when she found she could wish it away, she didn't consider any other alternatives. She didn't even consider who might be hurt in the process. All she thought about was that her wish would impress you enough to make her Queen."
"But Prince Basil ended hunger and want," said another councilor.
"The best solution unites everyone in a common cause," replied the Peacock, again. "Prince Basil knew the problem, but wanted a shortcut to the goal. He wanted the solution and the credit for it and it didn't matter who was harmed in the process. All he thought about was that his wish would impress you enough to make him King."
"But Princess Ginger didn't solve any problem at all."
"Being a good ruler is more than simply solving problems. It takes more than strength or logic. A good ruler should know when to help and when to ask for help regardless of who gets the credit. A good ruler should think of others beside herself and to be compassionate to all in her care," said the Peacock.
Then the Chancellor said thoughtfully, "yes, that's true. While Princess Rosemary and Prince Basil certainly have some of these qualities, Princess Ginger has them all."
So Princess Ginger married the young man who had been the Peacock and ruled wisely and compassionately, ably assisted by her sister and brother.
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