The King's Crown

Far far away, in a long ago land, stood a castle upon a hill.

A very tall castle that cast a shadow over the village that laid below.



The king of the castle, Pontonius T., ruled with an iron fist.
He was a greedy man with a darkened heart who believed money mattered more than people.

He'd spend every day in his vault counting his coins and treasures of which he'd obtained in his tenure.
So greedy in fact, he was have his servants fill his bath with his treasures.
When he was done they'd have to dry each and every last one.

"Treasures, oh treasures. So dear to my heart. How I love you so."

"They are quite magnificent my lord."

"Even the coins that I hold in my hand. I'm the King most deserving of all."

"Yes. You all are my lord, no question. But what of the peasants below?"

"They can pay their taxes and I shall become richer. I need only wash off their filth in the bath."

His servants agreed, merely nodding their heads, in fear of having them cut off.

One day the king, dressed in his finest of furs, make ready for travel.
In a golden carriage pulled by twelve matching steeds, with nary a speck on their white.

"Make haste you buffoons. I cannot be late, a treaty does not sign itself. Gather my things, my silver and wings. My nightcap and my silk gown."

They scattered around, loading everything up, including a chest that took eight men.
As they traveled through the village, he held his hand out the window so passersby would kiss his ring.
The drawbridge was lowered, the King on his way and a sigh of relief came from all.

The carriage made its way to a neighboring kingdom, Pontonius had taken a nap.

When they arrived he was awoken then escorted by way of a curtained throne.
He met before the king. Gallent was his name.
A treaty was signed, Gallent told goodbye.

Pontonius claimed "Now I own 100 percent of it all."

Now he would travel right back to this kingdom, to bask in the power of which he now held.
Pontonius then took a nap.

Rain began to pour as the wind heavily blew. A "crack" in the sky had awakened the king.
The doors on the carriage rattled, and shook loose. For the weather had now become more intense.
Lightning struck down into a tree. The steeds wondered off from the trail.
A bump in the road was all that it took, the door popped open and out went the king into the mud.
The lightning silencing the curse from his mouth.

He shouted "Come back!" but it fell on deaf ears, the carriage just kept moving on.

The King had now gotten back up on his feet and tried to brush the stains from his clothes.
And the carriage, no longer in view.

"When I get back, a new suit shall I have, and the taxes the peasants will pay. They will come back, for I am their king. Without a king, what's a kingdom to do?"

The sky had grown dark, he could not see. The King wandered aimlessly around for standing in the rain awaiting the carriage to return would be unfitting of some one of his stature.
He refuge in the woods.The steeds had galloped off in this direction.

"In due time they shall return."

As he walked deeper into these woods the King had tripped and upon his face he fell. H
Hoisting himself back he tore a hole in his pants. Onward he kept walking, the was getting thicker as he went. The wind was blowing the tree branches steadily and it would not die down. The king had torn his shirt. The deeper he went, the thicker the woods became. He stepped into a puddle that went high up to his knees.

"Now these pants are ruined and what's to say now of my shoes?"

He pulled himself out of the hole and still he marched right on.

Then a pain, one most severe, he felt in the bottom of his foot. The King had stepped on a nail in there was a hole in his shoe. As he traveled on, he continuing too mutter in curse.

The King not paying attention, for he kept staring at his clothes, bumped his head into a low hanging branch. He then kicked the tree and hurt his foot. As he hopped around in a circle he proclaimed.

"Oh woe is me. What have I done to deserve this? I am more, I am a king."

Something ran fastly behind him, still hopping a round, he turned to see. He lost his footing, falling bac
kward and rolled down a hill.

The next morning he awoke in a shabby wooden bed. By his side sat a small child resting her head on her hands as she simply smiled.

"Stay away from me you wretched filth. You dirty, dirty child."

The child ran away from him as he got up from the bed. She sat at the table eating.

"Come, there is porridge. Please sit down."

Pontonius just scoffed.

"A meal not fit for a king."

"Mama made it. Nutmeg and love. It's still hot, sit down and eat"

"I will not have porridge, nor sooner would I eat gruel. For a king, it's toasted pheasant. I am no commoner or fool."

"You are such a silly man, in my papa's cap and gown. How can you be a king, does a king not have a crown?"

"Well of course I do, you silly girl. It's placed upon my head."

"There was no crown, when papa laid you down and tucked you into bed."

Then he reached his hands upon his head, something was amiss.

"My crown, my jeweled crown. It is gone. What do you know of this?"

"What a very silly man you are, there is something different about you. The clothes you wear are not like other visitors of which we have so very few."

"Oh, my clothes, you have seen them? Give them back, for they are mine."

"Mama washed and stitched them and they're hanging on the line."

The King darted towards the door, the girl following behind.

"She did her very best to fix them and make them look brand new."

"Simply horrid and beneath me."

"Mama can stitch. How about you?"

He reluctantly gathered up his clothes and then he went to change.
He look into the mirror.

"These clothes have lost their fine."

"They look okay to me. In fact, they look as good as mine."

The girl picked up a cloth that was tucked in on both sides.

"This is lunch." She said. Then picked up a basket and slid the cloth inside.

"Come with me, we're to pick berries."

"Who do you think I am?"

"We'll fill the basket with the berries, so mama can make gooseberry jam."

The King follows the little girl into the woods and as they travel on their way he makes a listing of his favorite treats and to this he did say.

" I like my tea with crumpets. Mint jelly with my lamb. But above the most, I favor toast, covered in gooseberry jam."

As he carried on this banter, the berry basket they had filled.

"Let's take a break, it's time for lunch. For your tummy, I heard it grumbling. You are hungry, that's my hunch."

The little girl pulled out the cloth and unfolded both its sides.

"Toast?" said the king "Toast for lunch?"

"It's not toast, just a few days old."

"Won't we get sick?" he asked.

"Oh no, we won't. For it has yet to grow its mold."

She took the toast and as she looked at him, she broke him off the bigger piece.

"I no it may not seem that much, but at least we both can eat. You had skipped your porridge. You should never skip a meal. So go ahead, please, take the biggest piece. So that you can have your fill."

The king, he just stared at the girl. A feeling captured him inside.

"You are small and you're still growing. I've indulged and I am stout. Now sit and eat your food, my child. And I shall go without."

As she nibbled on the bread, so happily, she turned to him and said "We make the jam to trade for porridge and dough to make our bread."

When they returned back to her home, the king was tired, so he laid down for a nap.

The little girl exclaimed "I have one more thing to do!" and she ran out of the door.

The king awoke to the sounds of trumpet fare and half asleep, he stumbled outside.

"The King. It's the King." The men altered proclaim. For for his carriage and steeds were awaiting him outside.

"It took us all night. We hope you're alright. We were not sure where you what roam."

"Thanks to the dawn, it was here we were drawn."

"Now it's time for the king to go home."

The King stepped into his carriage and as he closed the door, a little hand reach for him and yelled.

"Wait!!"

The little girl stood with one hand behind her back.

"I have a surprise for you. Something from me, made with gooseberry leaves. I hope it gets rid of your frown. It isn't that much, but I made it with love. Besides, what is a king with no crown?"

They simply smiled at each other as the King place the crown up on his head.

And the carriage made its way home.


The King sat on his throne as everyone gazed upon him, for they knew not what to say.
Whispers went around.

"The King 's gone insane."

"That's what he calls a crown?"

"It looks if instead, he's gone out of his head."

"Perhaps he should, maybe, lie down."

The doors headphone open and a messenger ran in.

"King. We have found your missing crown."

The King said "Have the guards bring it in."

A group of guards escorted three people into the hall.

"They claimed they found it and were bringing it back."

"But we know they came here to admit guilt and beg for the King's mercy."

The King had looked up from what he was doing. He saw two parents standing with a child.

How could he forget, the child he'd met?
He lowered his head for awhile.
He saw in his hand, toast and gooseberry jam.
He looked up at his crown, with a smile.
He looked on with a grin, while rubbing his chin.

"I know what shall happen to you."

As for what happened next, the King tore up the treaty. And gave back to his neighbor all that he did claim.

And the little girl, her mama and papa, were made the Royal jam makers.

He kept the crown that she made him.
Placed his crown atop her head.
And the two shared his coins and treasure with all.



And everly happy they lived.