Fairy Tale Hell

Wrote this for Advanced Lit. Survey class. Inspired by Dante's Inferno.

Intro

 

Looking for knowledge I wandered mountains

Wandering though the deepest oceans

Through the forests and to the fountains

 

Looking for what my books had said

My books of fairies, trolls, and dragons

“It be truth,” said my heart of red

 

Wandering still for many a day

I happened across a strange old man

A man who’d already passed away.

 

“Who are thee?” I asked the soul

Whose body was clear as foggy glass

“I am the poet whose tales have been told.

 

Tales of great fighters and journey’s of old.

I told the Iliad and Odyssey.

My name is Homer[1],” he said so bold.

 

“Alas!” I cried, and with a bow,

“I love your works, I respect you much.”

“Then stand up fool so we can go now.

 

You have much to learn if you want to tell

Stories of wisdom, of truth, and beauty

So we must go to show you what lies in hell.”

 

“Hell?” I asked morbidly confused

“Why must we go there to that horrid place?”

“To show you what happens to those who misused.

 

So you will know how to make your stories just

To make your characters real in the hearts of man

To fill the man’s heart with longing and lust.

 

You may be a good writer today,

With a good amount of potential,

But you’re on a path you need to betray!

 

A path that will not help you at all

Which is the reason why I have come

For I am a writer great, though I do scrawl.”

 

And with that he went and tapped on a rock

Startling me when that very rock just moved

Showing a tunnel with nothing to block.

  

Homer led first, using only his hand

To tell me to now follow behind.

I hesitated causing him to demand

 

“Come now if you want to at all,”

And so I went without a second stall.

 

 

Level One

 

The tunnel led to a strange new land

A land of no light, dead trees, and dread

And giant rocks holding chains holding hands

 

Looking close I saw the hands were of girls

Both beautiful with hair of blond and black

But across was a mirror to make you hurl

 

The ladies were screaming at what they saw

Their own true selves, the ugliness within

Is now put out to show every flaw.

 

With pity I turned to Homer and said,

“What crime have they done to deserve such a curse?”

And he laughed and replied, “Why care for the dead?

 

But as strange as you are I will tell you why

See the girl whose hair is black as the night[2]?

She tried to murder a child who’d be her ally

 

A princess who would have been on her side

Except that she held more beauty than she

So this Queen tried to kill her, hoping she’d died

 

So that she’d be the fairest in the land

And that her mirror would say she was so

And that’s what caused her this type of brand.”

 

Staring wide eyed that she’d be so cold

I looked at the blond haired and asked,

“What of she whose hair is of gold?[3]”

 

Homer just sighed and scratched his chin

“She was innocent most of her life until death.

When she had told her husband a curious whim

 

She made him promise that he’d only marry

A girl whose hair was as golden as hers

And for that crime a fate that is scary.”

 

Looking at the two girls with disgust

He said, “Come now we have no time to waste!”

As he said while walking through a mirror of rust.

 

Surprised I watched him disappear into its depths

And followed him without taking a second breath.

 

 

Level Two

 

As I appeared I jumped back in fright

Finding my self within thousands of men

I spotted Homer who laughed, “They won’t bite.

 

Here we are within the second plain

Filled with shadows looking like men

Who knew the people not tied to chain.”

 

I was confused and was about to say so

When I saw two ladies who ran and ran

Into the faces which hit them like a blow.

 

One lady was of beauty, like those of the last

While the other was short, ugly and fat

Though both different they both were in this mass.

 

“What have they done?” I asked my guide

Who merely coughed, “these old hags?

The one who is fair was not a pleasant bride[4].

 

She married a king, but was disguised a witch

Which is nothing compared to what she did.

Now mother to seven who she had ditched

 

But first she placed a curse on her six boys

Making them swans to fly away to the world

Their sister suffered much to bring back their joys.”

 

Looking at her with a brand new light

I asked, “What of the other  woman,

The one who is as pretty as a bite.[5]”

 

Homer laughed and sneered, “Why that old witch?

She cursed her niece to loose her gravity

Causing the girl to become a glitch.

 

She acted not well till she met true love

Who righted this wrong, but not for her aunt

Who suffers now here forced to see all of

 

The family who she cursed along with her

Who only cursed her children, but punished still

Forever they must see, even if just a blur

 

Which brings them great guilt as I am sure

You would feel if you had done the same

Now we must go to see more of the tour.”

 

And with that I saw Homer jump into a lake

Which I also fell into because of a quake.

 

 

Level Three

 

Gasping and breathing, I swam to the shore

Where I spotted Homer waiting for me

Taking me to see all the décor.

 

It was frightful, a land filled with death

Dead trees, dead grass, even dead hens

Littering the ground as if some one’s breath.

 

It was then I saw people strapped to tables

Being stabbed by shadows causing them to bleed

Blood which rusted their heavy cables.

 

I asked, “What of these?” my face green since I know

Which caused him to smile, “They betrayed that’s what

They have done to deserve such a blow

 

To their chests as their heart is stabbed

By those they betrayed, though just shadows you see

But it changes not that a dagger is grabbed.

 

Look there, can you see! A man who once had grace[6]

He betrayed his brother who saved his life

So that he’d receive the thrown and win the race

 

A race the brother did not know he was on

A race for the throne, a race for the life

For the king was dying and relied on his spawn

 

To come back with an elixir to save his life

A race which caused this hateful crime

And caused this brother to be hurt with a knife.”

 

Nodding in agreement until I saw

A couple[7], not one, but two being stabbed

Confused I asked, “Homer how do these flaw?”

Going up to see he spat at them then

And answered, “They’re married. Their sin is the same.

The father abused his girl like the hens

 

You see scattered around in this hateful land

Making her sell matches, without a scrap for warmth

While the mother did nothing except with her hand

  

They betrayed their daughter causing her to die

Which is why they see her form in this land

Stabbing them with two knives while they lie.

 

Now come it is time to see the last thing!”

And walked off into shadows, not waiting for me

While I looked to see he who could have been king

 

And the parents who killed, a story most grim

I decided to follow after him.

 

 

Level Four

 

The land got brighter until I looked back

We went from pure dark to blindingly bright

Until Homer hit me with a small smack

 

“Look forward,” cried he, “and you shall see

Those who’re punished harshest of all

Though it may not look it to thee.”

 

I looked around and saw only two

A heavy set man and a small mouse

Both sitting there blank, having nothing to do.

 

“Who are these two?” I asked Homer now.

“Why that man’s name is Rothbart[8],” answered he,

“and he cursed a maiden who refused to vow.

 

He stole her from her home and cursed her

Causing her to take the form of a swan

Trying to make her love him the saboteur.”

 

“And what of her?” I asked, “She is but a mouse[9].”

Making him to smile and ask, “Why does it matter?

Humans and animals both need a house.

 

We both need to eat and breath and to love

Which is why this mouse is in hell now you see

She tried to force a girl who she ‘cared’ of.

 

Force her to marry a nasty old mole

Which you may question how that can be

But it’s simple for those smaller than a bowl

 

The girl was the size of a man’s thumb

And so it was simple for the mouse to do this.”

But confused I was and trying to be not dumb

 

I asked, “but sir how are they punished?

All they do is sit there and do nothing.

Isn’t this what they could have wished?”

 

But Homer just smiled and calmly replied,

“They’ve lost their hearts, their emotions you see

They can feel nothing now, not joy nor snide.

 

What better punishment for these creatures

Who tried to steal the love of another?

What teaches them better than this as their teachers?

 

Now come hither so you can now see

The devil, the Satan, the Lucifer

Come and see what the truth is for no fee.”

 

I followed him to a small chasm

Looking in I saw faces reaching out

Who were all these who were having a spasm?

 

As if he had known what I had thought

He said, “The devil is all those faces

Hundreds and thousands who all had wrought

 

They are all the devil and the devil grows more

For the devil is made of souls who commit

Every sin, every crime that we all abhor

 

These souls have not sinned just one tiny sin

These souls have not sinned just two or three

These souls have sinned every sin with a grin

 

And that is why they are the devil here now

Punished to never remember their names

They form one giant mass and receive no bow.”

 

Away, now he smiled and whispered and said,

“Now you have learned what you needed and

It’s time you go from the land of the dead.”

 

And with that I saw Homer give me a last wink

The world disappearing like water in a sink.

 

 

Epilogue

 

 

With a gasp I woke up to find I was at

My desk with my books, my papers, and pens

I had fallen asleep right here where I sat.

 

“Was it all a dream?” I thought aloud

Looking down to see I clasped a pen

While I had slept the day away so sound.

 

Looking at the book I had opened that day

The works of Homer and fairy tales were there

A reminder of what I had dreamt while I lay

 

And so with a clean paper I grasped my pen

Starting to write what I dreamt, where and when.

 

 

 

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[1] Homer was a Greek man who is credited with telling “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”

[2] This girl is the Queen from “Snow White.” Her hair was black and she tried to kill the princess so she’d be most beautiful in the land, using her magic mirror (also mentioned) to tell her so.

[3] This girl with “hair of gold” is referring to the queen from the fairy tale “Coat of a Thousand Furs” where when the queen died she made her husband promise he’d only marry some one who had as beautiful skin, lips, and hair as her. The king couldn’t find a woman like that, so it drew him crazy and he tried to marry his daughter, for she resembled her mother.

[4] This not “pleasant bride” is referring to the queen from “The Six Swans.” The king kept all his children a secret from this woman, knowing she was a witch (he was forced to marry her to escape a forest). The queen found it and cursed the seven boys to turn into swans, causing their one sister many hardships to save them

[5] This not pretty woman is referring to the hideous aunt in the fairy tale, “The Light Princess”. This aunt took the princess’ (her niece) gravity, causing her many hardships and troubles.

[6] This man with “grace” was a prince whose father was dying in the fairy tale “The Water of Life”. The only thing that could rescue him was this sacred water, but the way to it was dangerous. The older brother went, but didn’t return so the younger brother went and rescued him with some of the water. The older brother didn’t want the younger brother to be in their father’s (the king) favor, so he set him up to make it look like he poisoned their father.

[7] This is referring to the parents in “The Little Match Girl.” The girl was to sell matches in dead winter with nothing to keep her warm (her feet having turned blue). Because she didn’t sell her matches, the girl feared she’d be beat by her father, so she didn’t go home that night, causing her to die.

[8] Rothbart was a wizard from the ballet “The Swan Lake.” He destroyed the kingdom and kidnapped a princess, Odette, wanting her to marry him. Because she wouldn’t he cursed her to turn into a swan by day so that she would never find another to love.

[9] This mouse is from the story “Thumbelina.” Thumbelina lived with this mouse in winter. The rich mole wanted to marry Thumbelina, so the mouse used the fact that she had housed her and gave her food to force Thumbelina to marry the mole. The mouse also threatened to bite her when she didn’t want to marry the mole