Midterm - Meg London
Picture #3
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One afternoon, on a warm summer day, a princess was lounging in the grass in her royal courtyard. This princess was beautiful, and she possessed vast riches, and she received everything she asked for from her father the king; but she was cruel and selfish, and thought only of her own amusement. As she lay, the princess was beginning to doze off, dreaming about gold and jewels, when suddenly a dragonfly alighted on the grass beside her.
Now, there was nothing so exciting in that, by itself, and at first the princess paid the creature little mind. But as she looked at it, half asleep, she noticed that the dragonfly sparkled unnaturally in the sunlight. Curious, she moved closer, and realized that the dragonfly was not a normal dragonfly at all, but one constructed of the finest gold and silver, with perfect diamond wings and a body encrusted with the most beautiful jewels the princess had ever seen, far surpassing any in her royal jewelry box. Immediately the princess was filled with such greed that she could not help but reach out her hand to snatch the creature for herself.
However, as soon as her hand moved, the dragonfly flew far away. The princess was upset and angry, and for the rest of the day she could think of nothing but the jeweled dragonfly. The king, seeing her unhappiness, inquired of her what had upset her. Eagerly, the princess described the dragonfly to the king, and demanded that capture it for her. The king was astonished by her request.
“My daughter,” he began, “I have given you jewels, and balls, and dresses, and all that you asked for. But I cannot search the entire kingdom for a single dragonfly.”
The princess was enraged at his response and wept bitterly. For two days she would not eat a bite or respond to questions. Finally the king, worried by his daughter’s behaviour,—for he truly loved her, despite her selfishness—agreed to capture the jeweled dragonfly.
The next day, announcements were posted all over the kingdom. The king promised a fortune and the position of duke to anyone who found the dragonfly. Delighted, all the men of the kingdom began to search feverishly for the dragonfly, all hoping to become rich. But none could find it anywhere.
Now near the outside of the kingdom, by a quiet stream, lived a poor fisherman and his family. The fisherman had married the woman he loved a few years ago and built their cottage with her and had three beautiful children with her. Although they were extremely poor and had to work hard to survive, they were very happy.
However, the fisherman’s wife had very suddenly become ill, and just the last day had died. Now the fisherman was heartbroken and did not know how he could raise his children without her. When he heard the news about the jeweled dragonfly, from a passing traveler, he did not even think about it, so devastated was he over the loss of his wife.
Later that day, the fisherman was outside the cottage digging a grave for his wife, and weeping as he did so. Suddenly, through his tears, he saw something small and shining sitting on the end of his shovel. Looking closely, he realized that it was the dragonfly that the traveler had told him about. Amazed, the fisherman stared at the creature. Then, quickly, he took his hand from the shovel and covered the dragonfly with it, trapping it to the handle.
But then he heard a small, high voice. “No!” the voice cried. “Please don’t imprison me.”
Even more amazed, the fisherman knelt down closer to the trapped dragonfly. “Is that you, little dragonfly?” he asked, in awe. “Are you speaking?”
“Yes,” the dragonfly answered from under the fisherman’s hand. “I am no senseless creature. I beg of you, release me.”
The fisherman did not know what to do. With the money, he would never have to worry about feeding his family. His children would never go hungry again. But now that he knew that the dragonfly could speak, he could not bear to give the poor creature away to the selfish princess. Slowly, the fisherman lifted his hand.
The dragonfly could not believe that it was freed. “You are releasing me?” it cried joyously. “Oh, thank you! You are the only man in this kingdom who would give me my freedom. Please, tell me your heart’s wish, and I will grant it.”
The fisherman was delighted by the dragonfly’s happiness and its kind offer, but presently he remembered why he was outside, and his heart grew heavy again. “My heart’s desire,” he began, “is for my beloved wife to live again; but it is beyond your power to grant that, I suppose.”
“Bring me to your wife,” the dragonfly answered.
Hardly daring to hope, the fisherman led the dragonfly inside the cottage, where his dead wife lay on the bed. The dragonfly fluttered over to her and landed on her mouth. The dragonfly’s body glowed as molten gold, and colour flushed into the woman’s cheeks, restoring her beauty and warmth. Then the dragonfly flew back over to the fisherman. After a moment, the woman stirred, and then stood up from the bed and, seeing the fisherman, rushed into her husband’s arms. The fisherman cried freely, embracing his beloved wife. The children, who had been playing in the woods outside, heard the noise and came to the door, where, seeing their mother alive again, they rushed into the arms of their parents.
After celebrating joyously with his family, the fisherman turned again to the dragonfly.
“Thank you,” he said, still crying. “I can never repay you for this.”
“You have,” the dragonfly answered. “You helped me when you had nothing and could have gained everything. And now, I will give you one more gift.”
With a flash of the dragonfly’s jeweled body, a mountain of treasure appeared beneath it. Gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other treasures unnumbered spilled out onto the wooden floor.
“You shall never want for food again,” the dragonfly declared happily. To the fisherman, it said, “Raise your children to be as kind as you, and they shall always find treasures. Now, farewell!”
Before any of the family could thank the dragonfly again, it disappeared with a flash of its wings. The family embraced one another again, and could not believe their good luck.
The fisherman and his wife used the treasure wisely, ensuring that they always had plenty for food and for their children to have when they married themselves. And the fisherman and his wife both lived for many years, until they were both very old. And although the men of the kingdom soon tired of searching for the mysterious jeweled dragonfly until the king called the search off, the fisherman always remembered the story of the creature and the great reward he earned for showing it kindness.
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One afternoon, on a warm summer day, a princess was lounging in the grass in her royal courtyard. This princess was beautiful, and she possessed vast riches, and she received everything she asked for from her father the king; but she was cruel and selfish, and thought only of her own amusement. As she lay, the princess was beginning to doze off, dreaming about gold and jewels, when suddenly a dragonfly alighted on the grass beside her.
Now, there was nothing so exciting in that, by itself, and at first the princess paid the creature little mind. But as she looked at it, half asleep, she noticed that the dragonfly sparkled unnaturally in the sunlight. Curious, she moved closer, and realized that the dragonfly was not a normal dragonfly at all, but one constructed of the finest gold and silver, with perfect diamond wings and a body encrusted with the most beautiful jewels the princess had ever seen, far surpassing any in her royal jewelry box. Immediately the princess was filled with such greed that she could not help but reach out her hand to snatch the creature for herself.
However, as soon as her hand moved, the dragonfly flew far away. The princess was upset and angry, and for the rest of the day she could think of nothing but the jeweled dragonfly. The king, seeing her unhappiness, inquired of her what had upset her. Eagerly, the princess described the dragonfly to the king, and demanded that capture it for her. The king was astonished by her request.
“My daughter,” he began, “I have given you jewels, and balls, and dresses, and all that you asked for. But I cannot search the entire kingdom for a single dragonfly.”
The princess was enraged at his response and wept bitterly. For two days she would not eat a bite or respond to questions. Finally the king, worried by his daughter’s behaviour,—for he truly loved her, despite her selfishness—agreed to capture the jeweled dragonfly.
The next day, announcements were posted all over the kingdom. The king promised a fortune and the position of duke to anyone who found the dragonfly. Delighted, all the men of the kingdom began to search feverishly for the dragonfly, all hoping to become rich. But none could find it anywhere.
Now near the outside of the kingdom, by a quiet stream, lived a poor fisherman and his family. The fisherman had married the woman he loved a few years ago and built their cottage with her and had three beautiful children with her. Although they were extremely poor and had to work hard to survive, they were very happy.
However, the fisherman’s wife had very suddenly become ill, and just the last day had died. Now the fisherman was heartbroken and did not know how he could raise his children without her. When he heard the news about the jeweled dragonfly, from a passing traveler, he did not even think about it, so devastated was he over the loss of his wife.
Later that day, the fisherman was outside the cottage digging a grave for his wife, and weeping as he did so. Suddenly, through his tears, he saw something small and shining sitting on the end of his shovel. Looking closely, he realized that it was the dragonfly that the traveler had told him about. Amazed, the fisherman stared at the creature. Then, quickly, he took his hand from the shovel and covered the dragonfly with it, trapping it to the handle.
But then he heard a small, high voice. “No!” the voice cried. “Please don’t imprison me.”
Even more amazed, the fisherman knelt down closer to the trapped dragonfly. “Is that you, little dragonfly?” he asked, in awe. “Are you speaking?”
“Yes,” the dragonfly answered from under the fisherman’s hand. “I am no senseless creature. I beg of you, release me.”
The fisherman did not know what to do. With the money, he would never have to worry about feeding his family. His children would never go hungry again. But now that he knew that the dragonfly could speak, he could not bear to give the poor creature away to the selfish princess. Slowly, the fisherman lifted his hand.
The dragonfly could not believe that it was freed. “You are releasing me?” it cried joyously. “Oh, thank you! You are the only man in this kingdom who would give me my freedom. Please, tell me your heart’s wish, and I will grant it.”
The fisherman was delighted by the dragonfly’s happiness and its kind offer, but presently he remembered why he was outside, and his heart grew heavy again. “My heart’s desire,” he began, “is for my beloved wife to live again; but it is beyond your power to grant that, I suppose.”
“Bring me to your wife,” the dragonfly answered.
Hardly daring to hope, the fisherman led the dragonfly inside the cottage, where his dead wife lay on the bed. The dragonfly fluttered over to her and landed on her mouth. The dragonfly’s body glowed as molten gold, and colour flushed into the woman’s cheeks, restoring her beauty and warmth. Then the dragonfly flew back over to the fisherman. After a moment, the woman stirred, and then stood up from the bed and, seeing the fisherman, rushed into her husband’s arms. The fisherman cried freely, embracing his beloved wife. The children, who had been playing in the woods outside, heard the noise and came to the door, where, seeing their mother alive again, they rushed into the arms of their parents.
After celebrating joyously with his family, the fisherman turned again to the dragonfly.
“Thank you,” he said, still crying. “I can never repay you for this.”
“You have,” the dragonfly answered. “You helped me when you had nothing and could have gained everything. And now, I will give you one more gift.”
With a flash of the dragonfly’s jeweled body, a mountain of treasure appeared beneath it. Gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other treasures unnumbered spilled out onto the wooden floor.
“You shall never want for food again,” the dragonfly declared happily. To the fisherman, it said, “Raise your children to be as kind as you, and they shall always find treasures. Now, farewell!”
Before any of the family could thank the dragonfly again, it disappeared with a flash of its wings. The family embraced one another again, and could not believe their good luck.
The fisherman and his wife used the treasure wisely, ensuring that they always had plenty for food and for their children to have when they married themselves. And the fisherman and his wife both lived for many years, until they were both very old. And although the men of the kingdom soon tired of searching for the mysterious jeweled dragonfly until the king called the search off, the fisherman always remembered the story of the creature and the great reward he earned for showing it kindness.