Part 2 Not knowing how to shirk the blame, The wicked stepmother was afraid; She searched for a handkerchief To secure her stepson’s head And then she sat him on a stool As if he were not dead Under the juniper tree With an apple in his hand. Running in from the garden To find […]
Tag: Fairy Tale
The Juniper Tree – a Grimm tale
After months of writing poems based on fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, I decided to look for some more obscure and lesser-known fairy tales to inspire me. I started with the Brothers Grimm and found one called ‘The Juniper Tree’, which I hadn’t come across before. Part 1 A long, long time ago, a […]
The end of the tale of the wild swans
Stave 9 The nettle shirt reminded Elisa of the ten she must still knit For her eleven brothers; and the promise to keep her lips Sealed: the lips that smiled and kissed the hand of the king, Who embraced her and ordered bells to ring, Announcing a royal wedding: she was to be his queen. […]
The Unicorn Quest
My response to Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Tale Weaver/Fairy Tale Prompt #57 – Quest Princess Primrose was spoilt, Her tantrums were loud, King Persimmon was at a loss. Without his beloved wife at his side, His daughter was winning the toss. At fifteen she was old enough To walk up the aisle as a bride, So her […]
The penultimate stave of The Wild Swans
Stave 8 Startled by an echo in the mountains, Barking dogs, hunting horns and guns, Elisa ran inside the cave and tied the nettles she had spun Into a bundle, upon which she sat down. The hunting hounds had sniffed her out, Leaping and barking all about. They were joined by hunters in a ring, […]
The next part of the Wild Swans
Stave 7 In her dream, Elisa flew high and airy To the cloud castle of the beautiful fairy, Fata Morgana, who was strangely familiar, Resembling the old woman who told her About the eleven swans with golden crowns. Morgana said, to free her brothers from the spell, Elisa must be strong and brave; to […]
More of The Wild Swans
Stave 6 When Elisa awoke, they were far from land And so high in the air she thought she was dreaming, Until she found berries and roots in her hand, Gathered by her youngest brother. Far below them, a sailing ship floated, A white gull on the waves. They flew all day Ahead of a […]
Princess Elisa’s story continues
The Wild Swans Stave 4 After the darkest night, Without even the light Of a glow worm to ease her loneliness, Elisa set off through the vast forest And soon came upon A kindly old woman. Elisa asked if she had seen Eleven princes on their horses. She replied no, but eleven swans with […]
The Wild Swans continued
Stave 3 Elisa wept and sadly crept Out of her father’s castle. Not knowing whether to turn left or right, She wandered over marsh and field, Into the forest and the night, Where she found soft moss to lay her head, Said her prayers and went to bed. She watched the glow worms shimmering […]
The Wild Swans
Stave 2 Elisa thought of her brothers’ eyes As she searched for swans in the changing skies. When the warmth of the sun touched her cheeks, She was reminded of their kisses. Days turned into weeks, Each the same as the one before, and then into years, But time could not quell the princess’s […]
writing in north norfolk 