hdhstory.net

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

Riddles

By the laws of Selat, the Caretaker was given the power to oversee its inhabitants and ensure that the life of story continued.

These times were difficult. An evil sorceress was collecting characters from stories, moving them to an uncharted island in the north of Selat, and blocking their memories, so they not only did not know what story was theirs but who they were at all. 

The Caretaker wanted to help stop this disaster before all of Selat was lost to this evil sorceress but was restricted by another Selat law. Though Selat law dictated that the Caretaker’s role was to ensure that the life of story continued, he was prohibited from using his powers to make a direct change. He had to find other ways so that the inhabitants of Selat, or others, were responsible for any actions taken. 

He did have mystics and soothsayers that could help him by predicting possible future solutions, but he couldn’t actively give direct solutions to anyone. 

The Caretaker thought long and hard about the problem facing Selat. Both his mystic and soothsayer predicted that an outside teller of tales might be the solution. One predicted this taleteller would bring the change needed to thwart the sorceress. The other predicted that a friend would also be involved in finding a solution but was unclear as to how this second person would be involved other than providing some help to the teller of tales. As with most predictions, there was always a possibility that the predictions were wrong. But the Caretaker chose to value these predictions and trust in them. 

The Caretaker used his power to transport the mystic to another realm to find these two helpers. When found, those helpers would be given their tasks and transported to Selat. From there, it was up to those individuals to find the solution. At least, this was the Caretaker’s hope. 

But things don’t always go as planned, and time was running out. Some meetings had been held by Necroma, the evil sorceress, where she kidnapped characters, wiped their memories, and transported them to the island of Lorn. At one of those meetings, the Caretaker used his powers to focus on one character, Fox. He put a temporary shield protecting Fox’s memory so that Necroma’s spell took longer to take hold than it had on the others; this allowed Fox to leave a clue that might help the foreigners in their task. 

But that was not enough. The Caretaker needed to make more clues to be found. 

A series of riddles were left along the path that the characters followed. With any luck, they would all be found by the right parties and interpreted correctly. However, neither the mystic nor the soothsayer could find an outcome in their tellings. 

Fox’s message had already been found. Unfortunately, not all of the message’s content was fully understood. A second riddle was left carved on a stone in the path of another group. A third riddle was left to be found by one of the subordinates of Necroma. A final one was to be imparted to the inhabitants on the island of Lorn, hopefully at the appropriate time. 

For now, all the Caretaker could do was wait and watch.  

Continued in…Sorcery and Secrets

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

Questions

This story involves several characters. Each has its task to accomplish. Stories and their characters are missing. I was foretold to find and return these stories. The characters within these stories have lost their memories. Others retained who they were but lost their families, friends, enemies, and those they had interacted with daily. There was a sorceress, looking not only for power but also wishing to rewrite all the stories, whereby her narrative would become the only character immortalized. Other nefarious characters followed this sorceress with dreams of getting their own power. One from my world was tasked to help me, though not in the way he thought. And there was one, a caretaker, who could not do anything himself but had the power to watch the proceedings and give answers or guidance as he felt necessary. All of these individuals had questions that they constantly pondered in this adventure. Here are some of their thoughts:

Granny: “I wonder how Red is doing? I wonder if she is okay? I wish it were me that had been taken away and that she was safe.”

Jack: “I think my mother would be proud of me. I wonder what she will say when I prove to her that I’m not stupid and idle?”

Captain Hook: “When I get my hands on me crew, they’ll rue the day they left. It will be great to be in charge again. I wonder if I’ll run into bloody Peter Pan and that blasted Tinker Twit of his? This time, I’ll be ready for them both.”

Cinderella’s stepmother: “When I find my daughters, I’ll ensure their marriages will provide me with many riches.  There are lots of Prince Charmings around. Where can I find those that helped Cinder creep get all her good fortune? As to her, I’ll just leave her wherever she is.”

Grenwin (a lowly sorcerer working for Necroma): “I’m sure Necroma will reward me for everything I do for her. Will she make me a King?  Maybe I can be her Sorceress Consort.”

Necroma: “I’ve almost reached my goal. Now everyone will bow down to me. How will I write about this glorious victory over Selat? Who could possibly stop me from my quest? The answer is no one!”

Inhabitants on the Island of Lorn: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “Do I know any of these people?” “What is my story?”

Ronald: “How did I get into this mess? All I want to do is get out of this and go home. Where is Harvey, and how can I dump all these dangerous characters on him?”

Me: “Why did I agree to be where I am now? Will the outcome be good just because it was foretold? Or can the outcome change based on whether I succeed or not?”

Everyone has questions rolling around in their heads. Some lead to good answers, and others do not. Time will tell as this adventure continues. 

What do you think? Whose side would you be on?

Continued in…Riddles

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

Peter and the Piper

Other than myself, we were a team of storybook characters. We were searching for other characters that belonged in stories, folktales, and fairy tales. Many had disappeared. I had been given some clues by a voice in a hotel when I entered this kingdom of Selat. I was told to head far away to the north. With my recent companions, Red Riding Hood’s granny, Jack, and Puss in Boots, we came across another clue. It was a warning riddle written by Fox. It said we were to look for an island and that we should beware of a witch that told falsehoods and potentially used magic on all the characters we were looking for, which is how they disappeared. 

We continued to move north till we came to a forest. Since our goal was to find this island, the forest stood in our way. We decided to enter the forest. None of us were very good at finding our way through these woods. We each took turns trying to lead, but after passing the same trees and boulders more than once, we stopped and, as a group, realized we were lost. 

Suddenly we heard something that seemed to be flying over our heads. We all looked up. We saw a boy with pointed ears, wearing a green tunic, matching tights, and a feathered cap. He landed right in front of us. 

I took a wild guess and asked, “Your name wouldn’t be Peter Pan, would it?”

“Yes, it is,” he replied, a little confused. Figuring that he was amongst friendly people, he asked,  “Have any of you seen Tinkerbell?”

I answered that we hadn’t and explained who we were and that we were looking for missing people also. “Right now, we would like to find a way out of these woods, hopefully in a northerly direction. Can you help?”

Peter agreed and asked if he could join our expedition. He said he had some experience fighting with bad people and had fun doing it. Adult values and cautions had yet to work into his repertoire; he didn’t want to grow up. 

He was about to fly off, hoping we would follow when strange music came from deeper in the woods behind us. The music was coming our way. 

Again, we all turned back to see who or what was coming. 

Walking toward us was a tall, lanky man. He had piercing eyes and wore an outfit that must have had all the colors of the rainbow and more woven into it. He held a flute to his lips and was playing a very joyful song. Whether it was his outfit, his eyes, or the music he was playing, we all stood entranced. We felt good. 

Behind this piper were several familiar faces, to me at least. There was the beaver that had helped me earlier in this adventure find the three bears’ house, a red hen carrying a loaf of bread, a fisherman holding a talking fish in his hand, a dwarf carrying a pickax, and a hobbit with a ring of power on a chain around his neck, to name a few.

The piper stopped before us and put down his pipe. “Good day to you all,” he said as he bowed to us. “How may I assist you?”

Knowing that the pied piper doesn’t do things unless he’s compensated, I said, “We are in search of those missing from Selat. Their stories are gone and will be lost forever if not found. I know you well, Pied Piper of Hamlin. You are the ridder of rats and the stealer of children. Your story is well known, or at least was until now. Should we not find all these characters, their stories will end, and perhaps so will yours. It seems that you have gathered some fellow story characters. Are you helping or hindering them from their quest? Whose side are you on? And what is your price?”

My revelation took the piper aback. He thought for a minute before answering. 

“What is written about me may be a false narrative. I was only getting the compensation I was pledged. As to whose side I’m on. I side with those who have my best interests in mind. I’m a helper. I ask for no payment from you or those who follow me, for we all have a righteous goal. It is I who wish to follow you. I used the flute to keep my followers together until now. I no longer feel that that is necessary, as the beaver has explained your role to me.” 

I looked around at everyone around me. As they caught my eye, each person and animal nodded in agreement. 

I turned back to Peter and requested that he lead us out of these woods. We followed him until we reached the north edge of the forest. There we stopped to make a plan.

Continued in…Questions

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

An Ogre and an Oni Join In

The search for missing characters from fairytales, folktales, and stories led my friend Ronald to link up with all the wrong characters one would want to help in a situation like this. Finding only these characters might have resulted from his not paying for information when he first came to this land, or it might have just been Ronald’s luck. He hoped to find me and somehow let me deal with the problem, which was his usual solution at times like this. 

Having met up with Captain Hook, and Cinderella’s stepmother, Ronald incorporated a few more in his travels on their hunt to find characters from stories (a couple of witches, a giant, and Coyote, the trickster). They all wanted to find the characters associated with their own story that they could torment, rule over, or eat. 

With so many characters seeking power and control, no one in this group was really in charge. All they knew was they had to go and find an island in the northern part of Selat to complete their search. That was only thanks to Ronald, for those were the only two pieces of information he had remembered from the Caretaker of Selat’s instructions before abruptly leaving the caretaker without paying for answers and going in the wrong direction. 

The group came to a forest and, without any discussion, walked right into it. At this point, what direction they were going in became a problem. None of them were very good at finding a way to go.

After walking for quite a while, they passed several trees and boulders that they were pretty sure they had passed before. They all looked at Ronald.

“Since it was your idea for us to go in this direction,” Captain Hook called out as he pulled out his sword and pointed it at Ronald, “I say it is you that needs to get us out of here.”

“Maybe I can turn him into a raven, let him fly over the trees, and find the way out,” offered the witch Circe, known for her ability to transform people into animals. 

“That won’t work,” Cinderella’s stepmother said, “Look at him. He’s so frightened; he’ll just fly away and save himself.”

Before anyone else could suggest another idea or threaten Ronald further, a loud crunching noise was heard behind them heading in their direction, making them all turn to look.

Two beings were heading their way—two very tall beings, both larger than the giant. One was about ten feet tall, with thick, rough skin. He had a large head, a broad face, and very sharp teeth. He was carrying a large club. He was quickly recognized as an ogre. The other was equally as large, with horns on its head, wild hair, and claws for hands. It, too, was recognized as an “oni,” a legendary Japanese demon.

The group, concerned about this turn of events, had no problem pushing Ronald to the forefront to face them. 

The two behemoths stopped in front of Ronald and looked down at him. 

“Looks like we got ourselves a little supper,” said the ogre, turning his head toward the oni.

“It sure does,” answered the oni. “The question is, which one should we eat first?”

Ronald, feeling the point of Hook’s sword on his back, was urged to say something. 

“Before you eat us, maybe we can come to some sort of agreement?” Ronald uttered rather shakily. 

“What kind of ‘greement?” roared the ogre. 

“Well,” Ronald continued, “We’re all looking for lost characters from Selat. They’ve been missing for a while. Maybe if you help us find them, you will have much more to eat?”

The oni looked at the ogre and just said one word, “Momotaro?”

The ogre responded with, “Puss with boots on?”

Unfortunately, Ronald had no idea what they were referring to, not being well-versed in Folktales. What he recognized was a possible way out. 

“Momotaro and a cat with boots on, are those things you are looking for?” he asked. 

“YES!” they both said in unison. 

“You know where they are?” the oni asked. 

“YES,” came a voice from behind Ronald. It was Cinderella’s stepmother. “And if you get us out of this forest, we can help you find them, and then you can leave us alone.”

At the thought of finding the ones that had caused them harm, the ogre and the oni agreed. 

Coyote called up to them, “We need to go north,” leaving out the island part, hoping that once out of the woods, Ronald’s group could ditch the two of them.

“Then, follow us,” said the ogre as they both moved in what was assumed to be a northerly direction. Nothing stood in their way; trees, bushes, and boulders were tossed aside as they made their way to the edge of the woods. 

Ronald and his group had no choice but to follow.

Continued in…Peter and the Piper

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

Necroma

She was born to an unknown wizard and a mediocre sorceress. Her name was Nestra. She grew up fast. By age four, she had learned all she could from her parents, but that was not enough. She was obsessed with learning new spells and incantations.

Her parents, unable to keep up with or control her, fostered her to other wizards and sorceresses known to them. Alas, that did not last long, for Nestra craved more knowledge than any of her parent’s placements could satisfy.

By age 12, she set out to seek out her own mentors. And mentors she found.

Her first was the stepmother of Snow White. From her, Nestra learned the art of disguise and the art of poison. Nestra admired this stepmother. Nestra’s haughty and vanity matched Snow White’s stepmother perfectly. 

When Nestra was told that her name was weak for a sorceress, Nestra changed it. Taken from the study of the art of necromancy, she chose to rename herself as the sorceress Necroma. 

Having learned all she could from this evil queen, Necroma moved on to find more teachers of dark magic. 

Necroma went on to be tutored by Baba Yaga. There she stayed for a time in the hut that stands on chicken legs. She learned how to control the elements, furthering her skills at shape-shifting. Baba Yaga seeing much potential in this girl, showed her how to control the three horsemen, White Bright Sky, Round Red Sun, and Black Dark Night; How to summon and control the three pairs of hands to do her bidding, both in and away from of Baba Yaga’s domain.

And Necroma moved on, finding more and more that could teach her. 

Having reached adulthood, she began searching for someone to teach her about power. For that is what she truly desired. And she found the perfect teacher, the Dark Lord Sauron. 

And Necroma learned, and she learned, and she learned. Born from weakness from parents who knew little, she became one of the most powerful, devious, and evil sorceresses ever. 

But there was one thing that was missing. As powerful as she was, she was unknown. There were no stories written about her. She managed to do all her growing up and education in the Kingdom of Selat, where all tales are created and all stories are shared. But she was in none of them. She was a nobody other than to the few witches, wizards, sorcerers, and sorceresses she had worked with. 

She determined to change that. What if all the stories that everyone knew were erased from memory? What if, in their place, a new history were to be created? One that featured Necroma, one that everyone knew, one that showed her as the powerful mage she was? The thought of that happening bolstered her ego. Her vanity became boundless. 

Yes, Necroma would make that happen. She had the power, and she had a plan.

Continued in…An Ogre and an Oni Join In

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

Message

Granny, Jack, and I were making our way to the village hall, where a meeting was said to have been held to discuss the waning interest in fairy and folktales. A large number of residents of the kingdom of Selat had been invited. The meeting was supposed to have been held two days ago. As far as I know, no one that had attended it ever returned. We hoped to find some clue as to the whereabouts of those residents. 

We had just reached the village outskirts when we came upon another character. He should have been standing on his four legs, but he was not. Dressed in a fancy cloak and  hat, and wearing knee-high boots, stood before us a cat.

He bowed as he faced us and asked, “By any chance, have you seen my mast…, the Marquis de Carabas? I was informed he would attend a meeting in the village, but I have not found him.” 

Most people might have been surprised to see a talking cat dressed in boots. I, however, was quite familiar with his tale. 

I informed this Puss in boots that we, too, were on a quest to find missing people that were to have attended this meeting. I suggested that in the best interest of all, he add himself to our party, which he did. We proceeded to the center of the village and entered the meeting hall there. 

The hall itself was huge. Chairs had been set up in a large circle with a platform in the center so that all would have an unobstructed view of the speaker. All the chairs were properly facing the platform, which would have made sense if the meeting had started already, for everyone would have been in their seat, focusing on the speaker.

 But something was wrong. Had the meeting ended, the chairs would have been disrupted, for one had to turn and move the chair one was sitting on to leave the circle. It’s doubtful everyone would have put their chairs back precisely how they were configured. These chairs were perfectly placed. So either the meeting never took place, the meeting ended and someone reorganized the chairs, or the people sitting on the chairs disappeared directly from their chairs, possibly by magic. 

Granny was quite clear about how often the meeting hall was used and that no one was in charge of cleaning it up or arranging furniture, so it was unlikely that anyone would have rearranged the chairs after the meeting. Based on the sign at the entrance to the hall listing upcoming meetings that were being held there, no new meetings were scheduled in the foreseeable future. So, the possibility of magic being involved was very strong. 

Jack discovered a piece of paper on the floor under one of the seats. He picked it up and passed it on to me. I read aloud what was written on it.

There’s much amiss that I can see

My guess is that we all should flee

The words she shares do not ring true

I fear a spell, a witch’s brew

We’re asked to look upon her face

She mutters words of an island place

The answers are all there, she states

It seems we must all meet our fates.

I hope this message you will find

As all my thoughts slowly unwind. 

Beware the witch who speaks false tales

To find us all, choose the right trails

If we’re not found, for us, you’ll mourn

It’s in the north, go strong, forlorn.

FO\

On finishing the reading, there was a short silence as the words filtered through our minds. 

The cat spoke first. “This appears to be both a tale of what might have happened, a warning to whoever reads it, and a plea for help.” 

“But what did happen?” Granny asked

“And who wrote it,” questioned Jack, “Could it be a trap to capture us also?”

The cat, who was well-versed in trickery, answered. “The writer of this note is clear, it is the fox. And a very clever one. He has given us as much information as possible before losing whatever memory he had left. He could not even finish signing his name. It is only by luck that he managed to drop the letter so that it did not follow him to wherever he and the others have been sent to.”

“If that is true,” I remarked, “then it doesn’t look like we have much time to act. The voice that gave me the instructions as to where to find everyone said I was to head north. North is also mentioned in Fox’s message. What I don’t understand is how we can be strong yet forlorn. Strong means to be hopeful and powerful, much different from forlorn, which means pitifully sad. Am I missing something?”

“I believe you are. But so am I,” Granny said. “What we must do is travel north. Maybe we will figure out what we’re missing or find someone to decode Fox’s message. But not wasting any more time here is of the essence.”

I put the note into my pocket, and we left the village, heading north.

Continued in…Necroma

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

Lorn

Far to the north of Selat lies the island of Lorn. And it is aptly named. It is an island that few inhabitants of Selat are even aware of, for it is a desolate place. Those who lived there had long since abandoned their homes, seeking more suitable climates and resources of the south. The ruins of its ancient inhabitants still stand. The few that know of its existence see no reason to go there. It stands alone, apart from the rest of the kingdom, a forgotten place in the story’s lore.

But now, it is inhabited once more. 

The homes and shelters that remain are filled with characters. Characters that belong elsewhere on Selat. Characters that somehow have been transported to the island to live out their lives in obscurity. Characters living a lone, lorn existence.

If you were to go to Lorn now, you might even recognize the people and animals that wander the island – A young girl whose golden locks of hair hang down from her head searching for a cottage, a young woman in rags searching for a glass slipper that was lost, a boy wandering through caves in search of a lost lantern, a pig pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with bricks desiring a place to build his own house, a disgruntled, small impish man in search of his name, a greedy woman looking for her husband and a wish giving fish, a small disfigured creature looking for his “precious.” 

All these forlorn characters roam the island with one thing in common. They do not remember who they are. They know they have a purpose and a story and are all searching for something to explain their missing memories.  

The evil sorceress Necroma periodically travels throughout the island. She basks in the success of her plan, for it was through her magic and minions that these characters were here. It was her spell that wiped them of their memories. She wished to claim and rewrite their tales to become her own. And the time was drawing nearer as to when she would do it. 

There were some more to capture. And then there were her minions that, once her plan of capture had been completed, too, would have to be disposed of. Leaving her the master of all story and lore. 

She cackled out loud, “Soon, you will all be mine! Enjoy your days of solitude and confusion. Once my tales are told, written, and shared, you will no longer exist!”

Having checked her island and said her piece, Necroma returned to the mainland of Selat to continue her evil scheme.

Continued in…Message

This is the continuing story of my adventures in the tale: Save me a Story. If you wish to read the introduction to understand what is happening, click this link: 

https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431 

Otherwise, I’ve tried to summarize what happened at the beginning of most of the sections of this story.  

Kingdom of Selat

Folktales, fairy tales, fables, myths, and legends have existed for millennia. But where do these stories originate? I’m sure you will find many explanations if you research the origins of these stories. 

Aesop, for example, according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, was no more than a name invented to provide an author for fables centering on beasts so that “a story of Aesop” became synonymous with “fable.”

Again, according to Brittanica, myths are symbolic narratives, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relate to actual events and are especially associated with religious belief.

Fairy tales are part of folklore. Webster’s Dictionary defines them as a story (usually for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (such as fairies, wizards, and goblins)

These stories can be written down, created by authors, as in the stories by Hans Christian Andersen, or collected orally and then written down, as in the stories collected by the Grimm Brothers. 

Some are based on actual events, whereas some are just made up. 

Their origins get lost as these tales and stories get passed on from generation to generation. Their meanings are accepted or adapted to create new stories that fit the times we live in. 

Scholars heavily debate all these origins. They base their findings on research, ancient manuscripts, and stories they’ve heard from others. There is a lot of disagreement. 

However, I have found the true origins of all these stories and tales. They are real. The characters not only did exist but still exist. I can’t tell you how the stories got from here into our world, but the characters in these stories are real, for I have met them. As to the stories, they are still evolving. 

Where are all these eternal characters and stories? They are in a Kingdom called Selat. 

I have no idea where the kingdom of Selat is. I was transported here magically, sent by a mystic on an errand to save all the stolen stories. Yes, magic does exist, as do talking animals, fairies, giants, gnomes, a boy named Jack, and others. In my travels here, some of these characters I’ve met. I’ve even met characters from other stories, like the talking beaver from the book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. At least, that is where I think he was from. I guess C. S. Lewis must have found his way here, also. 

I haven’t figured out how the stories we all know evolved. If the stories were true and ended, as in the case of Little Red Riding Hood, shouldn’t the wolf be dead? Yet according to Granny, he still exists. Some of these characters from different stories even interact with each other. Little Red really knows Goldilocks and probably the three bears as well. 

The best I can surmise is that the kingdom of Selat is a repository for all folklore and story characters. The stories themselves were created by people that were here. Through happenstance or magic, people found their way into Selat, where they interacted with these characters. They either witnessed the events or created these stories independently to share outside Selat based on the characters they interacted with. 

It would be an archeological and historical find for someone to come here and do first-hand research. 

In my interactions with Granny, Jack, and the Beaver, some are clearly aware of the story they are in or were part of, and some are not. And though I know the stories and how they play out in my world where characters live or die, they keep existing here in Selat, adding to the magic. I don’t think one could get bored living here. But I guess that would ruin the magic. 

I would love to spend more time here and learn about Selat and its culture, but I have a task to fulfill. It was foretold that I, or someone like me, a storyteller, is to find out what happened to all the stories which have disappeared and bring them back where they belong. A lot of the characters have disappeared as well. At least now, I better understand where I am, who resides here, and what I’m looking for. Maybe I can succeed with some extra help from those who have not disappeared. I might even learn a little magic myself.

Continued in…Lorn