╥The Dancing Wizard╙ by Bill Stork (MacFreelanc@aol.com)
<This is my first story, please give me positive AND negative input!>
At the foot of the Mystic Mountains, lived a group of odd little people known as the Mysties. The Mysties by all accounts were wizards and were not to be trifled with. For the most part, the Mysties were friendly and very helpful to the people in the valley of the kingdom of Wiffle.
Each and every Mysty had a special unique magic. For instance, Spindle, Chief Wizard of the Mysties, was able to know where any lost dog or cat was hiding, just by asking him. (You can see why he was their chief) Other Mysties, could bring rain, heal skinned knees, change the flavor of medicine, conjure chocolate from lima beans and any number of other useful magics. (I told you they were not to be trifled with...) These services were traded with the people of the kingdom of Wiffle in exchange for shoelaces and the other necessities of life.
Each Mysty by the age of 7 had to have his or her magic so that they could become part of the community of Mysties. If one could not find their magic they were to be turned out and sent down to the village to live as a common Wifflnaut. (This never happened).
It came to pass that a young mysty named Milly had reached the ripe old age of six and a half without nary a hint of a magic. Milly had quite given up, by the age of five, looking for her magic anyway. Milly╒s love was dancing and that was that. Milly never walked, when she could dance. She never sat still when she could dance. She didn╒t even sleep when she could be dancing and she definitely didn╒t eat lima beans when she could dance instead.
Needless to say, Milly was making her parents worried. During the testing for magic they once thought that she would be a rain wizard, but alas, it was going to rain anyhow. They beamed proudly when they thought she was a missing sock finder, but as it turned out... the socks didn╒t match.
In desperation, they turned to Fisher the Magic Finder. Fisher had quite a problem because Milly wouldn╒t sit down long enough for him to get a good reading on her. ╥By golly, the girl has a magic, that╒s for sure, but I can╒t guess what it could be╙ said a very flustered Fisher.
Milly╒s parents tried to talk to her, but they just didn╒t understand. Milly didn╒t care about magic... she loved to dance and that was that. Milly had decided that if she had a magic, it would interfere with her dancing time.
╥I don╒t want to have to find lost puppies or remember birthdays for those wifflnauts in the valley... shoelaces or not. A magic could never be as fun as dancing all day long.╙ Humphed Milly to herself. (Humphing was the special language Mysties spoke to themselves)
As Milly╒s seventh birthday drew closer, word of the problem reached Spindle, Chief Wizard of the Mysties. Never in Spindle╒s memory, had a Mysty been sent to the valley. And it wasn╒t going to happen while he was Chief Wizard either! If word ever got out about a Mysty without a magic, it could be big troubles for the wizards. (How could anyone expect to trade shoelaces to someone who might not really have a magic)
Now as it happened, King Piffle Wiffle (yes I know how it sounds... but it was a family name) didn╒t much care for the Mysties. The Mysties were far too mystical for his taste. Being a king meant you didn╒t really need magics. For instance, if your kite got caught in a tree, the royal kitemaker brought you a new kite and if you didn╒t want lima beans for supper, you could order chocolate instead and that was that. King Piffle Wiffle let the Mysties stay because it made his people happy.
You see, Piffle Wiffle wasn╒t a mean king, and almost never chopped off anyone╒s head, it was just that after awhile, being a king is boring. Being bored can make you cranky. The bad thing is, the only way to stop being a king involves cemeteries and no one likes to involve them. Once you can do anything... nothing is fun. Once you can have everything... you don╒t really want anything.... (Funny how that works, although chocolate for supper is still nice). It was even harder to be a prince, because you had to spend all your time learning to be a king and usually by the time you became king you forgot all the really neat things you wanted to do and all the cool things you wanted.
So it was, for the crown Prince Ziffle Wiffle. Poor Ziffle╒s days were spent in regal school learning the arts of looking nobel and the ╥Royal Wave╙. Ziffle never learned to tie his own shoes, as he had a valet to do it for him. Ziffle never had time to fly a kite or play with one of his 100 dogs, he had pages who did this for him as well. And if you think being a king is boring... being a prince is even worse.
You can imagine the scandal when one morning Prince Ziffle Wiffle was found turned to stone in his bed. (If you can╒t, I can tell you it caused quite a stir...) Of course there was a great deal of finger pointing and rolling of heads, until King Wiffle himself saw that this was accomplishing nothing. King Wiffle sent for the Royal Doctors, who sent for the Royal Astrologers who called for the Royal Stonemasons and Shoestringers. (They were almost never called for... This shows you how serious this crisis was taken.)
After three days intense study of Prince Wiffle, there was a near unanimous consensus that the prince was ╥bored to stone╙. The only dissenters were the stonemasons who at that time were in particular suspicion and widely blamed for the current crisis. The shoestringers had no opinion and wondered openly why they were even asked to attend in the first place.
╥Bored to stone?╙ asked King Wiffle. ╥I dare say I am not familiar with the term╙.
╥You no doubt have heard of being ╘bored to tears╒ or being ╥bored stiff╒╙ wheezed the scraggly Dr. Zebulon Nub ╥Well, being ╘bored to stone╒ is just the acute version╙.
╥Well, what do we do?╙ roared King Wiffle. (Only kings are allowed to roar inside!)
After the head was removed from the sarcastic oaf who suggested putting the prince on a marble slab and set in the royal park, serious consideration and plans were made. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work. All manner of diversions and distractions were tried and all failed. (Granted, much of it was a great deal of fun, but no one wanted to admit it.)
After weeks of failure, an exasperated King Wiffle wrung his hands in anguish and asked his court for any more ideas. Only after an unbearable amount of time a small voice spoke up and said ╥Well... eh, Sir, What about the Mysties?╙
Knowing how the king felt about the Mysties, this was a brave thing to say and to this day no one knows who said it but, some speculate Sir Echo, the court ventrilouquist but on this matter, at least, his mouth remains shut.
Again, there was silence... Finally ╥BRING THE MYSTIES AT ONCE!╙ King Wiffle commanded in his most commanding voice. (Piffle did very well in that particular royal class when he was a prince)
The royal decree was issued, signed in triplicate, put to a vote, revised, re-issued, signed again in triplicate and was just getting ready to be delivered when the Mysties arrived. (This was not really very odd or mystical, but rather the royal government really did take too long and someone on a recent shoestring trading trip, just happened to mention the kings proclamation in process.)
The situation with the prince of course, was of no surprise to the Mysties anyhow, as they all read the papers and were only waiting for an invitation. (Not only were Mysties very magical, they were also very polite...) Upon arrival, Spindle was ushered into the throne room and given a wide berth to examine the poor be-stoned crown prince.
╥I╒ve seen worse╙ said Spindle after examining the prince.
In actuality he had never seen anything like this and was only trying bring a little hope to the king who at the moment was looking very ╥unking-like╙ and more ╥Sad-Father-of-a-prince-turned-to-stone-like╙.
It was Spindle╒s place as Chief of the Mysties to try to cure the poor prince first. Alas, if you remember correctly, Spindle╒s magic was the ability to locate lost dogs or cats. There was a flurry of activity as the pages and valets went about losing the royal dogs and cats in order to make it possible for Spindle to attempt his magic.
This was undeniably a foolish thing to do. But, a royal decree IS a royal decree (and not to be taken lightly). So sat the prince stone-faced as ever. It was then noted by some, that a small bird had taken up residence and had built a rather royal looking nest. (I say royal because the bird chose to make her home in the crown sitting atop the prince╒s head).
After a few variations of losing and finding the pets, King Wiffle had quite lost his patience and shouted ╥Next!╙
Next, each Mysty in turn, attempted his or her magic in front of, on top of and in a few cases underneath the stoney prince. And each in turn failed as miserably as did the mighty Spindle╒s magic. The only high point came, when the wizard Windchime transformed a few bushels of lima beans into a delicious pile of chocolate beans. It WAS getting to be about lunchtime, so it was decided that everyone would take a break and help take care of the chocolate. There is something indescribably wonderful about chocolate that had until recently been a lima bean... and under no other circumstance can the feeling and or flavor be duplicated. (The mind boggles at what chocolate from brussel sprouts would taste like, but no wizard has yet mastered that magic)
The line of Mysties, went on well through the night and a good bit into the next day until all the Mysties (Well almost all...) had taken their best shot at curing the prince. You can imagine what the throne room looked like after a day and a half of rainstorms, snow flurries, hamster stampedes and a levitating squadron of purple plum flapjacks had taken their toll on the furniture. As a matter of fact... the Mystie Ajax ╥the stain cleaner╙ had to be carried from the room in a state of exhaustion!
King Wiffle by this time was exhausted and the idea of putting the prince in the royal park was beginning to sound good to him when at last he sighed wearily ╥Have we seen ALL the Mysties?╙
╥Yes, your majesty... well, almost all...╙ stammered Spindle.
╥What do you mean ALMOST all?╙ asked the king. ╥Didn╒t I make it clear that ALL the Mysties were to attempt their magics upon the prince?╙
╥Well sir...╙ said Spindle (starting to get a little nervous.) ╥The only one who has not tried is the Mysty Milly and she hasn╒t found her magic yet... technically speaking sir...╙
╥Well...╙ said King Wiffle with an ominous tone ╥She had better FIND her magic, and find it QUICK or you Mysties will find yourselves up the proverbial contaminated tributary with out any visible means of propulsion!╙ (It is well known that when a kings spouts proverbs he means business!)
Milly was then brought before the chiseled be-pigeoned royal statue, and told to do her magic... All eyes were on Milly as she stood there. Milly kept her eyes down at her feet, absently chewing on one of her fingernails. Milly waited. The Mysties waited. The court waited. The king waited. The prince waited. The Ladies in Waiting waited (it was undeniable they were the best at this, seeing how they were the only true professionals in the hall). The only people not waiting were the Waiters, who rushed around refilling everyone╒s glasses of tea. (They were trying to get a jump on the tea-time rush!)
It suddenly occurred to Milly all this waiting was an immense waste of good dancing time and decided that while she was waiting for her magic to come, she could at least practice a few dance steps.
It was noted by the Wizard Postit, that Wizard Spindle╒s eyes rolled so far back in his head that he saw his breakfast when Milly started to dance. Milly╒s parents turned a lovely shade of red and tried to look invisible (which is really quite difficult when in the shade of red).
If Milly noticed this, no one could say. Milly had begun to dance. She started with slow little twirls on her toes to music only she heard. With her arms spread, Milly leaped in the air and landed just so on the tip of her toe. Gradually Milly spun faster and faster with leaps and kicks and once she got warmed up it appeared as if there were 3 or 4 little mysties spinning and dancing. Colors and sound seemed to fly about the room in rythym to the spinning little wizard. Some claimed to hear music, others saw sunsets and still others saw a great panorama of sound and color fill the hallway. Sparks and fire bounced about the little wizards feet.
There is a great deal of debate as to how long Milly danced. Some who were there said it was for only a few minutes, although many who waited outside the hall said it was for hours. Yet even more outside the castle spoke of the days and nights of strange music and lights that came from the castle hall windows. In the end it doesn╒t matter, because in a mystical sort of way everyone was right.
At the end of the dance, Milly sat breathing heavily on the cold floor of the hall in silence. Not a person spoke, not a waiter poured, not a king roared. Milly became very self conscious at that moment and couldn╒t look up. Milly just knew she was in big trouble.
Everyone just sat and stared at the very little mysty sitting on the floor in the great hall of the Castle of King Piffle Wiffle. The silence was thunderous. And at the moment the silence almost broke down the walls, there came the sharp little sound of clapping cutting through the quiet.
It took a few moments for everyone╒s eyes to become unlocked and search the hall for the brave little sound. And everyone gasped as they saw the young Prince Ziffle Wiffle (With a VERY startled pigeon on his head) clapping his hands. Ziffle was no longer made of stone and once again made of little boy stuff.
Suddenly, the hall nearly burst with the roar of voices, above the din rose the voice of King Wiffle sobbing ╥ZIFFLE! My Son thank the stars you are well!╙ It was a tad bit emotional for a monarch, but royal protocols are meant to be broken. (But unless you are a monarch, I don╒t advise breaking one...).
The crowd rushed up to the prince, and after a thorough examination and a much needed trip to the royal potty (It HAD been several weeks after all!) things settled down enough that someone finally noticed that Milly had disappeared. You see, Milly thought the hullabaloo had been directed at her for disobeying a royal decree and figured that she had better leave and dance her last dance before losing her head.
Milly was found in a little room near the royal game room and had just removed her Mysty neck scarf (Figuring that she would be in REAL trouble if she messed it up). Milly was picked up and carried by the crowd back to the throne room and placed in front of King Wiffle. Milly bowed her head and didn╒t even noticed the prince standing next to the king.
╥I decree that in regards to the most recent actions of the Mysty Wizard Milly, that when the time comes and if both parties are willing, she shall wed my son Prince Ziffle Wiffle and be his Queen.╙ decreed King Wiffle in his best decreeing voice.
╥Well,╙ thought Milly ╥if I have to get married to a boy, it might as well be to one made of stone...╙ It was about then Milly noticed the very unstone-like Prince Ziffle with an equally shocked and sour look on his face. It was then she realized just how big of trouble she was really in.
╥Until that time, I ask Milly, her parents and any Mysty interested, to stay in town and live with us in our fair city. A special dance room will be constructed so that the Dancing Wizard will have the room to dance day or night, rain or shine, hamster stampede or no.╙ spoke King Wiffle to his subjects.
At this point Milly was a little confused. Except for the bit about marrying the prince, this really didn╒t sound like a punishment at all and no one seemed to be able to tell her who had cured the prince in the first place. After a few lengthy explanations it all started to sink in.
The fact that Milly had found her magic in her dancing was more than she could believe. It never occurred to her that the thing she loved most was the thing she was meant to do. There was still that bit about the prince and stuff, but being a queen could be neat she decided.
After that day, many of the Mysties did move to the city and over time thought of themselves as the Wizards of Wiffle (formally known as Mysties). Milly the Dancing Wizard, danced and danced and danced, and over time warmed to the idea of marrying the prince and found time to eventually to be a queen and a mother of many little dancing princes and princesses. Milly ╥The Dancing Wizard╙ then danced happily ever after and that was that.
