Rosie believed in stories. The ones her father had told her when she sat on his knee as a lass, the adventures Bilbo recounted whenever the children begged him. The romances her mother held dear because they were so different to the life she'd known herself. Stories, stories, Rosie ate them up like ripe berries off a vine.

There were some stories that didn't have words, too. The story of Frodo's breathing when he was kissed. The sweet, full taste of Sam's skin was a fairytale, so was Elanor's pink little mouth when she yawned. The tale of the flutter of her hands on their arms when she traced the pulses there.

She wished there was a way to tell those stories, to pin them down like butterflies and study their form. But for that matter she'd never liked it when her brothers caught butterflies, they were far prettier flying on the wind than trapped behind glass. Rosie supposed it might be the same with stories, they were better left to float about in the air and change with time. Once something was written down it was still and flightless.

Sometimes she took old stories, ones she'd grown up with and her parents before her, and changed them slightly, because there could be new meanings found in them now, new fables. Frodo and Sam would lean against each other and listen to her speak, caught up in the world her words created.

"Once upon a time, three children lived in a cottage in the wood with their father, who was a kindly old shepherd. Two boys and a girl named Jasper, Garnet, and Ruby. They were good and happy, and loved each other more than anybody could fathom.

"One day Jasper and Garnet were out playing in the hills when Jasper found a small box made of shiny red wood that somebody had left there by accident. The boys raced home to show it to their father, but the kindly old shepherd drew back in horror.

"'That box belongs to the wicked queen who lives on the edge of the wood. You must take it to her castle and throw it in her oven, so it will burn to ash.' he said to Jasper and Garnet. 'Take these gifts for your journey.' and he gave them each nine slices of fresh bread and nine small rocks.

"The boys didn't want to go, but knew it was not their choice to make, so they kissed Ruby goodbye and set off walking.

"Down along the road they met a sparrow, who had a nest of lovely little eggs and a song that made their mouths turn up in smiles.

"'That's a sweet song.' Garnet told the sparrow.

"'Thankyou.' she replied. "But I sing because I'm sad. My babies will hatch soon and I have no food for them."

"'Here.' Jasper handed over his bread. 'Your little ones can eat this.' he turned to Garnet expectantly. Now, Garnet liked bread, especially the good, warm bread Ruby had baked them. But he knew Jasper was right to give the sparrow food, so Garnet offered up eight of the slices, keeping one in his pocket to share with Jasper later.

"Just then, a fat black crow flew down and tried to steal the sparrow's food. Garnet grabbed the rocks in his pockets and threw them at the crow, shouting for it to go away. Jasper did the same, and after all of Garnet's rocks and all but one of Jasper's, the crow flew away once more.

"As a thankyou gift, the sparrow showed them where a knife lay in the grass, which somebody had left there by accident. The boys stored the knife in Garnet's pocket and continued on their way.

"They were almost at the castle when suddenly the shiny red box grew and grew and grew into a cage, trapping Jasper inside it. A group of fierce wolves came out of the castle to carry him inside, and even though Garnet had turned white as bone with fear he followed them, because he couldn't leave Jasper.

"The wicked queen had enchanted the box to drain the life out of whomever was trapped inside it, so that she could take the life into herself and grow stronger. Garnet stayed hidden in the shadows for three days and three nights, waiting for a chance to save Jasper. Every day, the wicked queen would grab at Jasper and feel for his heartbeat, tossing him aside angrily when it became clear he still lived.

"The cage was doing its terrible work on the boy, every day he grew paler and thinner. On the third night, Garnet crept out of the shadow and over to the shiny red prison, giving Jasper the last piece of bread he had saved so that the boy would have some strength. They cried, because they were afraid, but knew what they had to do.

"Taking out the sparrow's little knife, Garnet cut off one of Jasper's fingers, weeping all the while. Then they waited for morning, Jasper in the cage and Garnet beside it.

"When the wicked queen grabbed at Jasper, he held the severed finger out for her to feel. It had no heartbeat, and with a whoop of triumph the wicked queen threw open the cage. Garnet ran up behind her and pushed, pulling Jasper out at the same time. Together, the boys slammed the door and locked it, then tossed the cage, with the wicked queen inside, into the oven.

"Screaming with outrage and defeat, the wicked queen shook her fists at Jasper.

"'Curse you! you may think you have won, but it will be a bitter victory indeed. From this moment you will eat nothing but rocks and stones and pebbles, and even in a banquet hall you shall starve and waste away!'

"Of Garnet the wicked queen said nothing, for she'd never even known he was there.

"The two boys fled the castle, running back to their cottage. Their father had gone away, but Ruby was there to kiss them both hello and put salve on Jasper's wounded hand.

"All was not well, though, for when Jasper tried to eat his dinner he couldn't keep it down, even the sweetest foods made him ill. Garnet wrung his hands and fretted for his brother, telling Ruby what the wicked queen had said.

"Ruby drew the last rock out of Jasper's pocket and put water on to boil in a big brass pot. She dropped the stone in and stirred.

"'If that's all you can eat, then so be it. I'll make soup.' Ruby declared. 'Now, we have to let it stand for a while, to draw the flavour out.'

"They sat and waited, Garnet and Jasper very puzzled, for how could their sister make soup out of a stone? After a time Ruby lifted the lid off the pot and took a taste, nodding to herself.

"'Yes, yes, almost done, just needs a pinch of salt.' she muttered to herself, adding the salt in. Stirring it through, she took another taste. 'Hmmm... nearly right. I might as well use up those carrots, though, since I'm cooking and all.'

"They sat and waited some more, and this time Garnet tasted some of the stone soup.

"'Not quite yet... I wonder if there's any lamb left from supper last night? Seems a shame to waste it if there is.' in went three thick slices of lamb. 'And that potato will spoil if it's not used. Even if it's only stone soup, which will be foul as muck no matter what we do, better the scraps be used for this rather than nothing.'

"They sat and waited another while, then Ruby took the pot off the stove and spooned the soup into three bowls. Sure enough, the stone was still in the bottom of the copper pot, and Jasper was still cursed to eat nothing but rocks and stones and pebbles, but they had added so many nice things to the mix the children could barely taste the bitterness.

"In fact, the way Ruby and Garnet made it, Jasper could live happily on stone soup forever, and beat the wicked queen."

~

Pretty Good Year | email Mary