Katniss, Queen of the Snakes

All characters belong to Suzanne Collins.

In a land once known as North America, there lived a man and his wife. He was very prosperous as he had twelve sons and three daughters. The youngest one was named Katniss. Her two older sisters were both dark like her; most people thought there were triplets. One warm summer evening, the three sisters decided to go for a swim. They enjoyed their swim and splashed and frolicked and teased and sang to one another in the setting sun. After their fun, they decided to lie on the side of the river to dry themselves and to watch the sun set and to get dressed and ready to go back home. Once on shore the youngest went to get her clothes but to her surprise a snake laid there in her sleeve.

'"Aahhh" she screamed

"What?' echoed her two sisters?

"There's a snake in my shirt!"

"OMG give it to me" Her oldest sister, Clove was fearless but had a mean streak in her. She was also a whiz with knives. Pulling the shirt from Katniss she threw it on the ground and started jumping up and down, desperately trying to kill the snake. But the snake slithered and turned to Katniss and spoke in a clear man's voice.

"My dear Katniss" he said "If you promise to marry me I will voluntarily and gladly come out of your blouse."

How did he know her name? What was she to do? How could she marry a snake? Would she be expected to consummate the marriage and how would that be possible? She had sworn off marriage and kids a long time ago. Sure she loved her family but she did not want any part in love that made you weaker nor stronger. Plenty of questions were going in on in her head blocking out the real world.

"No, she would never marry you" her second oldest sister Johanna said. "She would rather die than do such a thing. If I only had my axe here you wouldn't be alive."

But the snake turned a deaf ear towards her sister. He turned towards Katniss again and said

"Agree to be my bride and I will gladly come out"

"No!" she replied angrily "I will do no such thing"

"You are testing my patience young lady so please answer my question. Will you marry me?

Seeing that no matter what she said or did or what her sisters said he wouldn't budge so she finally relented and agreed to be his bride. With all that was said and done he slithered away a small smile on his tiny face. If he had looked back he would have seen the three sisters huddled together crying and consoling each other.

...

Three months later, the family saw a band of snake enter the farm hard. The whole family had lived on fear these last couple of months because the snake did not give them a specific date of his arrival. All the brothers and their wife's had huddle into the parents' house to await the arrival of the bridegroom. They came sissing as they crawled. Once they arrived at the door, one of the serpents entered the house. He went in to talk about the marriage arrangement with Katniss' father. At first Katniss' father would not hear of the marriage even if he knew the day would come, he was still in denial that a snake had come to take his daughters hand in marriage. But seeing all those snakes on his property and all his kids together under his roof again, he finally consented; she was after all his youngest, the apple of his eye and the most beautiful one.

"Okay" he said "I will give her to you, but wait a while for we must prepare her for you."

"You have one week to prepare her then send her on her way to meet me."

The snake then slithered away with his band. The old man watched them leave but in his head he snickered for this man was a man of many tricks. Once the serpents were out of sight he ran straight to the wise woman also known as Greasy Sae for her numerous concoctions and potions she would make out of nothing and was there when the village was founded. Once there, he told her all that had transpired.

"Well you in quite a mess I see. But don't you worry it will be quite easy to trick this vermin. The day of her departure do not send her but instead send a goose and send some wedding presents don't need to go overboard. "

The old man nodded and left the presence of the wise woman. He arrived home and told his family what they had to do. So they choose a goose out of there flock and choose some of Katniss' clothing to dress the bird. The following week, father and "daughter" went out on their journey. Arrived at the appointed place, he deposited his daughter in the serpent's carriage and left. A short while later, the snake head the cooing of a dove.

"Coo-coo, coo-coo, you have been tricked. Instead of a bride you have in your carriage a white goose. Coo-coo, it is not the one, coo-coo."

The band returned to the family's farm and angrily threw the goose out of the wagon and demanded to have the bride. The old man and his wife went again to the see Greasy Sae and this time she said to dress up a sheep in Katniss' clothing instead. So they did but again once they passed the maple tree and perched on it was the dove.

And again he cried out "Coo-coo, coo-coo, you have been tricked. Instead of a bride you have in your carriage a white sheep. Coo-coo, it is not the one, coo-coo."

For the second time, they went back to the farm even angrier than before and demanded to have the bride. Still neither the parents nor the siblings wanted to concede so they dressed up a white cow in the youngest outfits. They departed once more and passed the same way. Arriving at the tree the bird repeated the same words but instead said white cow.

The band furious and in rage came charging unto the farm. They made so much noise that the ground shook at their arrival. They were mad about the family's trickery, deception and lies. Thus they threatened the family with a curse of drought, infection, flood and famine to everyone in the family because of the parents disrespect. Hearing the conversation, Katniss burst into tears. Fearing her family's safety she decided to volunteer and go by herself with the band to her fiancé's land. Her mother and sisters dressed her accordingly and gave her a few departing gifs such as her bow and arrow, for protection her mother had whispered. With a tearful goodbye she left her childhood home.

Climbing into the carriage she looked on at the farm growing smaller and smaller. Once they arrived at the maple tree the little dove flew over the carriage and sang ""Coo-coo, coo-coo, you found the right one. Now hurry, the bridegroom a waits impatiently for his future wife."

After crossing seven rivers, thirteen districts and four lakes, eventually, Katniss and all her chaperones came to the sea. There, she met a handsome young man who was waiting for her by the beach. The young lad had hair as yellow as wheat and bright blue eyes. He told her that he was the serpent that had crawled into the sleeve of her blouse. He had heard her sing and from that moment he was a goner and decided to make her his bride. Katniss, the groom and his party crossed the sea to a nearby island, and from there, they descended underground, under the sea. There was a lavishly decorated palace of amber and fine silks. It was here that the wedding was held

She was taken to her chambers where she met the groom's personal stylist and her own prep team. The floated and buzzed around her for what seemed like an eternity; she had been waxed, scrubbed and washed, her hair had been selectively washed and braided into intricate braids and formed a beautiful hairdo. Then she was sent to the big hall where her groom was awaiting her. He was dressed smartly in a white pristine suit with gold embroidery; he looked absolutely dashing.

And once the ceremony was over, the bride and groom and all the guest present feasted and drank and danced for three weeks. After a while, Katniss finally calmed down, became happier and completely forgot her homeland. She learned much about her husband and his island and his preference and dislikes. One year after she arrived, she gave birth to their first son and the look she saw when he met his son for the first time was of pure happiness. Seeing that she knew them she finally understood what love meant.