Chapter One
Once upon a time, there lived a girl and her mother. They lived in a snug little cottage, far away from the city. They were neither
rich nor poor. They were happy in their own way.
The girl's name was Serena. Serena fit her name perfectly. She made those around her feel happy and peaceful. The girl was
loved by all that had the privilege of her acquaintance. Her innocent ways won all. Her shining black hair and star-light grey eyes
made her quite beautiful, even as a child.
Mother was a demanding lady. She had things her way. She first saw the child lying in the woods ground with moon and
star light shining upon her face. The little girl looked fairy, smiling and cooing to the wind. Mother decided to keep the fairy child,
for that was what she believed she was at the time, as her own.
Mother watched her 'daughter' with a jealous eye.
Serena was never allowed to meet anyone unless her Mother knows of the meeting and the person. It was the strictest rule in the house, and there were many rules in the house.
But one day, when the child was ten, she went out in the pasture to find her horse. There she met a city girl, lost from her family. Serena spent the rest of the day helping the girl find her family. The lost girl's name was Catalyn. Catalyn asked many questions. Some of the questions she had never thought of.
"What is your name?"
Serena told her name.
"Where do you live?"
Serena also told Catalyn where she lived. She had never been told that some people were not to be distrusted.
"So far from the city you live!! So far from...anyone!"
This thought had never occurred to Serena before. It puzzled her.
"Do you ever go to the city?"
Serena shook her head.
"Do....you get lonely? Ever?''
Serena cocked her head to the side, some what taken aback. "Lonely? Why would I be lonely? I have my horse, and my wonderful Mother. They are all the company I have need of."
It was Catalyn's turn to be taken aback. "You only...you only see your mother!! and your horse?? Don't you have any friends you visit?"
Serena laughed, "Of course! I visit the Good Mother Brighton on Sundays and her husband Father Benjamin also. They are very enjoyable people. I like them very much."
"You poor little girl! No friends of your own age." The girl made sympathetic noises, "Your mother must be very mean to such a pretty young girl. No friends of your own age." Serena wasn't listening by then. They had reached the city.
Here Serena and Catalyn said their goodbyes, each hugging the other. "Thank you Serena! Come visit me sometimes, when ever you are in the city. Good bye!"
When the happy little girl was in sight of her home She called out "Mother! I am home."
Her mother ran down the hill and almost started to shake her, but stopped. "You bad child! Leaving all day. I was worried about you, and you never told me where you were going! Shame on you! Shame, shame, shame!"
Serena's eyes brought up unbidden tears at this reproach. "But Mother! I helped a girl find her way back to the city. She was lost in the pasture. I had to help her. Or she would have stayed lost."
The Mother's eyes widened in shock. Anger shot out of her eyes. And something like...hurt. Almost. Moments of silence passed. Then Mother sucked in her breath through her teeth. "You did what??"
"I...I helped...a girl...find her way back to the city. Her name was Catalyn..."
"You met a girl, with out MY knowing, and took her to the city!! You have socialized with her. You told her your name, didn't you? Didn't you!"
Serena nodded her head, now starting to get scared,
"WHY have you done this child? Why? I have tried to protect you from the evils of the city, tried so hard. You must never, never! do this again. Look at me in the eye, child. Promise me that you will never, never ever talk to a body that I do not know of." There was a pause, to which Serena's eyes filled with tears. Then Mother added one more thing, almost to herself it seemed, "Especially a boy."
All of this was too much for the little girl, she was only ten. Serena asked quietly to be excused, wondering all the while at her punishment. She had done a good thing! It was a good thing to help the lost....But...Mother said she should not do it again.
Once upon a time, there lived a girl and her mother. They lived in a snug little cottage, far away from the city. They were neither
rich nor poor. They were happy in their own way.
The girl's name was Serena. Serena fit her name perfectly. She made those around her feel happy and peaceful. The girl was
loved by all that had the privilege of her acquaintance. Her innocent ways won all. Her shining black hair and star-light grey eyes
made her quite beautiful, even as a child.
Mother was a demanding lady. She had things her way. She first saw the child lying in the woods ground with moon and
star light shining upon her face. The little girl looked fairy, smiling and cooing to the wind. Mother decided to keep the fairy child,
for that was what she believed she was at the time, as her own.
Mother watched her 'daughter' with a jealous eye.
Serena was never allowed to meet anyone unless her Mother knows of the meeting and the person. It was the strictest rule in the house, and there were many rules in the house.
But one day, when the child was ten, she went out in the pasture to find her horse. There she met a city girl, lost from her family. Serena spent the rest of the day helping the girl find her family. The lost girl's name was Catalyn. Catalyn asked many questions. Some of the questions she had never thought of.
"What is your name?"
Serena told her name.
"Where do you live?"
Serena also told Catalyn where she lived. She had never been told that some people were not to be distrusted.
"So far from the city you live!! So far from...anyone!"
This thought had never occurred to Serena before. It puzzled her.
"Do you ever go to the city?"
Serena shook her head.
"Do....you get lonely? Ever?''
Serena cocked her head to the side, some what taken aback. "Lonely? Why would I be lonely? I have my horse, and my wonderful Mother. They are all the company I have need of."
It was Catalyn's turn to be taken aback. "You only...you only see your mother!! and your horse?? Don't you have any friends you visit?"
Serena laughed, "Of course! I visit the Good Mother Brighton on Sundays and her husband Father Benjamin also. They are very enjoyable people. I like them very much."
"You poor little girl! No friends of your own age." The girl made sympathetic noises, "Your mother must be very mean to such a pretty young girl. No friends of your own age." Serena wasn't listening by then. They had reached the city.
Here Serena and Catalyn said their goodbyes, each hugging the other. "Thank you Serena! Come visit me sometimes, when ever you are in the city. Good bye!"
When the happy little girl was in sight of her home She called out "Mother! I am home."
Her mother ran down the hill and almost started to shake her, but stopped. "You bad child! Leaving all day. I was worried about you, and you never told me where you were going! Shame on you! Shame, shame, shame!"
Serena's eyes brought up unbidden tears at this reproach. "But Mother! I helped a girl find her way back to the city. She was lost in the pasture. I had to help her. Or she would have stayed lost."
The Mother's eyes widened in shock. Anger shot out of her eyes. And something like...hurt. Almost. Moments of silence passed. Then Mother sucked in her breath through her teeth. "You did what??"
"I...I helped...a girl...find her way back to the city. Her name was Catalyn..."
"You met a girl, with out MY knowing, and took her to the city!! You have socialized with her. You told her your name, didn't you? Didn't you!"
Serena nodded her head, now starting to get scared,
"WHY have you done this child? Why? I have tried to protect you from the evils of the city, tried so hard. You must never, never! do this again. Look at me in the eye, child. Promise me that you will never, never ever talk to a body that I do not know of." There was a pause, to which Serena's eyes filled with tears. Then Mother added one more thing, almost to herself it seemed, "Especially a boy."
All of this was too much for the little girl, she was only ten. Serena asked quietly to be excused, wondering all the while at her punishment. She had done a good thing! It was a good thing to help the lost....But...Mother said she should not do it again.