Twas The Night Before Fairy Tale, or
a Visit from Princess Gwen
by: Bluemoonalto
Note: If you aren't already a Monkees' fan, you probably found this because you used to read my Danny Phantom stories from several years ago. Or my Due South stories from a decade ago. If that's the case... Hi! Nice to see you again. If you once enjoyed The Ultimate Limerick, or The Epic Limerick from Heck, go do a search for "Monkees Fairy Tale" and watch the episode. You can thank me later.
Prologue
Abandon the format, and have no regret,
this episode's the most unusual yet.
Four friends in the village of Avon-on-Calling,
a visiting princess with manners appalling;
the sets are all cardboard, the princess is male—
A rhyming recap, just for fun. Fairy Tale!
As cast and crew labored throughout season two,
The Monkees must struggle to stay fresh and new.
The series weighed down in its fixed incarnation,
they opened their minds to experimentation.
A weird episode, just to show they could do it—
perhaps NBC would decide to renew it!
"So what if it's not about kids of today?
And what if we toss the whole premise away?
And use our four actors in eight or nine roles?
And fashion a script that is full of plot holes?
And shoot on a set that's essentially bare?
And spring this surprise on the fans unaware?
It wouldn't have made an impression so lasting
to use the same script with conventional casting.
So Mike volunteered to appear in it twice,
to give the odd story some gender-bent spice.
The standards all broken, the rule book ignored,
and Peter thinks Mike earned an Emmy Award.
Teaser
The trumpeter blows, and then makes introductions,
those four groovy actors from Raybert Productions:
a tailor, shoemaker, innkeeper—and Peter,
who worships the princess and longs just to meet her.
He can't get the fantasy out of his mind.
(Have you seen the princess? I guess love is blind.)
"Oh, hark! Are those horses we happen to hear?"
(I think Davy just stabbed himself in the ear.)
The princess's carriage is stuck in the mud;
the horses can't shift it, and she's out for blood.
Opening Credits
(and Disclaimers)
I wanted to summarize plot points concisely,
But dialogue won't work in rhyme—not precisely.
I'll paraphrase here; do forgive me for straying
too far from the words that the actors were saying.
I don't own the episode, don't own the series!
(All of you lawyers, just send me your queries.)
Pete Meyerson wrote it and Raybert produced it;
to humorous poetry, I've now reduced it.
My income for doing so? Not one thin dime!
A boost to my weird reputation for rhyme.
And if you've enjoyed it, then do let me know,
your feedback's the sole profit I'll ever show.
To be continued...