The next day Spring walked out in the woods to get away from Daisy's rude
comments. Spring skipped about the river once again barefoot, this time
however she remembered where she put her shoes. She even packed herself a
small lunch of sandwiches and milk.
"For a piece of your lunch I will give you a story."
Spring jumped and looked at an old man with a cane. His hair was as black as hers, but it had silver strands in it. He was thin, wearing very ragged clothes and he leaned heavily on his cane. The terribly haggard appearance of the man scared her, but only for a moment. Spring was too light hearted and loving and quickly went busy at unpacking her lunch.
"Sure you can have some." She said in her young and innocent tone. Her tiny hands were busy as was her mouth. "You can sit there and I can sit here. And you can have more food then me because your older but I really like milk and if you want I can bring more tomorrow but I - " The man smiled at the child ramblings and sat down where it was she told him to.
She set out the food and crossed her legs as she looked the old man over.
"Would you like to hear a story child?" Springs mouth was so full of sandwich she just nodded and the man stuffed down one sandwich before beginning.
"Once upon a time there lived a young prince who loved a young servant girl. Of course he could not marry the girl because he was the prince. The servant girl's heart was broken and one careless day she drowned in this very river.
The servant girl's mother was very sad. How could anyone do this to her beautiful daughter? She used magic to seek out the truth and in her rage she vowed to get revenge on the young prince.
She ended up putting an evil spell on the young prince. She turned him into a frog! The only way to break the spell was for a princess to kiss him."
"Why a princess?" Spring interrupted through a mouthful of food.
"Because child, the prince had to marry a princess, that's why the young servant girl's heart broke, and the evil witch decided that no princesses would want to touch icky frogs!"
"I like frogs!" Spring swallowed. "They are good at scaring my older stepsister."
The old man smiled at the young girl's spirit. He figured she probably scared more people then just her older stepsister.
"Try a snake," he said standing up. "Might work better next time." He regretted the suggestion when the small girl's eyes lit up with scheming delight. He shook his head and stood.
"Are you going to come back?" Spring asked cleaning up the lunch and putting it back into her basket. The man shook his head, but offered no explanation. Spring sighed and put her shoes on. "Well I have to go home. Maybe I can find a snake on my way home." She said, more to herself then to the man.
The man leaned heavily on his cane and walked off into the deeper forest.
"For a piece of your lunch I will give you a story."
Spring jumped and looked at an old man with a cane. His hair was as black as hers, but it had silver strands in it. He was thin, wearing very ragged clothes and he leaned heavily on his cane. The terribly haggard appearance of the man scared her, but only for a moment. Spring was too light hearted and loving and quickly went busy at unpacking her lunch.
"Sure you can have some." She said in her young and innocent tone. Her tiny hands were busy as was her mouth. "You can sit there and I can sit here. And you can have more food then me because your older but I really like milk and if you want I can bring more tomorrow but I - " The man smiled at the child ramblings and sat down where it was she told him to.
She set out the food and crossed her legs as she looked the old man over.
"Would you like to hear a story child?" Springs mouth was so full of sandwich she just nodded and the man stuffed down one sandwich before beginning.
"Once upon a time there lived a young prince who loved a young servant girl. Of course he could not marry the girl because he was the prince. The servant girl's heart was broken and one careless day she drowned in this very river.
The servant girl's mother was very sad. How could anyone do this to her beautiful daughter? She used magic to seek out the truth and in her rage she vowed to get revenge on the young prince.
She ended up putting an evil spell on the young prince. She turned him into a frog! The only way to break the spell was for a princess to kiss him."
"Why a princess?" Spring interrupted through a mouthful of food.
"Because child, the prince had to marry a princess, that's why the young servant girl's heart broke, and the evil witch decided that no princesses would want to touch icky frogs!"
"I like frogs!" Spring swallowed. "They are good at scaring my older stepsister."
The old man smiled at the young girl's spirit. He figured she probably scared more people then just her older stepsister.
"Try a snake," he said standing up. "Might work better next time." He regretted the suggestion when the small girl's eyes lit up with scheming delight. He shook his head and stood.
"Are you going to come back?" Spring asked cleaning up the lunch and putting it back into her basket. The man shook his head, but offered no explanation. Spring sighed and put her shoes on. "Well I have to go home. Maybe I can find a snake on my way home." She said, more to herself then to the man.
The man leaned heavily on his cane and walked off into the deeper forest.