| My Work |
 |
| Fairystories and Poems |
| Densus |
  | Densus was born with blue finger nails and blue streaks in his hair. Some people said this was because his grandmother had been the sky. Others thought it was a disability. A few said it was the colour of his blood. Everyone thought it was curious.
Actually it was the same reason that he had a limp, because he had a destiny. Destinies are magical and strange things because you never know you have one until you look backwards but if you try to look backwards before you get there you end up dizzy wondering what day it is. Not everyone knows this and lots of people spend a long time looking backwards
Those people don’t have destinies.
But people with blue fingernails never look backwards and never get dizzy.
Densus didn't know he had a destiny just as you don’t know, until one morning he wished his sister goodbye and slipping a large piece of cheese into his pocket he set out for a walk. A long walk. A long, long walk. A walk he knew he just had to take. A fresh air, blue sky, sun shining walk. The very best kind of walk you can take, the one where you have absolutely no idea where you are going but you know you have lunch packed away.
He walked up and down three hills before he decided to eat his cheese.
He walked up and down another three hills before he decided he should only have eaten half the cheese after the first three hills and saved something or later.
After two days walking he was extremely hungry and chewing on grass stems...
and so would you be after two days with only a slab of cheese to eat.
Have you ever been hungry enough to eat your own shoe? Densus was. But you are clever, dear reader, and you know better than I or Densus that this hunger was part of his destiny. You are right. I congratulate you and next time you see anyone with blue fingernails you have my permission to tell them they will probably be very hungry if they only eat a slab of cheese every two days.
Hungry and getting tired because he had not slept whilst he had been walking (he did try but he fell over and bruised his nose) he came to a large lake. It was clear and cold. He drank some water from it (these were days when lake water was fresh and pure and not polluted which means it was a very, very long time ago) and he bathed his feet in the water and wiggled his toes. He scratched his head and a blue hair fell out and sank down into the water. This was odd because normal hair floats.
But Densus did not have normal hair.
The strand of hair sank right down to the depths where a lonely crab sat thinking and looking backwards and feeling grumpy, and when the strand of hair landed on his claw it looked at it and sat upright as if someone had sent an electric shot through his shell.
"A sign," it said and clicking its front claws together it shot up to the surface and spun round looking for the owner of the hair and there it saw Densus on the shore. This crab's name was Arnold. It was an unusual name for a crab.
"Hello," Arnold said to Densus.
"Hello," said Densus, "I didn't know crabs could talk."
"Very few people want to talk to crabs," said Arnold, "So we rarely talk to them."
"My name is Densus."
"Arnold, pleasant day to you Densus."
"And to you Arnold."
"Have you always had blue streaks in your hair?"
"Always and blue finger nails." He showed Arnold his nails.
"Well, well. A coincidence is no coincidence as my grandfather used to say. And blue is blue is my grandmother used to say. And never look a blue coincidence in the mouth as my father used to say. You may be of help to me."
"I may."
"Yes."
"Very good and if I am would you give me a meal?"
"Why if you succeed I will give you meals everyday for the rest of your life and if you fail I will give you a good meal for trying."
"That sounds very fair. Is it dangerous?"
"It would be to anyone else, but not to a man with blue fingernails."
"Oh it sounds like I was born for the job."
"I think you may well have been," replied Arnold.
"Well now what is it I have to do?"
"In the middle of this lake is a small island, and on that island is a blue castle. Blue as the sky. On the top turret sits a blue giant and in his hand he holds a blue club and by his side is a blue sword."
"And he's a mean nasty old giant?"
"He can be, but more importantly he's a mean single old giant who bothers everyone because he cannot find a wife. And I have a wife for him but I cannot find anyone willing to walk up to him and tell him. The last person I sent to tell him he cut in two, the first person I sent to tell him he flattened with his club."
"He sounds a rash kind of giant."
"He is."
"Do you think he would make a good husband?"
"I think the right woman could get him to put away his sword and club and come out of his turret. He needs to broaden his horizons even if he is a big fellow."
"And you think I would be a good messenger?"
"I thought seeing you he may hold back, as you are bluish. He might feel you could be related and at least wait for you say something."
"Well now I can but try. Do you have a picture of the bride I can take with me?"
"I do." Arnold reached into his shell and brought out a picture of the most beautiful Octopus Densus had ever seen with a large brown eye and eight flattering tentacles.
"Are you sure they are suited?" asked Densus.
"Positively, when have you ever known a crab to be wrong?"
"Never." Densus assured him putting the picture in his pocket. "How do I get to the island?"
"I will take you," clicked the crab. "I will take you."
So Densus climbed onto Arnold's shell and they started off and because Arnold knew Densus couldn't breathe under water he swam on the surface and because Densus knew that was dangerous for a crab he kept the seagulls away by waving every so often. The seagulls didn’t take any notice. They had already eaten.
After an hour Densus saw an island and after another half and hour he saw a huge blue castle, with long thin windows nestled into the hills. And as he looked a giant's figure appeared on the turret looking into the distance wondering who was coming to his castle this time and feeling particularly grumpy he fingered his club .
Arnold dropped Densus on the pebble beach.
"I will wait here," he said. Densus walked up the beach, along a path and came up close to the wall. He couldn't reach the door bell so he shouted out.
"Anyone home?"
"Why you asking aren't I big enough for to see?" asked the giant who had a surprisingly high voice for such a big giant. He leaned over his turret until his nose almost touched Densus’ head.
"You are easy to see," replied Densus, "but you might have not wished to have a visitor."
"Hmmm, true. Uncommonly thoughtful of you."
"Oh that's nothing when I am being really thoughtful I bring people all kinds of gifts and say all kind of nice things."
"What kinds of gifts?"
"Chocolates and boats."
"I like chocolates. I never had much fun in boats. They always sink."
"Well you just need a bigger boat."
"Oh that's true too, you are very good at seeing the truth," said the giant.
"Why thank you."
"Did you bring me a present?"
"I did. The most special present I could bring anyone."
"Oh? Is it a big boat?"
"No."
"It’s not chocolate is it?"
"No."
"Hm. I would like a few horses did you bring any?"
"No."
"Alright I give up then what's my present."
"A wife."
"A wife?" The giant was surprised. "Do I need a wife?"
"A wife is better than chocolates."
"Oh well if you say so that must be true too."
"And almost as good as a really big boat."
"Do you think she wants a husband?"
"I am told she does."
"Who told you?"
"Arnold."
"Well I never. Arnold? How is he? I haven’t seen him is years."
"He's been very worried."
"He has? About what?"
"About you not having a wife and how you killed two people he sent to tell you he had a wife for you."
"Oh is that what they wanted? The first one asked me if I needed new furniture and the second one asked me if I had a telephone he could use. I thought they were trying to sell me things. I don't like people who try to sell me things."
"Well I can understand that," said Densus.
The giant stretched and leaned down and put his club up against the castle wall and stepped down. Densus could now see he really was a huge person. The door opened and Densus walked into this huge courtyard.
"It's a nice castle you have," said Densus.
"It isn't mine," the giant told him, "I am just renting for the summer. I shall build my wife a new house. Do you think she will like that?"
"I am sure she will enjoy that. Will it be a blue house?"
“Oh I think so,” the giant replied, “I wouldn’t want to live in any other colour. I tried living in yellow once and it disagreed with me.
Arnold was still waiting when Densus and the giant appeared and he clicked his claws merrily to see densus alive..
"Well done! Well done! Now we can get the wedding off the ground."
Which is what they did. And even the seagulls did a fly past to celebrate and the owner of the blue castle gave the giant and his new wife a month’s free accommodation. The giant being a nice person really used the money to buy his wife lots of Belgian chocolates.
One thousand and three hundred species went to the giant's wedding and Densus ate his fill and the octopus was happy as could be and the giant smiled all the time and Arnold was even happier than anyone.
Because soon he would have his castle back he could rent it out to people who didn't kill visitors.
Sometimes, Arnold thought, bachelors are the worst tenants.
| | Posted: 4.4.2008 at 03:48 | Read 106 times | 0 comments | Leave Comment |
|
|
|
| Daniel | | 
"The world is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel:Horace Walpole" |
| | View My: Blog | Pictures | Videos | Layouts |
|
