Joselle - The Great Grey Wolf and Little Ruby Riding Hood

Jasmine smiled to herself today she was going to see Prince Patrick Piper! Although it would be an hour till he arrived, she had already begun to dress. Jasmine put on a bright sunshine yellow dress on a hoop with pure white lace going down it, with those puffy sleeves, and a light pink ribbon around her waist. Although the dress was rather itchy and uncomfortable, she would look gorgeous! She let down her blood red locks and pulled part of it back. Perfect! thought Jasmine, Patrick will be sure to go head over heals when he sees me! Jasmine finished up, put on some shoes, and hurried downstairs.

Immediately Jasmine called over Milton. “What - what is it, Your Majesty?” asked Milton shakily.

“I’d like to know if Prince Patrick Piper has arrived yet!” Jasmine ordered.

“He-he is in the parlor, Your Majesty...”

Jasmine smiled wide. “Thank you Milton! Thank you!” Jasmine turned to go to the parlor but stopped and turned back around. “Milton do you think I look all right?” Jasmine asked eagerly.

“Y-you look m-marvelous, Your Ma-majesty-”

Jasmine smiled again and went into the parlor. There sat Prince Patrick Piper. He had on a velvet black suit and a night blue cape clipped onto his collar by two silver buttons.

“Hello Patrick,” Jasmine said. “How are you this LOVELY day?”

“Hello. I am quite fine,” Patrick replied dully. Oh not another cheeky little brat... but still there is a chance she might not be the same as Ruby...

“Patrick? Is there something wrong?” asked Jasmine.

But Patrick didn’t reply. He just sat there thinking for a moment. Oh well, though the same blood runs in her veins, she doesn’t seem as rude as her sister. Patrick sighed. Ahhh well I guess she’ll have to do. She may not be as beautiful and attractive as her sister, but I guess it could all work out with a plain girl.

Patrick was brought out from his thoughts by a voice saying his name. “Patrick!? Patrick? Is everything all right?” There Jasmine stood, staring at him eagerly.

“Huh! What! Of course I’m all right! YOU SILLY THING!!!” Jasmine seemed a bit startled at this so Patrick quickly calmed himself. “Now get me something to drink.”

Jasmine smiled, thinking of this as an acceptance of some sort, and she ran off.

Silas stood there for a moment, thinking. “Rose... what can I do... you know Cassin will get suspicious... and then I’d never get to know if Ruby’s okay or see her...”

Rose sat down on a rock and began to think. About thirty minutes had passed through the silence when Rose lifted her head and snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it! Silas we have to go hunting every night right?”

“Yeah, but Rose... you know only you, Papa, and James do the hunting,” said Silas unhappily.

“Yes, but what if I tell Papa that I want to teach you a bit about the hunt, and show you where we go!” replied Rose.

“Rose! That’s magnificent!!! STUPENDOUS!!!! WONDERFUL!!!! MY DARLING DUMPLING OF A SISTER!!!!!” Silas shouted with excitement.

“I know I know... but we’ll have to time it just right... when we’re not going to get caught...” Rose said to herself. “Now there’s Sora’s birthday next week, and there’ll be too much work to convince them that I have enough time to teach you. Now then there’s the festival the week after that and you’ve already volunteered to help. So you’ll be expected there, and expected stay there. OH!!! We should be able to go in about I’d say two to three weeks if all goes well. Maybe even sooner than that if we get lucky.”

Silas sighed. “Well I guess that’s all we can do... but still I wish I could just see her.”

Ruby’s first week at Mr. Kinston’s bookstore was wonderful! She helped put the new books on the shelves and dust off the old ones. Mr. Kinston gave her the spare room above the bookstore as pay, with a little money on the side. The best of all was the Ruby got to read all the books she wanted. There was one book that she loved most of all, about a young girl that saw through a hideous creature and found goodness, with love. The two ended up wed and that broke the spell revealing underneath the beast a beautiful prince. Ruby thought that this was a wonderful glorious story, wishing to herself that her own story would turn out joyous as well.

Just then Mr. Kinston walked into the room where Ruby had been shelving books. “Jacob are you almost done?” he asked.

“Almost.... there!” said Ruby as she placed the last book onto the shelf. “Is there anything else I can do?”

“Well as a matter of fact there is... you see today is the day of Helen’s death... and I was wondering if you could purchase some daisies from the flower shop and put them on her grave for me.”

Helen had been Mr. Kinston’s wife. She had died ten years ago of pneumonia. “Oh! Of course I’d get them for you.... but I have one question.”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you get them yourself?”

“I’ve been tired lately and I don’t feel up to the trip this year... So if you could please go?”

Ruby then realized that he preferred not to talk about it. Mr. Kinston gave her a couple Golden Hoods and Ruby left.

Ruby had gotten the flowers and had just begun to head toward the cemetery, when she thought she saw something. Ruby stared at the spot in the market where she had seen it. Then out came HOLLY! Ruby had a spring of hope when she saw her. Quickly she ran over to her. “HOLLY! HOLLY! Oh I’m so glad that I’ve found you!!!” Holly turned around, looking confused.

“Who are you, boy?!?! And how do ye know my NAME!” Holly ordered.

“Don’t you recognize me, Holly?”

“Recognize YOU?!?!” yelled Holly, disgusted. “I’ve never seen you before in my life!” With that, Holly turned around and hurried away.

Some friend she turned out to be! Ruby thought to herself, and walked off.

After Ruby had finished her errand she was feeling quite tired. So she asked Mr. Kinston if she could have the rest of the day off and she slept.

The weeks passed and Silas just waited anxiously till the day he could see Ruby. The fair would be tomorrow and Silas got ready for the prize booth. Silas ate slowly that night then drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Silas also awoke to a little poking in his side. “Come on, Silas, wake up!” Cara ordered. Silas rolled over with a groan.

“Oh... All right, I’m up...” Silas slowly stood up.

“Good cause we’re supposed to leave in five minutes.

Every year the family made a five mile walk to the fair in the middle of the forest where no human dared to enter. This year it was his job to carry the fair’s prizes. They had gotten most of the prizes from the junk piles that the farmers didn’t want. Some of the items they had found had been a rag doll, an old hunting knife that had become dull, and other old children’s toys. They had also bought a few items: a mirror from a pawn shop, some jewelry and some jars of spices.

It had taken ten hours since the walk at sunrise to get there. Silas set up his booth and observed the magnificent site. There were magicians doing the cup and ball, etc., lanterns strung through the trees, and different leaves, fruits, and pieces of broken glass around as decorations (the glass was hung on the tree branches.)

Silas sat at his table as many small “cubs” came to his booth for prizes in exchange for the colored rocks (the tickets) that they had gotten for winning various games.

Then a young woman wolf came to his booth with an apron full of the colored rocks. “So... What can I get with this many?” she asked Silas.

“Hmm.... let me see... you can get one of the better prizes... There is a hunting knife, a lovely hand mirror, some jewelry, or you can have about seven of the smaller prizes,” Silas said as he pulled out the larger prizes from his bag.

“Hmmm..... I think I’ll take the jewelry!” she said, admiring the gold necklace.

“Okay, here you go.” Silas took her stones and gave her the necklace.

As he began to put the items away till the next person came, the mirror rippled... Silas noticed this for the first time. He looked a bit closer and realized that... it was a MAGIC MIRROR!!!!!!!