Grace- The Story

Katherine was curious and compassionate and so one day she resolved to go up to the Princess Fern's window to bring her food. She threw a rope up to her window and started the long climb. When she reached the window she climbed in and called out, "Hello?" She saw a woman stand up and turn around from a high back chair and she was not prepared for what she saw...

At first she saw nothing, heard nothing, and then there was shriek of fury, and all of a sudden a large black shadow flung itself upon her, knocking her to floor!

Katherine hit her head upon the stonework, and for a second she saw stars, but shaking her head she brought herself back into focus, and well for her that she did, for at that moment the shadow came rushing at her again, this time with a large staff in her hand.

Katherine, who was light and quick, sprang up and to the side, so that the heavy staff crashed harmlessly into the wall. Now Katherine took the offensive. Before Fern could send another blow her way Katherine leaped forward and caught her uplifted wrist. She could see nothing of the Princess's face, for it was covered in a heavy tangle of black hair.

The princess struggled wildly, and for a moment there was a violent battle going on in the middle of the room. But Katherine's cool moves and strength won out, and finally she managed to throw the exhausted princess to the floor.

Katherine stepped back a pace breathing hard, and she very slowly went to retrieve the staff, just in case the princess decided to try to use it again.

But there was no need, for now Fern had thrown herself full length upon the floor and was sobbing like a woman possessed.

"Gone, gone! It's all gone! My own selfish pride, that stupid maid, oh! My skin, my beautiful skin, ruined! All I ever had, my beauty, gone! And they are glad, yes, they are all laughing at their foolish princess who is locked in a tower! "

Katherine stood in the corner in silence. She stood thus for so long, that finally the princess raised her hair covered head and looked about her. Seeing Katherine in the corner she stood up, and then leaned against her desk, trembling so hard that she could hardly stand.

Katherine took pity on her, and moving gently across the room, she pulled out a chair and helped the princess to seat herself in it. Then, because she did not know what to say, she turned around and began tidying the room, which had been horribly wrecked in the fight.

Princess Fern sat watching her move about the room, straightening the rug, rearranging the furniture in a more attractive way, and stirring up the embers of the fire. Finally, she spoke.

"Who are you? One moment you are a maid of steel, the next, you are a fairy of lightness and ease? Why have to you come to my tower where I locked myself up so that none may look upon my countenance." Katherine turned her solemn face upon the princess.

"'I cannot speak in the eloquent tongue that you use my lady. As for who I am, what does it really matter? I am someone who is here to help you if you will give me the chance. I will tell you this, my father is a maker of shoes. And I was present on the castle grounds the day that you had your accident." The princess stood up and stormed over to the window, still not revealing her face.

"Ah! And so I suppose you saw the look of delight upon people's faces when I had damaged my face, and when I was locked in this room."

"I saw many anxious and worried looking people. I cannot say whether or not they were angry, sad, or happy. Their feelings were their own. As for my feelings, I have been watching this tower from my window for over a month. And daily I have seen a rope let down and a basket of food lifted up. I finally decided that it was time for me to come myself."

The princess made no reply, so Katherine bravely went on.

"I must ask, why my Princess, have you locked yourself in here?" The reply was given in a mournful and despairing tone.

"Foolish girl! Have you not heard? My beauty is spoiled forever, my face is now a wretched sight. And I will suffer none to look upon it."

"None? Or yourself?" The Princess's shoulders jerked upright.

"Ah, you think I am hiding from myself? Well once you have seen my face you will hardly blame me. Behold!" And shaking back her hair, she turned around so that she could face Katherine.

It took all of the self control that Katherine possessed to keep from starting back in horror, for the princess's face was a wretched sight indeed! The burn had never been properly treated, and now the skin was trying to grow over the scar, creating a hideous and disgusting face that frightened one to look upon.

But upon further scrutiny, Katherine could see that the deformation was not permanent. In fact, for she knew something of natural healing, with a little bit of scraping and poulticing, the princess's face could be made smooth again, with only a red line remaining to tell the story.

However, Katherine said none of this. For she had a greater purpose and lesson in mind. So instead she replied quite casually,

"I do not think it is as bad as you make it out to be. For indeed, my grandfather had a face like that, he had been hit in the face with a wagon harness, and it had healed up in just such a way. But I never saw my grandfather with fear and loathing, I always greeted him with love and delight. It is you that have made yourself out to be wretched and miserable. And it is you who must change that if you ever want to leave this tower again."

The princess's face turned white with fury at this bold speech, and with a low cry she grabbed a knife from the table beside her, and rushed at Katherine at full speed!

Katherine cowered back against the fireplace, and her hand desperately grabbed for something to defend herself. Ah! She felt the handle of a bucket of ashes. Katherine tensed her muscle as the princess rushed across the room towards her, a bare knife in her hand...

Grace- Story Time

I am going to write the 1st part of a story, and then I am going to ask one of the other writer's on here to continue it. She will then pass on the baton and so forth until it comes back to me.

Rules

• Nothing gross or inappropriate.
• A godly message.
• No moonlight kissing scenes.
• A good fight or two.
• A heroine is an absolute must.
• A hero is a life necessity.
• No villain, no story.
• Comic relief, absolutely.
• One character who we all totally fall in love with just for being who they are. Like Sam in Lord of the Rings.

Once upon a time...

There once was princess by the name of Fern. She was the daughter of the king and queen of a land called Dimland.

This princess was stunningly beautiful, rumored to be the most beautiful princess in the world. Her hair was a shiny black mane that reached to the floor. Her eyes were olive green, and her skin white and creamy.

Her voice was melodious, her step was graceful. She could dance all night and never grow weary, she could ride and wave to her people all day and never falter, she could sing and play on her lute for hours on end and never lose her voice. She was in fact considered, the perfect princess.

But those that really knew her knew that statement to be untrue. For though Princess Fern was beautiful and accomplished, she lacked some very basic qualities.

First of all there was her temper. Many a poor maid had been locked up in a high tower on bread and water for days on end because of this fault. Many times had she raised her voice in anger to her royal tutor, who bless his soul had only corrected her grammar. And many horses had she scared by letting herself go into rages while in the royal stables.

Second of all, the princess very vain. She would spend hours sitting while maids arranged her hair or dress. She was constantly fussing about her appearance, and she had even hired one maid whose only task was to stand ready with a golden mirror.

Third of all, the princess was selfish. She had never cared for others. As a child she had never shared her toys and pleasures with the other children at the palace. When a poor blind beggar came up to her carriage and asked for alms she turned him away.

Truthfully, Princess Fern was definitely not the perfect princess.

There was another girl who lived in the kingdom, a shoemaker's daughter. Her name was Katherine. She was a very sweet and lovely girl, but not considered out of the ordinary. Her hair was a brown color, her eyes blue. And her skin tanned from being out in the sun.

A stranger passing by her would have taken no notice of her existence, but to those that knew her she was treasured above great riches. For Katherine was a princess in her own way.

Katherine had a temper of her own, and she quite frequently lost it. But it was not at the trifles that Princess Fern would lose hers for, it was at injustice, cruelty, and dishonesty.

When younger Katherine had worried very much about her appearance, always doing this or that to make herself "prettier". Her father and mother noticed this after a time, and one day they took Katherine out into the hills surrounding the village for a picnic. Here there was a splendid view of mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys. While gazing it awe at this scene, Katherine's mother said,

"Do you see all of this beautiful creation that the Lord has made Katherine?" Katherine nodded, her eyes bright in wonder.

"You know also that He created you, don't you my darling?" Katherine nodded again.

"Well did you know that you are the highest thing in His creation? That He made you in His own image? So to Him, you are no less beautiful, but in fact more beautiful than all of this?"

Katherine never again questioned her value or beauty. Not that she dressed without taste, or never enjoyed the pretty trinkets that delight a girl's heart, but she never again fretted about not being the most "beautiful".

Katherine was very unselfish. Her mother was often sick, and so Katherine had to take over the responsibilities of running the household while tending her mother. In constantly giving of herself Katherine had learned the hardships, and the joys of being unselfish.

One day Katherine put on her cloak and went out into the town with her market basket upon her arm.

She was bargaining for some lettuces when a crier ran through the town shouting,

"Way for the Princess Fern!"

The crowd immediately parted and squeezed together on the sides of the road so that the Princess and her attendants might ride through. Katherine looked up in interest as the princess rode by. A trader beside her leaned over and said...

Okay, I am going to ask Jess to pick this story up and make it go on. Forward my brave writers!

Grace-And Idea for Biblical Courage?

Okay, I just wondered what you all thought of this. Here is a storyline that I think that I have come up with.

Colt Walsh is a state prison security guard. He has to work daily within barren walls, dangerous people, and despairing attitudes. Yet daily he walks into work with a smile on his face and love in his heart for the criminals within.

Okay, what do you think of that? It is original, which is one thing that I like about it.