Click clack was the sound of my fingers as they tapped against the keyboard…and the words appeared on the screen of the computer beginning with the words: Once Upon a time…
I thought it would be a good day to write a fairy tale. I had always loved reading Cinderella, Snow White and most of all Rapunzel. I had always wanted hair as long as hers. I was in the middle of writing my story when a scream came out of nowhere, and there was a loud crashing sound as a short figure came falling down the chimney. Tons of dust went everywhere. It was so hard to see what had happened…when the dust cleared, there stood a short little man who was rather dirty from falling through the chimney. His clothes looked regal, but were covered in dust, and he had blonde hair that looked almost like gold. I coughed from the dust, then managed to say,“H-hi.” I wasn’t quite sure what to say, for it isn’t every day that a short man falls through your chimney.
“I could have sworn the miller's daughter was supposed to be here!” he grumbled, standing up from the ground and walking over to me.
“You, aren't by any chance the miller's daughter?” I shook my head.
“That’s frustrating. I have been traveling all day and night looking for her, and I doubt the king is happy. How will I ever explain this to Mother Goose?” he groaned.
“You mean you are…Rumplestiltskin!” I said.
“Why ye— wait! How did you know my name? No one knows my name!” he said.
“Uh…I read about you in a book,” I said, though it sounded weird.
“Ah okay…that makes sense, I guess.” he said, no longer angry at me. “Maybe that was how they found out my name last time.”
There was a silence…finally I spoke, “I never introduced myself. I am Quinley,” I said. “May I ask what you are doing in my house?”
“Well, I meant to take the Fairy Godmother’s bus (she started a business bringing people everywhere, especially to the Ball) when somehow I fell off and landed in your chimney. I am sorry for the inconvenience.” he said blushing. Then he added, “I must get back to Fairy Tale Land, though. And I have no idea how. The only way could be to jump through a book, I suppose, but it is rather dangerous.”
I looked at him, “Well…I have several books upstairs, and I could—“
“Excellent, Quinny! Show me the books!” Before I could respond and correct him that my name was “Quinley,” he was upstairs in my bedroom staring at the book shelves.
“So where are your fairy tales?” he said, looking through the book shelves. He had already created a pile of books on the ground.
“Umm…somewhere around here,” I said, searching through the pile and moving The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Lord of The Rings where they wouldn’t get stepped on. Finally I found a copy of Classic Fairytales…
“Wonderful!” said Rumplestiltskin, opening the book, and turning to the story Rumplestiltskin and muttering some magic words. Suddenly there was a flash of light and everything went black. When I awoke I found myself in a hay pile. I stood up…there was a voice “Ow! Your stepping on my hand” I turned around. There was the miller’s daughter, her eyes red from crying…
“Uh…something must have gone wrong” I mumbled…looking around. “Because I am not supposed to be here.”
“Well, you could rescue me from the King. He will kill me, if I don’t spin this straw into gold. I mean, who would ever believe such a thing, that I could spin straw into gold?” she said.
“Uh….” I didn't know what to say at first. Finally, I answered, “Your father, I suppose?”
“My father?” she said, her face turning red. “How could you say that, my father would never say such a thing!”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Positive!” she said.
Suddenly the door opened and in walked the king… “Miller’s daughter you were supposed to spin straw into gold for me!” he said, looking around the room.
I groaned how could the story end like this? It is impossible, and sad. “Uh!’ I said, thinking fast. “She needs five more minutes to do so..”
“What is she doing here?” said the king.
“I..I climbed in through the window…silly me…and I was helping her spin straw into gold. She promised she would give me her first born child when you marry her.” It came out all at once. I couldn’t even stop myself.
The king stared at me… “And your name is?”
I blushed…”I can’t say! And you don’t know…”
The king’s mouth fell open. He looked surprised and he couldn’t even speak. Suddenly, Rumplestiltskin climbed in through the window and gasped…“Uh, Quin what are you doing here!?”
I turned to him, still blushing…”I-got-stuck-in-your-story-by-mistake-is-there-a-way-to-get-out?” I said all at once.
Rumplestiltskin slapped his face in frustration…”I should have told you to stand back while I did the magic!!” he groaned. He turned to the others and said, “I’m very sorry your highness and miller’s daughter please just stay calm and don’t panic…”
He reached into his pocket and handed me a golden pen. “Use this to get back. Just write with it, and amazing things will happen.”
Then he handed me a piece of paper and I began writing about home, about magic, about adventures... Suddenly, there was a flash of light and I was back at my desk, sitting at my computer. What had happened? I turned and saw the golden pen, it was still there. Since then I have written many stories with the golden pen. I don't know if the ink was pure gold, but it was magic. Whenever I wrote with it and read my stories aloud, the characters I created would come to life. It would feel like the story was real, but when I was done the characters would vanish.
I never forgot about my adventure in Fairy Tale Land, and sometimes I even have dreams about it.
