Princess Dewdrop and the Golden Falcon

Once upon a time, there lived a pixie princess named Dewdrop. She lived with her Mother and Father, the King and Queen of the pixies, in the Great Tree in the Wild Berry Forest. Princess Dewdrop and her parents along with the rest of the kingdom were very happy. That is until the day the Golden Falcon came.

The Golden Falcon lived atop a tree a couple of yards away from the Pixie Kingdom. Many people praised him for his beautiful golden feathers. Though the Falcon was indeed beautiful, he was also very vain. He always gloated about how he was the most beautiful falcon in the whole forest and even claimed that he was the most beautiful falcon in the whole world.

One day, while perched upon his tree, the Golden Falcon looked at the Pixie Kingdom and thought, “Why don’t I have a kingdom of my own? I am the most beautiful falcon in the whole world. I should rule a kingdom and have servants to do my bidding!”

It was then that the Golden Falcon began to feel terribly jealous of the King and Queen of the Pixies.

So, the Golden Falcon swooped down from the sky and attacked the Pixie Kingdom. The pixies fled in panic. The royal guards tried to stop the falcon with their spears, but he was much too strong and fast. He knocked the guards down, and even snatched some of them in his beak and gobbled them up.

It wasn’t long before the Golden Falcon snatched the king and queen in both of his claws and squawked “I am your new ruler now! Obey me, or your former king and queen shall be my next meal!”

And with that, the pixies had no choice but to surrender. Princess Dewdrop escaped the Great Tree through a secret passage and hid in a bush. She cried there for a time, grieved that her parents as well as her whole people were now at the mercy of an evil falcon. She knew she had to do something, but what? A worm squirmed past her, and an idea came to her mind.

Princess Dewdrop found a sack and went to the mud fields, where many kinds of worms lived, from the regular pink worms to the strange, large polka-dotted worms. She spotted a large red worm and tackled it. She wrestled with it in the mud puddle. As the worm thrashed around, she was tossed and turned, but she did not let go. When the worm wore itself out, she stuffed him into her sack. Princess Dewdrop then looked at her reflection in a puddle of water. She was so muddy that she was nearly unrecognizable, which was just what she needed.

She flew back to the Great Tree with her sack and went into the throne room. There, the Falcon was sleeping in a nest he made for himself. 

The king and queen were still trapped in his clutches and looked quite miserable. When they saw Dewdrop, they recognized her.

“What are you doing?” the king whispered. “Get away from here! You’ll be killed!”

Dewdrop shook her head. “I have a plan,” she whispered. She cleared her throat and shouted, “Golden Falcon!” 

The falcon awoke with a start and ruffled its feathers in agitation. He glared at her. “How dare you wake me!” he screeched. “What could a muddy pixie like you want that is more important than your ruler’s beauty sleep!?”

Dewdrop gave the Falcon a low bow and said, “Oh, mighty Golden Falcon, ruler of the Pixies, conqueror of the former king and queen of pixies, I have come to bestow upon you a very special gift only you are deserving to have.” 

The Golden Falcon ruffled his feathers in pride. “Well, I suppose, as your gracious ruler, I shall allow you to give me this gift.”

Dewdrop opened her sack and the large red worm wiggled out. “To you, oh mighty Golden Falcon, I give the Fire Worm, a rare delicacy.”

The Golden Falcon tilted his head. “Hmm. It does look quite tasty.” He picked the worm up with his beak and swallowed it whole. It tasted as good as honey as it went down his throat. But when it reached his stomach, he screeched and squawked in agony. His tongue and eyes became red. The worm was spicy hot!  His whole body felt like it was on fire.

“What’s happening?!” he squawked. 

Princess Dewdrop laughed, “It’s called a Fire Worm for a reason!”

The Golden Falcon released his grasp on the king and queen. The king, the queen, and Dewdrop flew aside as the Golden Falcon scrambled out of the Great Tree and flew far, far away.

The royal family hugged one another, relieved that the whole ordeal was over.

Later that day, the whole kingdom celebrated the falcon’s defeat and Princess Dewdrop’s bravery and cleverness by having a great feast. That day has since been made a holiday amongst the pixies, which is celebrated every year.

As for the Golden Falcon, he flew from lake to lake until he made it to the lake of Frosty, which was the coolest lake in the whole wood and was the only lake that ridded the horrible bird of his burning pain. He attempted to leave those waters many times, but every time he did so he felt he was on fire again. Therefore, he stayed in Frosty Lake and has remained there to this very day, his hatred of the pixies causing him to molt his beautiful feathers and become the most hideous, bitter looking falcon anyone had ever seen.

 

The End