A Fairy Tale the second

Tuesday, 14-Dec-1999 19:42:15
165.87.201.212 writes:

I thought I'd try this and see how it goes,see if any of you are good enough to carry this little story.In a kingdom far far away oh let's say Oz lived a prince,he wasn't your average prince.Oh his name Russell,anyway he had a fiery temper and a black as nite steed,he enjoyed on occasion going to the pub and singing with his friends.

desiree

THEN, ONE DAY...
Tuesday, 14-Dec-1999 22:50:31
12.74.100.124 writes:

Russell went a bit (or a lot) crazy and got into real trouble. Prince Terry, his brother, took him back to the farm where Russell, still consumed by rage, would not listen to reason, locking himself in his room only to emerge to tend to and converse with, his animals.

A fortnight went by; little by little, Russell realized he had to control this anger within. How to go about it, however, remained a mystery to him. He cried, reflected and asked the stars above for an answer.

One day, as he swam in the pond, his favorite playpus nudged him and said: "....

L.

LULU


"You know, young Russ..."
Wednesday, 15-Dec-1999 01:44:04
167.160.201.81 writes:

"...according to the Psychic Friends network, I was once a great white shark, and I swam free and bold through the wild wide seas. I travelled to Hawaii, and the coasts of the Pacific Northwestern US, I bore the marks of many battles on my splendid thick skin, and I feared no whalers, no fishermen, I snacked on rubber-clad surfers and cleaned my teeth with surf-boards. I ate little fish, big fish, seals and old tires. I was invincible and blessed with no conscience or intellect to know good from bad, in either taste or moral judgement, and so I was absolved from guilt and responsibility. Then one day I met a school of dolphins, and they said they had heard such tales of my exploits, they wanted nothing but to be in my esteemed company for a while..."
"And? And what then, Mr Platypus?" asked Russ.
"Like I said, I had neither brains nor discretion enough to see through their malicious plot... I tried to bite them."
"And?" asked Russell.
"Like I said," repeated the platypus, "that was a past life. But that Psychic Friends network is still after me for the bill."

petshark

"What? That's it? Is that some sort of pea-brained morality tale?"
Wednesday, 15-Dec-1999 02:25:17
167.160.201.80 writes:

grumbled the stirred-up audience of one.
"No, no!" spluttered the platypus as he moved into some deeper water, eyeing his little cave across the way. "I mean, maybe, but it was a metaffff..." glug, glug... splash... "you know, a discerning fellow such as yourself..."
"Ought to know better than to have a chat with a platypus..." interrupted Russell as he rose from the water.

"Hmpf!" said the platypus, "I was going to say can recognize the shark for what it is..."

Russell paused, "and what is that?" he asked over his shoulder.



ps

"A shark is...
Wednesday, 15-Dec-1999 12:19:57
206.181.208.2 writes:

a member of a Puerto Rican gang who sang and danced their way across the big screen in West Side Story, especially "Nardo", in that purple shirt, but I digress.....Meanwhile, back at the farm, all the animals were stirring. It seems that across the seas-make that oceans, women everywhere were filled with an emptiness, missing something or someone who would give them a sense of fulfillment, a reason to go on with their lives. Somehow, the animals were in tune with this longing. One hot steamy night.....

suzieq502

Re: (and we all know how hot steam chases those troublesome fish away...)
Thursday, 16-Dec-1999 09:32:03
203.22.86.226 writes:

one hot steamy night, he met a girl named katrina, fell in love with her, married her, and a dozen kids with her and lived happily ever after (with her)!

couldnt help myself, but if u must ignore this story. continue.

one hot steamy night,..........

katrina

CAN WE FOLLOW A STORY LINE, PLEASE? TORRID, 4-TUNE, PAPEEK, PACHABEL WHERE ARE YOU!!!
Thursday, 16-Dec-1999 11:18:22
12.74.97.58 writes:

I tought they way this works is by people taking turns. You post again after everyone else has have their say. So, to do it right, Desiree and I should wait a "decent interval" to give all of you a chance and then she posts again and I will follow her. I would imagine it will be up to Desiree to end it, since it was her idea.

OK Katrina: give it a real try now, that entry does not count. You are so funny and you write well, and I am sure you know some platypluses in person LOL.

Who knows how will it come out if we all give it a real try? Maybe we can send it to Russell! We might have a script!
Git!
L

LULU

Re: CAN WE FOLLOW A STORY LINE, PLEASE? TORRID, 4-TUNE, PAPEEK, PACHABEL WHERE ARE YOU!!!
Thursday, 16-Dec-1999 18:35:11
165.87.201.212 writes:

Lulu you would be correct on all counts thanks for that.

desiree

Re: "A shark is...
Thursday, 16-Dec-1999 12:38:49
212.242.8.139 writes:

one steamy night
a shadow appered in the dark,what was is or is it something or someone,move in for a closer look
itīs a personlike figure moving in the dark,everything stod still,waiting in slilence,then the amimals began to move towards the figur,they felt safe and began to talk to the stranger,he replide in a soft,whispering voice:hello to you,are everybody like you or are there something else living here?the amimals just stod there,looking then the stranger began to move towards the house in the distance with the lights on,what was it there that drew the stranger to the light,he said to himself:.......


i hope that it will do for the story something if not then leave it out ok
good luck for the next one
love acdk

acdk

One Steamy Night.....
Thursday, 16-Dec-1999 18:35:00
152.163.195.209 writes:

Russell stepped out into the light with the stranger and to his amazement, she was the most captivating woman he had ever seen.

She stood almost as tall as him with long, soft flowing black hair that reached down low on her back, she smelled like the flowers in the meadow. He was mesmerized. She did not speak, she just reached out and gently stroked his face. She moved closer to him until their bodies touched then lightly caressed his lips with hers. Still she did not speak. Prince Russell was mesmerized, he had to know who this raven beauty was and asked again.

Her reply was to walk over, pick up his guitar and start to strum it softly. When she sang, Prince Russell was captivated with the splendor of her voice, he fell in love instantly.

The animals gathered around her, they were as enchanted as the Prince was. When she finished her song, she reached over and stroked the head of a wild stallion Prince Russell had attempted to capture and tame without sucess. The stallion nuzzled her, with total trust. She led him to Prince Russell, and the stallion in turn nuzzled him knowing that this woman would show herself only to kind, gentle people.

She turned away and started to walk back into the night. "Wait! What is your name?" cried Prince Russell. She glided back over to him and grazed her lips across his ear and whispered...Tune. She then melted into the night. Prince Russell ran after her but it was too late, she had disappeared.

Prince Russell said out loud..."How 4Tuneate that I have fallen in love with such a beauty, I must find her or die from loneliness."

With a last glance at the darkness, Prince Russell inhaled the lingering smell of her and softly whispered, "Tuuuunnne".

4tune
Re: One Steamy Night.....
Thursday, 16-Dec-1999 21:40:38
198.168.133.44 writes:

Do you really expect me to follow that? It's not
possible-that was GREAT!
I hate to look intellectually inferior in public.
P !

Papeek

WELL, PAPEEK (COWARD!) I WILL JUMP IN YOUR PLACE...
Thursday, 16-Dec-1999 23:55:36
12.74.102.42 writes:

Heartbroken, Prince Russell walked backed to towards the farm. The stallion followed him, gently nozzling him but Russell didn't notice. Sadness enveloped him, tears welled up as he repeatedly asked to the wind and the sky above: who was she, why had she left him?

So many emotions stirred within! The incident at the pub still haunted him, he was not proud of had had happened but he had not faced whatever it was that, so often, moved him to lose control and behave in such a way. And then... the stranger in the meadows...happiness seemed to have touched him and then left him, bewildered and sad.

All of a sudden, he found himself back by the pond. HIs faithful friend, the gentle playtpus, looked at him from the edge, and softly beckoned. With a deep sigh, Russ took off his boots, sat back by the water's edge and wiggled his toes in the water...

LULU

Lying back on the dew-moistened grass, the great prince falls asleep . . .
Friday, 17-Dec-1999 14:45:25
63.25.129.80 writes:

and dreams.

At first, Prince Russell is filled with troubled dreams . . . tigers in enclosed spaces, men in gladiator dress; both chasing him and threatening his very existence. Finally, those dreams fade and he is back with the platypus at the pond swimming. The platypus is speaking to Prince Russell, but he cannot make out the words from across the pond. As he gracefully glides through the water towards the platypus, he hears the platypus say "tune".

Prince Russell stops swimming in surprise and gives his new friend, the platypus, a heated look. "What did you say?" the distraught prince asks. The platypus repeats the mystical word and disappears under the water, leaving Prince Russell to grow more and more frustrated as he swims back to the edge of the water.

Rising from the water, Prince Russell looks back towards the point where he last saw the platypus and sees the beautiful, black-haired Tune breaking through the surface. "Wait," Tune calls out to the ruggedly handsome prince "I am here to tell you something important about your future."

Bewildered, Prince Russell stares at the vision and begins to move back into the water. Urgently Tune pleads, "No, please stay there. If you come towards me, I will disappear. The Christmas spirits have sent me to you as a vision of Christmas future. Happiness with a loved one is on your horizon, but you must first face your past and let it go. You are a bright light. Your passion for living and your talents are a gift given to few. Embrace them without the shadows of the past and you will experience joy without bounds."

Just as Prince Russell is about to ask his beloved Tune how to do this, a soft tongue on his cheek awakes him. Looking up through sleep-filled eyes Russell finds his trusted mate and dog, Lucy, happily licking his face. Sitting up, Russell stares out into the pond and finds no trace of Tune or the platypus.

He grabs Lucy and gives her a quick, playful hug while thinking about . . .



Torrid_1

Re: Lying back on the dew-moistened grass, the great prince falls asleep . . .
Sunday, 19-Dec-1999 03:59:01
203.22.86.226 writes:

what a loony he had become.

katrina

Re: Lying back on the dew-moistened grass, the great prince falls asleep . . .
Sunday, 19-Dec-1999 04:12:36
203.22.86.227 writes:

while thinking about.....what a loony he had become.

"Why am I talking to platypuses?" he asked, and more "why are they answering me back?"

Finally, Prince Russell had realised his schizophrenia. He decided, right there and then, that the only way to get these nagging voices and visions, this platypus and this 4tune person, out of his head was to jump on a plane and head for the States. (He had to go there to collect something called an Oscar anyhow, so a trip overseas wouldn't be a big deal.)

He took only three things with him: his dog Lucy (cause he'd miss her otherwise), a big bottle of bourbon (for fun)and his Mum (to keep him on the straight and narrow).

When he got there, he met an old friend. Her name was Nicole. He really liked her, but she was married. Usually, Prince Russ would be wary of married women, but this time his schizophrenia (and the bourbon)was kicking in.

One night(after ditching his Mum), and
while out on the town with Nicole .....


katrina

While out on the town.....
Sunday, 19-Dec-1999 13:18:23
165.87.201.212 writes:

While out on the town with Nicole,Prince Russ and her have a heated argument.He walks away leaving her yelling at him,Prince Russ heads for a club within walking distance.Unless something happens he will make the club circuit until the early morning hours.Anyway Prince Russ walks in to be taken by....

desiree

Prince Russ walks in to be taken by...
Monday, 20-Dec-1999 21:03:02
12.74.98.8 writes:

an overwhelming sense of sadness. He closes his eyes and images of his pond, Fortune and the wise platypus come to him in rapid sucession.

Without being aware he is speaking out loud he says "I don't belong here" and turning around Prince Russ heads for the pub's exit and home.

As days go by, a strange calm permeates him; the calm slowly gives way to a joy he had not felt in a long time, if ever. Prince Russ busies himself with farm work; he tends to the cows, securing for them the services of a top-notch veterinary psychiatrist from Transylvania, recommended to him by his friend and horse breeder, petshark.

While he eagerly awaits the arrival of the distinguished scientist, Prince Russ has had time to reflect, to ponder on the strange events at the pondand the medows. The stallion is still with him, very much at ease in its new surroundings. The platypus never fails to surface whenever the prince comes to the pond. Sometimes they talk, others they just float contentedly.

Finally, one day, Russell asks the platypus: "Tell me: was she real?"
To which the wise marsupial responds:
"No, dear prince, she represented your dreams, the possibilities awaiting you and the wisdom within your very soul".

The prince sighs: "I though as much. I know now what it is I must look for..."

LULU

Prince Russ got restless as the days passed...

Friday, 31-Dec-1999 05:25:55

205.188.199.151 writes:

he needed a little excitement, so he decided to go for a ride on his harley. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a while, to decide how to go about meeting the woman of his dreams. He knew the club circuit was not the place.

After a while, he stopped a short distance from Ayer's Rock and admired the view. There was no one around except for him and a few grazing roos. He watched the roos for a bit. Not realizing it, he spoke out loud to the roos as if they understood him. "How do I meet someone like Tune?" The roos looked up at him but soon went back to their grazing.

Prince Russ heard something and he turned around. All he saw was another roo. His attention turned back to his thoughts. He heard the noise again and once again turned around. Again, all he saw was the same mischevious roo. It was just a couple of feet away from him now.

He spoke to the roo knowing he would not get an answer. "Did you hear a voice? I must be imagining things...maybe I'm just going mental?"

To his surprise, the roo said, "It was I who spoke. My name is Lulu. I'm here to tell you how you can meet someone like Tune. She lives in the United States, in New York City. There you will find the woman of your dreams. You must go as soon as possible before..."

4tune

But the roo's voice
Monday, 10-Jan-2000 11:20:51
167.160.201.97 writes:

turned back into an inarticulate roo-sound before it could finish its sentence. This posed two problems: one, Prince Russ did not know what his time restrictions were, and two, he could not make the roo repeat the words for confirmation. He was having his doubts about these talking marsupials and now he wondered if perhaps he needed to try that meditation thing, perhaps the stress was taking its toll.


petshark



HOWEVER...
Tuesday, 11-Jan-2000 00:56:32
12.74.97.26 writes:

...there was something soothing, reassuring about one word said by the roo...
Lulu...
Was she, perhaps the answer? He closed his eyes and felt the echo of the name envelop him... caressingly. Repeating the sound, Prince Russ fell into a blissful sleep.

LULU

In his dream he saw a vision in blonde
Friday, 14-Jan-2000 00:50:33
167.160.201.92 writes:

That is blonde hair, blonde dress, blonde eyes... it was fairly unsettling in a blonde sort of way, something like an early episode of Neighbors...
So there was this blonde urgently trying to tell him something. Her voice seemed far away, but he could just make out "... he's not real, he's just pretending... he's nothing he seems to be..." and the prince found himself abruptly plunged into an uncomfortable parking lot (uncomfortable for someone who is trying to sleep, now on pavement) where a man leaned over him, a lanky type with dark hair and brooding eyes. The Prince shut his eyes again, hoping to return to where he had been blissfully sleeping but to no avail. The man shook him roughly by the shoulder.
"What *is* it?" asked Russ, sitting up and brushing the man's desperate grip from his shoulder.
The man's face brightened and a tear glimmered in his eye as he asked "are you my father?"

petshark


The man leaned over Prince Russ.
Monday, 17-Jan-2000 01:40:24
152.163.195.214 writes:

The man leaned over Prince Russ. Russ thinking the man was going to tell him who the mother was, did not move. Instead of talking, the man licked Russ'
face.

The shock of a warm wet tongue on his cheek woke Prince Russ. Russ looked up at the joey, stunned for a moment before he realized he had been dreaming.
Suddenly, he broke out in a chuckle. The startled joey turned around and ran back and jumped into it's mother's pouch. Prince Russ laughed even harder at
the sight of the mother roo looking into her pouch in surprise as she scratched behind her ear.

After his laughter subsided, Prince Russ remembered what Lulu the roo said.
He had to go to New York as soon as he could. He remembered the urgency in the roo's voice, he had to go now. He got on his Harley and rode back to the
farm and book the first available flight to NYC.

Prince Russell had booked himself a room at the Plaza Hotel. He had a beautiful view of Central Park as the sun started to set. He couldn't get the thought of meeting his soul-mate out of his mind. He didn't know where, when or how he was going to meet her. He decided to go out for a walk. Exercise usually helped him to think a little clearer.

He enjoyed the excitement, the fast pace, the cultural diversity of the city. He found himself in front of the Museum of Natural History. Maybe he would meet her there. He was always attracted to intelligent women, and a museum is the perfect place to meet her.

Half way across the street, he saw a cab run the red light. The woman who was walking ahead to him was fumbling with her bag and did not see the cab coming at first. The cabdriver slammed on his breaks, but he was not going to stop in time. Prince Russell ran and grabbed the woman, as the cab swerved in the other direction. The cab barely missed them as they landed on the ground. The
cabby looked to see if they were OK then sped off.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Any broken bones?"

"No, I'm OK. Just a little achy an a few scrapes, no big deal" As the disheveled woman began to thank him for saving her life a man ran over to ask if they were alright.

"Yes mate, thanks. We could have been killed. At least he moved his motor car out of the way before he left."

Satisfied, the man walked away.

Prince Russell turned his attention back to the woman and was stunned, her hair had come loose. Why had he not noticed before, this woman looked just like tune!

"I think we had better get off the street before another cab comes by. Thank you for saving me, I've always wanted to "stop traffic, " but not this way!"

She and Prince Russell laughed. He was glad to see she was not one of those weak, docile women.

He helped her up, but she winced in pain.

"What's wrong? Are you in any pain?"

"I guess I twisted my ankle, It'll be fine in a little while."

"Well, let me get you off the street then," Russell said.

He picked her up, walked over to the sidewalk and sat her down on a bench.

"Thank you again, I'm Aria. I was just on my way to the museum. I was hoping to catch the amber exhibit before they closed. I guess it's too late now."

"Glad to meet you, I'm Russell. May I look at your ankle? I don't want you putting any weight on it if you're seriously hurt… Well, no broken bones,
just a little swelling. I think you should stay off your feet for now though, lets get you to a doctor and have it checked out."

"I appreciate your help, but I'm not going to the emergency room just for a twisted ankle. By the time they get to me, I'd be running the marathon."

"OK then, the least I can do is get an icepack on your ankle straight away. I'm staying near by."

Prince Russell tried to hail a cab, but to no avail. He picked Aria up and walked over to a horse and carriage waiting for customers. Aria protested,
but Russell would not hear of it and plopped her down on the seat.

They got to the Plaza in no time. Russell picked Aria up and they went to his room.

"You don't have to do this you know, I can walk. You've done more than enough for me."

"My mum bought me up right. I never walk away from people I can help, and it's no bother."

He put her down on the armchair, bought the chair from the writing desk over and propped her ankle on the chair. He grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom and went to the bar for some ice. When he turned around, Aria had taken her hair down. There, in front of him was Tune, the face, the long black hair.
His heart started pounding, Lulu had been right, she was in NYC.

Russell called room service and ordered dinner for them. They talked through dinner and late into the night. Russell told her about his family, his cows,
his farm, and how he loved being in the country horseback riding.

"I'd like to show you my appreciation. I was going to my place in Upstate New York for vacation. Would you like to go out there with me? There's a place
where you can go horseback riding nearby. I also have a lake on the property where you can go swimming and fishing. One of my favorite things to do up there is to just lie on the hammock at night and look up into the stars. How about it, are you game?"

"It sounds great. I'd love to go."

"Good, I'll pick you up on Friday."

4tune

"Rules? Rules? what sort of artist follows rules?"
Wednesday, 09-Feb-2000 00:31:04
167.160.201.96 writes:

the street-aged boy on the corner was shouting and waving his arms about.
"Rules, they say, take turns, they say! You write now, you shut up now... rules, are they crazy? Them with their knitting needles for poking out your eyes..." he hiccupped and vomited in the gutter.
It was Friday, and Prince Russ was waiting by the car for Aria. Watching and listening to the raving young man gave him a powerful yearning to be at this place with a lake, with Aria.
The trip upstate only heightened the prince's anticipation. Greenery, forest, all that which is was sadly hemmed in or obliterated by the urban sprawl that slithered across the modern American landscape.
The road wound through a wooded area, and they saw three young people, a woman and two men. Students, they seemed to be, setting off on a camping trip, toting cameras and sound equipment as if they planned to document their excursion. The woman looked rapturous with eagerness, the men less so. Perhaps this was because they were carrying the heavier equipment, Russ thought.
"Oh, wonderful, I bet they make a great little movie," Aria said.
They came to a town called Ne'er Dowell.
"This is the town," Aria explained. "Let's just get some groceries before we go up to the estate."
"Estate?" Russ thought. "Hm."
In the grocery store, the storekeeper, thinking himself unobserved, eyed Aria and her companion with guarded hostility. Russ caught the look and lifted an
eyebrow at the man. He was answered by a nervous smile.
While Aria made for the paper goods, Russ went to the counter to get some smokes. The storekeeper looked past Russ suspiciously, watching Aria
disappear down an aisle.
"You best be moving on, fella," he said in a harsh whisper.
"What?" asked Russ.
"I ain't sayin' no more, but you best be moving on before you lose your eer."
Russ thought about asking what the man meant by "eer," did he means hair or ear? And why this out of place accent? But the man clammed up as Aria
returned with the paper goods, and he gave her a most dishonestly friendly smile.
"Hello Sam, how are you today?" she asked him.
"Oh, been better, been better..."

petshark


..."not to mention Pa-peek," muttered the old man.
Friday, 11-Feb-2000 01:37:03
167.160.201.90 writes:

"Excuse me?" asked Aria.
"Oh, just those pa-peeking mice in the store-room, can't ketch 'em. Yep, been better."
"Do you have a cat?" asked Aria.
The old man just scowled at her...
"Ah-rooooooooo" they heard in the distance.
The man turned his head, listening, then looked back at Aria. After a peculiar, stilted dramatic pause, he said: "Nope. Sumthin' killed it."
Aria bridled at the information and muttered a flustered apology to the man as she paid for the groceries.
Back in the car, Prince Russ considered asking Aria about the "hair/ear" thing, but decided against it. It was too strange by far. Obviously the man was unbalanced. They pulled into the street and drove out of town towards the estate...

petshark