Faithful
John
Once upon a time, in a Kingdom by the sea, an old
King fell sick. The King called for his most loyal palace
servant and friend, Faithful John. The King said, "My
soul must go over the sea. Do not worry. I have had a
long and happy life. But my son Prince Crispin must
rule my Kingdom. He is young and still unwise. If you
do not pledge yourself to teach him, I can not rest in
peace." Faithful John replied, "I will never allow harm
to come to him, even if it should cost me my own life."
The King smiled, took Faithful John's hand, and died.
Prince Crispin was now the new King, and Faithful
John opened all the old King's chambers to him. All
but one. In the palace hung a portrait of Princess
Esther of the Golden Roof. The painting was doubly
enchanted: with good magic, but also with a curse.
The painting was so well made, and the Princess was
so beautiful, that any one who beheld it would be in
love with her - but would also be in terrible danger.
Faithful John had strict orders to be very careful how
young Crispin would enter this room, and on their
tours he always passed it by. One day the young King
insisted that the mysterious locked door be opened.
Faithful John warned King Crispin. "I promised your
father to take care how I show you this room. It could
mean trouble for us both." Faithful John tried to block
the doorway. The young King darted around him, but
as soon as he saw the painting he stopped - the
Princess was so beautiful that golden light seemed to
shoot from her skin and fill his heart to bursting. "I am
in love!" he cried. "Help me!" He fainted, and fell
unconscious to the floor. Faithful John lifted the young
man up the stairs to bed, and knew that he would
have to help his new King.
The Land of the Golden Roof was made entirely of
gold - not only the roof, but also every last piece of
furniture. Faithful John knew that in that strange
place, no flowers or animals could live. He said to the
King, "Let us take the gold from your safes, and have
artists fashion it into the most amazing flowers and
wild beasts in the whole world. This will be gold in
forms that Princess Esther does not have, and we may
try our luck." Posing as gold merchants, the King and
Faithful John loaded up the fleet of ships and set sail
across the Sapphire Sea to the Land of the Golden
Roof. Faithful John went ashore to fetch the Princess.
He took just two items - a golden rose he had carved,
and a glorious single lotus blossom fashioned by the
King. Faithful John entered the city, which was entirely
protected by the great Golden Roof. Everything was
made of gold, but no plants or flowers could he see,
even golden ones. He was led to the Princess by her
handmaiden, and he gave the handmaiden the golden
rose. "How strange and lovely", said the Princess.
"What else have you got?" Then Faithful John held
aloft the lotus blossom, made by the King with pure
love for the Princess, in gold and set about with
sapphires. She almost wept at its glittering beauty.
"Our Kingdom must have flowers such as this!" said
the Princess. She felt that something great and
wondrous was beginning to happen. "What more do
you have?" Faithful John answered that the rest of the
treasure was in the ships. Princess Esther asked her
handmaid, whose name was Mary, to prepare her
carriage immediately, and they journeyed to the
harbour. She ran down to the shore. All of King
Crispin's ships were anchored there, glittering in the
sun, laden with gold. Faithful John showed her the
fleet, and invited Princess Esther and her handmaiden
Mary aboard the King's ship.
When the Princess saw the treasures she was amazed
- it was as if every flower and animal she had
imagined was before her, in purest gold. While she
was examining each gold flower Faithful John had the
ship set sail for home! The Princess felt the movement
of the ship. She cried, "I have been tricked!" She ran
up to the deck - and crashed right into the King! Now
her amazement grew again, for he looked upon her
with such great love that she loved him back
immediately. The King bent on one knee and asked for
her hand in marriage. To everyone's delight she
agreed instantly. King Crispin gazed at Princess
Esther. The handmaid Mary gazed at Faithful John.
But Faithful John was looking at three large black
ravens perched on the bow of the ship.
Faithful John had lived long and learned many things,
including the raven language. The ravens were talking
about the King. The first one said, "It is done, his love
has won her heart." The second raven replied, "No, for
they are not wed yet! You forget the danger of the
painting. A ruby horse will appear, but if he rides it, it
will leap away and never be seen again! Only the ruby
dagger in its saddle can kill it - but who knows that?"
"Poor King" said the third raven. The second went on,
"Yes, and if he passes the horse, he will find a silver
wedding vest. But it is really brimstone, and will burn
him up if he puts it on! Only fire can destroy the vest but who knows that?" The third raven said "Poor
King." The second piped up a third time. "Even if he
passes the ruby horse and the silver vest, if his bride
dances on their wedding night, she will fall down and
sleep forever. Only by taking three drops of her blood
with a diamond pin will she be saved - but who knows
that?" The third raven said "Poor King." Faithful John
was beside himself with fear, but the worst news was
still to come. Now the first raven spoke low. "If
anyone should help the King to pass the ruby horse,
the silver vest, and the diamond needle, whoever does
these brave deeds will be turned to stone. Solid
marble, head to toe. This is the final curse." The
second raven said, "Every curse can be lifted - but
who knows that?" The ship hit a wave and all the
ravens flew away in a burst of sea foam and mist.
As the ship docked on the shores of Crispin's
Kingdom, out of the woods galloped an enormous ruby
horse, such as no one had ever seen. Princess Esther
was the most astonished, for she had never seen an
animal at all! King Crispin said, "It is yours. I shall ride
it home for you." Suddenly, Faithful John leapt in front
of the King. He grabbed the saddle of the horse and
pulled out a ruby dagger. The horse's eyes flamed
with rage; steam rose from its nostrils. It attacked
Faithful John with its stone hooves. He plunged the
dagger into the ruby horse and it shattered into a
thousand ruby pieces. The Princess screamed, but
King Crispin said, "Faithful John is a good man. He
must have his reasons."
The King's people welcomed Princess Esther, and
everyone prepared for the great wedding when she
would become their Queen. The day before the
wedding, King Crispin found the most incredible
wedding vest lying in his room. It looked to be made
entirely of silver thread. He called in Esther to thank
her for the silver vest, but it was not from her - or it
would have been made of gold. Suddenly, Faithful
John leapt from behind the couch. He grabbed the
vest and threw it into the fireplace! It exploded in a
ball of fire. The Princess was outraged by his actions,
but King Crispin said, "Faithful John is a good man. He
must have his reasons."
The next day the whole Kingdom celebrated the
marriage of King Crispin and Queen Esther. The palace
rang with music and laughter as the lords and ladies
danced the night away. Crispin led Esther her towards
the ballroom. The moment her foot touched the dance
floor, down she fell, stone cold! Faithful John leapt
from the crowd and grabbed Esther as she dropped.
He pulled a diamond pin from his belt and quickly
drew three drops of blood from her chest. Esther
awoke, coughing. But the King had not seen her fall.
It looked like Faithful John was attacking her! "You
have gone too far!" he shouted. "Faithful John, I
sentence you to death." Guards led a sad Faithful John
to the dungeon.
The next morning, the guards took Faithful John from
the dungeon to have him put to death. As he passed
the King, Faithful John cried out, "I have been wrongly
judged, for I have always been as faithful as my
name!" He told of the curse, and the ravens, and how
he had only acted so strangely in order to save King
Crispin's life. The King gasped. "To think I could have
executed an innocent man. Oh Faithful John, please
forgive me."
But it was too late. Faithful John had already turned to
stone. Solid marble, head to foot. The King and Queen
broke down crying, and Mary and the whole Kingdom
mourned. The marble figure of Faithful John was
placed in the palace garden as a monument to loyalty.
After a while, Crispin and Esther had children, twin
boys who were their pride and joy. One day, as he
was watching his sons play in the garden near the
marble statue, the King sighed, "Faithful John, I wish
you were alive again." The stone began to speak. It
said, "Every curse can be lifted - but only if you give
up what is dearest to you." The King replied, "You
saved me so many times, I would give anything." The
statue said, "Then cut off the heads of your children,
and sprinkle the stone with their blood." The King
shook with fear. He had tears in his eyes. He raised
his sword above his sons' heads... but Faithful John's
voice cried, "Stop! Your faith is enough. I shall remain
stone."
King Crispin hid the marble figure behind the curtains
in the palace. Esther came down the stairs, saying
that she missed Faithful John. "Dear wife," said the
King. He told her of his wish, and of the curse, and
that they would have to give up their children for
Faithful John's sake if they wished to undo their
injustice. The Queen went pale, and her heart was
afraid, but she said, "Make it so. We owe him all for
his truth and faith." With her very words, the stone
melted away - the spell was broken! The curtains
opened, and the King and Queen were overjoyed to
see their great friend Faithful John alive and human
again. The children ran out laughing - they thought
everyone was playing hide and seek!
The King and Queen held a celebration for Faithful
John. At the banquet, Faithful John asked Mary to
marry him! She had waited for him all these years
with her own quiet faith. They were wed that very
night, and all of them lived in the palace together,
happily ever after.
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