Picture Story! "The Enchanted Forest and The Princess"

Long Ago, there was a princess who wandered into the Enchanted Forest. Despite the warnings of her father, the wise old king, and an ominous "No Trespassing" sign, the princess thought it would be fun to discover for herself what was in the old forest. She had heard stories of ghosts and zombies and wild gorillas (who talk only in rhyme) and homeless people living in the forest, but those stories hadn't frightened her since she was a little girl.


The princess stood by the old mossy pond where the swamp monster lived and carelessly smiled and skipped along her way. "La La La," she sang, as she explored the innards of the enchanted forest, when all of a sudden from behind a bush, she heard a noise.


"What are you doing in my part of the woods? I can tell right away that you're up to no good!" said a wild gorilla (who spoke only in rhyme). "You better run fast, just as fast as you can, or I'll eat you right now, like a big Christmas ham!" "Have you considered not talking in rhyme?" interrupted the girl. "You would sound much more frightening if you did, you know". "See, this is the problem with kids these days," the gorilla lamented, "years ago, children still had imagination and would be scared to death by a rhyming gorilla." "Blame it on the media," the girl suggested. "Either way; old methods just aren't potent in frightening todays youth." "Well, I'm still going to eat you," the simian said, and began to approach her...



When all of a sudden- POW! An able and accurate fist appeared from out of nowhere and knocked the gorilla flat on his back (the princess's jaw naturally dropped in amazement).


A strong, handsome, charming, gallant, strong, chivalrous and charming man knelt next to the unconscious monkey and said, "I think he's had enough for today."

The princess embraced the stranger who had saved her life and fell instantly in love. "You are my prince Valiant!" she said excitedly, "You will be my husband and someday you will be King!"


"Unfortunately," the stranger said, with a forlorn look, "I am only a simple hobo who dwells among the creatures of this forest. I have no royalty to speak of."

"Well my father is the king and he gives me whatever I want," reasoned the young lady. "When I tell him that I want you to be a prince and someday rule the kingdom, he will have no choice but to do it. Oh, you will be so happy as a prince... you wake up everyday at 5 a.m. and learn French and wear tights and kiss peasant children and learn the lute and fight dragons and learn the tax system... it will be ever so much fun!"


The princess was now the happiest girl in the kingdom, and the hobo, realizing his forfeit of a free and nomadic life without boundaries, for a life of responsibility and tight-wearing was not as excited. And They Lived Happily Ever After.


And the king was happy.