Day 02 The Traveling Theater Troupe; [single-post]

"Welcome, to Goose and Sons' traveling theater."

A wide audience made of people of all ages surrounded the wooden stage with fluttering red curtains and lit by the natural sunlight. At its center was a tall master of ceremonies, their face hidden behind a half-white half-black clown's mask and a feathered cap with a wide brim. They wore a sparrow-tailed suit, the left half white and the right half black. They gestured to the crowd with silk gloves, standing prim on curled-toed shoes.

"Started three generations ago by Martha Theresa Goose and her three sons, our troupe has been a long-lasting tradition you have all grown up with. New actors have found their place here and new families were born from here. Today, the goose welcomes you to our humble abode. I hope we may entertain you today. Enjoy, for we present to you one of our favorites that has been a tradition for the last three generations. The classic fairy tale, 'The Three Wishes'."

The curtains drew apart and the host disappeared with a puff of smoke. The audience went silent and the play started.

Once upon a time, there was a soldier in the land of blue snow. The soldier was strong, and brave, and loyal. He fought many battles and won everyone. He was the pride of his village and was happy in his life.

The soldier had a wife, a fair maiden with eyes of blue and golden locks. The maiden loved the soldier and the soldier loved the maiden. All was well in the land of blue snow, but no story is free of tragedy...

One day, the soldier encountered the first monster he could not fight, a beast in which he hold no power over. The soldier was faced with death.

The maiden fell ill, a gravely disease of ice and ash. Her skin turned pale, her eyes of blue turned grey, her hair of golden locks dried and lost its luster. The maiden fell into a deep, cold sleep.

The soldier was sad, but he was strong and brave and loyal. He would not leave her side. The soldier wanted to fight this. And then the soldier was approached by a stranger.

"Why are you crying?" asked the stranger.

"My wife just died," the soldier replied.

"Then why are you crying?" asked the stranger.

"Because I miss her." replied the soldier.

"But why are you crying?" asked the stranger.

"Because there is nothing else I can do." said the soldier.

"But you can do something."

The stranger told the soldier about a god that sleeps, hidden deep below the ground where the light cannot reach. The god will grant any wish asked with earnest and a strong heart. The god can give life back to the dead. And so the soldier set forth on a journey to find the god that sleeps.

The soldier traveled far and traveled for a long time. He went deep underground. Then, he went deeper underground. Then, he went much farther. And as he went just deep enough, when light no longer reached him, a dragon appeared.

The soldier asked the dragon, "Are you the god who sleeps where the light cannot reach?"

"I am the god who sleeps where light cannot reach," the dragon replied.

"Oh please might god who sleeps, I have traveled far and deep to where the light cannot reach. Grant my wish."

"Your heart is strong and your resolve is true. Speak your wish."

"Bring me back my love! Give her back the life and dreams that give me meaning! Make her eyes shine blue again, her golden locks flowing."

"Her time is gone. I cannot bring something from nothing," the god explained. "A price must be paid and it cannot be returned."

"What do you need? I will give you anything." the soldier said.

"I will give your time to her, all of your remaining time."

So the soldier did the only thing that made sense. He gave the god all of his time.

As the god promised the maiden awoke, only to find the soldier dead by her feet.

"Please god who sleeps where the light cannot reach, bring back my love, the soldier strong, brave, and loyal! Give him my remaining time. I cannot live without him!"

"The exchange is done. The soldier's remaining time cannot be given back to him."

"What then oh mighty god who sleeps? What must I give to wake my love?"

"I will take the time which has passed," the god told the maiden. "The time you had together, the time you loved one another, all of your past and your memories will be given to the soldier's future."

Then the maiden did the only thing that made sense. She gave the god all of her memories.

The second wish granted, the soldier awoke, finding the god standing before him and a woman he did not know dead by his feet.

"Your wishes were granted. Leave as you see fit. Return to where the light can reach," the god told the soldier.

The soldier stood where he was, standing before the god with empty eyes.

"Who is this maiden who lies before me dead?" he asked the god.

"She is someone you do not know," the god told the soldier.

"Why is this maiden here where the light does not reach?" the soldier asked.

"It matters not. You do not know her," the god told the soldier.

The soldier gazed at the maiden at his feet, her skin gray as ash, her eyes shallow and white, her hair dry and lifeless. And then the soldier cried.

"Why are you crying?" asked the god.

"I do not know," the soldier replied.

"Then why are you crying?" asked the stranger.

"I do not know." replied the soldier.

"But why are you crying?" asked the stranger.

"Because there is nothing else I can do." said the soldier.

"Then return to where the light can reach," the god told the soldier.

The soldier stood where he was and continued to weep.

"Oh god who sleeps where the light cannot reach, I have one last wish," the soldier asked.

"You have no time left to give. Your life is yours and that is all you have," the god told the soldier.

"Then I give my life to you," the soldier said. "Let this maiden live, let this maiden be happy and live as long as she can and I will swear by body and life to you!"

"Then I shall your wish. The exchange is done. What has been forfeited can never be returned."

And as the god promise, the maiden awoke to find the god before her.

"Return to where the light can reach. Live your life, for it is a gift."

And so the girl went back to her village and lived her life until the end, leaving behind the god who sleeps where the light cannot reach, guarded by the soldier, brave, strong, and loyal...


The actors froze in their positions, waiting as the curtain were drawn shut and clown-masked narrator reappeared on stage with wide arms.

"And so remember, life is precious. Life is a gift. Celebrate it and be careful what you desire, for everything comes at a price."

The audience applauded and the actors came out to take their bow, their harmless play receiving a grande ovation.

"Ladies and gentleman, we will begin the second show very soon"

A completely new but no smaller crowd has surrounded the hand-made theater. In the brief lapse since the last show, the troupe has worked behind the now drawn curtains, setting up a new scenery and costumes completely as they readied for the next play.

"Welcome my children to our show and stage. Let us begin a tale passed to children and children of children for many generations. A classic tale we have all been told as we nestled safely under our sheets at night by our parents. Let us begin the telling of 'The Red Mask'..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There once was a naughty boy who didn't listen to his mother. He was a very bad boy because he did not listen to mother.

He would stay up all night, and his mother would say "Sleep naughty child, or the Red Mask will snatch you away."

"The Red Mask will never get me!" the boy would proclaim.

He would eat only candy and sweets and, and his mother would say "Eat your greens naughty child, or the Red Mask will snatch you away."

"The Red Mask will never get me!" the boy would proclaim.

He would be rude to others and act selfishly, and his mother would say "Behave yourself to others naughty child, or the Red Mask will snatch you away."

"The Red Mask will never get me!" the boy would proclaim.

The boy would act selfishly and the mother would scold him, but the naughty child will simply proclaim "The Red Mask will never get me!"

When the boy grew up, he still did not listen to what his mother taught him even after she was gone.

He ate only sweets and candy. "The Red Mask will never get me!"

He stayed up all night and played. "The Red Mask will never get me!"

He was rude to others and behaved like a heathen. "The Red Mask will never get me!"

Then one day when he was out on a cold winter night, once again he proclaimed "The Red Mask will never get me!"

Then he clutched his heart and fell to his knees. "The Red Mask will never get me!"

He fell to the ground as snow started to fall over him. "The Red Mask will never get me!"

He shuddered and hissed. His mother came before him as he clutched his chest and scolded him once more. "You should've listen naughty child. The Red Mask will snatch you away."

"The Red Mask will never get me!"

And then, the Red Mask got him....


"And so young children, keep this lesson dear. Listen to your mother, behave well and take care, for the Red Mask will snatch you away whether you think so or not...."