by Jackard » Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:00 am
Once upon a time there was a hedge maze made of feathers in which lived a very available maiden named Goda.
But she was never to leave because she was under the control of a manticore who guarded her at all times.
Luckily, the gallant prince Geoffrey of Cadmere had heard of her plight and came to rescue her with the help of his trusted companion, Lacuna the cook.
Soon, he found himself stumped.
"How will I find Goda?" exclaimed Geoffrey. But Lacuna the cook suffered from magical amnesia.
"Only I can find her," said a senile monk, "but first you must find one hundred glimmering shields, for you see, my phoenix has been kidnapped and if I do not find them, everyone in the village will drown."
Geoffrey set out the next morning.
Geoffrey knew one hundred glimmering shields were guarded by a sphinx who would only allow passage to those who answered its riddle.
"Are the king's chefs red and green?" it asked.
"I think I've got it," Geoffrey said thoughtfully. "Yes, but so is your mother."
"That is incorrect." it said. So Geoffrey and Lacuna the cook outran the creature.
So Geoffrey withdrew one hundred glimmering shields and brought them back to the senile monk right away.
"Thank you," said Geoffrey's new friend. To show his thanks, he teleported Geoffrey and Lacuna the cook to the hedge maze made of feathers where Goda awaited.
No sooner had they arrived, than the manticore leapt out and screamed.
"Plug your ears," said Lacuna the cook. "Because the manticore's voice will put you under a curse that will cause you to float away."
Geoffrey did so, but it was Lacuna the cook who fell to the manticore's power. And then died of a heart attack.
"No! Not you, Lacuna the cook! You were truly a brave companion," Geoffrey lamented.
Luckily, Geoffrey knew the manticore's one weak spot and stabbed him in his giant possessed heart with the short end of a stick.
"You cheated!" the manticore said, then turned into his size and shape in ground beef, then fell apart.
The next day, Geoffrey and Goda were brought before the king.
"Geoffrey of Cadmere, I hereby declare you the new king."
Geoffrey said, "Henceforth this day shall be known as Lacuna the cook Day." But nobody could be bothered and the holiday was never celebrated.
And they lived happily ever after.