The Life and Times of Glory (the First Tale) - a Novel in Verse using nursery rhymes and fairy tales

AUDIO READING!! :3 Hope you all enjoy the story! Feel free to read along as I read it aloud to you!

*This novel-in-verse will be published biweekly. Each chapter is its own story, separated by sections for easier comprehension, but can also be read all at once to grasp the full story of that chapter.*

Characters In This Chapter (will change forms)

Jack - the Nimble, King Coal

Glory

Jill - the Cat, the fair maiden

The Thief - a Rat

Joker - the Jester

The Piper

First Tale: The Jack, the Cat, the Rat, and the Joker

1 I'll tell you a story

I'll tell you a story About Jack and Glory And now, my story's begun...

A story cold and grim, yet true A tale of Gold I offer you. Another, bright, with cheery hue About a Cat with eyes of blue. And more lore still, about 3 mice Who may have bettered from advice; And lost BoPeep, all fair and nice; And 3 fool pigs with hearts of ice.

2 How King Coal came to be

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick! Jack jump over the candlestick! Jack be nimble, Jack be quick! Jack jump over the candlestick! Jack was nimble, Jack was quick. Jack jumped over the candlestick~ The Fire fled to Far Away, so Jack the Hero saved the day~ So unafraid was he to hold his stance to any flame The village people called him "Coal" - and King he soon became

3 The Joker's play

Young King Coal was a merry young soul And a very merry soul was he He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl And he called for his fiddlers three In his courts came a Joker, and the Joker played as a Jest He danced and he sang until it was plain that the King would favor him best The Jester was paid much in Silver and all the more paid in Gold An idea had he that a King he could be with the Kingdom of Coal to hold

"Oh King Coal, you're a very merry soul, But this Jester makes a plea: A Rat found my trove, and has stolen my Gold Are the streets now to await me?" But the Joker lied, you see...

Now King Coal was a very kind soul, so he would not let this be - His guards searched the town, looking up, looking down, but the Rat they could not see. Now King Coal was a generous soul, and restored to his Jester all his "lost" Gold "I do thank Your Majesty," said the Jester on one knee -- then he left with a smile cold

4 The day the Piper came Jack be nimble, Jack be quick! Jack jump over the candlestick! Jack was nimble, Jack was quick. Jack jumped over the candlestick~ The Fire fled to Far Away, so Jack the Hero saved the day!! But Winter brought a price to pay . . .

The Jester danced for the King this date When a Piper, pied, neared the castle gate. He'd come to present his hope against hate, To prithee King Coal for Fire.

"DING! DONG! DELL!" the Time Bells rang, And in that moment, the Joker sang: "Oh King Coal! T'was the Rat again!" "Confound!" cried the King. "I tire..."

The Piper entered, "Hail, oh King! Perhaps a solace I might bring? I'll use my pipe - I'll play and I'll sing. Then your strength need not expire. Behold, the pipe that is in my hand Will sound across all Nearby land The Rat will heed my call, and then You have him, as you desire."

"Name your price," said the King, "Your wish. How much Gold would you have for this?" "King, not a nugget of Gold shall you miss; I only pray for Fire."

"WHAT!?" raged the King, but the Piper cried, "Wait! Concerning Flame, I do know your hate! But with no warmth, soon it will be too late, For the people's need is dire!"

The King kept silent for a very long time But then, at last, he gathered his mind. "A Flame for a Rat," lied the King. "That's fine. I shall grant what you desire."

5 The Joker reveals a lie

The Piper's music found a Rat Known Near and Far to be a Thief But the Joker, with loose lips, Had the King's lie soon released.

To the Piper, he said, "Brother! King Coal lied, as I've revealed. Set the Rat free, leave the rest to me." So upon that night, Coal's fate as sealed.

6 Piper's curse Jack be nimble, Jack be quick! Jack jump over the candlestick! These candles blaze more than they ought - and as you jump, you will be caught "King you lied! You lied, oh King! Fire you said you would bring! My people suffer in the cold While you are growing fat and old!"

"Away, Piper! Away from me! You do not know, so cannot see! That angry Fire will not come Within the walls of my Kingdom!"

"A curse I place on you, oh Liar: Mourning mothers, blazing Fire - And your love, the fairest Cat Her life be taken by the Rat!"

7 The effects of Time

One year, two years, three years more... Lo, many years, since Piper, pied, Fled himself to Far Away and cursed the King because he lied. The King had met a maiden fair with deep sea eyes and golden hair. Enchanting as her smile be, King Coal got lost within that sea. And as the curse he soon forgot more of his purse the Joker caught . . .

8 Piper's song

Now King Coal was a very merry soul And a very merry soul was he! He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl And he called for his fiddlers three! "DING! DONG! DELL!" Can you hear the Bell? The Pied Piper comes from a deep dark well...

The children play 'til they hear his call, Then drop their chalk and forsake their ball. The mothers mourn their children gone - For every child heard his song...

"Come little children," he sings, "Come away~ Far to a land of enchantments. Come little children, away, Far Away - I know a garden of magic~

"I know the land of the TumTum Trees - of JubJub Birds - a land of dreams! The Jaberwock is slain each day by the greatest Hero of Far Away~ The greatest man of Far Away will scorch the land with a blaze today!"

9 The end of King Coal

As prophesied, the mothers mourned As blazes grew, the King was scorned The Joker used his coin and then He bought cool Water for the land The King was taken to a hold His Kingdom bought by Joker's Gold It was the most amazing thing King became Jack, and Joker, King.

10 The maiden and the Teller

Grieved, fair maiden ran away A promise on her lips that day To find the man who sent the blaze For her Lover's Kingdom's raze Hope against all hope did she That her Jack might soon be free She found herself a Teller's shed In want to get her fortune read . . .

But the Joker ran ahead. He donned a wig, wore Gold and red, Paid off the witch and took her stead, And poised himself inside the shed.

"Oh Teller, please! I ask of thee - Would you divine someone for me? I hear that he is Far Away And so I come to you today-!"

"Hush, dear child. Hear me true. That man I can divine for you. Of course, there is a price to pay..."

- "Alright. Will my belled necklace do?"

11 The Teller's first Tale

"I'll tell you a story about Jack and Glory And now, my story's begun. I'll tell you another: The Rat and his Brother - And now, my story is done."

12 Riddles are tiresome

"Not fair!" said the maiden. "In riddles you speak! And I still do not know the man that I seek!"

"Then plain I shall speak, should you understand that: The one you are chasing, my dear, is the Rat."

"Ah. I know of the Rat. Indeed he fled, To Far Away," the maiden said, "Before he would have lost his head..."

13 The Teller's second Tale

"Maiden, a story I will regail About a Rat who lost his tail: Three blind mice! Three blind mice! See how they run? They all chased after the Farmer's Wife, who cut off their tails with a carving knife! Have you ever seen such a sight in your life - such as these foolish, blinded mice?

14 The maiden is unimpressed

"I thought you would tell me about a Rat..."

"That I shall~ Shall I that~

"He is closer than you think. Just leave here, look left, and blink. Something odd will catch your eye~ Follow it, and you'll know why..."

15 Joker revels

So the maiden paid her helper, whom she believed was the witch The Joker thought himself quite clever, knowing he had made the switch He left the necklace to the Teller - "Do with it as you would please." He, with plenty Gold and Silver, now would rest his mind at ease In a day or two, thought he, Perhaps he'd set the poor Jack free. Oh! How amusing that would be! "Should I make him play the Jest for me!?" So Joker - King - laughed hard indeed, Quite proud of all his wit and greed.

16 Something happening Far Away

T'was brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe Beware the Jaberwock, my son - The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the JubJub Bird and shun the frumious Bandersnatch! And as in uffish thought he stood, the Jaberwock, with eyes of flame Came whiffling through the tulgy wood, and burbled as it came . . .

17 The maiden's search

~Little white rabbit, hippity hop! Run, little maiden! Clippity clop!~

Out into the streets went she, an "odd thing" to be seeking When left she looked, white fur she saw - A funny Rabbit speaking "Oh, I am late! How late I am! The Queen will turn me into jam!" His watch secured on waistcoat band, he hopped off through the darkened land~

Little Bunny, oh so funny Wherefore dost thou hop away from me? Thou art the very one I seek And I shall chase thee even though you flee!

The Rabbit hopped into the wood, with maiden soon to follow Alas the rabbit disappeared into a little hollow The maiden squeezed herself on through, but what a foolish thing to do A hole was there she could not see, and tumble down head-first did she~ Luckily, she was not hurt Although she scuffed her nice blue skirt

18 Maiden in the Well

Ding Dong Dell! Someone's in the Well! Who has fallen in?? - A silly little simpkin. "Someone get me out!" Call for Timmy Stout

The maiden being more petite than most held easy hope That any man could pull her up as she held to that rope But it came quite a shock to her when she saw not a man But Timmy Stout, a little boy, held the rope in his hand How odd, thought she, though odder yet is that I am not sopping wet And how I came out of a well when down some random hole I fell But little Timmy disappeared, which caught her by surprise. She looked around and saw a wood quite tulgy to her eyes She felt a little chill and thought - how brillig was the day - But since the rabbit still she sought, she must be on her way.

19 The Cat and the Rat

T'was brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe With her arms closed 'round her chest, long time the manxome Rat she sought Then spotted she a TumTum tree, and a man, eyes closed in thought

"Excuse me sir! For I am lost. Directions I implore~" But softly on the tree he leaned, and all he did was snore.

But as in uffish thought he stood, the Jaberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgy wood, and burbled as it came!

The maiden's eyes went wide with fear - She could not fight! What could she do!? Oh how she longed for Jack! But suddenly the man awoke and ran his vorpal sword right through~ He left it dead and with its head he came galumphing back!

"See, I have slain the Jaberwock, so do not fear, you will be fine." Then realized he just who was she, and added, "Now your life is mine."

She did not know what he implied. Said she, "Indeed! I almost died! And I will thank you one day, true, But first there's something I must do-" She wished to ask him if he knew A Rat or Rabbit passing through- ... But he stopped her mid of speech She would not make her beseech...

"I, dear maiden, tip my hat For, you see, I am the Rat But you, dear maiden, are the Cat And I will have none of that."

20 Jack's Search

Little Kitty, oh so pretty Wherefore hast thou gone away from me? With boots of white and fur of Golden yellow and eyes deeper than the sea . . .

Poor old Jack He's never coming back He traveled 'round the world just to find his Kitty Cat The Cat he didn't find Just the Bell she left behind He stayed away, cried many a day, and now has lost his mind.