Times of Glory 5: The Cat and the Queen

The End of a Queen

5. The Cat and the Queen

Jill, Jill, the Fisher's daughter

Picked a bush of Roses

The angry Gard'ner came and caught her

Grabbed her by her toeses

"Train this stupid child of yours

She runs free like a Cat!"

So the Fisher sent her Far Away, and that was that.

Jill Goes Far Away

On across the Water

Out across the Sea

There she goes, my Lady Lee

My fair little daughter

Perhaps one day she will come back

Perhaps one day she'll back to me

I will send her with a prayer

My fair little daughter

Arriving in the foreign land, she found a field well-grown

She held her skirt tight in her hand, for she’d left all she’d known

Fair young Jill, with knowledge slight, at least knew well of Roses

Roses were Red, but these were White!

This field could not be Roses, right?

Perhaps it was a trick of light…

She should check, she supposes.

But they were real! Oh see this hue!

There is but one thing she can do

She will not ask for if she may

No! She will pick them straight away!

Fate is quite the strangest thing.

This was the Garden of the Queen.

The White Queen

Cold and raw, North Wind doth blow

Bleak in the morning early

All the hills covered with snow,

And Winter's now come fairly.

There was a Queen - A Queen of Ice

Who sought a Teller for advice

She thought it would be very nice

To have a little daughter

But every time she lived a year

She would shed another tear

Still she could not hold one dear

A precious little daughter

Perhaps, she thought, it will not be

That a child come to me

Oh Moon, oh Sky, oh Land, oh Sea

Oh let me have a daughter

Out into her field one day

Went the Queen of Far Away

Not long after quite the wave

Carried a little daughter

Oh! What a charming child, she

With eyes as deeply as the sea

Was this how it was meant to be?

That I might have a daughter?

Jill Finds A Place

Jill looked up and saw the Queen

Then knew it at a sight

That she was in this woman's field

And not so in the right.

Quickly Jill devised a plan

And with the roses in her hand

She crossed the field and took her stand

Then bowed to the Queen of Ice.

Yes, she’d been picking free indeed

But hadn’t meant it to be greed

She held the roses high to plead,

“For you, these would look nice!"

And as it were, what happened next

Was nothing that Jill could expect

"Raise your head, my child. Come.

You'll have a place in my Kingdom."

The Queen Dotes

Little girl, little girl, where have you been?

Gathering Roses to give to the Queen.

Little girl, little girl, what gave she you?

She gave me a diamond as big as my shoe!

The Queen took in the little girl

Oh what a kindly thing to do!

Although her hair won't keep a curl

She is indeed a fairly girl

But oh what a handful, she's just like a Kitten

At every new sight in the land she is smitten

She is asleep, and then lo! She is wild!

This curious, rambunctious, caring-free child!

Yet the Queen and her Cat led a peaceable life

When they were not troubled by other folks' strife

Hello, my Kitten, my Kitten

And Hello my Kitten, my deary~

Such a precious pet as this

Is never too Far or too Neary

The Queen’s Prayer

The Queen looked from her window sill

Upon her Roses White

Glowing soft as the Full Moon

Within the blackest night

Then, as she was sewing, pricked

Her finger and it bled

"My daughter, to have skin so white

Hair black, and lips so red..."

The Moon heard what she said.

Lucy Snow

A year passed, and the Queen had a child

With skin as white as the snow

The girl’s laughter was so sweet and mild

The Queen, she loved her so.

"Jill, my precious little Cat,

Will you be her maid?"

"Of course I will!" said the young Jill.

"Of course I will…" she said.

Jill is no one's daughter now

Though she will treasure Lucy Snow

Named by light of the Full Moon

Shimmering in a Winter tune

Yes, she will treasure Lucy Snow

And to her Mother, bow.

Jill Tries Her Best

Snow's Grandfather is Christmas

Her Father's name is Claus

Her handmaid catches mischief

Easy as she catch a mouse!

Jill tried to keep from trouble

But it found her now and then

Once, Christmas came to supper

To dote on his fair children.

The White Queen and her handmaids

Worked to make his favorite things

But when they set out the display

There were no dumplings!

The Queen cried, "The dumplings! Now who took the dumplings?"

Jenny, the maid, said, "Bet Cat ate the dumplings."

The Queen took Jill aside, and said crossly, "Oh fie!

Why, then, did you eat the dumplings?"

A Rodent Problem

Skitter, Skitter, Scurry

The mouse is in a hurry

Quickly quickly hide beneath a chair!

Shuffle, Shuffle, Scuffy

The Cat is all a-huffy

Until she notes the little mouse is there

I have seen you, little mouse, scurrying about the house

More dumplings you wish to steal to make yourself a hearty meal?

Kitty-Cat, Kitty-Cat, where have you been?

I've been Far Away to look at the Queen

Kitty-Cat, Kitty-Cat, what did you there?

I frightened a little mouse under her chair

The Era’s Turn

As days grow longer

The storms grow stronger

Cat was made a hero to protect the White Queen's house

Ever since she caught a hunting, thieving, little mouse

She was held in much esteem, and she learned secrets from the Queen

For the Queen knew all too well

the sound that rang from Ding Dong Dell

Yea, if it was a Silver Bell, then everything would turn out well

But now it rang with Bells of Gold

The Queen's life would but shortly hold

Gold and Fire often come together

And they do not long suffer Winter Weather.

The Garden

"Queen, my Queen," asked the Cat one day,

"How does your Garden grow?"

"With Silver Bells of harmony,

And pretty maids like you."

"Queen, my Queen," asked the Cat one day,

"How can you be so fair?"

"I keep music all around,

And ribbons in my hair."

"Queen, my Queen," asked the Cat one day,

"How is your power so?"

"If you're a Queen, you can do such things...

… Would you like me to teach you?"

It is not very hard, it seems,

For Cats to walk around like Queens

The Protector

When the Cat had learned some power

The weakened Queen now sought her aid

She worried much about her daughter

And since Jill had been her maid…

Maybe Jill would be the grace… enough to keep her daughter safe

Jill used the power of Winter Ice

To craft a creature plenty nice

For over Lucy Snow to fly

And keep on her a watchful eye

As long as Snow was still alive

This protector would survive

Do you need a protecting saber?

Better then a sword,

Create for yourself a Jaber –

S’fierce, I give my word!

But never twist it – don't you dare

Lest wocky it become…

Lest all wocky it become,

Do not ye twist it - Please, take care.

The End of the White Queen

Lucy Snow was just past three

When the White Queen ceased to be

Glory came when Snow turned four

Her stepmother evermore

Jill was sent off by the Water

For caring for the White Queen's daughter

But she’s a letter from King Claus

How she can deftly catch a mouse

And he believes that she will bring

Good fortune to the Nearby King