Tale 196: The Magic Ruby Ring (Ash)

(real tale: The Magic Ring)

"Once upon a time there lived an old woman who had one son named Martin." Ash begins. "The woman's husband had joined Arceus in the heavens some years before, and only left his widow and son two hundred gold pieces. The old woman decided to put the money aside for a rainy day; but she didn't know that rainy day would come sooner than she thought."

"Why?" Misty asks

"Their flour was all used up." Ash replies "Besides, who was prepared to face starvation with only two hundred gold pieces to their name?"

"A very good question..." Brock notes.

So the old woman counted out a hundred of her gold pieces, gave them to Martin, and told him to go into town and buy enough flour for a year." Ash continues. "So Martin started off for town. When he reached the marketplace, he found the whole place in an uproar, and a great noise of angry voices and barking of Growlithe. He worked his way into the crowd, and noticed an Arcanine which the butchers had caught and tied to a post, being beaten mercilessly. Martin felt sorry for the majestic Pokemon, and asked what the Arcanine had done to deserve such torture. The butchers replied that the Arcanine had just eaten a newly-killed Tepig. Martin offered to buy the Arcanine, paid with his hundred gold pieces, and named him Hunter."

[A fitting name for an Arcanine.] Mai purrs.

When Martin got home, his mother asked him what he had bought, and Martin proudly introduced Hunter to his mom." Ash goes on. "His mother got understandably very angry, and harshly scolded him, saying that he ought to be ashamed of himself, when there was scarcely a handful of flour in the house, to have spent the money on a useless brute like that. On the following day she sent him back to town with their last hundred gold pieces to buy food with them."

He adds as an aside " She had just emptied the last grains of flour out of the bag, just enough for a tiny little cake, but it wouldn't last a day."

Pikachu sniffles as Ash continues "Just as Martin was entering town he met a man dragging a Persian after him by a string which was fastened round the poor Pokemon's neck. When asked where the Persian was being taken, Martin was told the majestic cat Pokemon was to be drowned for killing a Swanna. Martin offered to buy the Persian for a hundred gold pieces, and the man agreed. Once Martin took custody of the Persian, he named her Serena."

"And then he's kicked out of the house..." Brock muses.

Ash confirms Brock's prediction some moments later. "When he reached his home, and his mother asked him what he had bought, Martin introduced Serena to his mom. In her anger, his mom banished him from the house, not to return until he brought back food and money. So he called Hunter and Serena and started off with them to the nearest village in search of work. On the way, he met a rich man, who asked him where he was going. Martin explained he was looking for a day's work. The rick man offered to let Martin serve him for a year, and Martin agreed."

"What kind of work did he do?" Misty is intrigued

"He worked diligently, and served his master faithfully for that year." Ash explains. "When Martin's year of service was up, the rich man led him into a barn, pointed out two full bags, and said he could take any one he wanted."

He pauses for a beat, then continues "Martin examined the contents of the bags, and seeing that one was full of silver and the other of sand, something told him to take the sand. So after throwing the bag over his shoulders, he started out into the world, in search of fresh work. On and on he walked, and at last he reached a great gloomy forest. In the middle of the forest he came to a meadow, where a fire was burning, and in the midst of the fire, surrounded by flames, was a lovely giel, more beautiful than anything that Martin had ever seen, and when she saw him she called to him to save her. so Martin emptied the sand on the flames, and the fire was extinguished; but at the same moment, the lovely girl turned into the firebird Moltres. After wrapping him in her flaming wings, she told him...."

"Do not be afraid of me, Martin; I love you, and will go with you to the ends of the world." Misty fills in Moltres' dialogue. "But first, you must follow me to my father's kingdom, beneath the earth; When we get there, remember this--he will offer you gold and silver, and dazzling gems, but pay no mind them. Ask him instead for the ruby ring which he wears on his pinky, for in that ring lies a magic power; you have only to sing the song 'Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul...', and twelve young heroes will appear, who will do your bidding, no matter how difficult, in at least one night."

"So they started on their way, and after some traveling, they reached a place where a great rock rose straight up in the middle of the road. Moltres landed on the road and as she touched the ground, she turned back into her human form. Pointing to the rock, she showed him an opening just big enough for a person to squeeze through." Ash continues. "They entered a long underground passage, which led out on to a wide field, above which spread a blue sky. In the middle of the field stood a magnificent castle, built out of purple crystal, with a roof of gold and with glittering battlements. And his beautiful guide told him that this was the palace in which her father lived and reigned over his kingdom in the underworld."

"Pini?" Happini asks

"Together they entered the palace, and were welcomed by the king with great kindness. Turning to his daughter, he said..." Ash narrates.

The group decides to role play the next scene. "My child, I had almost given up the hope of ever seeing you again. Where have you been all this time?" Brock asks as the king

"My father," Misty fills in Moltres' dialogue, "I owe my life to this boy, who saved me from a terrible fate."

"I will reward your courage by granting you whatever your heart desires." Brock tells Ash in character as the king. He makes a grand gesture to an imagined treasure vault. "Take as much gold, silver, and jewels as you desire."

"I thank you, mighty king, for your gracious offer," Ash answers as Martin, "but I do not want gold, silver, or jewels; yet if you will grant me a favor, allow me to have the ruby ring from your royal pinky. Every time my eye falls, on it I shall think of your gracious majesty, and when I marry I shall present it to my bride."

Brock pantomimes removing a ring from one finger and offers the imagined ring to Ash. "Take it, brave hero, on one condition--you are not to tell anyone that this is a magic ring. If you do, you will only bring misfortune on yourself."

The Pokemon applaud the roleplay before Ash continues "Martin took the ring, and after thanked the king, he set out on the same road back to the world of light. When he had arrived back in the world of light, he started for his old home, and after finding his mother still living in the old house where he had left her, they settled down together very happily. So uneventful was their life that it almost seemed as if it would go on like that forever."

"Then something threw a wrench in that plan, I'd bet." Misty grins.

Ash smiles--Misty's figured out what happened next! "But one day, Martin got the idea to get married, but he didn't want to marry any old girl. He wanted a very rich wife--or even better, a princess."

Happini cheers at the mention of a princess. "But since he wasn't very good at talking to girls, he sent his old mother to intercede on his behalf." Ash explains.

"Mom didn't like that, I presume." Melody muses, giggling as she pictures the old woman's reaction.

"In fact, she was aghast at the idea," Ash continues. "and she went on and on wondering why her son couldn't marry someone simpler. Besides, that would be far more fitting than to send a poor old woman to the royal court for the hand of a princess. But Martin assured her everything would be fine--all he wanted was an answer, be it a yes or a no."

He pauses for a beat before continuing "And so, the old woman hobbled off to the palace, eventually came to the courtyard, and climbed the flight of stairs leading to the throne room. "The courtiers, in all their magnificent attire, stared at the old figure that looked very out of place in the castle's extravagance, Some of the courtiers tried to hold her back by force, but she made such a fuss that the king himself heard it, and stepped out on to the balcony to see what was the matter. When he saw the old woman flinging her arms wildly about, and heard her scream that she would not leave the place till she had made her case before the king, he ordered that she should be brought into his presence. She was led into the beautiful throne room, where, leaning back amongst cushions of royal purple, the king sat, surrounded by his counselors and courtiers. Curtseying low, the old woman stood silent before him."

"So what did His Highness do when Martin's mom told him what she wanted?" Brock asks, trying oh-so hard not to laugh at how he imagines the king will react.

"He thought she was nuts at first." Ash replied. "But Martin's mother calmly explained that he had a lovely daughter, Princess Rebecca,who was of age to give in marriage. She had a son, as clever a boy and as good a son-in-law as he would find in the whole kingdom. The king patiently listened to the old woman's strange request, but every moment his face grew red, and a stern look started to form on his face. But then he thought to himself, 'Is it worth it to be angry with this poor old fool?' All the courtiers and counselors were amazed when they saw the hard lines round his mouth and the grimace on his face disappear as he told the old woman..."

"If your son is as wonderfully clever as you say, and if there is nothing in the world that he cannot do, let him build a magnificent castle, just opposite my palace windows, in one day." Brock explains as the king. "The palace must be joined together by a bridge of pure crystal. On each side of the bridge there must be growing trees, having golden and silver Leppa Berries, and with birds of paradise among the branches. At the right of the bridge there must be a shrine, with five jeweled domes; it is in this shrine your son shall be wedded to my beautiful Rebecca, and we will host the wedding festivities in the new castle. But if he fails to execute this, my royal command, then, as a just but firm monarch, I shall give orders that you and he are taken, tarred, feathered, and then banished from the kingdom, never to return on pain of death."

Ash smiles--no matter how many times Brock has performed the deep and commanding voice in the role of a king, it never gets old to him. "A smile formed on the king's face as he finished speaking, and his courtiers and counselors tried oh-so-hard not to laugh when they thought of the stupid thing the old woman was doing, and started taking bets that the son would fail. The poor woman shook with fear all the way home, and when she saw Martin, she told him everything the king had said, and burst into tears. But Martin assured his mom that everything would be okay."

Pikachu sparks excitedly--soon the magic will come into play! That night, while his mother slept, Martin stepped outside, held the ring to the sky, and sang..." Ash pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... "and twelve heroes of various classes appeared in a flash of red light, and asked what he wanted them to do. Martin told them the king's commands, and they answered that by the next morning, it would all should be accomplished exactly as the king had ordered."

[Wow!] Korra gasps, impressed.

"The next morning, when the king woke up and looked out of his window, he nearly did a double take when he saw a magnificent castle, just opposite his own palace, and joined to it by a bridge of pure crystal." Ash explains, making huge forms in the air as he describes the magnificent castle. At each side of the bridge trees were growing, from whose branches hung golden and silver Leppa Berries, among which birds of paradise perched. At the right, gleaming in the sun, were the five jeweled domes of a beautiful shrine to Arceus, whose bells rang out, as if they would summon people from all corners of the earth to come and marvel the wonder. Now, though the king would much rather have seen Martin tarred, feathered, and burnt at the stake, he remembered his royal promise, and had to make the best of things. He made Martin a duke, and gave Princess Rebecca a rich dowry, and prepared the grandest wedding feast that had ever been seen, so that to this day the people of that kingdom still talk about it."

"But what about Hunter and Serena?" Misty wonders. "Did they have a role in any of this?"

Ash freezes--he didn't think to include the Arcanine and the Persian in the story! "They had an adventure in their own right, which I'll tell you about when I can think up a sequel." he assures Misty.

"I'll be waiting for that sequel." Misty grins as she leads the applause...