Tale 199: The Legend of Minnikin (Ash)

(real tale: Minnikin)

"There was once a poor couple who lived in a tiny, run down house, and they had neither food to eat nor wood to burn." Ash begins. "But if they had next to nothing of everything else, they had the blessing of Arceus so far as children were concerned, and every year brought them one more."

"Oh my!" Melody gasps as she picture a house full of children.

"The man was not pleased at this." Ash acknowledges Melody with a nod. "He was always going about grumbling and saying that it seemed to him that there might be such a thing as having too many children; so shortly before another baby was born he went into the forest for some firewood, saying that he did not want to see the new child; he would hear him quite soon enough when he began to cry for some food."

Giggles go up at the wry comment. "As soon as this baby was born it began to look around the room.

"Ah, my dear mother!" he pleads in a higher pitched version of himself, "give me some of my brothers' old clothes, and enough food for a few days, and I will go out into the world and seek my fortune, for, so far as I can see, you have plenty of children."

"Heaven help you, my son!" Misty gasps as the mother, "that will never do; you are still far too little."

"But the little boy was determined to do this, and begged and pleaded for so long that the mother was forced to let him have some old rags, and tie up a little bundle of food for him, and then he went out into the world." Ash goes on as himself. "But almost before he was out of the house another boy was born, and he too looked around him, and said..."

In a slightly lower pitched version of his first voice, he interjects "Ah, my dear mother! give me some of my brothers' old clothes, and food for some days, and then I will go out into the world and find my twin brother, for you have enough children."

"Heaven help you! You are far too little for that," Misty scolds as the woman; `it would never do.'

"But her words fell on deaf ears, for the boy begged and pleaded until he had gotten some old rags and a bundle of supplies, and then he set out into the world to find his twin brother." Ash goes on as himself. "When the younger brother had walked for some time he saw his brother a short distance in front of him, and called to him."

"Wait a minute," he muses as the brother; `you are walking as if you made a bet, but you ought to have stayed to see your younger brother before you hurried off into the world."

As himself, he continues "So the elder brother stood still and looked back, and when the younger brother had met him, and had told him that he was his brother, he said..." As the elder brother again, he suggests "But now, let us sit down and see what kind of food our mother has given us." .

"When they had walked on a little farther they came to a stream which ran through a green meadow, and there the younger brother said that they ought to name each other." he continues as himself. "As we had to hurry, and had no time to do it at home, we may as well do it here."

"What will you be named?" he asks as the elder brother.

"I will be called Minnikin," he answers as the younger brother before doing both voices at the same time. "and you, what will you be named?"

"I will be called Pippin."

Brock applauds the interplay, pleased that Ash has simultaneously performed two characters. "Having named themselves, they continued on their way." Ash explains as himself. "When they had walked for some time they came to a fork in the road, and there they agreed to part, and each take a different route. They had not gone very far before they met again. So they parted once more, and each took another route, but in a very short time the same thing happened again--they met each other before they were at all aware, and it happened a third time too. Then they agreed that one should go east and the other west."

"So where did they go?" Melody asks.

"But if ever you fall into any need or trouble," Ash cautions as Pippin, "remember this song--'Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul', and I will come and help you; but only sing the song when you are in great need."

He answers Melody's question as himself. "With that, they said goodbye to each other, and Minnikin went east and Pippin went west."

"When Minnikin had walked a long way, he met an old, old crook-backed hag, who had only one eye. Minnikin stole it." With that Ash proceeds to swipe a marble from a bag of marbles Misty is organizing.

`Oh! oh!' Misty cries as the old hag, `what has become of my eye?'

`What will you give me to give your eye back?' Ash challenges as Minnikin.

`I will give you a sword which is such a sword that it can conquer a whole army, let it be ever so great,' Misty replies as the hag.

`Let me have it, then,' Ash replies Minnikin.

He continues as himself "The old hag gave him the sword..." Misty hands Ash a stick. "so she got her eye back." Ash then gives Misty the marble he swiped back. "Then Minnikin went on, and when he had traveled for some time he again met another old, old crook-backed hag, who had only one eye. Minnikin stole it before she was aware." He then swipes a different marble, and the rigamarole begins again:

"Oh! oh! what has become of my eye?"

"What will you give me to give your eye back?"

"I will give you a ship which can sail over fresh water and salt water, over high hills and deep valleys,"

"Let me have it then,"

As himself, Ash goes on "So the old woman gave him a little ship no bigger than a toy, and then she got her eye back..." He returns the marble he swiped. "and she went her way and Minnikin his. When he had walked on for a long time, he met a third old, old crook-backed hag, who had only one eye. Minnikin stole this eye too..." Brock chuckles as Ash takes a third marble. "and when the woman screamed and lamented, and asked what had become of her eye, Minnikin said...

The rigamarole begins a third time: "What will you give me to give your eye back?"

"I will give you the art to brew a hundred bottles of beer in one brewing."

Brock laughs even harder, as if expecting Ash to break out singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall". "So, for teaching that art, the old hag got her eye back, and they both went their separate ways." Ash explains as he returns the third marble he swiped. "But when Minnikin had walked a short way, it seemed to him that it might be worth it to see what his ship could do; so he took it out of his pocket, and no sooner had he set it on the ground did it become much larger in a flash of blue light, and when the light faded it was as large as a typical sailing ship."

[Wow...] Mai gasps at this.

"Then Minnikin said..." As Minnikin, Ash calls "Now go over fresh water and salt water, over high hills and deep valleys, and do not stop until you come to the king's palace."

As himself. he goes on "And in a matter of seconds the ship flew away till it was just below the king's palace. From the windows of the king's palace many people had seen Minnikin come sailing there, and had gathered at the windows and peeked out of doors to watch. They were all so astounded that they ran down to see what kind of man this could be who came sailing in a ship that could fly. But while they were running down from the king's palace, Minnikin had gotten out of the ship and had put it in his pocket again. The moment he got out of it, it shrank back down to the size of a toy, and those who came from the King's palace could see nothing but a ragged little boy who was standing down by the seashore. The king asked where he had come from, but the boy said he did not know, nor could he tell them how he had got there, but he asked for some work in the royal palace. If there was nothing else for him to do, he said he could at least gather wood and water for the kitchen maids, and the king decided to let him do just that."

"Pika pika pikachu?" Pikachu asks.

"When Minnikin went up to the king's palace he saw that it was not its usual regal and colorful appearance--everything there was decorated with black." Ash explains to Pikachu. "So one day, he asked a kitchen maid what had happened."

"So what had happened?" Brock wonders.

"The kitchen maid explained that the king's daughter, Princess Rosin, was long ago promised to three trolls, and in a few days, one of them was coming to get her. The so called hero Ritter the Red had said that he would be able to set her free, but it was anyone's guess whether he meant it or was just boasting." Ash explains, to some giggles. "So when the appointed day came, Ritter the Red accompanied Princess Rosin to the seashore to meet the first troll, and he was to stay with her and protect her. He, however, was very unlikely to do much damage, for no sooner had Princess Rosin arrived by the seashore did Ritter the Red climbed up into a nearby tree, and hid himself among the branches."

"Some hero..." Melody grumbles.

"Pika pika pikachu, pi pika." Pikachu assures Melody.

"Princess Rosin cried and begged for him not to go and leave her; but Ritter the Red did not worry about that." Ash continues. "'It is better that one should die than two," he said. Meanwhile, Minnikin begged the kitchen maid let him go down to the town square for a short time."

"Oh, what could you do down at the square?" Misty asks as the kitchen maid. "You have nothing to do there."

"Oh yes, just let me go," Ash replies as Minnikin. "I really would like to go and play games with the town children."

`Then go!' Misty replies as the kitchen maid, "but don't let me find out you stayed out too late, and while you're out, bring some more wood for the stove"

"Minnikin promised this, and ran down to the seashore. Ash goes on as himself. "Just as he got to the place where Princess Rosin was sitting, the troll came rushing up with a great whistling and whirring, and he was so huge that he was terrible to see, and he had five heads."

`Fire!' Brock jumps in the role of the troll.

`Fire yourself!' Ash retorts as Minnikin.

`Can you fight?' Brock asks as the troll.

`If not, I can learn,' Ash replies as Minnikin.

Misty leads the applause. "So the troll tried to crush him with a great thick iron bar--the blows were so hard, dirt flew at least five feet in the air." Ash makes a form in the air to give his audience an idea of how high that is.

"Well!" he notes as Minnikin. "That was not much of a blow. Now you shall see one of mine."

"So he drew the sword he had received from the old hag, and slashed at the troll so hard, all five heads went flying." Ash continues as himself before poking Brock with the stick.

Misty tries oh-so-hard not to laugh at Brock comically playing dead. "When Princess Rosin saw that she had been saved, she was so happy that she did not know what to do, and cheered and danced across the beach." Ash goes on before doing a little dancing himself.

"Come and sleep a bit with your head in my lap," Melody interjects as Princess Rosin.

"she said to Minnikin, and as he slept she put a golden coat on him." Ash narrates.

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Melody sings, making an identical gold coat appear on Ash.

"But when Ritter the Red saw that the coast was clear, he lost no time in climbing down from the tree. He then threatened Princess Rosin, until she was forced to promise to say that it was he who had rescued her, for he told her that if she did not he would kill her." Ash intones, a little confused about what to make of the new clothes. "Then he took the troll's lungs and tongue and put them in his pocket, and led Princess Rosin back to the king's palace; and he returned to a hero's welcome, for the king did not know how to exalt him enough, and always set him at the most prominent place at the dinner table, to name one honor."

Pikachu sparks angrily at this. "As for Minnikin, first he went aboard the troll's ship and took a great quantity of gold, silver, and jewels with him, and then he returned to the palace." Ash continues. "When the kitchen maid saw all the treasure she was quite amazed, and asked him where he got all that from, for she was half afraid that he had not earned it honestly."

`Oh,' he answers as Minnikin, "I have been home a while, and these hoops had fallen off some of our buckets, so I brought them with me for you."

"So when the kitchen maid heard that they were for her, she asked no more questions about the matter. She thanked Minnikin, and for a time, all was well." Ash goes on. "The next week, the same thing happened, and everyone had the blues, but Ritter the Red said that he had been able to deliver Princess Rosin from one troll, so that he could very easily deliver her from another, and he led her down to the seashore. But he did not do much damage to this troll either, for when the time came for the troll to arrive, he said as he had said before: `It is better that one should die than two,' and then climbed up into the tree again. Minnikin again begged the cook's leave to go down to the seashore for a while."

"Oh, what can you do there?" Misty asks as the cook.

"Please let me go!" Ash pleads as Minnikin; "I really like to go down there and play with the other children."

As himself,he goes on "So she said that he could go, but he had to promise that he would be back by dark with fresh wood for the stove. No sooner had Minnikin got down to the beach did the troll came rushing along with a great whistling and whirring, and he was twice as big as the first troll, and he had ten heads."

Brock leads off the battle rigamarole. "Fire!"

"Fire yourself!"

"Can you fight?"

"If not, I can learn."

Ash quickly narrates as himself. "So the troll struck at him with his iron club--which was still bigger than the first troll's weapon--so that the earth flew at least ten feet in the air."

`Well!' he notes as Minnikin. "That was not much of a blow. Now you shall see one of my blows."

"Then he grasped his sword and struck at the Troll, so that all his ten heads went flying." he narrates before poking Brock with the stick again.

Everyone laughs as Brock comically plays dead again. "Sleep a while on my lap," Melody requests as Princess Rosin.

"and while Minnikin lay there she draped a silver cape over him." Ash narrates.

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Sure enough, Melody conjures a silver cape just like Ash described and ties it on Ash's shoulders.

After admiring the new cape for a moment, Ash goes on "As soon as Ritter the Red saw that the coast was clear, he climbed down from the tree and threatened Princess Rosin, until she was again forced to promise to say that it was he who had rescued her; after which he took the tongue and the lungs of the Troll and put them in his pocket, and then he led Princess Rosin back to the palace. There was joy and gladness in the palace, as you can imagine, and the king did not know how to show enough honor and respect to Ritter the Red."

Pikachu sparks angrily at the mention of Ritter the Red. "Minnikin, however, took home with him an armful of gold, silver, and jewels from the troll's ship. When he came back to the palace the kitchen maid clapped her hands and wondered where he could have gotten all that treasure, but Minnikin answered that he had been home for a short time, and that it was only the odds and ends which had fallen off some pails, and that he had brought them for the kitchen maid." Ash continues.

"Do we have to do the whole battle scene again?" Brock interrupts. "That stick hurts..."

"When the third week came, everything happened as it had happened on the two previous weeks." Ash continues, making Brock groan. "Everything in the king's palace was decorated with black, and everyone was sorrowful and distressed; but Ritter the Red said that he did not think that they had much reason to be afraid--he had delivered Princess Rosin from two trolls, so he could easily deliver her from the third too."

"Pika chu." Pikachu grumbles.

"He led her down to the beach, but when the time came for the troll to come, he climbed up into the tree again and hid." Ash goes on. "Princess Rosin cried and pleaded for him to stay, but to no avail. He stuck to his old speech, `It is better that one life should be lost than two.' Meanwhile, Minnikin asked to go down to the seashore."

"Oh, what can you do there?" Misty asks as the kitchen maid.

"However, he begged until he got permission to go, but he had to promise that he would be back before dark." Ash continues. Just as he had arrived at the seashore the troll came with a great whizzing and whirring, and he was much, much bigger than either of the two other ones, and he had fifteen heads."

Here we go again... Brock sighs before starting the rigamarole again. "Fire!"

"Fire yourself!"

"Can you fight?"

"If not, I can learn,"

"I will teach you!" Brock makes a lunge at Ash, but Ash steps aside, making Brock hit the tent.

`Well!' Ash notes as Minnikin. "That was not much of a blow. Now I will let you see one of my blows."

As himself, he narrates "With that, he drew his sword, and cut at the troll in such a way that all his fifteen heads rolled." before poking Brock with the stick again.

Everyone roars with laughter as Brock comically feigns playing dead again. "Then Princess Rosin was saved again, and she thanked Minnikin and blessed him for saving her." Ash narrates.

"Sleep a while now on my lap," Melody requests as Princess Rosin.

"and while he lay there she put a jewel studded suit on him." Ash narrates.

He gasps as Melody sings Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul..., making his remaining clothes transform into the exact suit he described. "But now, how shall we have it made known that it was you who saved me?" Melody asks as Princess Rosin.

"That I will tell you," Ash answers as Minnikin. "When Ritter the Red has taken you home again, and given out that it was he who rescued you, he will, as you know, have you offered as his bride, and half the kingdom. But when they ask you on your wedding day who you will have to be your cup bearer, you must say, 'I will have the ragged boy who is in the kitchen, and carries wood and water for the kitchen maid;' and when I am filling your cups for you, I will spill a drop on his plate but none upon yours, and then he will be angry and strike me, and this will take place three times. But the third time you must say, 'Shame on you to harm my beloved. He was the one who delivered me from the trolls, and he is the one who I will have.'"

As himself, he continues "Then Minnikin ran back to the king's palace as he had done before, but first he went on board the troll's ship and took a great quantity of gold and silver and other precious things, and he gave to the kitchen maid a whole armful of gold, silver and jewels. No sooner did Ritter the Red see that the coast was clear, than he crept down from the tree, and threatened Princess Rosin till he made her promise to say that he had rescued her. Then he led her back to the King's palace, and if honor enough had not been done him before it was certainly done now, for the King had no other thought than how to make much of the man who had saved his daughter from the three trolls; and it was agreed that Ritter the Red should marry her, and receive half the kingdom."

"Pika..." Pikachu is not pleased with the idea of Ritter the Red marrying Princess Rosin.

"On the wedding day, however, Princess Rosin begged that she might have the little boy who was in the kitchen, and carried wood and water for the kitchen maid, to fill the wine cups at the wedding feast." Ash narrates.

"Oh, what can you want with that dirty, ragged boy in here?" Brock sighs as Ritter the Red.

"but Princess Rosin said that she insisted on having him as cup bearer and would have no one else; and at last she got her wish, and then everything was done as Princess Rosin and Minnikin agreed on." Ash narrates. "He spilled a drop on Ritter the Red's plate but none on hers, and each time that he did it Ritter the Red got mad and struck him. At the first blow all the ragged garments which he had worn in the kitchen fell off Minnikin, at the second blow the jeweled suit fell off, and at the third the silver cape, and there he stood in the golden coat, which was so bright and beautiful that it shone like the sun." As if on cue, all the clothes Melody conjured disappear from Ash, leaving him in his normal clothes again. "Then Princess Rosin said..."

"Shame on you to harm my beloved. He was the one who delivered me from the trolls, and he is the one who I will have." Melody scolds Brock as Princess Rosin.

"Ritter the Red swore that he was the man who had saved her, but the king said..." Ash narrates.

"He who delivered my daughter must have some token as proof of it." Brock interjects in his standard "king" voice.

"So Ritter the Red searched his pockets for the lungs and tongue, and Minnikin went and brought all the gold and silver and precious things which he had taken out of the trolls' ships; and they each of them laid their tokens before the king." Ash continues.

"He who has such precious things in gold and silver and jewels," Brock explains as the king, "must be the one who killed the trolls, for such things are hard to find anywhere else."

Ash then concludes "So Ritter the Red was thrown to the Arboks, and Minnikin and Princess Rosin were married, and he received half the kingdom. They lived happily for many years, and Minnikin went on many more adventures with his brother Pippin. But that is another story for another day!"