Tale 5: The Laurel Wreath, part 1 (Misty)

"Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife and two girls." Misty begins. "One girl was the daughter of the man, and the other the daughter of his wife. The man's daughter--we'll call her Mina--was sweet and beautiful, but the woman's daughter--we'll call her Melanie--was selfish and ugly. However, her mother thought her the most beautiful maiden in the world."

"Mm-hm..." Brock smiles, intrigued.

"One day the man called to Mina and told her to come with him into the forest to cut wood." Misty continues. "They worked hard all day, but in spite of the chopping they were very cold, for it rained heavily, and when they returned home, they were soaked. Then, much to his annoyance, the man found that he had left his axe behind, and he knew that if it lay all night in the mud it would become rusty and useless. So he said to his wife..."

"I have accidentally dropped my axe in the forest, Tell Melanie to go and get it, for mine has worked hard all day and is both wet and weary." Brock requests as the man.

"If your daughter is wet already, it is all the more reason that she should go and get the axe." Misty replies is the stepmother. "Besides, she is a great strong girl, and a little rain will not hurt her, while my daughter would be sure to catch a bad cold."

As herself, she continues "The man knew there was no point in saying any more, and with a sigh he told Mina to return to the forest for the axe. The walk took some time, for it was very dark, and her shoes often stuck in the mud, but she was brave as well as beautiful and never thought of turning back merely because the path was both difficult and unpleasant. At last, with her dress covered in burs, and her face scratched by the twigs on the trees, she reached the spot where she and her father had been cutting earlier in the day, and found the axe in the place he had left it. To her surprise, three little Pidoves were sitting on the handle, all of them looking very sad."

"Poor things," Serena sighs as Min. "Why do you sit there and get wet? Fly home to your nest, it will be much warmer than this; but first eat this bread which I saved from my dinner, and perhaps you will feel happier. It is my father's axe you are sitting on, and I must take it back as fast as I can, or I will get a terrible scolding from my stepmother."

"She then crumbled the bread on the ground, and was pleased to see the Pidoves flutter cheerfully towards it." Misty continues. "By the time they had finished all the crumbs the doves felt much better, and were able to fly back to their nest in the top of a tree."

"That is a good girl," Ash comments in character as one of the Pidoves; "I really was too weak to stretch out a wing before she came. I would like to do something to show how grateful I am."

"Why don't we give her a wreath of flowers that will never fade as long as she wears it," a small sprite creature suggests as the second Pidove.

"And let the tiniest Fletchlings sit amongst the flowers," Serena agrees as the third.

"When Mina stepped into her house a wreath of laurel was on her head, and a crowd of little Fletchling were singing, sight unseen." Misty narrates.

Ash grabs a whistle and mimics a Fletchling song, to Serena's delight. "The father, who was sitting by the fire, thought that, in spite of her muddy clothes, he had never seen his daughter looking so lovely; but the stepmother and Melanie grew green with envy." Misty continues.

I'm...blue as I can be! Green with jealousy! Look what you've done to me! I've got those green...with envy blues... Brock sings, only to stop when he sees Misty glaring at him.

"When I want a musical number, I'll say so." Misty reminds him before continuing as the stepmother "How stupid to walk about on such a dreary night, dressed up like that,"

As herself, she continues "...she commented, and pulled off the wreath as she spoke, to place it on her own daughter. As she did so the roses wilted, and the Fletchlings flew out of the window.

"See what a gaudy thing it is!" she cries the stepmother, holding up some leaves to prove her point.

She explains as herself "But though she pretended to despise the wreath, she longed nonetheless for her daughter to have one just like it."

"Uh oh..." Serena giggles.

"Now it happened that the next evening the father, who had been alone in the forest, came back a second time without his axe." Misty explains as herself. "The stepmother's heart was glad when she saw this, and she said quite mildly..."

"Why, you have forgotten your axe again, you careless man!" she scolds as the stepmother. "But now your daughter will stay at home, and mine will go and bring it back."

As herself, she continues "Throwing a cloak over Melanie's shoulders, she bade her hurry to the forest. With a dour look on her face Melanie set out, grumbling to herself as she went; for though she wished for the wreath, she did not want to go to the trouble of getting it."

"Sometimes some things are worth the trouble to get it." Brock muses as he adds another log to the campfire.

"By the time she reached the spot where her stepfather had been cutting the wood Melanie was in a very bad mood indeed, and when she spotted the axe, there were the three Pidoves, with drooping heads and soiled, bedraggled feathers, sitting on the handle. Misty continues

"Stupid Pokemon!" she cries as Melanie, "Go away, or I will throw rocks at you!"

As herself, she continues "The Pidoves spread their wings and flew up to the very top of a tree, their bodies shaking with anger and fear.

"What shall we do as payback?" Serena asks as one of the Pidoves. "We were never treated like that before."

"I know," the sprite Pokemon suggests. She will never be able to say anything but gibberish to the end of her days!"

"They laughed so loud and so long with delight, they woke up all the birds in the trees nearby." Misty continues Meanwhile, Melanie had reached home angrier than ever; but as soon as her mother heard her open the door she ran out to hear her adventures."

She proceeds to role play the next scene by herself. "Well, did you get the wreath?"

"Nal kyrnawi kalipar pakliol utzilah!"

"Don't talk to me like that! What do you mean?"

"Kali kini gadurm!"

The boys laughter is the hardest at Misty's gibberish. "...Melanie continued, and try as she might, all she could say was gibberish." Misty continues as herself. The woman saw that something evil had befallen her, and turned in her rage to her stepdaughter Mina. As the father was away, she took a stick and beat Mina until she screamed with pain and went to bed crying."

"Ow..." Ash winces as he pictures the horrifying scene.

"If Mina's life had been miserable before, it was ten times worse now, for the moment her father's back was turned the others teased and tormented her morning, noon and night; and their fury was increased by the sight of her wreath, which the Pidoves had placed again on her head." Misty explains. "Things went on like this for some time, when, one day, as the king's son--we'll call him Brian--was riding through the forest, he heard some strange Fletchlings singing more sweetly than before. He tied his Ponyta to a tree, and followed where the sound led him, and, to his surprise, he saw Mina chopping wood, with a wreath of laurel, where the singing came from. Standing in the shelter of a tree, he watched her for a while, and then, hat in hand, he went up and spoke to her."

"Who are you, and who gave you that wreath of singing laurel?" Ash asks Serena as Prince Brian.

"I live in a hut on the edge of the forest," Serena answers as Mina. "As to the wreath, I don't know how it got there, unless it was maybe the gift of some Pidoves I fed when they were starving!"

"Prince Brian was delighted with this answer, which showed the goodness of the girl's heart, and besides he had fallen in love with her beauty, and would not be content until she promised to return with him to the palace, and become his bride. The old king was naturally disappointed at his son's choice of a wife, as he wished him to marry a neighboring princess; but as the prince had always done exactly as he liked, nothing was said and a splendid wedding feast was prepared." Misty concludes. "But the story is not over here...I'll tell you more on my next turn!"

"Aw...just as it was getting good too!" the sprite sighs.

"Don't worry, Melody." Ash assures the sprite. "The stepmother and Melanie will get their just desserts, okay?"

(real tale: The Enchanted Wreath

what Brock tries to sing: The Green with Envy Blues)