The Story Telling Tree

Once upon a very long time ago and far away toward the stars end, there lay a huge green forest that blanketed the land.
In this enchanted place, within an ancient stone walled castle almost hidden amongst the trees, there lived the most beautiful of beautiful Princess’s.

“Oh dear!” this beautiful Princess said to herself while observing the large wood burning fireplace that heated her room crackle with ever decreasing in size, but still wildly dancing flames. “The fire is going out in my room, I will fetch some more wood from the forest.”
The beautiful Princess walked from the castles great timber gates and strolled into the forest, picking up fallen branches to use for firewood as she went.
In next to no time the beautiful Princess had entered a clearing that she could not remember ever visiting before, and confronting her was the strangest of strange trees.
“You are the most peculiar of oddities?” the beautiful Princess laughed, noting the almost face like texture of this trees bark, her shimmering eyes roaming along the tree trunk to what appeared to be eyes, a nose and mouth, carved, or rather grown, into the tree itself.
“But I think that your old branches will make fine firewood, so I shall chop you down with this old axe“ She picked up what appeared to be a forgotten rusty axe that rested against the base of this fine old tree and proceed to swing the blade toward the trees trunk.

“Please don’t chop me down!” a booming voice suddenly called out, and the beautiful Princess looked upwards, quite shocked to see the trees `face` talk to her.
“Who are you?” asked the beautiful Princess lowering the rusty old axe. “I have never heard a tree talk before!”
The trees face opened its large eyes and the mouth moved again. “I am a story telling tree!” it said in a firm, but rather sad sounding voice. “The last of the story telling trees in fact, and if you chop me down I shall no long be able to tell any of my tales to visitors who should pass this way.”
“Well that would not be right!” exclaimed the beautiful Princess and she lowered the rusty old axe, quickly replacing it back to where she had found it. “I shall collect the branches that have already fallen from you naturally, and use those for firewood instead.”
“Thank you!” boomed the story telling tree and the wooden mouth gave a large smile. ”For your kindness, I shall be glad to tell you a different story every day, if you should wish to visit me again.”
The beautiful Princess smiled back. “Thank you very much!” she said, “I shall look forward to visiting you again.”
The beautiful Princess quickly gathered some of the story telling trees fallen branches and returned to her castle. From then on the beautiful Princess would return to the story telling tree whenever she could and was told the most amazing tales by this old tree and they both lived happily ever after.

The Story Telling Tree Stories :-) Story One

Little Rickety Ship

Little Rickety Ship was the smallest and youngest boat in the harbour. In fact, little Rickety Ship was so small that he was not able to see over the high harbour wall like all the other much larger and much grander ships could.
These bigger ships were really not very pleasant vessels, they were all big bullies who always liked to tease little Rickety Ship and they would call him nasty names just because he was much smaller than they were. But little Rickety Ship just ignored them, as he knew, in his own tough little engine heart, that he was just as good as them and would prove it someday.
Then, one dark night, whilst all the ships were in the harbour were sleeping, the greatest of all great storms rolled in from the sea. In the inky dark night, almost all of the sleeping ships were damaged by huge waves and roaring winds that had suddenly smashed into, then over the harbours solid concrete walls.
When the greatest of all great storms had passed only one ship in the harbour was left undamaged, and that was little Rickety Ship, he had been protected from the howling winds that had roared above his single funnel that had, as always, fallen just short of the high harbour wall that now protected him. Little Rickety Ships small but stout little engine had also managed to fight each oncoming wave as they tried to push him angrily against the solid concrete walls. “My goodness, that was a very rough night” sighed little Rickety Ship, as a shrilling whistle blew steam from his funnel while his engine chugged happily.

“Help!” A sudden and desperate cry came from over the harbour walls. “There is a ship in trouble at sea! It has been caught by the storm. Is anyone left undamaged to give assistance?”
Everyone of the big ships then called out, one by one.. “Not I. This vessel is not seaworthy!”
Little Rickety Ship waited for the last grand ship to fall silent, then shouted at the very top of his voice, “Vessel proceeding to assist!” and his stout little engine chugged him forward toward open sea.
The large and grand ships laughed to each other as little Rickety Ship chugged out of the harbour entrance. ”What does that Rickety Ship think he is doing?” they all shouted. “Come back silly thing! You will be of no use!”
But little Rickety Ship ignored them and his engine chugged forward through the high waves.

Within next to no time little Rickety Ship could see the stricken vessel. It was absolutely huge and the biggest ship that he had ever see before.
“A tanker!” exclaimed little Rickety Ship. “Caught on the rocks!” He chugged forward, struggling against the high waves.
“Save yourself!” called out the huge tanker which was a new visitor to the area and had not seen little Rickety Ship before. “You cannot help me!”
With a shrill call of his funnel whistle, little Rickety Ship raced forward. “Yes I can !” he shouted, and human sailors from his belly emerged, throwing ropes toward the huge tanker. Human sailors also quickly came from the tankers belly, and attached these ropes to the tankers long deck.
Little Rickety Ship chugged forward and pulling with all his might, his stout little engine steamed with sweat. With a last surge forward from exhausted little Rickety Ship, the huge tanker finally slid from the rocks and little Rickety Ship towed it through rough seas back to the harbour.

The great tanker, which was much more grander and bigger than all the other ships in the harbour berthed against the harbour walls and little Rickety Ship let go of the ropes.
“You are a small little Rickety fellow!” exclaimed the great tanker. “But your are the bravest and most big hearted engine that I have yet to see!” The huge tanker bellowed toward all the other ships in the harbour.. ”I think you should all agree?”
Little Rickety Ship smiled as the big ships all sounded their whistles, and little Rickety Ship now knew that they would not tease, or bully him again. And they all sailed, happily ever after.

The Story Telling Tree Stories :-) Story Two

The Terrifying Bad Breathed Dragon

Once upon a very long time ago, there was much fear amongst the peaceful people of tree land. The forest people were very afraid of a terrifying red dragon, which, it was said, spat fire so hot that it could burn a challenging knight to pieces, and that whose breath was so bad, that it would make the very air un-breathable.

A little girl called Elizabeth had heard of this old tale of a terrifying dragon, as had all the other children of the village, but unlike them she was not afraid of such stories. But one fine day, as Elizabeth walked with five of her friends in the woods, she, and they, heard the most terrifying roar. Within moments of hearing this really frightening roar the very ground shook violently beneath their feet, sending clouds of dry dust up into the air.

“Look!” shouted one of the children and he pointed toward the trees ahead. In the distance two huge oak trees parted, and the large head of a very red, and very angry looking fierce dragon appeared. “Run!” the same boy cried at the top of his voice.
All the children ran away as quickly as they could back toward their village to warn the villagers. All that is, except Elizabeth. She stood motionless, fascinated by the large red dragon creature that had parted the huge trees, and was now walking slowly toward her, the ground trembling with each stomp of the creatures heavy feet.

Fire spat forward from the dragons nostrils as it stood to a halt in front of Elizabeth, orange flames making some leaves instantly burn and crackle on the tree branches that were reaching out above her head.
“Excuse me!” said Elizabeth firmly looking upward into the dragons dark green eyes. “Do you mind not spitting fire! You could cause a forest fire you know!”
The dragon looked rather surprised, and huffed to itself. “Huh?” it huffed again gently, and then bent it’s large head downward to look directly at Elizabeth. “Sorry!” it said apologetically in a deep voice. “I only spit fire when I am in pain, it’s a dragon thing, I do not want to burn trees or harm anything else for that matter.”
“In pain!” exclaimed Elizabeth more horrified at that, than the huge, terrifying creature stood directly in front of her. “Where does it hurt?” she asked with concern.
“In my foot” replied the red dragon, nudging his front leg as best he could with his large head. “Right here!”

Elizabeth bent forward, examining the dragons foot. Then she spotted a large thistle caught between the dragons toes. ”I can see what the problem is!” she said calmly, and pulled a large thistle from the dragons foot.
“Oh!” said the dragon, looking quite pleased. “That is much better, now there is no pain!” It’s large head moved toward Elizabeth and the dragon kissed her quite gently. “How can I ever thank you!” the dragon added.
Elizabeth moved her head back, without trying to hurt the dragons feelings. ”Well,” she sniffed. “I think that your breath could need a little attention, it has a really bad odour!”
“Sorry!” apologised the dragon. “But dragons can not really clean their teeth, and that is whey we have bad breath.“

Elizabeth thought for a moment, then reached into her pocket. “Maybe this can help?” she said, and then held up her brand new, unused hair brush. “If you could just smile for a moment” she asked of the dragon.
The dragon gave a large friendly smile, while for her part Elizabeth held her nose closed with one hand, and the brush up to the dragons teeth with the other. Dipping the hairbrush into a pool of water next to her, then swiftly moving the brush upward and downward very quickly, Elizabeth brushed the dragons teeth until they shone clean and smell free.

“That is better!” Elizabeth said, now satisfied with the clean, and now non smelling teeth of the dragon.
“Excellent!” exclaimed the dragon. “You are my new best friend!”
“And you are mine!” said Elizabeth with a smile. “What may I ask is your name?.. I am called Elizabeth.“
“That is a a nice name.. Hello there Elizabeth” smiled the dragon, and it then said sadly. “I do not have a name myself, though I have heard that people call me terrifying, and for some strange reason scream and run away when I come along?”
“Well?” said Elizabeth, patting the dragon affectionately on it’s nose. “That just proves how silly people are, fancy running away and being scared just because of the way someone looks.. It’s what is inside that counts!” She thought for a moment, “Terrifying, stuff and nonsense!.. I shall just call you Terry!”
“I like that!” exclaimed Terry the dragon, very happy with his new name. “I like that very much!”
And from then on, Terry (the now sweet breathed dragon) and Elizabeth became friends who lived happily ever after.