Story time (take two)

I’m currently making my way through my second class of fairy tales, and wanted to share another of my favorites with you.  For this story, their assigned characters were a hunter and a knight, the setting was a forest, and the moral was hard work brings benefit.  Enjoy this tale of a hard-working hunter!

With a castle nestled inside, a great forest was located in the north of the city.  The forest was ancient enough that hundreds of species of tress and flowers, as well as other precious plants, were there which made the forest look rather thick.  Trees in the neighborhood had such good relationships with each other that their roots and branches were firmly intertwined and could bear the weight of swinging animals.  Some tiny spots of sunshine went through the crevices of the leaves and the golden rays cast over the ground.

In this forest there was a young girl Enid, who was famous for her beauty.  She always wore a white skirt.  She had long dense hair.  It would dance when there was a gentle breeze.  There was a pair of talkative eyes on her pretty face.  Her lips were just like a pair of cherries that gave you the aspiration of kissing them softly.  She was slim but full of youth and vitality.  She was brisk of movement just like a deer walking in the forest back and forth.  It was likely that even a rabbit would fall in love with her.  Even the most evil man in the world would like her.  However, she was not proud of these things.  She was waiting for her true love year after year.

There was a knight called William that lived in the castle.  He was an outstanding person in others’ eyes.  He always sat on horseback with a faint smile on his face.  His eyelashes were long and dense, but there was something cold in his eyes.  His skin was fair so that it looked like jade when the sun was shining over him.  It seemed that he was a lucky person with all good things–the wealth, the enchanting appearance, as well as the superb hunting skill.  He was so attractive that every maid servant couldn’t help gazing at him when doing the service.  Nearly every woman wanted to be his wife.  He was almost a perfect person but for one character–he was proud.  No one was better than him in his mind.  He could even have whatever he wanted in this world.  William often went hunting with a queue of hunters he recruited.

One bright day, William decided to lead his queue of hunters to go hunting.  Everyone was in high spirits, and got on their horses and went out in endless procession.  As soon as they reached the forest, a deer appeared suddenly and ducked behind a tree.  Everyone’s attention was focused on it.  They pursued it with all efforts.

An arrow went into the body of the deer, which stopped the pursuing.  Who shot it?  Everyone was wondering.  Only William knew it was a hunter called Henry.

Henry was the perfect hunter in his team, but no one knew him because of his humility.  He was full of speed and skills.  The bow was tightly held in his hands.  Even a mouse couldn’t escape from his arrow.  His eyes were bright and clear.  Henry was masculine and looked loyal.  He was built with broad shoulders and firm arms.  There was a dream in his mind that one day he could get married and leave the country and the arrogant knight.  With his wife he could go to another forest where no one knew him.

“Who shot it?  He must be a sharpshooter!” said Enid with curiosity and admiration, while the team was only meters away from the deer.  The brisk voice attracted the attention of William who was walking in front.  William was shocked by her prettiness and when he cast his eyes to the voice he couldn’t help moving towards her.  “Was that you?”  Enid asked.  “Of course,” William responded affirmatively with a proud smile after a short moment of hesitation.  After he enjoyed the compliments of others, he began to throw himself to the beauty and only left Henry standing aside with loneliness.

Day after day, the admiration of William and dislike of his pride were in Enid’s heart heart at the same time.  She would never know how deadly the mistake she made until one night when she heard a conversation between William and Henry by chance.  Standing at the passage, Henry and William were arguing.  Henry exposed William’s lie and expressed his deep love of Enid.  The appearance of Enid stopped the endless debate.  At last, she decided to give a competition on hunting to let them fight it out.

This competition was going to be held in the forest and there were only two weeks for them to prepare.  It was a crucial combat because the stake was Enid.  From then on, Henry devoted himself into the training day and night.  His skill became much more proficient.  He would shoot a tiny fly even though his eyes were covered.  Nevertheless, the only thing that William did was waiting for that day’s coming confidently.  However, the knowledgeable knight didn’t know the saying, “No pain, no gain.”

The decisive day came on schedule finally.  The well-prepared hunter and the conceited knight came to the battlefield on time.  It was declared by Enid that the final winner was the person who first shot a deer perfectly without leaving the battlefield.  They started out after the match began.

William was searching aimlessly while at first Henry stood still with his eyes closed.  He listened to the sound in the forest carefully.  After a while he determined his direction which was contrary to William’s.  After a few miles of steps, he stopped suddenly as if he heard something was nearby.  He hid himself behind a tree next to him quickly and quietly.  “Se se…” a crunching sound came to his ears.  He raised his bow and arrow towards there, held his breath, and without any hesitation he shot out his arrow.

The painful howl of a deer echoed throughout the forest, which ceased William’s searching steps.  Enid was waiting at the starting point with nervousness on her face.  A moment later the picture of Henry holding a deer came into Enid’s sight which brought the game to an end.  The nervousness on her face was replaced by pleasantness.  The knight standing by was disappointed by this scene and left without his pride for the first time.

The result was satisfactory for Enid and Henry.  Their hearts touched each other’s naturally.  They left the forest together.  Henry knew it was the time for him to realize his dream.  Several days later, Henry and Enid departed from the country and the knight.  They set their new house in another forest.  Soon they got married.  Henry still hunted for a living.  They created their new life hand in hand.