Bed Time Stories--The Tale of the Magic Comb
I am by no means a children's author. I do, however, have two children and they love it when I make up stories for them. Mostly I make up stories because I'm too lazy to search through the stacks of books we have to find the exact one they want when it's already past their bedtime.
Last week my daughter, almost 5, asked me to tell her a story while I dried her hair. Since she has long hair, we had time for a story. My poor son's story while drying his short hair goes something like "Once upon a time. The end." Don't worry, I make up for it at the actual bedtime. Anyway, enough rambling, here's the story from hair drying last night.
Once upon a time there was a magic comb. Every time someone combed their hair with this comb their hair turned to diamonds. But the comb was cursed and flung into a cave far far away from the kingdom and was guarded by a monster.
One day a prince fell in love with a princess. The princess said she would only marry the prince if he would bring her the magic comb. The prince searched and searched and finally found the magic comb...and the monster guarding it.
The prince, being a master negeotiator, asked the monster what it would take to get the comb. The monster said she would give the comb to the prince if he could bring her what she wanted most in the world.
The prince asked, "What is it you want most?"
And the monster answered, "You have to figure that out and you only get three chances to get it right."
So the prince brought the monster all the jewels and riches he had, surely the monster would be happy with these riches.
The monster pushed the riches aside and said, "What do I want with your riches, I have a comb that turns my hair to diamonds. I have all the riches I could ever want."
The prince thought and thought and finally decided maybe the monster needed healthy foods to eat. So he brought her the best tasting and healthiest selection of foods in the kingdom.
The monster pushed the food aside and said, "I live in the sea. I eat seaweed, kelp and fish. It doesn't get any healthier or tastier. I don't need your food."
The prince only had one chance left. He had no idea what else to bring the monster. He knew the princess would never marry him without the magic comb. He returned to the monster one last time.
The monster said, "What I want most in the world is a friend because I am so lonely here guarding this magic comb alone."
The prince felt so sorry for the monster he stayed as her friend and they shared the riches of the magic comb. The princess had to wait for another prince who would find the magic comb for her.
