The Princess and The Pirate
By Jacob Magnus
Copyright 2011 Jacob Magnus
There was once a great pirate chief, who sailed all around the oceans, who attacked ships and ports, and even cities, who thieved, and murdered, and cast terror across the world. Many brave men vowed to defeat him, to punish him for his crimes, and save their people, but all who found him found death. He slew all those good men, and sent back to their families only their heads, ghastly in death.
One sunny day, the pirate looked out across the shining ocean, and saw clear to the horizon, and he said, "Truly I am master of the world, for there is nothing I cannot take."
Then a wind blew, and a voice spoke upon the sea breeze, and whispered in his ear, "You are not master of the world, for you do not, and shall not, and cannot take the princess of the high mountains."
When he heard this, the pirate chief turned red, and then white, and then black, and he roared in his anger. Straightaway he ordered his ship about, and set sail for the land of the high mountains. For many a day and a night he sailed, and never once did he sleep, such was his wrath. At last, after a long voyage, the pirate chief came to the land of the high mountains, and he took his pirate band with him, fearsome warriors all, and marched up the hills, and the trails, into the mountains. The march was long, and the men tired, but the pirate chief scourged them when they paused for rest, and in this way some of his died, but the rest came to the city in the high mountains wonderfully fast.
When he came to the gates of the city, a guard asked, "who are you, and why have you come?"
"I am the great pirate chief, terror of the world, and I have come for the princess of the high mountains."
"Woe to you, pirate chief," said the guard. "For you cannot take the princess of the mountains."
The pirate chief grew angry, and he drew his sword, and he chopped off the guard's head. Then he hung the head on his belt, and marched on to the palace. At the palace gates, he was met by the captain of that land, a great soldier in stout armour. The soldier saw the head on his belt, and gnashed his teeth. "Who are you, and why have you come, with the guard's head on your belt?"
"I am the great pirate chief, terror of the world, and I have come for the princess of the high mountains."
"Woe to you, pirate chief," said the captain. "For you cannot take the princess of the mountains."
The pirate chief grew angry, and he drew his sword, and attacked the captain, but the captain was a great soldier, and he fought the pirate chief for a long time, sword against sword, but the pirate chief was stronger, and he slew him, and took his head for his belt.
The pirate chief threw open the doors of the palace, and marched in with all his band, and came into a great hall, with red carpets, and silk draperies, and marble statues of heroic men and beautiful women. He came to the throne of the old king of the high mountains, and the old king said, "who are you, and why have you come, with the guard's head, and the captain's head on your belt?"
"I am the great pirate chief, terror of the world, and I have come for the princess of the high mountains."
"Woe to you, pirate chief," said the old king. "For you cannot take the princess of the mountains."
Then the pirate chief's anger had no limit, and he drew his sword, and he chopped off the old king's head, and tied it to his belt. "Now there is nothing for it, but I must be king of the mountains, and the princess shall be my queen."
He went to the princess's chambers, and knocked, and knocked, and then he threw open the doors. And there before him stood the princess, and he saw he face, and his eyes filled with tears, he had never seen such beauty. Indeed, her very skin seemed to glow, she was so beautiful, and the glowing grew very bright, and it hurt his eyes, but the glowing grew brighter still, and at last his eyes shrivelled up in his head like two burnt peas.
Then the pirate chief fell to his knees, and wailed, for he was blind. And then a wind blew outside, and a breeze came into the room, and on it he heard a voice, whisper to him, "three times they warned you, and you listened not. You cannot take the princess of the high mountains."
"Be you angel or devil, I care not," said the pirate chief. "I only wish I could look again, for the princess of the high mountains is more beautiful than all the gems in the world."
"Go then to the spring in the burning desert, bathe in it, and you shall be restored."
So the pirate chief called his men, and they found him in his dreadful state, and carried him away, crying that they feared to stay in that land of witchcraft. It was a difficult struggle to go back down to the ship, but the men ran fast because of their fear, and in this way some of them died.
When they got back to the ship, the men asked their chief what they should do. "We must go to the burning desert," he said. Then they murmured, and complained.
"Let us find some rich man's ship, and take his treasure. Let us have done with these hard voyages."
Now the pirate chief was afraid, for his men had never argued with him before. In his blindness, he was weak, and any man might slay him. So he told a lie, that the princess of the high mountains was a witch, and had cursed them all. "Look," he said. "Have not some of our men died already, on the way back from the city in the mountains?"
The men saw it was true; some men had died on the way back, thought not from any curse. But they believed him, and obeyed him, and soon they set the ship sailing for the burning desert. That journey was long, and difficult, and filled with fear. The pirate chief took to his rooms, and wailed the long night through, lamenting that he should not see the princess again.
They came to the shore of the burning desert, and began the march to the spring. The way was long, and the journey hard, for the desert burned them in the day, and froze them at night, and always they were thirsty. Some men hoarded their water, and others stole it, and then they quarrelled, and fought, and in this way, some men died. At last they came to the spring, and the angel of the desert met them, and gave them water, and shelter, and rest.
"I must bathe in this water," said the pirate chief, and asked his men to lead him in, but they ignored him, such was their thirst. Then he cried for help, and the angel of the desert heard him, and asked why he cried. "I must bathe in this water, but not one of my men will lead me."
"I will lead you," said the angel of the desert. "Take my hand, and listen well. To be cured of your blindness, you must go naked into the water. Not one rag of cloth, not one sharp dagger, not one shining jewel must you take, if you would be whole."
So the angel of the desert led the pirate chief to the water. "Am I there? Is this it?" said the pirate chief, filled with excitement. He rushed forwards, and dove into the water. But in his haste, he forgot the angel's words, and did not remove even his hat. So he was not healed. He came out, soaked, and sad. "Why am I not healed?"
"Not one rag, not one dagger, not one jewel," said the angel.
The pirate chief stripped off his clothes, down to the last, but he heard his men splashing nearby. Then he thought, I must not let them take my jewels, and I must keep my dagger to be safe. So he went into the water, and though he soaked his whole body in it, he was not healed. He came out, sadder than before. "Why am I not healed?"
"Not one rag, not one dagger, not one jewel," said the angel.
So the pirate chief tossed away his sharp dagger, and all of his gold rings, and his silver bracelets, and his necklace of sapphires, all but one diamond pendant, for it was worth more than all of his other jewels, and he was afraid to put it down, lest his men take it. He went into the water, and soaked his whole body in it, and stayed there for a long time, blinking so the water would wash his eyes. But he was not healed. He came out, sadder than ever befor
e. "Why am I not healed?"
"Foolish man," said the angel. "Three times I warned you, and you listened not. Now you must suffer worse than before."
The pirate chief fell to his knees, and begged the angel to forgive him, but the angel flew up into the air, and was never seen again. Then the pirates all came around their chief, and they started to pick through his heap of jewels, and take what they liked. When he heard them, he shouted for them to stop, but they ignored him, so he tried to get up and fight them away, but his legs obeyed him as well as his men. Then he understood the angel's punishment, for he was lame. He cursed his men, and then he pleaded, and at last he grovelled, but they jeered at him, and picked a new leader from among themselves, and decided to go back to sea. He begged them not to leave him there, for, blind and lame, he would surely die. So they carried him, but they left him nothing for himself, not a scrap of cloth, not a dull jewel.
After a long march through the desert, they came to a city. The pirates left their old chief there, and went away to find their ship. Naked, penniless, and bind, the old chief was mocked and jeered at by the people of that city, and he thought he must starve. But the people were ashamed to let a poor old beggar die in their streets, so they gave him some old rags to wear, and a little stale bread, a few dried figs, and though he became thin, and weak, he lived in that city for many years.
He could not walk, and he could not see, but he remembered many adventures, and he spoke of them. Little children came to listen, and they told their mothers about the wonderful old man who told such good stories, and the mothers told the fathers, who told their friends, and soon many people came to listen to the old man. He told such good stories that people loved him, and gave him good food, and better clothes, and one day, when an old woman had died, they put him in her house, so he no longer slept in the street. Every day a crowd of little children ran to his house, and sang outside his door, and he would come out, and sit down in a wooden chair, and the children would gather round him, and ask for their favourite stories.
One day, a wind blew, and a voice spoke on the breeze, and the old man, who was then very old, felt great wonder, for he had almost forgotten his stories were true. The voice whispered, "have you forgotten the princess of the high mountains?"
Then the old man's heart kicked in his chest, and he felt he would cry, though no tears could fall from his withered eyes. "No. I have not forgotten." For even when everything else had faded in his memory, his ship, his crew, his great renown, her shining face had stayed with him.
"And what have you learned, man with no memory?"
At once, he knew, for he had thought on it for many years. "That I cannot take her, and if I would see her, I cannot keep anything for myself."
"You would sit, in a corner, and ask nothing for yourself?"
"That I would."
The voice in the breeze laughed, and the laughter became a roar and a howl, and a great storm blew, and the old man felt much fear, for he thought the wind must tear his old body apart. He wanted to hold onto something, and save himself, but he did not. And the wind carried him up, and out, and away from the city, and for a long time he flew upon the air.
For a long time, he rode on the wind, and his only thought was of that beautiful face. It seemed he flew for a thousand nights, or longer, until all his life was a dream, and all that was left was the rushing wind, and the image of her face.
At last, the wind set him down on a carpeted floor, and left him there in silence. The sweet smell of flowers filled the air, and he heard a sound like rushing water and tinkling bells. Then a woman spoke to him in a voice like music, "what do you ask from me?"
"I ask nothing, lady," he said.
"Open your eyes, and look at me."
He did, and light entered him, and bathed him. He saw her again, and she was even more beautiful than ever before. He wept at the sight of her, and for all the years he had dreamed of her.
"Stand," she said.
He rose up, and found his legs were strong and well, and his body felt light and powerful. He saw the skin on his hands was young, and shone with health. He gasped, and the tears poured from his eyes.
"Does this please you?"
"My lady, I have had as much, and lost as much, before. The only true joy is in beholding you."
And the princess was pleased by his answer, and took him to her father, who married them, and they lived happily ever after, prince and princess of the high mountains.
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About the Author
Jacob Magnus lives in South Korea with his girlfriend’s dog. He enjoys travel, and practises the Korean sword art of Gumdo. His favourite game is Deus Ex.