The Three Golden Hairs of the Devil

Of course the Red King was disturbed and sought out this fledgling usurper. Finding the fledgling usurper was easy for it was also foretold that the future King would be found in a town that existed between the Red and White Kingdom.

Now eliminating the fledgling was the difficult part

The King plotted and planned on what to do. He kneaded his brow till there were permanent creases in his forehead. He though anf thought till he grew gaunt and sickly from thinking. In the castle’s chapel he would spend time devising stratagems and plans. Then testing them out in his minds eye to see if they work.

This lasted for twenty-one days.

Until, a plan like pearl formed inside the Red King’s head. An awful plan that involved corsairs, Greek Fire and the Devil. The King in secret paid three hundred forty three corsairs to go the village. Once at the village the brigands were to take the villagers and put them on a slave ship. Then using Greek Fire they would burn the village and surrounding area. Leaving only a burned land without life.

The Corsairs then attacked the ship that carried the villagers – sinking the ship and villagers. Till no one was left.

Unknown to the Cosairs. the King assembled his fleet, and using the same Greek fire used on the village, destroyed the Pirate ship of the three hundred forty.

So on that day the Red Kingdom mourned the village that disappeared and rejoiced of the news of the victory of the Red King over the three hundred forty corsairs.

Folks seeing the village destroyed were shock at the sight of the burned down village. The King then made sure that a rumor went around that the Devil had eaten the whole town. For Greek fire was not known to the people of the kingfdom and one advantage of Greek Fire was it was odorless. Amd left no trace.

The Red King was a hero because he eliminated. And in his wicked heart he was proud because the child usurper was done in.

But the Child still lived. For he was the Seventh Child of the Seventh Child of the Seventh Child. In other words he was a Luck Child: he way lucky, a luck Child.

And as the boat filled with the villagers. The Luck Child was placed in a wooden basket and set down on the ocean with prayers from his Parent. The Luck Child floated along the Ocean where a Dolphin guided and tool the Luck child to the shores of the Red kindom but far away from its old town, where it was taken the Miller and his wife: A childless couple who took in the child and raise it as their own.

The King meanwhile, please with how things have fallen the Red King settled down and in time a daughter of his own. The King loved his daughter and probably was the only person he allowed ito his heart. Her name was Moonbeam.

Now it just so happened that each year the King would inspect seven villages, towns and cities in the Red Kingdom.

And the first village the King visited was the village of the Luck-Child. It was impressive the village had become quite prosperous. The harvest was good and honey flowed like water in a stream from the high mountains up North. And the villagers attributed this to child who was brought to Village by the dolphins and found by the Miller and his wife who made the foundling their child.

The King knew at once that this was the one who would become King and end his family line. While appearing thankful and friendly with Luck-Child who was now a young man, the King devised another plan. He announced that he would adopt the young man and give him an important post in his Kingdom probably Chancellor.

And he gave the Yong Man a letter to the Queen and bade him to make haste – got to Capital and the King’s Palace and give the letter to the Queen while he continued with his tour of the six remaining towns and cities.

The letter to the Queen carried specific orders from the King:

Dearest Wife,

The bearer of this letter. A young man named Sunshine should be sent to the Corsair Square and there be hang, drawn and quartered. His head then placed on topmest spire of the Royal City.

Affectionately yours,

King

Now Sunshine of course did not know of the letter nor the intent of the King. And was whistling on his way to the Royal Capital when he stopped by an Inn beside the forest to rest. He was welcomed by three InnKeepers, three bothers who welcomed him to stay and tell his tale over dinner.

The first Inn Keeper was the cook.
The second Inn Keeper took care of the stable.
Amd third Inn Keeper took care of the lodgings.

Unknown to him the Inn was the lair of the three most infamous criminals of the Kingdom.

The Cook was the poisoner and alchemist of the band.
The Stable master was once th King’s Chancellor who did his balck deeds.
The last Inn Keeper who take care of the Lodging was the only surviving corsair.

The three lured travelers into their inn to kill and rob them. This was their plan, so moreso when they heard the King sent the young lad. The poisoner fed Sunshine soup that made him sleep. The former Chancellor took the letter and read it. The Three Evil Men were dismayed when they read it and all found a way to get back at the King. Now the Corsair who was also a forger wrote a new letter using pilfered Royal Parchment stashed the former Chancellor.

And the three men carried Sunshine and the new letter to the edge of the Royal City and left him there.

Sunshine woke up before the Royal City and proceeded to the Palace where he delivered the Royal Letter to the Queen and this time it read:

Dearest Wife,

The bearer of this letter. A young man named Sunshine should married at once with great pomp with our daughter Princess Moonbeam. And let the whole city rejoice and royal banners fly high at the topmost spire of the Royal City.

Affectionately yours,

King

The King rushed to the Palace to discover that Sunshine or Prince Sunshine was now married to Princess Moonbeam and the whole Royal City was celebrating.

The King was infuriated and then thought of a way out of this predicament. And told Prince Sunshine that in order for him to have his blessing he must bring to him the three Golden hairs of the Devil and also to ask the Devil what were the answers to these three questions:

What is the best time to do each thing?
Who are the most important people to work with?
What is the most important thing to do at all times?

The King explained that his father had given this to him before he passed away and wanted to know the answers to it.

Prince Sunshine accepted and was on his way. To the Devi’s Keep. Which bordered the Red Kingdom on the South. You know when you got the Devil’s land when the ground becomes an endless sea of Blackstone, think fog and foul smell.

Prince Sunshine trod on whistling as he went until eventually he reached the lake that surrounded the Devil’s Keep. There was only one way to go there and that was by riding the Old Ferryman. On the way the Old Ferryman advised Sunshine not to take any of the pearls that made up the beach. For he would be detected imeediately by the Devil. The only way to carry the pearls away and this was the bearer should have at least three golden hairs of the Devil. And the weary ferryman if he could why is it that he has to do what he does.

Sunshine thanked him and agreed to have the answer for hi s question.

As Sunshine alighted from the ferry he did see the beach that was littered with pearl where sand should be and rubiew where rocks should be.

Inside the keep Sunshine found a beautiful woman cooking food for the Devil. It was his wife. His Human wife. And at first the wife told him to go away but Sunshine would not and proceeded to explain the tasks given to him by the King. The Devil’s Wife took pity on him. And told him he would help him but he must first agree to become a mice – so that the devil would not find him.

So sunshine was made into a mouse and as soon as that happened the Devil comes in and asked for his dinner, which his wife prepared. And they then proceeded to bed.

The Devil closed his eyes an went to sleep. He was awakened by the pain that came from the puling of the first Golden Hair. The Devil looked at his wife said, “What is the matter?”

I dreamed of the Old Ferry Man and he was asking what was the best time to do eah thing?

And the Devil gave the answer.

The Devil went to sleep a few moments later he woke up with a scream for his wife took out another golden hair and asked his wife, “what is the matter now?”

I saw the ferryman again in my dream and he asked me Who are the most important people to work with?

And again the Devil gave the answer.

The Devil then fell asleep again after an hour he awoke again with a scream for his wife pulled out another golden hair amd turned to his wife, “And what did the ferryman ask now?”

“Why does he have to ferry people back and forth?”

With that Devil laughed and said “he only has to give his oar to the passenger and the burden passes unto the passenger and he becomes free.”

“How simple” said the wife and with that she hugged her husband for that is what husbands and wives do.

Sunshine bearing the three golden hear took a bag’s worth of pearls and rubies. Rode the ferry back to the other side and told the ferry man the answer to his question.

How simple the Ferry man said.

Sunshine rode into the Royal Capital and showed the three Golden Hairs to the King and the answers to his questions. The King had no choice but to give his blessings to the marriage. Then Sunshine showed the bag of pearls and rubies he got. And the King’s lust for the treasure engulfed him with interest and he asked where did he get these. Sunshine explained.

And that very night the King and his men-at-arms rode forth to the Devil’s land and to the far edge where the Ferryman awaited his passenger. The King trusting no one told his Men-at-arms to wait for him. He alone went on the ferry. After a few moments the ferry came back with a different passenger, the old ferryman who alighted and immediately turned to dust that was blown away by the wind. In his place was a new ferryman.

And the men-at-arms afraid to ride the ferry and grew more fearful of the Devil went back to the Royal Capital and reported the loss of the King.

Sunshine and MoonBeam became King and Queen of the Red Kingdom.

Moonbeam then asked her husband, “how did you figure out the answer to the third question when you used it to answer the question of the ferryman?”

Sunshine, “The Question your father asked is a popular one that is well known through out the Kingdom my father the Miller taught it to me:

(i) What is the best time to do each thing? The Present;
(ii) Who are the most important people to work with? The Person you are with now;
and (iii)What is the most important thing to do at all times? To make the person standing beside you happy

“How simple said Moonbeam and with that she hugged her husband for that is what husbands and wives do.