The Forgotten Fairy Tale
Jezrielle Ann
ong ago in the country of China lived a beautiful princess named MeiHua. She was the most beautiful
of the daughters of Shihuangdi. Shihuangdi was the emperor of China. MeiHua was betrothed to a
prince, in the far west of the empire. This was to the advantage of Shihuangdi, because the prince's
father was a king with whom Shihuangdi wanted an alliance. To any princess, it would have been an
honor to marry for their country, but MeiHua was in love with a peasant.
is, Group 3: Fiction, Xi'an International School
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Shihuangdi was very upset that MeiHua loved a peasant, when she was betrothed to a prince. He locked
her in a heavily guarded tower until it was time for her to leave to marry. MeiHua was devastated, and cried a
sea of tears on which her bed floated. Her dinner, a dried squid, was hydrated by her tears. He spoke to her,
in the strange, absentminded way that squids often do.
"
Lovely princess, thank you. Your royalness, may I ask why you are crying? I must say, your tears are
very refreshing."
"
I am crying because I have been denied of seeing my lover, a wonderful man," the princess moaned.
"
Why would you be denied of seeing someone who loves you?" the squid gasped, partially because of
shock from the princess's statement, and partially because he realized he had been a food dish. "How many
others are served in the palace?"
"
Oh, I usually have a squid at least once every other day, but that's not the point. I have been denied the
right to meet with my lover, because he is a peasant," sobbed MeiHua
"
You could always climb down the tower. I have a pretty long tentacle you could climb down on."
"
Would you do that for me?" the princess was touched.
Late that night, the squid lowered his longest tentacle, and MeiHua slid down. She avoided the gaze of
the guards, and hurried to the small shack of her lover. The man's home was smaller than any room in the
palace, but MeiHua loved him anyways. MeiHua woke up her lover and they spent a few moments together.
Much earlier than MeiHua expected it to arrive, the time to leave came. MeiHua parted from her lover,
presenting him with a golden locket engraved with a dragon. When the time should come, MeiHua's lover
should open the locket, and a grand dragon would appear to serve him. MeiHua assured her lover that he
would know the right time to open the locket. With final good-bye's, MeiHua departed. The squid lowered his
tentacle when MeiHua called to him. She clung to one end, and the squid hauled her up the tower.
The next day, Shihuangdi called for MeiHua to leave to marry her betrothed. He gave her a delicious
dumpling made out of her favorite vegetables as a parting gift. It was rumored that Shihuangdi had done
something to her dumpling, because she didn't remember her lover at all after eating it. Weeks of traveling had
exhausted the princess. Halfway through her trip, she set her squid free in an ocean they passed. It is from
the kind squid that the species of giant squid descended.
The day of the wedding finally arrived, and many new relatives were present. MeiHua, dressed in the
finest red gown of silk, poured each of them a cup of tea while nervously trying to be proper. Luckily, they
were outside, so all of the times she accidentally dumped a small portion on the ground, went unnoticed. Her
hands shook in nervousness, as she tried to remember each relative’s name. Suddenly in a monstrous gust of
wind,the teapot was blown out of her hands and onto the head of a nearby aunt. Everyone screamed and raced
towards the palace.
"
It wasn't that bad was it?" questioned the overly embarrassed MeiHua.
A giant dragon dropped to the ground silently behind her. MeiHua heard nothing, and began muttering
about overly scared relatives. MeiHua began to pick up the teapot when she noticed that there was something,
someone, behind her. She whirled around and crashed into a man she had never seen before. He looked
strangely familiar, like someone who bears a resemblance of someone else. It was only then that MeiHua
noticed that there was a huge dragon behind the man.
"
Aren't you coming with me?" the man questioned.
"
I don't even know you!" MeiHua exclaimed edging her way towards the door into the palace.
"
You know me! I am your lover! Remember me please!" the man begged, almost in tears.
"
You must be joking; the only man I have ever loved is my husband, whom I was marrying." MeiHua
attempted to distract the man, but the whole time she shuffled closer to the entrance. "Come now, you must