Once upon a time, in a land not far from here, there was a girl with hair as brown as chestnuts and eyes that glowed like rich caramel candy and she was as sweet as my Grandmother's blackberry cobbler with ice cream on a hot afternoon.
She loved to read books and when she was going about her chores, she would pass the time by telling tales to the chickens as she gathered eggs, the cows as she got milk and the pigs as she fed them.
The animals would just sit and listen and nod their heads thoughtfully as she came to an end of each tale (and chore) and sometimes they would almost sigh, as if sad that the stories were over.
They knew that each day they would get to hear another fanciful story so they didn't despair for long and soon forgot entirely as they remembered to eat the food the girl had left for them.
Each day was much like the rest, until one day the girl didn't come to
tend to their needs. It was the scullery maid and she had no delightful
tales. She went about the chores, caring for the livestock as if no
thoughts were in her mind at all!
She never said a word as she filled the basket with eggs, milked the cows (and rather roughly I might add) and then slopped the pigs.
After she left the animals all gathered round and asked each other what was going on- what could keep the fair, brown haired girl from coming to see them?
For as long as they all could remember she had always been there, each and everyday, in summer and winter, and spring and fall.
She never missed a day.
Something must be dreadfully wrong they decided and someone must be chosen to go investigate.
Miss Geraldine Hen had just raised her courage to volunteer when the dog came by the barn and said what's going on?
Sadie was a lovely Golden Retriever who had the most beautiful coat of fur and was always happy and smiling. They shared their concern for the girl with her and she quickly took over and they were all relieved when she said she would be the one to go to the house and find out what had happened to the girl.
Sadie ran as fast as she could past the waves and the water calling to her.
She dared not delay in her task for not a moment could be lost until she found out if her Mistress was safe.
She ran through the woods, so thick and wild!
Not stopping to chase the deer or smell the ferns, she ran until she reached the cottage where she hoped the girl was safe.
Maybe she had just slept too late, as Sadie did in the summer sunshine so warm and enchanting.
Maybe she was ill with a minor cold or just itchy with flea bites like the dog had experienced.
Sadie stopped herself from thinking worse thoughts!
The girl must be all right or her world would never be the same again!
Who would play with her and brush her and tell her stories of knights and champions fighting off dragons and evil?
Nudging the gate open with her mussel she quickly went inside and around to the back window of the girls room. Looking inside the open window she was shocked to see that it was empty.
Sadie went further around the house to the back porch and looked in the kitchen where the cook was busily preparing a meal.
No girl.
But wait!
Was the cook lady crying?
Yes! Sorrowful sounds and water was coming from her eyes!
The dog felt alarmed, for as long as she could remember the cook had always smiled and patted her back and given her delicious scraps of whatever she was fixing. Now, she didn't even look up, so overcome with sadness was she!
Sadie went into the next room and saw the maid with a piece of cloth drying her eyes and another waxing the furniture. She would wipe a tear and then wipe another from the table. Her eyes were flooded with water and it didn't feel right in there! The room was saturated with misery and it clung to her like a wet towel after her bath.
Shaking it off she went up the stairs toward the Master's room. Maybe there would be some clue as to what had happened to the fine girl that Sadie loved with all of her heart.
Maybe I should take a moment to talk about the Master, for he is important to my story.
Long ago, when he was a young man himself, he had made a trip to Paris and there he had fallen in love with a beautiful woman who could sing like a lark and made him smile each time he saw her. Why, they say that he grinned from ear to ear and never stopped grinning as long as she was near.
One day he invited her to come for a walk with him and she did and as they walked through the streets so alive with vendors selling fruit and artists painting at their easels he summoned the courage to ask her to marry him so that they could never be apart.
Just as she replied lightning cracked and struck the Eiffel Tower.
They both took it as a sign that they should get indoors and celebrate before the rain soaked them to the bone and so they went in the first tea shop they saw.
It was there that he got on one knee and proposed like a gentleman should and she smiled sweetly as she again replied, yes!
Everyone all around them cheered and clicked their tea cups in salutation!
The dog knew this story because the girl had told her many times.
Always stopping to kiss her when she got to this part of the tale.
So she reached the masters room and saw him with his head down on his desk sobbing in mourning with unchecked cries and snuffles and moans of grief.
This must be bad, thought Sadie.
She nudged him with her nose and he absently petted her head and said, not now, girl, go away. I have lost my daughter and I fear my heart has broken.
You see, his dear wife had died giving birth to his sweet daughter and she was all he had. But his daughter, after growing up and hearing the stories of Paris and it's ability to help you find your true love, had grown melancholy over the years and secretly bought a ticket on a ship to go to France and find out if her true love was waiting for her there.
The Father had woken to a note pinned to his pillow and this is what it said:
Dear Father, Please do not be sad or worried about my departure. I must take a journey to find my true love, just as you once did. Hopefully, I will return someday and we will celebrate my wedding together. Please take care of yourself and remember to tend the animals as they will need to be fed while I am gone.
I love you with all my heart but I need to do this. I hope you understand and forgive me for not telling you of my plans. I was afraid you would try to stop me.
With all my love,
Isabella
Sadie went and laid down on Isabella's bed to wait.
Later she would go tell the animals in the barn.
There was no hurry, they had probably not given it a second thought.
Sadie felt sad and worried.
~to be continued~
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