Apple-Pip of Her Eye

Continued from Giant Wee Apple-Pip, the story of The Apple-Pip Princess:

“Well, the truth is that she was little and shy and quite ordinary. And she was rather afraid of the dark and crumbling royal dungeon.

While Suzanna and Miranda rushed about, Serenity sat in her favourite  place and looked in her mother’s wooden box.

My sisters are clever and pretty, but I am no more important than this little apple pip. What can I do to make Father proud of me? Serenity wondered, gazing out at the barren land.

Looking at the seven magical treasures in the box, she heard her mother’s voice telling her how she had carefully collected each one in her wanderings through the nearby hills and forests. Serenity remembered how wonderful the kingdom had been when the queen was still alive.

And slowly, the tiny seed of an amazing idea began to form in her mind. She began to smile. And then she began to work.

On the first day, Serenity took a trowel and began to dig in the ground. It was difficult work, because the earth was baked hard by the sun, but she kept digging until it was crumbly and brown. Carefully, she took the tiny apple pip from its embroidered bag and planted it in the earth.

On the second day, Serenity planted the pips from her breakfast pear next to the apple pip. Then she watered them with the scattering of raindrops.

On the third day, she planted the pips from an orange she had for lunch and let the splash of sunlight dance over the earth. Then, she watched in amazment as green shoots pushed their way through the soil.

On the fourth day, Serenity planted pits from her suppertime cherries. Then, she took the fragment of rainbow and flung it high into the blue sky. The little green plants turned their leaves to the sun and smiled.

On the fifth day, Serenity noticed a boy from the village watching her and called him over. He brought her a plum pit and began to help. They worked together all day, digging in the hot sun, and by evening they were firm friends.

Before they went home, Serenity took the starbird’s feather and let it fan a soft fresh breeze over the earth.

The boy’s name was Joseph, and on the sixth day he returned with olive pits from his mother. Word began to spread, and the people came to offer gifts of orange and lemon pips

They helped Serenity and Joseph dig and water, plant and sow, and taught them all they remembered about tending the land.

Before the sun began to set, Serenity draped the spider’s dewy web over the bright young leaves and buds of the tiny apple tree.

By the seventh day, the land beyond the palace walls was covered in the misty green of little seedlings. But Serenity had a problem. Although she could easily imagine how lovely all the trees and plants would be when they were fully grown, she realized that they would never be ready when the king made his decision the next day.

As evening approached, Serenity suddenly put down her trowel. ‘It’s no good,’ she said.’My father can’t possibly choose me.’ ‘The plants will grow,’ Joseph said. ‘Look how strong the little apple tree has grown. We must just be patient.’

And the finale…..