Girls to the Rescue Read online

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Girls to the rescue: tales of clever, courageous girls from around the world/selected by Bruce Lansky.

  p. cm.

  Contents: The fairy godmother’s assistant—Grandma Rosa’s bowl—For love

  of Sunny—Carla and the greedy merchant—Savannah’s piglets—Kimi meets the ogre—The innkeeper’s wise daughter—The royal joust—Chardae’s thousand and one nights—Lian and the unicorn.

  Summary: A collection of ten stories featuring admirable girls in both familiar and exotic settings.

  ISBN: 0-88166-215-1 (pbk.)

  1. Children’s stories. [1. Short stories] I. Lansky, Bruce.

  PZ5.G447 1995

  [Fic]—dc20 95-17733

  Simon & Schuster Ordering # 0-671-89979-1

  © 1995 by Meadowbrook Creations All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  All the stories are copyrighted and published with the permission of the authors.

  pp. 1, 17, and 69 “The Fairy Godmother’s Assistant,” “Grandma Rosa’s Bowl,” and “The Royal Joust” © 1995 by Bruce Lansky; pp. 23 and 95 “For Love of Sunny” © 1984 and “Lian and the Unicorn” © 1995 by Vivian Vande Velde. Original version of“For Love of Sunny” first appeared in Once Upon a Test: Three Light Tales of Love by Vivian Vande Velde (Albert Whitman & Co., 1984); p. 33 “Carla and the Greedy Merchant” © 1995 by Robert Scotellaro; p. 39 “Savannah’s Piglets” © 1995 by Sheryl Nelms; p. 51 “Kimi Meets the Ogre” © 1995 by Linda Cave; p. 61 “The Innkeeper’s Wise Daughter” © 1987 by Peninnah Schram. Original version first appeared in Jewish Stories One Generation Tells Another by Peninnah Schram (Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, NJ., 1987); p. 81 “Chardae’s Thousand and One Nights” © 1995 by Craig Hansen.

  Published by Meadowbrook Press, 18318 Minnetonka Boulevard,

  Deephaven, MN 55391

  BOOK TRADE DISTRIBUTION by Simon & Schuster, a division of

  Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.simonschuster.com

  Editor: Bruce Lansky

  Editorial Coordinator: Liya Lev Oertel

  Production Manager: Amy Unger Desktop Publishing Manager: Patrick Gross

  Graphic Designer: Linda Norton Art Coordinator: Erik Broberg

  Cover Illustration: Gay Holland

  99 98 97 96 95 10 9 8 7 6 5 4

  Printed in the United States of America

  eISBN: 978-1-4424-1861-5

  ISBN: 978-0-6718-9979-0

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to my daughter, Dana, and to all daughters.

  When Dana was a child I used to make up bedtime stories in which she was the hero. You see, Lady Dana was one of the smartest and bravest of all of the knights of the Round Table in Camelot. King Arthur would ask her advice and help when problems arose. She could always come up with a way to rescue the kingdom from whatever peril threatened—usually with a creative approach that never would have occurred to knights whose favorite solution is fighting. (I’d usually ask her, “And what do you think Lady Dana did?” and incorporate her suggestion into the story.)

  I was hoping that these stories would give Dana the confidence to set ambitious goals, and then accomplish them. I’m happy to say that, so far, she’s well on her way toward making her dreams come true. I’m very proud of her.

  My hope is that these stories will have the same effect on all daughters that my bedtime stories had on Dana.

  Acknowledgements

  We would like to thank the young women

  who served on a reading panel for this project:

  Dana Almer, Michelle Barnes, Heidi Behruns, Lynsey Bergeron,

  Laura Bohen, Connie Bottenberg, Kelly Bottenberg,

  Natasha Bruggeman, Anna Burk, Elissa Burk, Kelsey Campbell,

  Cara Chamberlain, Chelsea Cohr, Katie Comstock,

  Megan Djerf, Stephanie Djerf, Kalena Ferdig, Lizzie Flannigan,

  Annie Fredrickson, Liza Getsinger, Kathryn Gilbertson,

  Carla Granger, Jennifer Lynn Gruenhagen, Sydney Hanson,

  Catherine Henderson, Kimberly Hicks, Katy Hinton,

  Kamalar Howard, Sarah Johns, Jessie Johnson, Melissa Jones,

  Kayla Koep, Kashena Jade Konecki, Angelina Kostreba,

  Diana Kruppstadt, Christine Lamb, Leah Lehmkuhl,

  Kristi Lund, Kari Melchert, Lauren Mueller, Nancy Muldor,

  Gina Patterson, Bobbie Peterson, Sarah Popkin, Lauren Rath,

  Stephanie Reichel, Claire Reuning, Kim Ricci, Michelle Roers,

  Julie Rogers, Samantha Schwartz, Mindy Spencer,

  Leah Steinberg, Betsy Steiner, Sharon Swearington,

  Alexa Textor, Natasha Uspensky, Michelle Verant,

  Angela Wagner, Betsy Waalen, Catherine Wicks, Sarah Wiita,

  Amy Xiong, Hanna Zipes

  Contents

  Introduction

  The Fairy Godmother’s Assistant

  an original story by Bruce Lansky

  Grandma Rosa’s Bowl

  adapted by Bruce Lansky from a Grimm Brothers’ story

  For Love of Sunny

  an original story by Vivian Vande Velde

  Carla and the Greedy Merchant

  adapted by Robert Scotellaro from a folktale

  Savannah’s Piglets

  adapted by Sheryl L. Nelms from a folktale

  Kimi Meets the Ogre

  an original story by Linda Cave

  The Innkeeper’s Wise Daughter

  retold by Peninnah Schram from a Russian folktale

  The Royal Joust

  an original story by Bruce Lansky

  Chardae’s Thousand and One Nights

  adapted by Craig Hansen from the “Scheherazade” story in the Arabian Nights

  Lian and the Unicorn

  an original story by Vivian Vande Velde

  Introduction

  If you’re curious about why I decided to collect and write stories about clever, courageous girls, I can rattle off five good reasons: “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Rapunzel,” and “The Princess and the Pea.”

  These fairy tales were written one hundred and fifty to two hundred years ago—before most princes had joined the ranks of the unemployed, and before women had landed jobs as rocket scientists, brain surgeons, and VJs on MTV.

  But some people just don’t get that the whole premise of these stories is as obsolete as the horse-drawn carriage. Think about it:

  • Cinderella can’t figure out how to get to the ball without magical help from her fairy godmother. And she can’t get back home without losing one of her shoes. A handsome prince returns the shoe and marries her. They live happily ever after.

  • Snow White keeps falling for her stepmother’s dumb dirty tricks. She eats a poisoned apple and falls into a coma. Then Prince Charming wakes her up with a kiss and rides off with her on the back of his horse. They marry and live happily ever after.

  • Sleeping Beauty doesn’t do much but sleep for a hundred years. Then a handsome prince, who must have read “Snow White,” wakes her with a kiss and marries her. They live happily ever after.

  • Rapunzel lives in a tower, where she does nothing but mope and grow long hair. A handsome prince climbs the tower and rescues her. They marry and live happily ever after.

  • A persnickety princess complains that she couldn’t sleep a wink on a bed with twenty mattresses because the bed was too lumpy. A pea had been put under all the mattresses to test whether she was a true princess. A handsome prince proposes to Princess Grumpy on the spot.
They marry and live happily every after.

  But you understand that there’s more to life than waiting around for a handsome prince, that singing “Someday my prince will come” in the shower is a big waste of water, and that life doesn’t always turn out “happily ever after.” Princess Di and Princess Fergy learned this lesson the hard way!

  Because you understand what these fairy tales are all about, you are ready for something new. The stories I’ve collected in Girls to the Rescue are very different from traditional fairy tales in a number of ways:

  First, the heroes of these stories are girls and young women—not princes or fairy godmothers.

  Second, the heroes succeed because they are clever, courageous, and kind. They don’t rely on their beauty. They don’t rely on magic. They don’t resort to violence.

  Third, most of the stories are about helping families, friends, and country—not about getting married. Two stories that do deal with marriage don’t treat it as the ultimate goal. Instead, they focus mainly on love and respect within marriage.

  Fourth, many of the stories feature surprising twists on traditional themes. They were written by a number of different writers, so the styles vary: some are humorous, some are adventurous, some are romantic, and some are noble.

  Fifth, the stories are set in countries all around the world. You’ll meet characters from Mexico, Ireland, Russia, Japan, China, Persia, and the American frontier as well as from England and Germany.

  I hope that you enjoy them so much you’ll want to share them. I also hope you are motivated to think about how you, like the heroes in this book, can help your family, friends, and country.

  The Fairy Godmother’s Assistant

  AN ORIGINAL STORY BY BRUCE LANSKY

  When you need help, don’t you wish a fairy godmother would suddenly appear to make things right? Well, don’t hold your breath. She doesn’t do that kind of thing anymore. (She’s getting on in years, you know.) So if you want some help—she still fixes anything from broken windows to broken hearts—you’ll have to visit her little cottage in the Bavarian woods and wait your turn, just like everyone else. And when you knock on the door, I’ll let you in and make you comfortable. I’ll even serve you a nice cold glass of lemonade.

  You see, I’m the fairy godmother’s assistant.

  My job used to be quite simple, really, until the fairy godmother announced she would be taking a much-needed vacation. I was scared stiff! What would I say to people who came for help? I didn’t know any magic. I couldn’t have turned a pumpkin into a glittering coach if my life depended on it.

  “Don’t worry,” the fairy godmother told me. “You’re very sensible. I’m sure you’ll find a way to handle whatever comes up. And besides, I’ll only be gone for a few days.”

  To be honest, I didn’t get much sleep that night. I kept wondering how I could possibly fill her shoes.

  I got up early the next morning and went to the kitchen to make a fresh pitcher of lemonade. When I heard a knock at the door, I opened it and found a young woman with a tear-stained face, wearing a tattered old dress. I explained that the fairy godmother would be gone for a few days and that I was her assistant. But she looked so sad that I invited her in for a glass of lemonade to cheer her up.

  As soon as she sat down, she started to cry. I sat beside her and gave her a handkerchief to dry her eyes. “First wipe away your tears. Then tell me what’s bothering you,” I said in a soothing voice.

  The young woman took a few deep breaths before speaking. “My name is Ella, but my stepmother and stepsisters call me Cinder-Ella, because my apron is always covered with cinders from cleaning the fireplace. They are mean to me and make me clean the house, cook, sew, and run errands all day while they have fun. Now I have to make them new gowns for the royal ball. But I want to go, too.” She started to cry again.

  I could guess where this was leading. “I’m very sorry to hear that,” I responded. “I suppose you came to ask the fairy godmother to get you to the ball. Is that it?”

  She nodded.

  “I wish I could help you, but I make lemonade not magic.”

  Ella began to cry again. “Can’t you do anything?”

  “There’s not much I can do. It’s really up to you.”

  She dried her eyes again with the handkerchief and stared at me in amazement. “Up to me?” she queried.

  “It’s really very simple,” I said. “If you want to go to the ball, go. And don’t let anything or anyone stop you.”

  “But how can I go to the ball without an evening gown?”

  “Don’t look at me,” I responded. “You’re the seamstress. If you can make gowns for your two stepsisters, why not make another for yourself?”

  Ella pondered this for awhile, then shook her head. “But I can’t afford to buy silk or velvet. How can I make a gown without any fabric?”

  “Are there any velvet curtains in your house? Or silk bed sheets?”

  Her worried look slowly turned into a smile. “There sure are!” she gushed. But her smile was shortlived. Another question had flashed into her mind. “But what about dancing slippers? I don’t have any.”

  “Then don’t wear any,” I advised.

  Ella couldn’t believe her ears. “You mean I should go to the royal ball barefooted?”

  “What choice do you have, unless you want to wear those ugly boots you’re wearing?”

  “And how am I supposed to get to the ball?” she asked. This young woman certainly could think up problems! “The royal palace is almost a mile from my house.”

  I knew Ella wouldn’t like my answer. “I suppose you’ll just have to walk.”

  A big frown appeared on her face. This wasn’t the kind of help she had hoped to get from her fairy godmother. “But they’ll never let me in if I don’t arrive in a fancy, horse-drawn carriage,” she whined.

  “You’re right,” I agreed. “They may not let you in through the main gate, but I don’t think there’s anyone guarding the door to the kitchen. Do you?”

  “I guess not,” she said tentatively. “At least I hope not!”

  Ella seemed uncomfortable with my answers. She’d never done anything quite so daring before. I wasn’t surprised when I heard another “but.”

  “But if a prince asks me to dance, what should I say?”

  “Ask him to be careful not to step on your toes,” I joked.

  Ella laughed so hard, she had to use the handkerchief again. Sensing she was close to deciding in favor of going to the ball, I gave her one more push. “What have you got to lose?”

  “Nothing!” Ella exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. “Nothing at all!”

  She stood up to shake my hand. “Thank you for all your help. I’ve got to go now. I’ve got so many things to do!”

  Before she left, I offered her some final advice. “If you don’t want your stepmother and stepsisters to know you’ve been to the ball, be sure to leave by twelve o’clock sharp. That way you’ll be back in bed by the time they get home.”

  I was quite pleased with myself for helping Ella. Relaxing for a moment with a glass of lemonade, I wondered if the fairy godmother with all her magic could have done a better job. I spent a good part of the day congratulating myself and feeling thankful I’d gotten through my first problem without messing up.

  After dinner, I was surprised by a knock at the door. When I opened it, I discovered a distinguished-looking elderly gentleman. He looked ever-so-much like the king, as pictured on every postage stamp in Bavaria, except that this man looked older, frailer, and far more worried. He must have been trying to keep his visit a secret; no guards or footmen were with him. I curtsied deeply as soon as I let him in.

  “Enough of that,” he blustered. “I must see the fairy godmother at once!”

  “I’m sorry, Your Highness,” I explained. “She’s away. Can I help you?”

  “Perhaps,” he replied. “Do you know where she keeps her magic potions?”

  “If you tell me whi
ch potion you’d like, I’ll be happy to look,” I said in as helpful a voice as I could muster.

  The king looked embarrassed. “Well, actually, I’m looking for a potion that would enable me to, well ... live forever.”

  I offered the king a comfortable chair, excused myself, and went to the cabinet where the fairy godmother kept her potions. In a short time I returned with a handful of bottles. “I’ve found a potion to keep your breath fresh longer, and one to make your suntan last longer. But I can’t find anything to help you live longer, not even for a day.”

  His royal highness was definitely not overjoyed by this news. “In that case, I’ll wait here till the fairy godmother returns. You see, I’m not feeling well, and the royal doctors haven’t been much use.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Your Highness. What seems to be the problem?”

  “My back, for one thing. It’s killing me. And I can’t sleep at night because of terrible gas pains, not to mention splitting headaches. My eyesight’s growing dim. I’m deaf in one ear. I’m growing forgetful ... or did I mention that already? But worst of all, my twin sons are driving me crazy! Aside from that, I’m fine—just fine.” There was no mistaking his sarcastic tone.

  “I think you must be terribly uncomfortable, Your Highness. But why would you want to live forever? Surely your health will continue to get worse as you grow older. In a few years, you’ll be confined to bed. Would you enjoy living forever in bed?”

  “I never thought of it that way,” he admitted thoughtfully. “But at least if I lived forever I wouldn’t have to worry about how to divide the kingdom between my sons, Prince Sherman and Prince Herman. They’re identical twins, you know. Even I can’t tell them apart! You see, no matter how I divide it, one or both of them will be angry with me. Their squabbling is driving me crazy ... or did I mention that already?” he asked absent-mindedly.

  “Your memory serves you well,” I answered diplomatically. “But I wonder, if two sons’ squabbling is driving you crazy, how will you like it when you have eight grandchildren arguing over how to divide the kingdom? Or thirty-two great-grandchildren? Or a hundred-and-twenty-eight great-great-grandchildren? If you’re not crazy yet, that should do it.”