Storymakers: Belle of the Lake

Storymakers: Belle of the Lake

By Erin
Sixth Grade
Odle Middle School
Bellevue, WA

As everyone knows, water nymphs are prone to loud, long quarrels. Likewise, everyone knows that when a nymph's tail turns blue, plug your ears unless you want a splitting headache. However, only people with the Gift of Compre who can occasionally bear the noise know why nymphs never get along.

A few millennia ago, no one argued or fought. The dog would never chase the cat and the snake and the mongoose were best friends. The plates of the earth all stayed in place so that there were no earthquakes and no tsunamis. All People listened to each other's woes and joys. Then Daphnean came. She believed that she was the most beautiful. Unlike the others, who had green tails, her tail was blue. Everyone gave her gifts and called her Belle of the Lake. She looked down on everyone else and everyone who didn't like her was insulted and shunned. A highly protective clique grew up around her made up of stuck up water nymphs.

However, one nymph could see auras, and noted that Daphnnean's aura was as black as night. Grotta, the aura seer, warned the others but they would not listen. It was known that Grotta was clever but ugly. Sad to say, water nymph society pays more attention to looks than intelligence. If you were beautiful and stupid, you would be loved. If were smart but unattractive, you were loathed.

They all said "Grotta the Grotesque, that's not true! The black one is you!" Grotta reminded them of all the times she had helped them, and the kind ones joined her. Daphnean flattered all the ones who were paranoid and afraid of Grotta. These evil souls sided with her.

Along with the water nymphs taking sides, all the animals took sides. The cat went with Daphnean, the dog went with Grotta. The snake went to Daphnean, and the mongoose, which had common sense, sided with Grotta.

The Great Ones were devastated when they saw that their once great kingdom was split in two. Those wise folk knew that something had to be done to stop violence from occurring. They conferred for days in their golden halls. An answer was finally found.

A decree was sent out saying that Daphnean's tail would become green like everyone else's. However, if anyone wanted to pursue the matter with another nymph, their tail would be blue the entire debate.

The conceited nymphs always argued so they could be in the figure of their idol. The good ones always fight back for the sake of their good companion Grotta. That is also why dog and cat, and snake and mongoose fight to this day, they are arguing about their leader. And the plates of the earth always fight for the sake of their friends.

Storymakers: A Creative Challenge for Young Writers, is a program inviting students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades living in Washington State and British Columbia, Canada, to submit their own original creative writing pieces.