Hail to the Queen-Juan Goes Home!

Hail to the Queen & Juan Goes Home

Picture:Artist Kylie Ingold-Titania's Dream E-Print Year Unknown

Morning came and Juan had lain in the fish pile all night long, but when he awoke from the stench of the rotted fish he realized that he had a terrible hangover from the coconut wine that Pooka had given him. Juan pushed himself to his knees to sit up and see what the Pooka had given him for visiting him last night. As Juan drew himself from his spot, he stood up and noticed that his hut and all his last shipwrecked supplies had been trampled to pieces by the Pooka. Juan was furious for Pooka had did, he worried how he was going to set sail off the island today. Without any food rations it would take him all day to gather food and prep the raft for his journey. Juan didn’t want to stay on the island anymore.

Juan walked over to where his hut was once was and sat down in the sand. His parrot friend flew down and hopped up on his legs but Juan was not in the mood to play with him. Juan then lay back and placed his arm over his eyes to gather his thoughts and maybe take a rest from his throbbing hangover. Juan soon fell back to sleep to rid him of his ailment. At that moment, Juan remembered the beautiful fairy land that he has visited many times and with a different fairy each time. He is walking in a beautiful mountain forest area with a soft glowing sun and the most vibrant colors and smells that he could dream of. As he is walking he sees in the distance a soft rose- colored mist up ahead and notices that it is the Queen coming his way. He stops and she approaches and greets Juan.

“Hello, Juan, I am glad to meet you again. I had to come to you in your dream because if you went back to the cave and read the final story in the magical book, you would have summoned me from the book and my King would be oh, so jealous and give me so much childish heartache with his constant questioning of me about my love for him. Juan, how are you? Are you ready to go home? I heard what Pooka did to your belongings, I am so sorry; please accept my apology for his behavior. One of my sisters, Periwinkle, Fairy Godmother to Sleeping Beauty, dumped him the night before last night. So he just took his anguish out on you.”

Juan replied to the eye-stunning Queen, “Well, yes, I am fine, just a bad headache that is all, but I am a little sad that I don’t have any supplies to help me get back home.” The Queen placed her arm along with Juan’s and said, “Juan, lets go over to under that willow tree and have a picnic lunch while I tell you my story. This will help you take your mind off the situation for a moment.” Juan agreed and strolled along with the ravishing, stunning Queen and found a comfortable patch of grass to sit down on.

The Queen motioned for her maidens to place the food on the spot and when they were done, they flittered up to the willow branches to play soft fairy music for the Queen and Juan. “Juan, I am Queen Titania to all the pixies, goblins, faeries, and any other magical creature in all of Fairy Land. Let me tell you my story about how my beloved King sometimes messes up mortals' or fairies' love affairs. In the year that my King and Puck had messed up the love spells of Demetrius and Hermione, my sweet King wanted to play a childish love spell on me too, for not giving my dear fairy friend’s changeling boy to him. The King tries to pretend he is a bully brute but I know that he is a tender fairy soul in love with every living being. Well, the King confessed later what his intentions were to make me fall in love with the hideous clown with the head of an ass, but that is when I had just met you in the cave earlier. So I fell asleep after grieving so much over my friend’s death, which is when my goofy King put the love juice of the purple flower in my eyes. He said that he placed the clown in my arms so when I awoke I would fall madly in love with it, in order to appease his jealousy and temper for wanting the boy for his use as a page in his court. However, like I said, I had just met you earlier, for that was the first time I had met a kindred mortal soul that I grew surprisingly attracted to you other than my own husband the King. I was dreaming of having a picnic with you and laughing and talking so that when I awoke, your name came forth from my lips. When the King heard me, it sent him to a jealous frizzle that he immediately placed the other flower juice in my drink of willow tea to reverse his botched trick. So, Juan, that is why I wanted to come to you in a dream and have this picnic with you.”

They sat there under the willow tree and enjoying many conversations about their life. The Queen looked into Juan’s eyes and said, “Now, it is time for you to go home and back to your family. I will always cherish meeting you and our picnic together. Now Juan, awake and my fairy godmother sisters will watch over as you sail home.”

Next, Juan heard a voice, Grandpa, is that a true story or are you pulling our legs? Juan stood up from his chair and went into his room; he came back carrying a wooden chest. He sat back down and opened the chest and in his hands was a large square object. He asked his children and grandchildren, “Do you truly believe in Fairies?” He then uncovered the object and they all sat there in awe for he had a book of…….Famous Fairies. The End.

Original Story Link: Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare-A Midsummer Night's Dream. Authors Charles and Mary Lamb, Tales from Shakespeare, 1878.

Author’s Note:

I once again used Charles and Mary Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare and retold the part of the Queen in her own words about the botched love trick that King Oberon had done to her but placed Juan as the object of her love spell. My storybook showed you a variety of famous fairies that we all know as children. Some faeries are good and some can be mean. So when you feel a tingle or a pinch, or next time you see something out the corner of your eye: Watch out, it could be your Fairy.