The Coming of the Unicorn (12 page)

There are many stories about kings, especially kings of Scotland, but we know there were kings all over the world. And in my story, these two kings' names are steeped in history; we don't actually know for a fact where their countries were because the story is so old. But their countries bordered each other, and these two kings were great friends of each other. They had their armies, their soldiers, but they fought no wars against each other. Because they had something in common each loved – that was their gardens.

In their palaces they each had a walled garden, so that they could walk with their families and admire the beauty of nature. One of the kings was called the King of the West and the other the King of the East. Once a year they would meet at the border and discuss many things. But they would never, never invade each other's territory, because each of them loved their garden so much. If they had any spare time, they loved to be in their gardens with their families, not fighting wars. And the most important person in the palace was not the prime minister or the head of state; it was the local gardener, because they depended on him to keep the garden in perfect condition.

But one day the King of the West was walking in his garden admiring the beauty of the flowers and the bushes and trees when he had a strange thought in his mind: I wonder if my friend the King of the East has got his garden more beautiful than mine. He's invited me to visit many times but I've never accepted his offer.

And this began to trouble him, “Is his garden more beautiful than mine?” he said. And then he had an idea. Yes, he would go, for the peace of mind, he would send a messenger to the King of the East and tell the King of the East he was coming for a visit for the first time in his life.

So, a messenger rode off on horseback and was gone for some time, but many days later returned with a message from the King of the East: “Yes, my friend, please do come, you'll be more than welcome. Come and stay as long as you like. Bring your queen with you if you want and see my country.”

But the queen of the King of the West was a little disabled and not allowed to travel with her husband.

So, accepting the offer, the King of the West took some couriers and soldiers with him, and for fifteen days he travelled to the kingdom of the King of the East. He was met there. The King of the East made him welcome and there was a great feast. They wined and dined, there was plenty food and drink, music and dancing for everybody. The King of the East was so pleased to see his friend from the West.

Then, some days later, turning to the King of the West, the King of the East said, “My friend, is there anything I could do for you before you return to your country, to your homeland?” And this was the opportunity the King of the West was waiting for.

He said, “Yes, my friend, I would love to see your garden. You see, I love my garden and you've told me many times about yours. Could I see it?”

“Of course, my friend,” said the King of the East, “I will come with you and you can view my garden to your heart's content.”

“No, no,” said the King of the West, “let me go alone – I would like to see it by myself!”

So, the King of the East led him to the great iron gate. It swung wide and the King of the West stepped into the garden and he stopped in amazement. He gazed around him: here was
the most beautiful garden in the world, nothing out of place, not a blade of grass, not a pebble. The trees were trimmed and beautiful, the flowers growing, the roses growing. It was the most beautiful place he had ever seen in all his life. And by seeing this he felt a little upset. His garden was not like this!

So, feeling rather sad, the next day he departed for his home, saying goodbye to his friend. And when he arrived home at his kingdom in the West, to his palace, the queen was there to meet him. She could see he was a little troubled.

She said, “Did you not enjoy yourself, my darling, on your travels to visit your friend?”

“Yes,” he said, “I had a wonderful time, but you should see his garden! He's got the most beautiful garden in the world, far more beautiful than my garden will ever be. You see, my gardener wines with me and he dines with me. He is my friend and is supposed to look after my garden, but he's been deceiving me. Send for him!”

So, the gardener was sent for. He came before the king and said nothing.

And turning to him, the king said, “Gardener, as well you may know, I have just returned from my friend, the King of the East. I have been there for some time and viewing his garden. He's got the most beautiful garden in the world! You've been deceiving me. You're supposed to make me a beautiful garden so my family can enjoy it. And all these years you wined with me and dined with me… Why is my garden in such a mess compared to the King of the East's?”

The gardener said nothing.

And the king said, “For that, I'm going to send you to the dungeon.”

The gardener was led away to the dungeons. The king sat. He repented for three days as the gardener lay in the dungeons without food or water. And then the king had a second thought.

He said, “It would do no good having my gardener lying in the dungeons. It wouldn't make my garden any better.”

So, he gave orders for the gardener to be released. And so it was the gardener was brought before the king.

Turning to the gardener he said, “Gardener, I'm going to give you one more chance, I want you to make me a beautiful garden. Take as many workers as you want, but make me a garden that I can enjoy!”

“So be it,” said the gardener, “it shall be done! But you shall not enter that garden for six months.”

“Do as you please,” said the king, “but make it beautiful.”

So, the king was not allowed in his garden for six months and the gardener laboured and toiled.

When the six months were up, one morning he came to the king and said, “My lord, my sire, it is ready, you may walk in your garden.”

The king said, “Let me walk by myself,” and the king walked in, he stopped in amazement.

Here was beauty. There was not a pebble, not a blade of grass out of line, the trees were trimmed, the bushes were trimmed – it was the most beautiful garden in the world. But the king looked all around him. He stood there and felt very unhappy. He had the garden he'd asked for, but what was wrong with it? It was far more beautiful than the garden of the King of the East. But he could not fathom, what was wrong with his beautiful garden that took six months to make?

So, he called the gardener. And he says, “Gardener, I thank you for such a beautiful garden. But will you please tell me, why am I so unhappy with it? It's the most beautiful garden in the world, far superior to that of the King of the East, but I'm still unhappy, what is wrong?”

And the gardener said, “I will tell you, my king. You see, I left your garden – the way it was before – I left trees to twist,
their branches to twist, so that the birds could come and build their nests and sing for you. I left the thistles in your garden so the little mistle thrush could come build its little nest and bring up little babies. I left the grasses and the weeds for the little hedgehog and the shrew, the weasel and the rabbit, all the little creatures that you could enjoy. But now they are gone. There's no place for them any more. You have a beautiful garden but the little ones are gone.”

And this made the king feel very sad. He said, “Gardener, I thank you for such a beautiful garden. I'll see that you shall be rewarded handsomely. But please, please, please, could you do something for me? Would you make my garden the way it was to me before – so that I can enjoy the company of my little ones, so that the birds will sing for me once again?” And the gardener said, “So be it, my king. But that garden gate shall be closed; no one shall enter the garden for one year.”

“So be it,” said the king, “I can wait.”

So the great gate was closed, a padlock and chain was put across. No one entered the garden. And within the year the branches began to twist, they went round the bushes and trees. The grasses and weeds and thistles began to come up and one by one the little creatures found their way back into the king's garden to find sanctuary. The mistle thrush came back into the garden to build its nest in the thistles and sing, bring up its babies. The rabbit, the hedgehog, the shrew and all the little creatures made their home in the king's garden. The blackbird and the thrush came and built their nests in the twisted bushes of the garden that began to twist within the year.

One morning in early spring the gardener came before the king, “My lord, my sire, this morning you can walk in your garden.”

And the great chain was taken off, the gate swung wide and the king stepped in. He gazed in amazement: the path was
overgrown with thistles and nettles; wild flowers and poppies were blooming in the garden. The trees were twisted. And the gardener stood by his side as the king gazed around. And he stopped and he listened. He heard the rustle of the little ones in the grasses, the squeak of the rabbit, the squeak and grunt of the hedgehog, the singing of the mistle thrush, the singing of the blackbird and the thrush – and they built their nests in the trees – the cry of the rook as it flew overhead. And a big smile crossed the king's face.

Turning to the gardener he said, “Thank you, gardener, now I have the most beautiful garden in the world, for my little ones have come back to me.” And the king was happy with his garden.

I hope you’re going to enjoy this story and that you’ll remember it. I hope you’ll tell it many years from now when I’m gone from this land.

A long time ago there once lived a little tailor. And this little tailor was very clever, for he was the cleverest tailor in all the land, and he worked for the king. Oh, he made beautiful dresses for the princesses and gowns and cloaks for the queen, and cloaks for the king. He worked so hard for the royal palace. The king was very proud of his little tailor. But because he worked so hard the little tailor never had time to make any clothes for himself. And soon his own clothes got worn and he was in rags.

One day, when he appeared before the king, the king said, “Tailor, how dare you come before me in such a state! You’re in rags. You just look like a beggar man. Don’t I pay you enough money to make some clothes for yourself?”

And the little tailor bowed before the king and said, “Yes, my sire, my lord, you pay me enough money. But you see I don’t have time, because I also work for some people in the village and I make clothes for them.”

“Well,” the king said, “this will never do! You must never come before me in such a state again, because you put me to shame being my favourite tailor.”

And then the king clapped his hands, called for the footman to come before him. The footman came and bowed before the king.

The king said, “Footman, I want you to go down to the palace stores and bring me a roll of cloth.” Cloth came in beautiful rolls and the king bought it this way.

So, the footman went off. In a few moments he returned with a beautiful roll of cloth, the nicest cloth in the whole palace. And the king caught it and held it between his hands.

“Now,” he said, “tailor! Do you see this beautiful roll of cloth? I want you to take this home and make yourself a coat – the most beautiful coat you have ever made in your life. Now be gone with you, tailor, and never return before me till you make yourself the finest coat in all the land!”

Oh, the little tailor was happy. He carried the roll of cloth home with him, put it on his little bench. And he clipped and he stitched and he sewed all day long. He made the most beautiful coat that he had ever made in his life.

When he wore it to the village and when he wore it to the palace, people looked, they pointed and said, “Hey, look at the tailor! Look at the tailor’s coat! Isn’t that a beautiful coat the tailor has? Oh, I wish we had a coat like that!”

But no one had a coat like the tailor. And when he appeared before the king, the king was overjoyed, and the tailor was happy. For he had the most beautiful coat in all the land! The tailor wore his coat, he wore it and wore and wore it, and soon it was all worn through.

And then the little tailor brought his coat home and he said, “I can still do something with this.” So, he spread the coat on his little bench and he clipped and he stitched and he sewed. From the coat he made a jacket – the most beautiful jacket you ever saw in your life.

And when he walked to the village, people looked, they pointed and said, “Hey, look at the tailor! Look at that jacket the tailor’s wearing! Isn’t that the most beautiful jacket we’ve ever seen in wir life? Oh, I wish we had a jacket like that.”

But no one had a jacket like the tailor. And when he appeared before the king, the king was overjoyed to see the tailor in such a beautiful jacket. The little tailor was happy. He wore his jacket and he wore it and wore it, and soon his jacket was all worn through.

But the little tailor took the jacket home and spread it on his bench, and he said, “I can still do something with this.”

So, he took his scissors and he clipped and he stitched and he sewed all day long. And from the jacket he made a waistcoat – the most beautiful waistcoat you ever saw in all your life!

When he wore it to the village, people looked and they pointed and said, “Hey, hey, look at the tailor! Look at that waistcoat the tailor’s wearing! Isn’t that the most beautiful waistcoat we have ever seen in our life? Oh, I wish we had a waistcoat like that.”

But no one had a waistcoat like the tailor. And when he appeared before the king, the king was overjoyed to see the tailor in such a beautiful waistcoat. The little tailor was happy. And he wore his waistcoat, he wore it and he wore it and soon his little waistcoat was all worn through.

So, the little tailor took the waistcoat home, he spread it on his bench and said, “I can still do something with this.” He took his scissors and he clipped, he stitched and he sewed all day long. From the waistcoat he made a beautiful little cap – the most beautiful little cap you ever saw in your life!

And when he wore it to the village, people looked and they pointed, they said, “Hey, hey, look at the tailor! Look at that cap the tailor’s wearing! Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a cap like that?”

Everyone wanted a cap like the tailor but no one could have a cap like the tailor. Because the cap the tailor had made was special for himself.

When he appeared before the king, the king was overjoyed to see the tailor in such a beautiful cap. And the little tailor was
happy. He wore his little cap, he wore it and wore it to the envy of everybody, and soon it was all worn through.

And then the little tailor took his little cap home, he put it on the bench and said, “I can still do something with this.” So, he took his scissors and he clipped, he stitched, he clipped and he stitched. From the cap he made a little bow tie – the most beautiful little bow tie you ever saw in all your life!

When he walked to the village, people looked and they pointed, they said, “Hey, look at the tailor! Look at that tie the tailor’s wearing! Isn’t that the most beautiful tie we have ever seen in wir life? Oh, I wish we had one like that. I wish we had a tie like the tailor.” But no one had a tie like the tailor.

When he wore it before the king, the king was very pleased to see the tailor in his beautiful tie. And the little tailor was happy. He wore it and wore it to the envy of everybody, and soon the little tailor’s tie was all worn through.

He took the little tie home and put it on his bench, he said, “I can still do something with this.”

So, he took his scissors, he clipped and stitched and he clipped and stitched, and from the tie he made a little cloth button. Because cloth buttons were very popular in these days gone by.

And when he wore his little button to the village, people looked and pointed, they said, “Hey… hey, look at that button the tailor’s wearing! Isn’t that the most beautiful button we’ve ever seen? Oh, I wish we had a button like that, I wish we had fifty like that!” But no one had a button like the tailor.

And when the king spied the button he was very impressed by the tailor’s button. The little tailor was very happy. And the tailor wore his little button, he wore it and wore it and soon his little button was all worn through.

The little tailor took his button home, even though he felt sad at heart, and he put his little button on the bench. And he
said to himself, “I can still do something with this…”

And from his little button he made a story. And that’s the story I have told to you just now!