The Night Dance
Authors: Suzanne Weyn
Closing her eyes into the sun produced dancing flashes of orange, red, and yellow bursts behind her lids. An insect chirped and the repetitive sound lulled her hypnotically. Soon she lapsed into a half sleep, and a scene took form behind her closed lids.
H
undreds of armed men and horses battled on a field. Swords clashed and arrows flew. She was peering out of eyes that were not her own. A veil of blood splashed before her as a soldier crumpled to the ground. An anguished cry of pain grabbed her attention and spun her around. “Nooo!” someone shouted, and she had the feeling she was the one who had spoken.
Then she felt herself seem to lift into the air. Glancing down, she saw the whole panorama of the violent battle, and directly below her, she saw a soldier fall. His armor was sprayed with blood. As his knees buckled beneath him, he threw back the metal visor of his helmet and gazed upward, torment written across his features.
Her eyes snapped open. Once again she was in the tranquil forest, but her heart was pounding. She searched in every direction, looking for signs of battle. Only the gentle noises of nature surrounded her.
NCE UPON A
T
IME” IS TIMELESS WITH THESE RETOLD TALES
:
Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of “Sleeping Beauty”
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Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of “The Little Mermaid”
By Debbie Viguié
Snow: A Retelling of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
By Tracy Lynn
Water Song: A Retelling of “The Frog Prince”
By Suzanne Weyn
The Storyteller’s Daughter: A Retelling of
“The Arabian Nights”
By Cameron Dokey
Before Midnight: A Retelling of “Cinderella”
By Cameron Dokey
Golden: A Retelling of “Rapunzel”
By Cameron Dokey
The Rose Bride: A Retelling of “The White Bride and the Black Bride”
By Nancy Holder
Sunlight and Shadow: A Retelling of “The Magic Flute”
By Cameron Dokey
The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of “Rumpelstiltskin”
By Suzanne Weyn
Belle: A Retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”
By Cameron Dokey
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SIMON PULSE
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
Copyright © 2005 by Suzanne Weyn
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
This Simon Pulse edition November 2008
Library of Congress Control Number 2005921498
ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-8946-2
ISBN-10: 1-4169-8946-3
Visit us on the World Wide Web:
http://www.SimonSays.com
For Bethany Buck,
with deep appreciation for all your support,
encouragement, and laughter through the years,
not to mention the great lunches
ABLE OF
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ONTENTS