Robert Earl Hazelett's First Book: Grandpa's Fairy Tales

The author has been telling stories to children for quite a while. And for this past year, some of them were available to be read on his site. Now, for the first time, six of his best children's stories are available in book form.

Grandpa's Fairy Tales features mystical creatures and courageous young men and women in such stories as "The Tale of Danny Dragon" and "The Haughty Prince". These fables come to life with vivid illustrations drawn by Ziggy Perlas.

Here is one story from the book, with three illustrations:

Not many will believe it, but at one time there was a land where unicorns lived and played. It was a happy and carefree place where winters were mild and pleasant, and the summers were warm and gentle. This land was beautiful, and it could once be found just north of ancient Siam and south of old Cathay.

The unicorns who lived there were magnificent animals. They looked much like horses, but they were far more graceful. They were different in another way too. The older ones had a single horn protruding from their forehead. No one knew that at the time because no man had yet seen one. Ahhhh, but that was about to change. A young man named Timothy Brindle was about to discover them. I shall tell you how it happened and what it meant for Timothy.

Timothy was on his way to see the world and seek his fortune when he found them. He was far from home and had been traveling for many weeks when one day he came to a fork in the road he was walking on. Not knowing where he was, Timothy paused for a moment to consider which fork of the road to follow. After some thought he decided to take the road that led to the left. Little did he know that he had chosen the road that leads to the land of the unicorns.

Two hours later Timothy found himself to be tired and sleepy, so he began to look for a place to rest. Off to his right he saw a beautiful meadow in which many trees were growing. Surely he could find a comfortable place to lie down there, he thought. So he stepped off the road and walked into the grassy field. Just as he began to look for a cool and shady spot, the sound of a strange cry fell upon his ear.

It was a muted but desperate sound that he recognized as a plea for help. Timothy turned and looked in every direction. No living thing could be seen. There was no one around. Then he heard the sound again. And this time it was louder. Now he was sure that someone or some thing was in trouble. Being curious, Timothy cupped his hand to his ear and began to search for whatever or whoever produced those cries.

In a short time he came upon a deep hole in the ground, the sides of which were very steep. Standing alone at the bottom was an animal that Timothy believed to be a pony. With sad eyes it looked up at him and whinnied softly.

Clearly the animal was frightened and confused, but Timothy could see that even from a stranger it was pleading for help. Timothy quickly realized what had happened. The animal had fallen into the hole and was unable to climb out. Being a kind young man, he knew he couldn't leave it there. He must help it. So he looked around, hoping to find some way to do just that. There was nothing that might be used except some vines that were growing in the trees.

Gathering them was easy. All he had to do was pull them from the lower branches of a nearby tree. After weaving some of them into a rope, he dropped one end of that rope into the pit. The other end he tied to the tree. When Timothy was sure it was securely fastened, he climbed down the rope and into the hole. Once there, he spoke softly to the animal. It was quite disturbed, and at first it tried to back away from him. Patiently and with great understanding he spoke soothingly as he examined the animal with his eyes. It had not been injured when it fell, he happily noted.

Ten minutes passed before the animal would allow Timothy to touch it, but when it did, the young man gently petted it until it was at ease. Following that, Timothy tied the rope securely around the creature. Then he climbed up the rope and slowly pulled it from the pit. It stood there trembling as Timothy untied the rope. When the last knot was undone the animal quickly ran away.

"Good luck to you," Timothy shouted as it disappeared into a lush, green forest.

As soon as the animal was lost from sight, Timothy found a grassy spot and lay himself upon it. No sooner had he closed his eyes than he was fast asleep. He slept for several hours.

When he awoke, he found himself surrounded by many horses. They were beautiful creatures, but he was frightened. True, they looked friendly enough, and at first they made no movement toward him, but their very presence was unsettling. They were not like other horses. The old ones had a single horn protruding from their forehead, and that alarmed Timothy. Quickly he stood up and started to run away.

"Please don't be frightened," said one of them. "We are unicorns, and we will not harm or bother you. We are very loving and gentle animals. And we came only to see the creature that helped our younger brother. He told us of what you did. Yours was a brave, kind, and gentle act. We thank you very much for that. In gratitude we watched over you as you slept. We wanted no harm to come to you. And we felt you might be hungry when you awoke so we gathered fruit and nuts for you to eat."

These friendly words soothed Timothy's mind. No longer was he frightened. And there at his feet was piled the food they'd gathered. He was indeed quite hungry, so as they played nearby he ate his meal. When he finished, the unicorns gathered around him once again.

"From where do you come?" asked one of them.

"I come from a land far, far away," Timothy answered. "I'm on my way to see the world and seek my fortune. It was only chance that brought me here, and I am only passing through."

"Will you stay a while with us?" asked another of them.

"No! I cannot do that," said Timothy. "I am fully rested now, so I must be on my way. There are many things to see and I still must find my fortune."

"Then climb upon my back," said the largest of them. "I am called Silver Cloud, and I am the swiftest of the unicorns. I have the ability to run very fast. I can save you many days of travel. If you will allow it, I will carry you safely to the far side of our land. That border is far away, and much of the countryside is hard to cross. By helping you I will repay the kindness you have shown us."

Totally without fear now, Timothy climbed upon the back of Silver Cloud as the other unicorns bid him farewell. Immediately Silver Cloud leaped forward and galloped away.

Timothy marveled at how fast the unicorn could run. It ran faster than the wind. It ran almost as fast as lightning travels. With the wind whistling in his ears they traveled far in a very short time, but the unicorn continued on. They still had far to go.

The beautiful animal sped up and down the hills, across the fields, and through the valleys as the warm sun climbed high, passed its zenith, then began to settle toward the west. Silver Cloud kept that pace until very late in the afternoon when that blood-red sun was going down. When its last rays disappeared, the unicorn slowed and stopped at a bubbling spring.

"We have arrived at the border of my land," said Silver Cloud, "but we have been traveling for many hours. You are probably tired and hungry once again. I will gather food while you build a fire. You may wish to eat and sleep before continuing your journey. I will keep watch during the night and see that no harm comes to you."

When the sun's first rays touched the earth the following morning, the unicorn nudged Timothy with its nose. The young man awakened with a smile and a yawn. He stood up and stretched, smoothed his rumpled clothes, then wrapped his arms around the unicorn's neck and hugged it. Silver Cloud was embarrassed.

"You are indeed a friend," said Timothy. "I am very glad to have known you. You will always be in my mind and heart. And although I cannot pay you for your efforts, I will pass on to others the kindness you have shown me."

"Do you mean that?" asked the unicorn.

"Indeed I do," Timothy replied. "I have always been kind to every person and every thing. I will be even more so now. Those who are in need of help will find it in me. From this time on I will give that help in remembrance of you."

"You are a fine young man," said Silver Cloud. "I like you very much. You will always be my friend. Take this whistle with you. Carry it in your pocket. It is a magic whistle, and only I can hear it. When you blow it, I will hear it no matter where you are. If you ever need my help again, use the whistle and I will come immediately to you."

Timothy took the whistle, put it in his pocket, then with a smile he turned and walked away.

For many days and weeks he journeyed. First across a burning desert where he almost died of thirst, then through a dangerous swamp that was filled with mean and hungry crocodiles. On several occasions he was almost eaten alive by those starving beasts as he waded through the knee-deep mud and water that was their home. But he survived, and days after emerging from that dark and gloomy quagmire he found himself walking on a flatland that stretched a thousand miles then disappeared into a misty nothing. Just before the sun went down that day he came to a place where two roads met. There he found a young woman weeping.

Timothy stopped and spoke to her. "Why do you grieve?" he asked.

"I've lost my child," the woman cried. "He wandered from my home as I did my household chores, and now I cannot find him. I have searched for many hours in vain. Soon the night will come and he will be alone. I fear the wolves will get him. They will eat him if they do."

Timothy knew the mother was right. A child alone here after dark would be in mortal danger from the wolves. He looked around. The land was large; very large indeed, but it must be searched.

Timothy looked toward the setting sun. In only minutes it would be down. Night would be upon them soon. Was there a way to find the child in the time that was left to them? Certainly he alone could not do it. For several moments he thought deeply, then he remembered the whistle Silver Cloud had given him. Perhaps the unicorn would help. Timothy took the whistle from his pocket and blew it briskly. Neither he nor the woman heard a sound, but in a moment Silver Cloud was there.

"You summoned me," said the unicorn. "How may I help you?"

Timothy told Silver Cloud of the woman's child and their fear of wolves. "We must find the little one soon," said Timothy. "But this land is large and I cannot search it all. You alone have the ability to run swiftly over it. I ask you to find the boy and bring him to this weeping mother."

Without a moment's pause Silver Cloud turned and ran away. Across the fields and through the meadows he ran. Faster and faster he went. Great clouds of dust were thrown into the air by his flying hoofs. Quickly he searched the land from horizon to horizon, and in only minutes he returned. The child was on his back.

As the happy mother hugged her baby, Timothy turned to Silver Cloud. "Thank you very much," he said. "I am indebted to you even more than earlier. You are very kind, and I owe you much. I shall not forget."

Silver Cloud looked at him strangely, but without a word the unicorn turned and ran toward his home.

Timothy continued his journey. Through a dense and lion-filled jungle he struggled. Four times in that place he was confronted by those creatures, and four times he found himself running for his life. Of course they all gave chase. Like the brutish crocodiles in the swamp, they wanted to make a meal of him. One of them pursued him for more than two hours. On that occasion he escaped by only by the narrowest of margins.

But he did escape, and eventually he clawed his way to the edge of that terrible land. What he saw there produced great relief in him. The countryside ahead was flat and pretty. Again he would be in the open, and he could walk easily in the sunshine. He was doing just that one day when he came upon a mighty river. It was wide and deep, and as he crossed a bridge that spanned it, Timothy looked below at the rushing waters.

There he saw a boat. The boat contained an old fisherman, and it was being tossed violently about as the water carried it along. The fisherman was unable to control it and he was screaming something and pointing in the direction in which the river flowed. Timothy could not under-stand the old man above the sound of the rushing water, but he looked in the direction the fisherman was pointing. He was horrified by what he saw. The boat was being carried toward a giant waterfall. It was very near, and the fisherman would be killed if he were carried over it. But Timothy knew what to do. He reached into his pocket for the whistle and began to blow it.

Almost at once Silver Cloud was there. Timothy looked pleadingly at the unicorn. With much fear in his voice he said, "I ask you to help me one more time. Please take me quickly to the waterfall so I may try to save the fisherman in the boat below. He will surely die if I do not help him."

"Climb on my back," said Silver Cloud. "We will go there now."

As Timothy did so, the unicorn bolted and ran swiftly along the river's bank. Silver Cloud exerted a tremendous effort. He, too, realized how serious the situation was. If he failed to do his best, the old fisherman might die. When they reached the waterfall the unicorn stopped abruptly.

Timothy leaped down and ran toward the raging river. He looked out into the water. White foam covered much of it, and it churned wildly as it flowed around the rocks. This would be dangerous, Timothy told himself, but it must be done.

As the boat drew ever closer to the brink, Timothy leaped from rock to rock. They were slippery and treacherous. Several times he almost fell into the water, but each time he regained his balance and went on. Sweat was pouring from his brow and emotion filled his heart. The boat was rapidly approaching the edge. Timothy wondered if he would make it in time. He was not sure, so he redoubled his efforts. Harder and harder he struggled. Faster and faster he went. With reckless abandon he leaped from rock to rock. He took tremendous risks, knowing that a mistake meant certain death for him. Then just as he thought he would fail, he reached the middle of the river where the waterfall began. Just in the nick of time. No sooner had he reached the last rock when the boat came by and started over the edge. Before it began to fall, Timothy reached out and snatched the fisherman from it. He placed the old man upon his back and rested for a moment. Together they watched the wooden boat plunge to the rocks below. It was dashed to splinters when it struck them. Timothy took several deep breaths, bolstered his courage and began the dangerous trip to shore. With great care this time he leaped from slippery rock to slippery rock until he reached the river's bank. Exhausted and out of breath, he placed the old man on the ground then fell to his knees and hung his head for one long minute. Then he raised it and looked at Silver Cloud.

"Again I am indebted to you," the young man gasped. "I thank you very much, and I shall not forget what you did today. I will always remember your kindness and your generosity."

Silver Cloud looked for a moment as if he were about to say something, but in the end he kept his silence. He only nodded then turned and ran away.

After regaining his breath, Timothy saw the old fisherman safely to his home. After that he set out again on his journey. Undaunted, he crossed a range of wild mountains where he was forced to crawl over several freezing glaciers. They were very cold, especially at night when the winds blew hard. That was a harrowing experience, but after seven days he walked down the mountain side and began to trudge across the plains toward the east. From sunup to sundown he walked each day, and for two more weeks he traveled. Then one evening, he came upon a village. There he stopped to rest beside a fountain.

As he drank his fill, a beautiful young maiden rushed to him and fell upon her knees. She began to cry.

"Are you the witch returned in disguise to cast another spell on us?" she asked.

Timothy slapped his knee and chuckled. "Why do you ask such a thing, you foolish girl? Do I have the misfortune to look like a witch in disguise? If so, then I hasten to assure you that I am no such wicked creature. I am nothing more than a weary traveler whose only purpose is to see the world and seek a fortune."

"Then you must immediately leave our village," said the maiden. "You are in mortal danger if you stay. A witch passed by here only hours ago. She demanded that we give her all the children in the town. When we refused, she became very angry and cast a spell upon us. That spell will be our undoing. When the moon rises here tonight, her curse will cause this village and all within it to be turned to sand. There is no hope for us because she cast the spell upon each person here. But if you hurry you can save yourself. Flee this place. Go now, and don't look back. By doing that you will avoid the doom that waits for us."

Timothy pulled the young woman to her feet and looked into her soft, brown eyes. "Is there nothing to be done to avoid this terrible fate?" he asked. "Is there no wizard to reverse the magic spell?"

The maiden tried to wipe away her tears. "There is no one to help us," she sobbed. "The king's wizard knows the magic words that could save us, but he lives in the castle with the king. And the castle is far away."

"Do you say that the king's magician could save you if he were here?" asked Timothy.

"Yes, he could save us if he were here. But he is not here, and it would take many days to reach him and bring him to this place. There is certainly no way to do it before the moon comes up tonight. And when that moon comes up, all of us will meet our fate."

Timothy reached for the magic whistle. "I know how to bring the wizard here before the spell can take effect," he said. He placed the whistle in his mouth and blew upon it vigorously.

Immediately Silver Cloud was there, and once more Timothy asked for help. He explained what the witch had done and how little time there was to reach the wizard. Silver Cloud nodded.

"Climb upon my back," said the unicorn. "We will go to the castle and bring the wizard here."

As Timothy seated himself upon the unicorn, the animal began to run. Faster and faster it went. Soon the trees and bushes were just a blur. Timothy, whose hair was now blowing wildly in the wind, wrapped his arms around the animal's neck and held on tight.

As with the fisherman in the boat, Silver cloud realized that this situation was very serious. He knew how little time remained before the moon came up. If he failed, the village would be destroyed and those within it would perish. So he ran hard. As hard as he could run. With his white mane flying in the wind and Timothy clinging to his neck, Silver Cloud sped across the land with amazing speed. In only minutes they reached the castle.

Once there, they were greeted and immediately taken to the king. The old monarch was a kindly man who loved his subjects, so he listened patiently as Timothy explained the purpose of their visit. When Timothy finished, the old king rose from his golden throne and with great excitement told the wizard to go with Timothy. "Save my people. Release the village from the curse the witch has laid upon it," the old king commanded.

As always, Silver Cloud ran swiftly. With incredible swiftness the unicorn carried Timothy and the wizard back to the village, and when they arrived the old magician hurriedly began to ply his trade. From the village square the townspeople watched as the old wizard waved his arms about and chanted magic words and phrases. His long, white beard blew in the wind and his deep voice echoed off hills as he shouted words they had never heard before. Then he reached into the pocket of his robe and removed a leather pouch that contained a magic powder made of bat wings, spider legs, and lizard tails. This he cast into the wind as he looked toward the heavens and screamed one final magic word.

The earth rumbled and shuddered momentarily, the wind shrieked wildly, then all was still and silent.

It worked. The village and its people were released from the witch's spell. A wild cheer came from the crowd as they danced about and threw their hats into the air. Everyone, including Timothy and Silver Cloud, was very, very happy.

The beautiful young maiden was happiest of all. She turned to Timothy and smiled. Then she took his hand and kissed his cheek.

"My parents and the people of this village are very poor," she said, "We cannot pay for what you've done, but if you'd stay with us we would make you very happy and contented. I would even sew and clean for you. I would do that always. If you think me pretty, perhaps you will someday take me for your wife."

"You are more than pretty, you are very beautiful," said Timothy, "But I, like you, am very poor. Although I badly want a wife, I cannot take one until I've found my fortune. It would not be fair to her or to our children if I did so."

Timothy turned to Silver Cloud and thanked him once again for what he'd done. "I owe you even more now that you've helped these people. I don't know how, but I shall do my best to repay you."

Silver Cloud was looking at the maiden, but he turned from her and said to Timothy: "I know that during your travels you have faced many hardships and dangers. Your journey has been a long and harsh one. Surely you could have used my help on some occasion, yet each time you've summoned me and asked for it, that help has been for someone else. Why is that so?"

"I am young and strong," said Timothy. "I ask nothing for myself. I shall always try to make my way without imposing a burden on my friends."

"Do you want this woman for your wife?" asked Silver Cloud.

"I do want her," said Timothy, "but I cannot take her while I am poor. First I must find my fortune. Otherwise I would be a burden to her if I fall sick or lame."

"You are a good and gentle man," said Silver Cloud. "So on this day you shall find your fortune. I will take you and the maiden to it."

"Do you know its whereabouts?" asked Timothy.

"Yes, I do," said Silver Cloud. "It lies hidden in a cave near the distant sea. It is a vast fortune of precious jewels along with many piles of gold and silver. Once it belonged to a pirate band, but many years ago they set to sea and were lost in a violent storm. Not one of them survived. Since they have no further use for it, I will show you where it lies. I do that because I know you will use it for the benefit of others."

In only minutes Silver Cloud carried Timothy and the maiden to the cave. As the unicorn had said, it was filled with pirate's treasure. It contained a fortune larger than that of the richest king. There were many chests of precious jewels and pearls. Far more than Timothy could count. And along with these were many piles of gold and silver coins. The piles were higher than his head. Timothy was very, very happy because his long and tiresome journey was over now. Now he could relax.

Timothy placed one arm around the neck of Silver Cloud and the other around his wife to be. He hugged them both. Then with a broad smile he said, "I pledge that my wife and I shall use this treasure wisely. We shall always use it in the help of others."

Silver Cloud was again embarrassed. He blushed and nudged Timothy with his nose. "I believe that to be true," the unicorn said. "I also believe that you and your wife shall live a long and happy life and that you will always be as happy as you are today."