This is my story...

Suddenly I heard stamping sounds: the evil Lord Olsip and his soldiers were upon us! They hated Gypsies. Shouts and yells of terror arose. I started to scream. My mother rocked me in her arms, and said, "It�s all right." But it wasn�t all right. Olsip and his men were burning down our village. Then it happened: they broke open our door, they saw my mother and me. They would even kill women and children. If we were Gypsies we weren�t safe ever; many people hated Gypsies. But we had a pretty sharp army ourselves. They were fighting fiercely.

The soldiers cornered my mother near a window so she just slipped out it. She ran as fast as she could but they were gaining on her as she ran. She could hear the stamping of horses� hooves. She could not run any faster so they were upon her. She ducked and the horse ran right over her. But as she did this, she dropped me. I fell into the snow crying. The men didn�t pay any attention to me so I just lay there crying.

Soon Olsip and his men were gone. I saw my mother lying in the snow. Two men came and carried her away. I started to scream. The men had brought her into a caravan and laid her down on a mattress. Suddenly her eyes started to open. She was alive! She had just been unconscious.

I was still lying in the snow, when the priest from Notre Dame found me. Taking pity on me, he took me away with him. He raised me. I grew to be a pretty little girl. I liked to dance. I hoped to grow up to be a dancer someday.

On my 10th birthday, the priest gave me a little goat. I named him Billy. Billy followed me everywhere!

Billy and I were the best of friends. We hung out together, and if anybody tried to hurt or tease me, Billy would butt or kick them.

I lived in a bell tower; it was nice up there. I had a beautiful view. It looked over a river, with trees all along it, and each night there was a beautiful sunset.

Notre Dame is very tall, and I lived in the highest place: the bell tower. I shared my room with several large bells; I got to ring them time and again. There is a deck with gargoyles on the railing; I liked to swing on the 50-ft. ropes of Notre Dame.

On my 17th birthday the priest gave me a scarf so I could dance with a tambourine and a scarf. Oh, and Billy liked to "dance" too. (Good as a goat can.)

It�s almost my birthday. I�m getting ready for it. I can�t wait to be able to go out alone. I think Billy is excited too. It will be fun to dance in the streets. (Little did I know what was to become of me.)"But what if I don�t get enough money?" I asked the priest. "That�s not up to me," he said. I thought: "But what if I don�t make enough money? I�ll just hope for the best." I think people will like my dancing. Unless the people hate my dancing, and me, then they might try to capture me. I felt a little scared. But I had Billy on my side, and I could climb well too. Billy has grown pretty big now.

At last the time has come! My birthday is here. I got my fancy clothes. They are: an off-white short sleeve shirt with a greenish turquoise gold striped bottom, a magenta skirt, and a purple waistband trimmed with gold, and with gold coins strung from it.

I�m on my own to do what I want to do. I can go where I want to go. One last time I went to my bell tower. I said good-bye to the bells; I said good-bye to my cozy little bell tower. Last I looked out from the deck. I whispered: "I�m going to miss you." I said a good-bye to my "friends" the very ugly gargoyles. Then for the last time, I swung on my beloved 50-ft. ropes, holding tight to Billy, my tambourine, and my scarf. I swung to the town below.

I landed in the middle of a carnival. There were lots of people selling things, like: candy on a stick, shoes, flowers, fruit, vegetables, clothes, candles, hats and even livestock! At the sight of another goat like him, Billy dashed off to see it. I chased after him, shouting: "Billy!" A man obviously named Billy turned his head and looked at me. Then he saw I was after a goat and turned back to what he was doing.

When I finally caught Billy, I decided to do a little dancing. Soon oooooooohs and aaaaaaaahs arose from the crowd. I noticed I had quite a few coins in my bowl. Soon as I knew it, I was in a bar with all the men clapping along and ooooooohing and aaaaaaaaahing and laughing at Billy the "dancing goat".

Then suddenly Olsip burst in.

"Give me the Gypsy." he said. Billy ran and kicked Olsip. "Oh so you have a little sidekick, huh?!" he said.

"If you want me you gotta get me!" I said. Then I jumped over the crowd and slipped out a window. All the men cheered.

"Oh shut up you blockheads!" he said. "I�ll rip your guts out!" And he knocked over a table. "Come on men." he said. "I�m not fooling around."

I ran through the streets with Billy following right behind. The men were right on my heels, until I jumped onto a carriage and was pulled away.

"Get her!" Olsip cried. Soon I jumped off the carriage and ran into a tent to hide. Olsip came by but didn�t notice me. He looked around.

"Where is she?!" he wondered. "I know I just saw her."

Then I said: "Pssssst over here!" And ran out from the table under the tent.

"I knew she was here somewhere!" he exclaimed, and he was after me.

But I had gotten a head start and ran ahead. People turned to see what all the commotion was about.

Suddenly I was face to face with a wall and couldn�t go any farther. The only way to get away was to climb the wall. "Well, I thought: "If I can climb Notre Dame I can climb this puny wall!" So I started climbing. It was very difficult to climb because Notre Dame has railings and ridges to hold onto, but this wall was straight.

A group had gathered to watch me climb. Olsip and all his soldiers were below, so if I fell it was to my doom. I slipped a little bit--it made me shudder. Olsip rubbed his hands with glee hoping I would fall. I had to make it, if I didn�t I would die, or at least get captured and probably get thrown into a dungeon for he rest of my life. (Which probably wouldn�t be for very long concerning how much Olsip hates Gypsies.)

Finally I was over. Olsip�s face was red with rage.

"I�ll get her if it�s the last thing I do!" he said.

"Oh no," I thought. "Billy isn�t with me!" Billy was struggling to get over the wall back there; I had to save him. I ran back. Billy was falling on the wall. Now Olsip was rubbing his hands vigorously. I ran and caught Billy right as he fell. Then we went off together.

Soon we found a fruit stand. I got some fruit for Billy and me with some of the coins from my bowl. I got a couple of melons, a kiwi, and some strawberries. I fed the strawberries to Billy.

Then suddenly some of Olsip�s men were in front of me and in back of me. I was cornered.

"We�ve got you now, Missy!" they chuckled. They tied me up, gagged me, and dragged me away. As for Billy, he was probably going become goat stew. But I knew he wouldn�t let them; he had two sharp horns and four hard hooves. But as for me, I didn�t know what they were planning to do with me. "Are they going to kill me?" I thought. "Are they going to make me their slave? Are they going to chain me up for all eternity?"

Soon I found out they were going to put me in prison for a day and then they were going to kill me by the guillotine. I had one day to figure out what to do.

When I got there I discovered they had one other prisoner also. At least I wouldn�t be the only one. The other prisoner was a handsome man. He had blond hair and a little beard. He was young, maybe about a year older than me. I liked him.

Soon I was thrown into my cell. I tried to think, but I was too scared to.

After a few hours, I heard a tiny sound, a digging sound. It got louder, and louder, and louder until a hole started to form on the floor of the cell. Soon I saw blond hair. It was the man! He had dug his way out of his cell and was digging his way into mine! Finally he was out. He wasted no time in getting me untied and out. He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the hole with a jerk. I almost screamed but a firm hand clapped over my mouth. It was his hand stopping me from making noise and getting caught.

On the way I asked, "How did you get untied?"

"I had the dagger in my pocket that I always have. It�s handy to keep a dagger around. Then I just cut the ropes and started digging."

"And how did you dig?" I asked. "This floor is made of solid stone."

"I found an old pick ax lying in the corner of my cell. Apparently some absent-minded guard put it there without thinking. It�s a little rusty, but in fine condition. I sure was lucky to find it."

"What�s your name?" I asked.

"Luke," he said.

"Luke, what a beautiful name," I said, falling in love. "Mine is Esmerelda. How did you get into this mess?"

"Well, I tried to sneak into Olsip�s castle and steal some gold for the poor and, well�he found out about it. And he sentenced me to death. What did you do?"

"Well," I began. "Nothing. But I�m a Gypsy, and you know how Olsip hates Gypsies."

"Yes, I do," he said.

"He didn�t kill me when I was a baby, so he wants to kill me now. And I�ve done things here and there to annoy him so he hates me even more," I said. "Besides, he wants to kill every Gypsy he can get his bloody hands on. And he just happened to get me."

"I feel sorry for Gypsies," said Luke. "They are always hated and picked on. And practically nobody likes them."

"You�re telling me!" I said.

The corridor was very long and finally we got to the end and went out on the bridge over the river. Suddenly a man jumped out from hiding.

"I knew I should have hidden!" he said, grabbing Luke.

"No!" I screamed. The man thrust Luke off the bridge into the deep water. Then he tried to get me but I ducked and his hand hit the bridge. Then he made another lunge and missing this time too, fell to the ground. Then I ran as fast as I could to get to the end of the bridge before he came after me again. Finally I got to the end of the bridge. I ran to the water�s edge and jumped in. I had to rescue Luke. I dove to the bottom and I caught Luke just before he hit the rocks that would kill him. Then I swam to shore. I ran away through the night dragging Luke by his cloak. I was going to get away.

Then suddenly in front of me was another guard. It was one of the guards that watched the borders of the prison. Then he grabbed me and tied and gagged me. Then he tied Luke.

"He isn�t even conscious!" I said.

"Well he might revive," said the man. "Besides what do you care anyway? You�re just going to die." He brought us back to our cells and threw us in. Luke still was unconscious.

"They really keep this prison guarded." I thought. "They have good guards too. We�ll never get out of here."

The next morning I awoke to crying and shouts. We were to be killed today. I shuddered with fear.

Soon a man came to take me. He was wearing a black hood with no holes for eyes.

"He must be the executioner." I thought. I fought him as best I could while tied up but I wasn�t successful. He took me to the square. He raised the blade of the guillotine; suddenly a whooshing sound was heard. It was Luke coming to save me! He had broken free again in the little time he had and now he was swinging on the Notre Dame rope to save me! He came right down to me and pulled me away just as the executioner let go of the rope and the blade came falling down cutting the wood of the guillotine. Then Luke sailed away with me in his arms.

When he landed in Notre Dame, he untied me and laid me on a straw mattress: my old bed. I had been knocked unconscious by the executioner.

Luke thought I was dead and he mourned. Then suddenly my eyelids started to flicker and slowly open.

"You�re alive!" he cried with joy.

"Yes I am." I said. "You saved my life, I love you Luke. I love you."

"I love you too Esmerelda." he said.

Down in Central Square, Olsip was being overthrown. He ran away in terror. He was overpowered. His evil ways were not working anymore.

I never saw Olsip again, and I hope never to.

Luke carried me downstairs. The priest had seen all that had happened and was overjoyed to see me again. I hugged him, and he kissed me.

"I am glad to see you again," he said. "Where have you been all this time?" I told him my story and introduced Luke. "You are a fine young man, Luke." he said. "You saved my step- daughter, and I owe you. What would you like?"

"Well, I would like to ask you for Esmerelda�s hand in marriage." Luke said.

"Well, Esmerelda, would you like to marry this man?" asked the priest.

"Oh yes! Yes!" I cried. "But oh no! Billy is missing."

"Who is Billy?" asked Luke.

"Billy is my goat. We left him at Olsip�s prison; we have to get him. Knowing him though, he probably half killed the men anyway! He has sharp horns and hard hooves. And without anybody to tell them what to do like Olsip, they�ll turn him free." Then I saw a little goat in the Town Square walking around looking puzzled.

"Billy!" I cried. Sure enough it was Billy. He ran to the church, scrambled up the stairs, and ran to me. He jumped into my arms and rubbed his head against my breast.

"I�m so glad to see you, Billy," I said.

We were all together again. Me, Billy, the priest, and a new person: Luke.

"Well, I really must go now," said Luke.

"But I thought you were to wed me."

"Oh yes, I shall," he said.

"You may spend the night here in the bell tower."

In the morning I got up very early just to find Luke had gotten up even earlier! He was looking at the great big bells I used to ring.

"Oh, good morning," he said. "I was just looking at these bells. They are pretty colossal! How did you ever manage to ring them?"

"Well, with the really big one I had to have some help." I said. "Oh, and how did you ever climb Notre Dame?"

"Well, I knew I had to do it to save you, so I woke up very early so I would have enough time to climb. Nobody even noticed me as I sneaked past the gates. Then I just did it the way I saw you do it when you climbed that wall to get away from Olsip."

"How did you see that?" I asked.

"I was there. Olsip had already taken me prisoner. And I was with them. They had tied me to a post and carried the post. And I saw you."

"Oh," I said.

Then the priest came in to see how we had slept. He saw us talking and asked; "Did you stay up all night talking?"

"No, we didn�t," said Luke. "We went to bed about 11. And we just got up early."

"Well, that�s good. I don�t want you to be tired for the wedding," The priest said. "It will be wonderful, seeing my beloved Esmerelda being wedded to a wonderful man."

"How will we tell my family, though?" Luke said. "My mother, and father, and two sisters, too."

"You didn�t tell me you had sisters." I said. "Older or younger? Are they nice? Is it nice having siblings?"

"They are younger," he said. "It is sometimes nice having sisters, but sometimes they can be bad."

"We must find a way to inform your parents of this matter," said the priest.

"Yes," said Luke. "Wait--I�ll go. We don�t need some kind of a fancy pageboy. I�ll just go."

"All right, but be careful not to get caught again!" the priest said.

"Oh, I will," he said.

So he went down the huge flight of steps to the door. He went out. As he went out he yelled; "Good-bye. I�ll see you when I return."

When he returned the next day, he had brought his mother, father, and two sisters.

Then we were married. It was a wonderful wedding. Luke�s family didn�t really approve of Luke wedding a Gypsy though.

Then finally we went to the Gypsy village and I met my real parents. I was overjoyed to see them. And by now my mother had another baby girl: Heather.

Soon I had a baby of my own. A boy I named Luke after the husband I owe my life to: Luke.

Billy "married" another goat and had four healthy kids.

So finally I had found my family.

The End