"Rachel Pollack - The Fool, The Stick, And The Princess" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pollack Rachel)

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THE FOOL, THE STICK, AND THE
PRINCESS
Rachel Pollack
Rachel Pollack is an international expert on the Tarot, with more than a dozen books to her
credit. She has also written for numerous comic books, including Doom Patrol and Tomahawk.
More to the point (perhaps), she is also the author of five novels, including Unquenchable Fire,
Temporary Agency, and Godmother Night, which won the World Fantasy Award last year. She
writes short fiction much too infrequently, so it's always a real treat when we see a new story from
her, as in the case of this delightful fairy tale.

There were once three brothers who lived in a poor country far away. The two older brothers were
very clever and everyone said they would do well in the world, even in a land with so few opportunities.
But the youngest was nothing but a fool. He had never learned to read, and even the simplest tasks
eluded him. Told to fetch wood, he would set out determined to get it right, but before he got to the back
of the house and the woodpile he might see a rabbit and try to imitate its hop until he fell over laughing,
the woodpile long forgotten. Or worse, he might see a rainbow and fling the wood in the air as he lifted
his arms in happiness. The Fool, as everyone called him, simply loved rainbows. Whenever he saw one
he would throw his arms high above his head, no matter what else was happening. People would shake
their heads and worry what would become of him.
As time went on, the family became poorer and poorer, despite all the efforts of the mother and father
and the elder brothers. Finally, the oldest brother announced that there were just no opportunities for an
ambitious young man in a country where people told legendary stories about eating more than one meal a
day. He must leave home and seek his fortune. He kissed his parents, told his second brother to take
care of the Fool, and set out on a sunny morning across the cracked clay of their poor farm.
He had gone no more than a day's journey when he spotted something along the side of the road, half
hidden under a burnt-out bush. At first glance it looked like a plain stick, about waist high, but the
sharp-eyed brother noticed a glow of light all around it. "A magic staff!" he cried excitedly and seized it.
Power surged through him and he shook the stick at the sky. "Now nothing can stop me!" he cried. "I will
make my fortune and return home to rescue my family."
Just as he was striding off, he heard a terrible roar. He turned and saw an ogre about to rush at him.
The ogre stood ten feet tall, with shoulders like rocks, and thick scales for skin, and teeth like sharpened
iron stakes. Though he shook with fear, the eldest brother told himself he had no reason to worry. He
pointed the magic stick at the ogre and shouted "Stop this monster from devouring me!" A blast of light
streaked from the stickтАФbut instead of striking the ogre it ran all through the eldest brother. In an instant
his entire body had turned to stone. Furious, the hungry ogre lumbered away.
A year went by. When Spring came once more, the second brother looked one day at the scraps of
bread on the table and shook his head. "It's no use," he told his parents. "Something terrible must have
happened to my brother or he would have returned by now. We have become more wretched than ever.
I must go seek my fortune." His parents begged him not to go. If he didn't come back, they said, and they
died, who would take care of the Fool? But he only kissed them and shook his head sadly at his younger
brother. Then he left.
Three days from home he came upon his petrified brother. The magic stick still lay at his stone feet.
"Oh my poor poor brother," he cried. "He must have found this magic stick and tried to use it and it
turned against him." He picked up the stick. The power in it made him tremble all over. "Well," he said.
"Luckily I am much cleverer than my brother. Besides, he always wanted glory. I just want to feed my
family. As long as I don't make any mistakes I can use this stick to make my fortune."
He had gone no more than a day's journey when he heard a roar. An ogre was rushing at him. Its
mouth drooled with thick black slime. The brother raised his stick. He could see fire run along its length in