RED REX
by Abbie Farwell Brown · from Kisington Town
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, a boy named Harold had a book. It was big and pretty. The city leaders chose him. They needed to send a message. A big, grumpy king waited outside.
Harold walked out of the city gate. He held a white flag for peace. He also held his red and gold book. He was brave.
He saw the Red King. The king was a very big man. He had red hair. He sat on a small hill. "I am Harold," the boy said. "I must read you a story."
"No stories!" the Red King said. "I am busy. Go home."
"But it is a good story," Harold said. He stood tall. "Please listen. It is good."
"I cannot read," the Red King said. "I like other things."
"This story is special," Harold said. "Please let me read it."
The Red King thought. He was curious. "Okay," he said. "We will take a break. I will listen."
He took off his heavy coat. He sat down nicely. "Sit here, boy," he said.
Harold sat by his feet. He opened his pretty book. He began to read. The Red King smiled. Everyone listened quietly. Stories can make even grumpy hearts happy.
Original Story
III. RED REX
A committee of the First Citizens led Harold to the city gate. He wished to say good-bye to his mother, and to Richard and Robert; but there was no time. Presently a watchman raised a white flag above the wall. Thereafter the noise of the besiegers ceased.
"A truce, ho!"
"What message from the besieged?"
"One comes to parley with your King."
"Let him come forth, under the flag of truce. He will be safe."
Bearing the white flag in one hand and the gorgeous book in the other, Harold stepped outside the gate. The foreign soldiers stared to see so young a messenger, and some of them would have laughed. But Harold held up his head proudly and showed them that he was not afraid, nor was he to be laughed at.
"I am the messenger. Pray bring me to the King," he said with dignity.
A guard of fierce-looking soldiers took him in charge and marched him across the trampled sward, between the ranks of the army, until they came to a little hillock. And there Harold found himself standing in front of a huge man with bristling red hair and beard, having a mighty arm bound with iron. His eyes were wild and bloodshot. He sat upon the hillock as if it were a throne, and held a wicked-looking sword across his great knees, frowning terribly.
"Well, who are you, and what do you want with me?" growled the Red King. "A queer envoy this! A mere boy!"
"The City Fathers have sent me to read you something, please Your Majesty," said Harold, trying to look brave, though his knees were quaking at the awful appearance of the War-Lord.
"Is it a war message?" asked Red Rex, eyeing the red-and-gold book suspiciously.
"You must hear and judge," answered Harold.
"Very well," grumbled the Red King. "But waste no time. Begin and have done as quickly as may be."
Harold began to read from the red-and-gold book; but he had not gone far when Red Rex interrupted him.
"Why, it is a tale!" he roared. "Thunder and lightning! Do they think this is a child's party? Go home with your story-book to your nursery and leave me to deal with your city in warrior fashion."
"I come from no nursery!" protested Harold, squaring his shoulders. "I am no molly-coddle. No boy can beat me at any game. I am instructed to read you this, and I must do so, unless you break the truce and do me harm."
"Who ever heard the like of this!" thundered Red Rex. "Here am I making real war, and this boy interrupts me to read a tale! What a waste of time! I read nothing, boy. War dispatches are all I have taste for. Does this concern war?"
"It has everything to do with this war," said Harold truthfully. "It is very important, and they say I read rather well."
"When did you learn to read rather well?" questioned the Red King sulkily. "I never learned to read well, myself, and I am thrice your age. I never have had time. At your years I was already a soldier. Fighting was the only sport I cared for. Reading is girls' business."
"A lot of good things are girls' business, and boys' business, too," said Harold loyally. "But please hear me read about the fight, Your Majesty."
"About a fight;--it is a long time since I heard a story about a fight, written in ink," said the Red King musingly. "But I have myself seen many fights, written in red blood."
"This is a story different from any you ever read," said Harold. "It is a story no one ever heard read before, outside Kisington. Will Your Majesty permit that I begin?"
Red Rex hummed and hawed, hesitated and frowned. But he was a curious King, as well as a savage one, and his curiosity triumphed. "What ho!" he shouted to his guard at last. "Let there be a truce until I give word to resume the fighting. I have that which claims my attention. Boy, I will hear the story. Plant the flag of truce upon this hillock and sit down here at my feet. Now!" He unfastened his belt and sword, took off his heavy helmet and made himself comfortable, while his men lolled about in the grass near by. Harold seated himself at the feet of the Red King, as he was bidden; and opening the red-and-gold book began to read in his best manner the story of The Dragon of Hushby.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the fiercest hearts can be softened and transformed by the power of a good story.
Plot Summary
Under siege, the city of Kisington sends a young boy named Harold to parley with the fearsome Red King. Harold, armed with a white flag and a red-and-gold storybook, bravely confronts the war-lord. Initially, the Red King scoffs at the idea of a story, preferring battle, but Harold's courage and insistence on the story's relevance to the war pique the king's curiosity. Overcoming his savage nature, the Red King calls a truce, removes his armor, and settles down to listen as Harold begins to read 'The Dragon of Hushby', signaling a temporary peace brought about by the power of narrative.
Themes
Emotional Arc
tension to curiosity to peace
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a period where the power of literature and education was increasingly valued, even in contrast to traditional masculine ideals of warfare.
Plot Beats (10)
- Harold, a young boy, is chosen by the First Citizens to deliver a message to the besieging Red King.
- He leaves the city under a flag of truce, carrying a red-and-gold book.
- Harold bravely faces the Red King, a huge, fierce warrior, and requests to read something to him.
- The Red King is initially dismissive and angry, scoffing at the idea of a storybook during wartime.
- Harold stands his ground, asserting his bravery and the importance of the story, claiming it relates to the war.
- The Red King expresses his lack of reading skills and his preference for fighting over stories.
- Harold persuades the Red King by emphasizing the unique nature of the story he carries.
- The Red King's curiosity triumphs over his savagery, and he declares a truce to hear the story.
- The Red King removes his armor and makes himself comfortable, inviting Harold to sit at his feet.
- Harold opens the book and begins to read 'The Dragon of Hushby' to the Red King and his soldiers.
Characters
Harold ★ protagonist
A young boy, likely slender and of average height for his age, but with a proud bearing that makes him seem taller. His youth is notable to the foreign soldiers.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but as an envoy from the 'First Citizens', he would likely wear the finest, most formal attire available to a child in his city, perhaps a tunic and breeches of good quality linen or wool, possibly in muted colors, befitting a messenger of importance.
Wants: To fulfill his duty as a messenger and read the story to Red Rex, thereby protecting his city.
Flaw: His youth and physical vulnerability, which makes him appear less formidable and causes his knees to quake in fear.
He starts as a fearful but dutiful messenger and grows in confidence and assertiveness as he stands up to Red Rex and successfully engages him with the story.
Brave, dignified, loyal, intelligent, determined.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young boy standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a determined expression, with bright, alert eyes. He wears a simple but well-made tunic of cream linen, with practical dark breeches and sturdy leather boots. He holds a large, ornate book with a red leather cover and gold embossed designs in his left hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Red Rex ⚔ antagonist
A huge, mighty man with a powerful build, likely tall and broad-shouldered, indicative of a seasoned warrior. One of his arms is bound with iron, suggesting a past injury or a form of armor/enhancement.
Attire: As a 'War-Lord' and King, he would wear practical but imposing battle attire. He wears a heavy helmet and a belt from which his sword hangs. His clothing would likely be of sturdy leather or thick wool, possibly dark or earthy tones, with metallic accents from his armor. The iron binding on his arm suggests a unique piece of battle gear.
Wants: To conquer the city, driven by a warrior's mentality. He is also motivated by curiosity once Harold piques his interest.
Flaw: His short temper and initial disdain for anything not related to war, which almost causes him to miss an important message. His curiosity, while a strength, can also be exploited.
Initially dismissive and angry at Harold's message, he is slowly intrigued by the boy's persistence and the promise of a story about a fight, eventually agreeing to a truce to listen.
Savage, gruff, easily angered, curious, dismissive of non-warrior pursuits, proud of his warrior past.
Image Prompt & Upload
A huge, powerfully built adult man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a bristling red beard and wild, bloodshot eyes under a perpetually frowning brow. His red hair is thick and unkempt. He wears a heavy, dark leather tunic with metal studs, a thick leather belt, and sturdy boots. His right arm is encased in a dark iron bracer. He holds a large, curved, wicked-looking sword with a dark hilt across his body. Fierce, scowling expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
City Gate of Kisington
A fortified city gate with a watchman's post above the wall, made of sturdy stone and timber, serving as the boundary between the besieged city and the encampment outside. The ground immediately outside is trampled sward.
Mood: tense, formal, expectant
Harold exits the city under a flag of truce to meet the Red King.
Image Prompt & Upload
A massive, weathered stone city gate, partially open, revealing a glimpse of a medieval European town within. Outside, the ground is churned earth and sparse, trampled grass. A tall, wooden watchtower rises above the gate, with a white flag fluttering from its peak against a clear, pale morning sky. The gate itself is reinforced with iron bands and heavy timber. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Hillock in the Besiegers' Camp
A small, natural rise in the terrain, serving as an impromptu throne for the Red King. The surrounding area is a trampled sward, indicative of a large army encampment, with foreign soldiers lounging nearby.
Mood: gritty, intimidating, surprisingly informal
Harold confronts the Red King and begins to read the story, establishing a temporary truce.
Image Prompt & Upload
A low, grassy hillock rises gently from a wide expanse of trampled, sparse sward. The ground is uneven, showing signs of heavy foot traffic and temporary encampment. In the distance, the faint outlines of a medieval city wall are visible. The sky above is a soft, clear blue with a few wispy clouds. A white flag on a pole is planted firmly at the crest of the hillock. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.