WONDERLAND
by Atha Westbury · from Australian fairy tales
Adapted Version
A mother lived near big mountains. Her house was small. It was on a big rock. She looked at a deep valley.
The Mother was very sad. She looked for her children. Her children were Edith and Winnie. They were very small. They were lost. The Mother cried.
A Magic Goat came to her. It had white fur. It had kind eyes. The Magic Goat talked. "I saw your children," it said. "Big, bad creatures took them. They went to a dark, scary place."
The Magic Goat said, "Take my hair. Put it on your finger. This hair will keep you safe. You must believe." The Mother did this.
Then the Mother went down. She went into a dark hole. It was very deep. The Magic Goat's hair kept her safe. She felt no fear. She was in a dark, scary place.
They came to a big gate. A Big Guard Monster stood there. It looked very scary. The Magic Goat changed. It became a Magic Helper. The Magic Helper was strong. He made the monster go away.
They walked through dark rooms. They walked for a long time. They saw another gate. A Mean Guard Monster was there. It looked very mean. The Magic Helper was brave. He made this monster go away too.
They saw many scary things. They were in dark rooms. But the Magic Helper was strong. The scary things ran away.
They came to a big, dark house. Bad creatures lived there. Many bad creatures were there. The Mother looked. She saw Edith and Winnie. Her children were there! They cried with joy.
The Mother wanted her children back. "Give them to me!" she said. The Magic Helper stood tall. He was very strong.
The bad creatures talked. They were angry. But the Magic Helper was quick! He took Edith. He took Winnie. He put them in their Mother's arms.
"Run now!" said the Magic Helper. "Go home. Go up to the light. I will help you."
The Mother ran with her children. They went up. They went home. They were safe now. The Magic Helper stayed behind. He kept the bad things away. He was very brave.
Mother's love was very strong. It helped her be brave and get them back.
Original Story
WONDERLAND.
Mount with me, my little friends, upon the wings of fancy. Don’t be alarmed—the conveyance is perfectly safe, and warranted free from accidents. Hi, Presto! Here we stand upon the famous Blue Mountains of our neighbour, whose glens, dells, and deep ravines are haunted by creatures beautiful beyond conception, and grotesque, and stranger than any painter dreamed of. Yonder, on the mountain-side, the western train is seen puffing its way along the gigantic “zigzag,” like a huge serpent, and whose hot breath takes weird shapes before it is lost in the blue haze above it. Beneath, on that natural terrace of rock, stands the humble hut of the charcoal-burner, whose single window overlooks a deep valley of monster trees—fallen and half-buried amongst great blocks of stone and rank vegetation.
But who is that woman who is wringing her hands, and calling and weeping by turns, as she runs to and fro among the chaos of undergrowth and the ledges around? It is the wife of the charcoal-burner, and she calls for her two children, who have wandered away and become lost in this wild region. It was early morn when they strolled forth to play—Edith and Winnie, both little toddlers, and quite helpless—yet the sun is on the rim of the horizon and they cannot be found.
“Coo-ee, coo-ee!—Winnie—Edie, my darlings, where are you? Oh, where are you?” cries the poor mother; and her voice grows faint and weary as she calls to the echoing cliffs about. She becomes aware that some one is answering her as she is about to retrace her steps to the hut. The voice is far off at first, but it becomes gradually nearer and nearer, until a rough mountain goat with long horns presents itself before her.
“I am here. What do you want with me?” it said, bowing itself before her.
It was a beautiful animal, with a soft, white, silky fleece, and large, kind-looking eyes, while its voice sounded so full of sympathy that the suffering mother answered readily,—
“Oh, sir! I have lost my two children; pray tell me, have you seen them?”
“I have seen them,” answered the goat. “And if you have sufficient courage to follow my advice they shall soon be restored to you. I am the guardian sprite of this glen, which my race have occupied since the Flood. Here on this mountain are two kingdoms; the one on the surface called Love; the other, beneath the surface, termed Hate. We are ever at war with each other; therefore, I am here to serve you. Learn, O mortal, that Croak and Gloom, of the lower world, have stolen your children, and they have hid them within the bowels of the mountains.”
“Then they are dead, and I shall never see them more,” replied the woman, falling on her knees and weeping bitterly.
“I have said they shall be restored to you again,” replied the goat quickly. “My power is far mightier than the whole nation of Hate combined. Have you faith that I can help you?”
“Yes,” she answered, “because Love is stronger than Hate.”
“Good. Extend your hand and pluck a tuft of hair from my right side, roll it in your fingers, then twist it round your finger above your wedding-ring.”
The charcoal-burner’s wife did as the goat desired her, but she had scarcely finished before the animal vanished from her sight, and she felt herself bodily lifted up, and borne away over the deep ravine, and across over-hanging cliffs and the tops of tall trees, and away down into a yawning chasm, which seemed like a deep and bottomless well. Down, down, she went swiftly, yet with an easy, sliding motion that was not at all unpleasant, while she felt no fear, save for the fate of her little ones. She had a feeling of a powerful presence being near and about her—extending from the finger on which was twisted the goat’s hair round and round her person, and beneath her feet, like the strong net-work of a balloon. Even when the void grew dim and black, a strange glow, emanating from the ring, lit up the darkness and revealed to her wondering eyes many earth-bound treasures. Here gleamed thick seams of coal, and there slabs of tin and copper ores, and beyond these shone white masses of stone, like marble, with thick veins of gold therein, which sparkled athwart the woman’s eyes, and made her almost forget her children, so great became her desire to possess some of it While she cogitated she suddenly became conscious that she was upon her feet, standing before a large cavern gate, guarded by a tall griffin, who cried out the moment he espied her, “Who dare enter into the realm of Hate?”
And the woman answered quickly, “Love. Love dares everything, because, being pure, it is fearless. I have come to demand my children.”
“THE MONSTER … ADVANCED WITH A LARGE STONE.”
The monster laughed at her, and advanced with a large stone to dash out her brains; but the white goat, transformed now into a handsome youth, with a sharp, gleaming sword in his hand, advanced boldly to the rescue, and soon defeated the grim warder, took his keys without more ado, and opening several doors, led his companion through a labyrinth of caves until they reached a second gate guarded like the first, the warder having the body of an ass and the head of a wolf. “Who knocks at the gates of Hate?” he said fiercely.
“Love,” answered the valiant fairy, waving his sword.
“Love isn’t wanted here,” replied the monster. “Begone! Or I will kill you both.” Whereupon he opened the gate and advanced towards them; but the elfin engaged him at once, and so great was his power that he overturned the creature in a moment.
“Now, Malice, I have thee,” cried the brave sprite sternly. “Yield up thy keys and get thee hence, and hide thyself, together with Envy, at the outer gate, for if I find you here on my return I will slay you both.”
Malice gave up his keys and ran howling along the rocky caverns of the place; while Love, the elfin, led the woman onward through a catacomb of dismal vapour, which ended in a series of arched chambers, draped and festooned with sheets of solid gold. The horrid creatures who inhabited the place were hideous and frightful to behold. Some had two heads, others were without legs or arms; many crawled like snakes, and not a few presented the appearance of being half man and half beast. These monsters fled in all directions at the sight of Love, and so he passed onward unmolested until he came to Cavernous Hall—the palace of Croak and Gloom—and here he found the two great chiefs of Hate with the children, Winnie and Edith. The hall was filled with the rank and fashion of the nation to see the wonderful mortals of the upper world; and into their midst walked Love and the woman hand-in-hand.
“Who are these strange people?” cried the terrible voice of Gloom, grasping the little ones in his arms, for they had uttered a glad cry at sight of their mother.
“My children! Oh, give me my children!” pleaded the woman.
“Mortal, how came you here?” inquired the grim Croak.
“It was I who guided her hither,” answered the elfin.
“Then thou shalt die,” exclaimed the vast throng, as with one voice.
“Not all your hosts of this dim region nor your power can destroy me. Dash me to pieces against the rugged walls of your palace, burn me to ashes, and scatter them to the vapours, still I shall rise up stronger, in some other form to give you battle. Give the woman her little ones.”
“Beware! Let the race of this mortal give us back our stolen treasures. They have invaded our domain, and have rifled it of some of its richest treasures. Through soil and rock and granite they have delved down, down into this under world, until we could hear the ring of their tools. And we have seen them change our dim regions into a wilderness.”
While Croak uttered these words the elfin glided swiftly forward, seized the children, and placing them safely in the mother’s arms, cried hurriedly, “Begone; run to the outer gate, and my power shall bear you company and carry you swiftly to the upper air. Quick!”
And the woman, pressing her babes tightly to her throbbing bosom, fled away, and rising through the mists which obscure the lower world, regained the hut on the cliff; while Love battled with the legions of Hate, and battles with them still—ay! and will battle with them to the end of time.
Story DNA
Moral
Love, in its purest form, is a powerful and fearless force that can overcome even the darkest of evils.
Plot Summary
A charcoal-burner's wife is distraught when her two young children go missing in the wild Blue Mountains. A magical mountain goat, the guardian sprite of 'Love', reveals that the children have been abducted by the evil entities Croak and Gloom from the underground kingdom of 'Hate'. Guided and protected by the transformed sprite, the courageous mother descends into the perilous underworld, battling monstrous warders and navigating treacherous paths. She confronts Croak and Gloom in their palace, and with the sprite's swift action, reclaims her children and escapes back to the surface, while the eternal battle between Love and Hate continues below.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The mention of the 'zigzag' train suggests a late 19th or early 20th-century context for the author, though the core story elements are timeless.
Plot Beats (13)
- The narrator introduces the setting of the Blue Mountains and the humble hut of a charcoal-burner.
- The charcoal-burner's wife is introduced, frantically searching for her two lost toddler children, Edith and Winnie.
- A talking mountain goat appears, identifying itself as the guardian sprite of the glen, and tells the mother her children were stolen by Croak and Gloom from the kingdom of Hate.
- The goat instructs the mother to pluck a tuft of its hair and twist it around her finger above her wedding ring, promising her children's return if she has faith.
- The mother follows the instructions, and is magically transported down a chasm into the dark, treasure-filled realm of Hate, protected by the goat's magic.
- They encounter a griffin guarding the first gate; the goat transforms into a handsome youth, defeats the griffin, and takes its keys.
- They proceed through a labyrinth and encounter a second warder, Malice (half-ass, half-wolf), whom the elfin also defeats and banishes.
- They pass through dismal chambers filled with grotesque monsters, who flee at the sight of Love.
- They reach Cavernous Hall, the palace of Croak and Gloom, where the children are being displayed to the nation of Hate.
- The mother pleads for her children, and the elfin declares his power to the leaders of Hate.
- While Croak speaks of humanity's invasion of their domain, the elfin swiftly seizes the children and places them in their mother's arms.
- The elfin urges the mother to flee, promising his power will carry her to the upper world.
- The mother and children escape back to their hut on the cliff, while the elfin (Love) remains to battle the legions of Hate eternally.
Characters
Charcoal-burner's Wife ★ protagonist
A woman of average height and build, likely showing signs of a hard life in the mountains, with a distressed and weary countenance from searching for her children.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for a charcoal-burner's wife in a mountainous region, likely made of sturdy, dark, or muted-colored fabrics like wool or coarse linen, perhaps a long skirt, a blouse, and a shawl, showing signs of wear and tear.
Wants: To find and protect her lost children.
Flaw: Her overwhelming fear for her children's safety, which initially paralyzes her with grief.
She transforms from a weeping, desperate mother into a courageous woman who ventures into the realm of Hate, guided by Love, to reclaim her children. She learns that Love is stronger than Hate.
Maternal, desperate, courageous, faithful, resilient.
Image Prompt & Upload
A distressed adult woman, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. She has a weathered face, tear-streaked cheeks, and disheveled dark brown hair pulled back simply. She wears a practical, dark grey linen skirt, a cream-colored blouse, and a worn brown wool shawl draped over her shoulders. Her hands are clasped together in front of her, wringing with worry. A simple gold wedding band is visible on her left ring finger, with a small tuft of white hair twisted around it. An expression of deep concern and maternal anguish. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The White Goat / Love (Elfin) ◆ supporting
Initially a beautiful mountain goat with a soft, white, silky fleece and long horns. Transforms into a handsome youth, described as an elfin or sprite.
Attire: As a goat: natural fleece. As an elfin: implied to be a warrior or noble, likely wearing light, flowing garments that allow for swift movement, perhaps in white or silver tones to reflect his 'Love' aspect, with a gleaming sword.
Wants: To protect the realm of Love and defeat the forces of Hate, specifically to restore the children to their mother.
Flaw: None explicitly stated; his power seems boundless in his own realm.
Remains constant in his role as a powerful protector and embodiment of Love, battling Hate.
Sympathetic, powerful, valiant, protective, wise, stern when necessary.
Image Prompt & Upload
A handsome young adult male elfin, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has fair skin, sharp, kind blue eyes, and long, flowing silver-blonde hair. He wears a tunic of shimmering white silk with silver embroidery, light grey trousers, and soft leather boots. A finely crafted, gleaming silver sword is held upright in his right hand. His posture is noble and valiant, with a determined yet benevolent expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Griffin ○ minor
A tall griffin, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
Attire: None, as it is a creature.
Wants: To guard the gates of Hate and prevent intruders.
Flaw: Vulnerable to the power of Love/the elfin's sword.
Defeated by the elfin.
Hostile, aggressive, loyal to the realm of Hate.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tall, imposing griffin, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. It has the powerful, muscular body of a lion with golden-brown fur and a shaggy mane, and the head and wings of a majestic eagle with sharp talons and keen golden eyes. Its beak is hooked and formidable. It stands on its hind legs, holding a large, jagged stone in one clawed hand. Its expression is fierce and challenging. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Malice ○ minor
A monster with the body of an ass and the head of a wolf.
Attire: None, as it is a creature.
Wants: To guard the gates of Hate and prevent intruders.
Flaw: Easily defeated by the power of Love/the elfin's sword.
Defeated and banished by the elfin.
Fierce, aggressive, cowardly when defeated.
Image Prompt & Upload
A grotesque monster, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. It has the sturdy, grey-brown furred body of an ass, with a shaggy mane and a short tail. Its head is that of a snarling grey wolf with sharp teeth and piercing yellow eyes. It stands on four hooved feet, with a menacing, aggressive posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Croak ⚔ antagonist
One of the two great chiefs of Hate. Implied to be grim and formidable, though specific physical details are not given beyond being a 'grim Croak'.
Attire: No specific wardrobe mentioned, but as a chief of Hate, likely dark, oppressive, or tattered garments, perhaps adorned with symbols of his realm.
Wants: To keep the stolen children, to defend the realm of Hate, and to retaliate against mortals for invading their domain.
Flaw: Cannot truly defeat Love.
Remains an antagonist, battling Love.
Grim, possessive, resentful, defiant.
Image Prompt & Upload
A grim, imposing humanoid figure, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has a gaunt, angular face with deep-set, dark eyes and a perpetually scowling expression. His skin is a pale, sickly green. He wears tattered, dark grey robes made of coarse, heavy fabric, with a hood that casts shadows over his face. His hands are long and bony. He stands with a rigid, defiant posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Gloom ⚔ antagonist
One of the two great chiefs of Hate. Described as having a 'terrible voice' and grasping the little ones, implying a large or imposing presence.
Attire: No specific wardrobe mentioned, but as a chief of Hate, likely dark, oppressive, or tattered garments, perhaps adorned with symbols of his realm.
Wants: To keep the stolen children, to defend the realm of Hate, and to assert his power.
Flaw: Cannot truly defeat Love.
Remains an antagonist, battling Love.
Terrible, possessive, commanding, menacing.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, shadowy humanoid figure, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. He has a perpetually downcast and shadowed face, with hollow eyes and a mournful expression. His skin is a deep, bruised purple. He wears voluminous, dark blue-black robes that seem to absorb light, made of heavy, draping fabric. His hands are large and appear to be holding two small, unseen figures. He stands with a heavy, oppressive presence. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Edith ○ minor
A little toddler, quite helpless.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing for a toddler, likely made of linen or cotton in light, muted colors, possibly a smock or simple dress.
Wants: To be reunited with her mother.
Flaw: Helplessness due to young age.
Rescued and reunited with her mother.
Innocent, vulnerable, expresses gladness at seeing her mother.
Image Prompt & Upload
A very young female toddler, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. She has a round, innocent face with wide, curious brown eyes and light brown hair in short, soft curls. She wears a simple, light blue linen smock dress with small white buttons down the front and tiny brown leather shoes. Her expression is one of innocent wonder, tinged with a hint of fear. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Winnie ○ minor
A little toddler, quite helpless.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing for a toddler, likely made of linen or cotton in light, muted colors, possibly a smock or simple dress.
Wants: To be reunited with her mother.
Flaw: Helplessness due to young age.
Rescued and reunited with her mother.
Innocent, vulnerable, expresses gladness at seeing her mother.
Image Prompt & Upload
A very young female toddler, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. She has a round, innocent face with wide, curious blue eyes and short, straight blonde hair with a small fringe. She wears a simple, pale pink cotton dress with a white lace collar and tiny black Mary Jane shoes. Her expression is one of innocent wonder, tinged with a hint of fear. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Charcoal-burner's Hut on Blue Mountains
A humble hut with a single window, perched on a natural terrace of rock on the mountain-side. It overlooks a deep valley filled with monster trees, some fallen and half-buried among great blocks of stone and rank vegetation. The western train's 'zigzag' path is visible yonder.
Mood: Desolate, anxious, isolated, with a sense of vast wilderness.
The charcoal-burner's wife weeps and searches for her lost children; she encounters the mountain goat here.
Image Prompt & Upload
A humble, weathered timber hut with a single small window, perched precariously on a wide, natural rock terrace on a steep mountain slope. Below, a deep, mist-shrouded valley stretches out, filled with ancient, gnarled trees, some fallen and partially covered by moss and large, grey boulders. The setting sun casts long, warm shadows across the rugged terrain, highlighting the textures of the rock and the dense, wild foliage. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Yawning Chasm / Descent into the Underworld
A deep and bottomless well-like chasm, growing dim and black. As the woman descends, a strange glow from the goat's hair illuminates earth-bound treasures: thick seams of coal, slabs of tin and copper ores, and white masses of stone like marble with thick veins of sparkling gold.
Mood: Mysterious, awe-inspiring, initially dark and then strangely luminous, with a hint of temptation.
The woman is transported by the goat's magic into the realm of Hate, witnessing the mineral wealth of the earth.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, vertical chasm plunging into impenetrable darkness, illuminated by an ethereal, soft white glow emanating from an unseen source. Along the rough, jagged rock walls, exposed geological strata reveal shimmering veins of gold, deep red copper ore, and dark, lustrous coal seams. The descent feels endless, with a sense of immense depth and geological time. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Labyrinth of Caves and Arched Chambers
A complex series of rocky caverns and a catacomb of dismal vapor, leading to arched chambers. These chambers are draped and festooned with sheets of solid gold. The inhabitants are hideous, frightful creatures: some with two heads, others without limbs, many crawling like snakes, or half-man, half-beast.
Mood: Eerie, oppressive, grotesque, wealthy yet corrupted.
The woman and the transformed goat (Love) navigate the treacherous underworld, encountering guardians and the grotesque inhabitants of Hate's domain.
Image Prompt & Upload
A series of vast, ancient underground arched chambers carved from dark, rough-hewn rock, draped and festooned with shimmering sheets of solid, dull gold. The air is thick with a swirling, greenish-grey vapor that partially obscures the grotesque, shadowy forms of multi-limbed and malformed creatures lurking in the deeper recesses. Dim, flickering light reflects off the golden drapes, casting long, distorted shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Cavernous Hall (Palace of Croak and Gloom)
The grand palace of the chiefs of Hate, Croak and Gloom. The hall is filled with the 'rank and fashion' of the nation of Hate, a vast throng of monstrous beings. The walls are described as 'rugged'.
Mood: Foreboding, hostile, crowded, powerful, dim.
The climax of the story, where the woman confronts Croak and Gloom to reclaim her children, and Love battles the legions of Hate.
Image Prompt & Upload
A colossal, dimly lit subterranean hall carved from dark, rugged rock, serving as the palace of the chiefs of Hate. The vast space is filled with a dense, shadowy throng of monstrous, ill-defined figures. Jagged rock formations protrude from the ceiling and walls, creating a sense of oppressive grandeur. A faint, eerie glow emanates from unseen sources, casting long, distorted shadows across the cavern floor. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
