Today is part two of two where we are talking to Marie Pridgen about her novels. After today you will have heard about being encouraged to write children’s books, taking advantage of the time you are given, even if it’s unconventional, talking about your books wherever you are, taking advantage of the opportunities that come to you and knowing your strengths, and getting people to help you with things you’re not the best with.

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Morag and the Land of Tir Na Nog

The Capture of Morag

Marie's Facebook page - @mariefletcherpridgen on Instagram - @midflash3 on Twitter - Marie on TikTok - Marie's Website

Writing has always been a passion of mine, and being able to turn it into a fulfilling career has been one of my greatest achievements. My career started picking up in 2018 when I got my first big break. Since then, I’ve never looked back and have been improving my writing techniques and developing a unique literary style. Read on to learn more about my work and feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.

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Welcome to Freya's Fairy Tales, where we believe fairy tales are both stories we enjoy as children and something that we can achieve ourselves.

Each week, we will talk to authors about their favorite fairy tales when they were kids and their adventure to holding their very own fairy tale in their hands.

At the end of each episode, we will finish off with a fairy tale or short story right as close to the original author's version as possible.

I am your host.

Freya victoria I'm an audiobook narrator that loves reading fairy tales, novels and bringing stories to life through narration.

I'm also fascinated by talking to authors and learning about their why and how for creating their stories.

We have included all of the links for today's author and our show in the show Notes, today is part two of two where we are talking to Marie Pridgen about her novels.

After today, you will have heard about being encouraged to write children's books, taking advantage of the time you are given, even if it's unconventional, talking about your books wherever you are, taking advantage of the opportunities that come to you and knowing your strengths and getting people to help you with things you're not the best with.

Marag and the Land of Tiernag deep in the forest, there's a very secret place that mortals have heard of, but only a rare few have ever ventured into.

It is called Tirna Nag, which means land of youth.

It is a beautiful place where magic lives and happiness and health are abundant.

It is said that if you listen very carefully, you can hear singing, dancing, music and laughter.

I remember about being awkward in bookstores.

I go into I think it was my daughter's birthday, and we always go to Build a Bear for her birthday, which is at the mall.

So we go to Build a Bear at the mall and then we have to walk through Barnes and Noble to get to the builder bear.

So we usually every year on her birthday, I buy books in Barnes and Noble.

So I'm like there.

And that was like after and maybe this wasn't her birthday, because it was like after the time I had started thinking about the series I'm currently researching.

And so I go in as Barnes and Noble and I could not find the Mythology section.

I couldn't find it.

So finally I have to do the most awkward thing and go ask an employee where their Mythology books are.

And so I go and I do this.

And she was so sweet.

She was so sweet.

She was like, what are you looking for?

What are you wanting?

An awkward me?

I don't want to be like, oh, I'm an aspiring writer that wants to, like, write on Mythology.

No, I'm like, I'm a podcaster and I need it for research because that's less awkward.

I don't know.

She was so sweet, though.

She sat down with me and she would like show me these books.

And a lot of them I wanted legitimate I mean, they're all stories or whatever, but I wanted more legitimate original sources.

And she's handing me a lot of like, we've changed the story 50,000 times books.

And I'm like, no, this doesn't work.

She was so patient, though, and so nice.

And like, we leave there and I tell my husband, I'm like, I don't know why I wasn't like, I'm trying to write a book about mythology.

And I'm like I'm a podcaster.

Oh, my goodness.

How long have you been doing the Ball Counts fan?

I started the first one in October of last year.

So I started narrating in September and let me take a drink.

Sure.

I started narrating in September and I could only land nonfiction books, like for the first month, that's all I would get.

And I'm like, man, like no shade to nonfiction books.

Like, they're not very fun to read.

The dream was to narrate fiction.

So I'm like, well, clearly these fiction auditions I'm doing, I just must not be very good.

So what's a way I could practice these fiction narrations.

So I'm like, let's just start a podcast.

There's a bunch of people that said, a lot of the training people will tell you to like, essentially produce an entire public domain book.

Like just record it, practice it, edit it, whatever for practice.

And I'm like, well, shoot, if I'm going through that effort, I want someone else to hear it.

So podcast.

So I'm like, all right.

So at the beginning of October, I start a podcast.

Admittedly, the editing was awful.

Acting wasn't really there either, but I kept going.

And so I actually stopped auditioning for Fiction audiobooks altogether.

We're just going to focus on the podcast and the nonfiction that I keep obviously I'm doing a good job because people keep hiring me, right?

And then beginning of this year rolls around and I'm like, all right, we went on vacation for Christmas.

We're gone for a week.

We come back, we're back like a week and then we get coveted.

And then my voice starts to come back towards the end of January.

And I'm like, we're going to start auditioning for fiction again because I don't want to do non fiction, but if those are going to hire me and pay me, I'll keep auditioning.

So then I'm like, all right, so we're going to focus on like, we really want to land fiction.

We've been doing this podcast for four months or two months, october 3 months now, almost four by the end of January.

And I'm like, alright, we're going to try this.

And then at the end of January or beginning of February, somewhere in there, I get my first contract on a fiction book.

And I'm like, yes.

And of course I keep going on this podcast.

At this time, my daily podcast has 20 to 40 people a day.

Listening to it.

So I'm like, this is crazy.

And so I just keep going with that podcast.

And now I am like, fully booked on fiction stuff, which I love.

Haven't auditioned for a nonfiction in months.

That's kind of how I got to where I am now.

And of course, at the beginning, now I'm a little more picky because at the beginning it was like just audition for everything and see what sticks.

Then you kind of learn like one just getting it under your belt of having actually produced one.

It doesn't really matter what the book is at that point.

Like, you've just got one and now you can say I have one.

Exactly.

But then, you know, as I started getting more and more and more, it was like, okay, now we need to be a little more picky because now we're having to book far on into advance, like far in advance.

And I want to be working on stories that I want to read that's kind of where now it's a lot of fantasy and romance and like those kind of books.

That is mostly now.

In the last two weeks, I have done several books that I had never done before.

I had a detective book that I narrated, and she was schizophrenic on top of all of that.

So I had to do these creepy the author's schizophrenic.

So I'm like, I want to be respectful to the author.

Like, I don't want to do creepy voices if that's not what is in my head.

So I don't want to be creepy and like that offend someone.

So I asked her, what do your voices sound like?

And so she told me.

So that's what I did.

And then I did the next book up was a romance, but he was from a Mafia family and he was in the military and there was a murderer.

So it's like all these things together.

And then the one I'm working on now is a haunted house situation.

Now I'm like, cool.

So now I'm having to listen to audiobooks that are like thriller horror to figure out how these narrators because I don't watch horror movies.

It's not my preferred.

I'm like, how do other narrators do it?

Yeah, that's right.

The next one up is just normal.

It is totally in my wheel.

It is back to fantasy.

It is clean so I won't get banned from TikTok.

Oh my God.

Now I'm like, as I read this, I got banned.

I knew at some point I was going to get because I had other narrator friends that had been banned for violence in their case because the book was a violent actually, I think bullying and violence she got banned for at different points.

So I'm like, I know it's going to happen, but where is that sweet spot?

Like, what is going to trigger the ban?

Yeah, now I know.

So now as I read through, I'm like, flagging.

Like, these chapters are safe.

These ones are not.

You got to do those on Discord.

Discord is I don't know if you know how that works, but you have to be invited to someone's discord.

And so if, like, the first couple of days I did it on Discord, I talked about it like, I'm going live on Discord on Tik Tok.

But then no one showed up, so I'm talking to myself.

Basically.

Whatever.

We're like TikTok.

You get all kinds of people that show up to those.

Yeah.

It is interesting the things that you have to learn.

And I'm like, technically, I'm like, in the millennial generation, but I feel like keeping up with social media is not my gift.

I'm just like, I'm trying, man.

I'm trying.

That's funny.

Oh, goodness.

What are you doing?

Because I met you on TikTok, what are you doing to like, you're talking about the books on Tik Tok.

I've seen that.

What else are you doing to kind of get the word out there at this point?

At this point, I work in a dental practice, and so I talk to the patients about books and stuff like that.

I've gone through a few cons, but I myself, it's been difficult for me because I work so much, and now in the next month or so, I'm going to have a kidney transplant.

Oh, goodness.

Yeah.

And so I'll be out of sorts for about three months after that.

But once I'm through, I thought, you know what?

I've got to start hitting the pavement.

I've got to start getting out there because I really believe in my books, and I really believe that they are good books.

They are great children books.

So I myself have to kind of get out there, and this is so new to me.

For you, it's like, how do people get their books on the list or the good reads?

So for me, I'm going to have to do a lot more research.

I'm kind of left up to the publishers, in a sense, to get the word out there, but that's been okay.

I have done most of the advertising myself because my friends in Notes and Iron and say, okay, the book is coming out.

And so I pretty much have done all of that aspect.

I just feel like I'm not just something that I'm just maybe not doing enough of to get the book out there.

Because I would love eventually, of course, it's everybody's dream, but eventually I'd love to go national with my books.

I would love to go national with them.

But that's everyone's dream, right?

Be big and famous and have movies or TV made about your books.

Books.

Who doesn't want that?

That's a fantasy by itself.

So I just need to get out there, I think, and maybe do a little bit more research on how to promote the books, how to get them out there.

I feel like there's got to be groups on Facebook specific to children's authors.

Yes, maybe.

I know there are for romance and other genres.

I imagine Children's has its there's a.

Couple of groups that I'm in but you really don't get much traction there.

They'll see your book and the light run and then it goes away.

I mean like writers advice groups like how they are promoting and stuff.

Excuse me, not reading groups?

Not actually yeah.

I probably need to look that up.

That's a good idea.

I'm just like thinking myself though.

I imagine for kids it would have to be a lot of going to the bookstores and doing live reading events.

And I thought about maybe doing some author day in the book stores that they would allow me to do some Author days, come in and have book signing and have an Author day and read to the children and all that.

And so I am thinking about doing that.

I'm in a small little community right now, so that's kind of hard.

But I'm thinking I'm just going to have to reach out and go further than where I am right now.

Right.

Every bookstore within an hour of where I'm located.

Something like that.

I mean, I know I talked to one author who's in England and she was like her dream is to be able to come over here and do a book tour in the US.

Right?

Well that'd be cool.

But like right now she does events and stuff.

She actually goes to like farmers markets and stuff around where she is and sets up a booth for her book.

Oh, very good.

Even things like that.

Yeah, I don't know.

I'm in Texas, the farmers markets here, I don't know that I see things like that.

But I know my motherinlaw who's in Missouri does events for she has stained glass and so she'll do like craft fairs and stuff.

Yes.

Around here there's not much of that.

But I might consider maybe going traveling a little further out just to get the word out about the books and that's what it's all about.

Sometimes it's just worth of mouth, sometimes it's showing up to advance.

Sometimes like I said, we did the cons, stuff like that.

But with the cons it's more for more fantasy.

Not really a children's, it's more for fantasies of mid to teenage on up.

But for children, icons aren't really the place for children's books because you can see they're just more geared to young fantasy and all of that.

Yeah, that would be more like scholastic book fair and like those kinds of things.

Which exactly I have no idea.

I imagine that you'd have to be a scholastic author to be at the Scholastic Books.

Right.

And I don't know, no idea how you get in with those guys.

Right.

That's like how do I get signed with a big five publisher?

Oh yeah, that would be fantastic.

That would be bad.

But that's just dreams that you have and hopefully somebody might take notice of your book.

Wait a minute, that's a nice book for children, you know, so it just depends on who's out there, who sees it.

It just kind of look at the draw, really.

Right.

You need to advertise to the parents of kids.

I know when I started narrating, I'm like googling.

What social media platform are the most authors on?

Because who do I need to be communicating with?

The authors that are going to hire me.

And also as like someone who's kind of written for my entire life, I'd write a couple of pages or a chapter and then give up on that idea or not be able to make it into a full book.

You cannot make a full book based on one chapter of content.

But the thing that I found was Twitter.

But there's not really a kids Twitter.

All of them are you have to be over 13.

I think for most social, not the under 13.

Don't get on there.

YouTube, maybe.

Kids scrolling through YouTube.

There's plenty of them on YouTube trying to find that.

Like you said, that sweet spot, trying that.

So it's been a challenge, but it's been a great experience.

And it's rewarding when somebody picks up your book and goes, oh, I loved your book.

I mean, I've had ladies that were a lot older in their 70s say, you know what, I really enjoyed your book.

It was so cute.

It was just perfect.

And when somebody that age, you know, likes your book of thinking, oh, well, alright then, you know, hey, that's like.

Your good grandma age range buying it for their grandkids.

I guess that's a good group.

It is.

So it's just like you said, trying to find that sweet spot and trying to get the book out there.

And of course, the more people that know about it, right?

What kind of advice do you have for because you're my first children's author that I've talked to.

What kind of advice do you have for anyone thinking about writing a children's book?

Well.

I think make sure that when you are thinking about the book itself.

Because I have to speak to you to write to the children.

You have to be able to kind of get down to their level and be able to speak a language that they would understand and then find a really good publishing company that is out there for you that's going to really help you get your book out there.

Illustrator is very important.

Your illustrator is exceptionally important because you might be writing a story.

Children are very visual.

They don't look at the writing, they look at the actual illustration.

And that's what captures them in that book.

Right.

So whoever you get to illustrate your book, they have to be in tune with you, the author, because you're telling a story and you want your vision in that book, not their vision, but your vision.

Right.

Because someone can draw all day long, but if you're drawing something that does not connect you with your book, then it's just a waste of time.

Right.

You have to find somebody that listens to you, that pays attention to detail.

That's very important, the detail, and then can bring your story to life.

So even if you and I would maybe audition a few illustrators and see which ones are suited more suited to you and your type of illustration that you want.

Right.

So it's the same as like when you're picking an audiobook narrator, you want the person that is best for the job.

Exactly.

So that's very important.

Yeah.

Okay.

And then now I imagine you could also do because I had when my husband drew my initial podcast logo for the fiction one, I drew a very terrible stick figure drawing that he understood what I wanted based off of that.

But then we actually hired last month.

I was like, okay, we need to professionalize this at this point.

So I actually went to fiverr and had fiverr artists do who did a gorgeous job I love.

Now, the one for this podcast, I did that myself.

It's kind of like the logo.

My idea was have this book with all these fairytale things falling.

Like you've got the book turned upside down and you're like shaking it and these things are falling out.

So there's like the slipper and the frog and those kind of things.

So I did that one myself in Canva.

But yeah, I feel like, I mean, you could still self publish, but for children's books, if you're really trying to learn the ropes and figure it out, I feel like publishers not the only.

Way you could go, but probably the.

Easiest way to go.

The easiest way to go, yeah.

So how did you find yours?

Well, what happened was I have self published.

Right?

Right.

And so I didn't have a clue what I was doing.

Right.

I brought the book to work one day, and this patient came in and I had my book sitting on the table in the reception area.

So she picked up my book and she goes, marie, did you write that book?

I said, I did.

She said the illustrations phenomenal.

She said.

Who's?

Your publisher.

I said the publisher.

Oh, no.

I said publish.

I don't think anybody would be interested.

She said, Well, I know of a publishing company that might be interested in you.

She says, here's the number.

She's called them.

So six months go by and call them, right?

Oh, God, I can't believe it.

So she comes back in every six months.

She comes back and she says, did you ever get in contact with that publisher?

I said, oh, no, you know how I am.

I said, I'm very shy.

And she said, you're going to have to merit this book.

This is so cute.

So I called them, met with them, and they said, what is the one thing you would like to change?

I said, the whole bloody book.

I said, I want the whole cupboard changed because when I published, they had my name, Big writing in the front.

I was like, oh, my God.

It's just like it's about you, Marie.

Not really about the book.

Right.

They just changed everything about the COVID There was a layout of that book that really needed really needed attention, and so they just did a beautiful layout on it, beautiful cover, and it was fantastic.

They did a most fantastic job.

I was very fortunate.

Yeah.

And I've had authors that it went the other way, where, like, they weren't happy with their cover that the publisher did.

So, I mean, you really have to find that, like, one that gets you.

Or like, me, I'm writing grownup books, but I'm like, for me, I'm like, I don't want any publisher to be able to tell me.

And the same reason I'm not trying to join any podcast networks.

It's like, I want to be able to do what I want to do and not have someone tell me I can't do it.

But for kids books, you're not writing any content that you shouldn't be writing any content in a kid's book.

No.

They gave me full access to what I wanted.

They said, okay, tell me what you want in the front of the book.

And I did that, and they did an excellent job.

They gave me the right to pick what I wanted because, after all, it's my book.

And in the second one as well, they allowed me to pick the COVID and how I want it displayed.

So I'm very fortunate with them that way.

They're very accommodating that way.

That's good.

So they might suggest something and you might say, well, listen, I think this, but it's up to you.

It's what you want, it's your book.

So I love that about them.

And so they kind of give you that freedom to do that, which is great.

So you did the initial formatting and stuff on your own with the first one?

I did.

Don't recommend that.

Don't recommend that unless you are someone that is computer savvy, right.

And can do all that stuff.

At that point when I was trying, luckily, I could open up a computer.

For me, that's not computer great.

I would say I would definitely go with the publisher.

I know I've had a couple of authors that they hired people on fiverr.

That's not what they do, is they do that format books.

But formatting a ya or an adult book is different from formatting a children's book because you've got the big pictures that have to be were like, in an adult book, you might have, like the line breaks are going to be fancy drawings or whatever, but you're not going to have a whole lot of pictures, maybe a map.

If it's a fantasy book and you've got this world you're trying to illustrate, but that's usually in the front or the back of the book, and then you're not going to see it again.

Exactly.

No, you're right.

You're absolutely right.

But a children's book is right there, right there.

And so it has to be exactly formatted correctly to fit the page and everything.

So you really have to have someone who knows what they're doing, because if not, it's bad.

It's bad.

So I guess you won't really have tips for getting in with publishers since you kind of got yours given to you.

Sort of.

It's kind of like hand it to me, in a sense.

And this publishing company, they didn't require any payment upfront or anything.

I've heard that in Scamming.

Yeah, but I've been with them now to use they never require any money upfront or anything.

They're very good.

And I think you could be, because they're veterans.

They're both veterans, right.

And so they're trying to give back, I guess, to their community as well.

And they really want to help they really want to help authors to get off the ground and get their books out there.

And so I've been very fortunate to have found the Jump Master Press Group.

They're really very good.

And so do they have a lot of authors.

I know you said they had other authors.

They do.

They have several authors.

They're all into the fantasy world, and they've signed several people as well.

So they're a very good publishing company, and they give you a lot of advice, and if you have any questions, you just ring them, email, and they get back to you.

They don't say to you, like, I want this done in six weeks.

I want this done in a month.

When you're ready, I'll have your book.

There's no deadlines as such, which could.

Be good and bad, depending on right.

In my case, it's good.

There's no deadline.

Right.

And like you said, sometimes you'd like to have many deadlines to really force you to get it done quickly, right?

But for me, because I love writing the series, like I said, I met with Illustrator last week.

It's a love for me.

I love it.

I love being able to write and not have that pressure behind me and yet still have the book out by the end of the year.

For me, I set my own goals.

For me, I set my own deadline, right.

And I know I want it done at this and how I want it done.

So for me, I'll have the third book done probably at the end of November of this year.

Okay?

And I'll have the opportunity because I'm going to be at home for three months, right, unable to do anything that.

Would be like when you did Book One.

That's it.

That's it.

Book One will finish book three.

But I do have other aspirations, other things I would like to do as well.

And I think you and I have talked about that.

Yeah.

I'm going to have to pick up a couple of your book or copy of your books for my daughter because I think she'd like the series and the stuff like that.

Right now we're working through Harry Potter, but she loves dragons and just stories in general.

But especially with picture books, she'll be like, she can read.

I mean, she's seven, but she'll still just look at the pictures and make up her own story with these pictures.

And she tells me and my husband now, like, I'm going to be a writer because my husband is also writing a book.

So both of us are wonderful.

So she's like, when I grow up, I want to write a book and I want to narrate audiobooks.

I want to do all the things that we do.

But that's always something that I remember reading since I was a kid.

And I just think it's something important for kids, even if it's a chapter a day, just like being immersed in a story.

I feel like it's so important for any kid growing up.

Each kid is going to have there it may not be dragons and it may not be magic that your kid likes, but there's going to be something that your kid likes.

Take them like we do with our daughter.

Take them, set them loose in the children's section, let them pick what book looks good to you, and then go from there.

I think technically, Harry Potter's geared a little bit older than seven, but she likes it so far.

We're reading a different series, and it got a little scary for her.

So she wanted to take a break and wait till she's a little bit older for that one.

But I'm like, it had, like, this creepy witch in the woods and she just didn't well, of course I'm doing this creepy witch voice.

She's like, It's scary, mom.

I'm sorry, but in our house, you get the full production of the voices and stuff.

Oh my God.

At one point she had like a blanket pulled over her head.

And I'm like, oh, Mummy got a little too creepy with the creepy edge voice.

That's so funny.

That is what we do in our house.

But she does have a lot of, like, the doll.

What is his name?

Rob doll rondall books.

He does like, rewrites on fairy tales and stuff.

It's D-A-H-L-E-I think.

I can't remember what his first name is.

She has like, that series of books.

We have, like, The Magic Treehouse, at least a collection of those.

I have no idea how many of those are actually are.

We try to keep like every year at Christmas, she gets some age appropriate series that we can read through during the year.

So brilliant.

I'm glad you do that.

That's really good.

And the interest of love, of reading is something, you know, that's great that you do that for her.

It's actually a wonderful gift that you're giving her.

I'd come across that in a parenting group at one point for Christmas, do you like something to wear, something to read, and then something that they want for fun or whatever, being, like, the main parts of this Christmas present.

So I'm like, okay, now she gets more than three things for Christmas, but we always make sure there's something new, some new outfit and some new book series and then whatever big fun thing this year.

It was a surprise for her, but she loves what she got.

It was like, you never know what you're getting for Christmas.

But I think she would enjoy the fairy books that you've written.

So I have to thank you so much.

I have to pick them up, and you need to get yourself into some bookstores.

I do.

You're right.

I've got to do that.

I got to do that.

And I need to do that.

Really, I need to do that.

So I'm going to put my big girl panties on and do that.

I want to say thank you so much for coming on today.

You're so kind.

Thank you, Freya.

I really enjoyed talking with you.

You are a pleasure.

You've met this so easy, comfortable, lovely.

It was great experience.

Thank you so much.

No problem.

And you make one step do one thing to help you.

Yes, I will.

I will see you around.

TikTok.

You have a good day.

All right, Fred.

Thank you.

Have a great day.

You too.

Bye.

Marie also loved the story of The Wooing of Beckfola that her grandmother would tell her.

The Wooing of Beckfola is a story included in Irish fairy tales, which is a retelling of ten Irish folk tales by the Irish author James Stevens.

The English illustrator Arthur Rackham provided interior artwork, including numerous black and white illustrations and 16 color plates.

The stories are set in a wooded medieval Ireland filled with larger than life hunters, warriors, kings and fairies.

Many stories concern the Fiona and their Captain Fion Mac eel from the Fenian cycle of Irish mythology.

The book was first published by Macmillan Company in 1920 and is one of Stephens better known works.

Don't forget we're reading Lamonte Arthur the story of King Arthur and of his noble knights of the Round Table on our Patreon.

You can find the link in the show notes.

The Wooing of Beckfola.

Chapter One We do not know where Becfola came from, nor do we know for certain where she went to.

We do not even know her real name, for the name Bakfola dowerless, or Small Doward was given to her as a nickname.

This only is certain that she disappeared from the world we know of and that she went to a realm where even conjecture may not follow her.

It happened in the days when Dermat, son of the famous eye of slain, was monarch of all Ireland.

He was unmarried, but he had many foster sons, princes from the four provinces, who were sent by their fathers as tokens of loyalty and affection to the Ardri, and his duties as a foster father were righteously acquitted.

Among the young princes of his household, there was one Crimphan, son of I, king of Lansdar, whom the high king preferred to the others over whom he held fatherly sway.

Nor was this wonderful, for the lad loved him also and was as eager and intelligent and modest as becomes a prince.

The high king and Crimson would often set out from terra to hunt and talk, sometimes unaccompanied even by a servant.

And on these excursions, the king imparted to his foster son his own wide knowledge of forest craft and advised him generally as to the bearing and duties of a prince, the conduct of a court, and the care of a people.

Dermot Mac I delighted in the solitary adventures, and when he could steal a day from policy and affairs, he would send word privately to Crimson.

The boy, having donned his hunting gear, would join the king at a place arranged between them, and then they ranged abroad as chance might direct on one of these adventures.

As they searched a flooded river to find the ford, they saw a solitary woman in a chariot driving from the west.

I wonder what that means.

The king exclaimed thoughtfully.

Why should you wonder at a woman in a chariot?

His companion inquired, for Crimson loved and would of knowledge.

Good my treasure, Dermat answered, our minds are astonished when we see a woman able to drive a cow to pasture, for it has always seemed to us that they do not drive well.

Crimson absorbed instruction like a sponge and digested it as rapidly.

I think that is justly, said he agreed.

But Dermot continued, when we see a woman driving a chariot of two horses, then we are amazed indeed.

When the machinery of anything is explained to us, we grow interested.

As Crimson became by instruction as astonished as the king was.

In good truth, said he, the woman is driving two horses.

Had you not observed it before?

His master asked with kindly malice.

I had observed, but not noticed, the young man admitted.

Further, said the king, surmises aroused in us, when we discover a woman far from a house, for you will have both observed and noticed that women are home dwellers, and that a house without a woman or a woman without a house are imperfect objects, and although they be but halfobserved, they are noticed on the double.

There's no doubting it, the prince answered from a knitted and thought tormented brow.

We shall ask this woman for information about herself, said the king decidedly.

Let us do so, his ward agreed.

The king's majesty uses words we and us when referring to the King's.

Majesty, said Dermid, but princes who do not yet rule territories must use another form of speech when referring to themselves.

I'm very thoughtless, said Crimson humbly.

The King kissed him on both cheeks.

Indeed, my dear heart and my son, we are not scolding you, but you must try not to look so terribly thoughtful when you think it is part of the art of a ruler.

I shall never master that hard art limited his fosterling.

We must all master it, Dermot replied.

We may think with our minds and with our tongues, but we should never think with our noses and with our eyebrows.

The woman in the chariot had drawn nigh to the ford by which they were standing, and without pause she swung her steeds into the shallows and came across the river in a tumult of foam and spray.

Does she not drive well?

Cried crimson admiringly.

When you are older, the King counseled him, you will admire that which is truly admirable.

For although the driving is good, the lady is better, he continued with enthusiasm.

She is in truth a wonder of the world and an endless delight to the eye.

She was all that and more, and as she took the horses through the river and lifted them up the bank, her flying hair and parted lips, and all the young strength and grace of her body went into the King's eye and could not easily come out again.

Nevertheless, it was upon his ward that the Lady's gaze rested, and if the King could scarcely look away from her, she could but only with an equal effort look away from Crimson.

Halt there.

Cried the king.

Whom should I halt for?

The lady demanded.

Halting all the same as the manner of women who rebel against command and yet receive it hauled for Dermid.

There are dermids and dermids in this world, she quoted.

There is yet but one Ardri, the monarch answered.

She then descended from the chariot and made her reverence.

I wish to know your name, said he, but at this demand the lady frowned and answered decidedly, I do not wish to tell it.

I wish to know also where you come from and what place you are going.

I do not wish to tell any of these things not to the King.

I do not wish to tell them to anyone.

Crimson was scandalized.

Lady, he pleaded, you will surely not withhold information from the Ardorie.

But the lady stared as royally on the High King as the High King did on her.

And whatever it was he saw in those lovely eyes, the King did not insist.

He drew Crimson apart, for he withheld no instruction from that lad.

My heart, he said, we must always try to act wisely, and we should only insist on receiving answers to questions in which we are personally concerned.

Crimson imbibed all the justice of that remark.

Thus I do not really require to know this lady's name, nor do I care from what direction she comes.

You do not?

Crimson asked.

No, but what I do wish to know is, will she marry me but my hand?

That is a notable question, his companion stammered.

It is a question that must be answered.

The King cried triumphantly, but he continued to learn what woman she is or where she comes from might bring us torment as well as information.

Who knows in what adventures the past has engaged her?

And he stared for a profound moment on disturbing sinister horizons, and Crimson meditated there with him.

The past is hers, he concluded, but the future is ours, and we shall only demand that which is pertinent to the future.

He returned to the lady.

We wish you to be our wife, he said, and he gazed on her benevolently and firmly and carefully when he said that, so that her regard could not stray otherwear.

Yet even as he looked, a tear did well into those lovely eyes, and behind her brow a thought moved of the beautiful boy who was looking at her from the King's side.

But when the High King of Ireland asks us to marry him, we do not refuse, for it is not a thing that we shall be asked to do every day in the week, and there is no woman in the world that would love to rule it in terra.

No second tear crept on the lady's lashes.

And with her hand in the King's hand.

They paced together towards the palace.

While behind them.

In melancholy mood.

Crimson Mack I led the horses and the Chariot chapter Two they were married in haste.

Which equalled the King's desire.

And as he did not again ask her name.

And as she did not volunteer to give it.

And as she brought no dowry to her husband.

And received none from him.

She was called Beckfola.

The dowerless time passed, and the King's happiness was as great as expectation of it had promised.

But on the part of Becfola no similar tidings can be given.

There are those whose happiness lies in ambition and station, and as such a one, the fact of being queen to the hiking of Ireland is a satisfaction at which desire is sated.

But the mind of Bacfola was not of this temperate quality, and lacking Crimson, it seemed to her that she possessed nothing, for to her mind he was the sunlight in the sun, the brightness in the moonbeam.

He was the saver in fruit and the taste in honey.

And when she looked from crimson to the King, she could not but consider that the right man was in the wrong place.

She thought that, crowned only with his curls, crimson Mackey was more nobly diademmed than are the masters of the world, and she told him so.

His terror on hearing this unexpected news was so great that he meditated immediately flight from Terra.

But when a thing has been uttered once, it is easier, said the second time, and on the third repetition it is patiently listened to.

After no great delay, crimp and Mack I agreed and arranged that he and Bacfola should fly from Terra, and it was part of their understanding that they should live happily ever after.

One morning, when not even a bird was astir, the king felt that his dear companion was rising, he looked with one eye at the light that stole grayly through the window, and recognized that it could not injustice be called light.

There is not even a bird up, he murmured, and then to Beckfola, what is the early rising for, dear heart?

An engagement I have, she replied.

This is not a time for engagement, said the calm monarch.

Let it be so, she replied, and she dressed rapidly.

And what is the engagement?

He pursued.

Ray meant that I left it a certain place, and must have eight silken smocks embroidered with gold, eight precious brooches of beaten gold, three diadems of pure gold.

At this hour?

Said the patient king, the bed is better than the road.

Let it be so, said she, and moreover, he continued, a Sunday journey brings bad luck.

Let the luck come that will come, she answered.

To keep a cat from cream or a woman from her gear is not work for a king, said the monarch severely.

The Ardri could look on all things with composure, and regard all beings with a tranquil eye.

But it should be known that there was one deed entirely hateful to him, and he would punish its commission with the very last rigor.

This was a transgression of the Sunday during six days of the week.

All that could happen might happen so far as Dermot was concerned, but on the 7th day nothing should happen at all.

If the high king could restrain it.

Had it been possible, he would have tethered the birds to their own green branches on that day, and forbidden the clouds to pack the upper world with stir and color.

These the king permitted, with a tight lip, perhaps, but all else that came under his hand felt his control.

It was his custom.

When he arose on the morning of Sunday.

To climb to the most elevated point of terror and gaze thence on every side.

So that he might see if any series or people of the she were distorting themselves in his lordship.

For he absolutely prohibited the usage of the earth to these beings on the Sunday.

And woes worth was it for the sweet being he discovered breaking his law.

We do not know what ill he could do to the fairies, but during Dermot's reign the world said its prayers on Sunday, and the she folks stayed in their hills.

It may be imagined, therefore, with what wrath he saw his wife's preparations for her journey.

But although a king can do everything.

What can a husband do?

He rearranged himself for slumber.

I am no party to this untimely journey, he said angrily.

Let it be so, said Beckfola.

She left the palace with one maid, and as she crossed the doorway something happened to her.

But by what means it happened would be hard to tell, for in the one pace she passed out of the palace and out of the world, and the second step she trod was in fairy.

But she did not know this.

Her intention was to go to Clue on de Chilek to meet Crimson.

But when she left the palace she did not remember Crimson anymore.

To her eye and to the eye of her maid, the world was as it always had been, and the landmarks they knew were about them.

But the object for which they were traveling was different, although unknown, and the people they passed on the roads were unknown, and were yet people that they knew.

They set out southwards from Terra into the Duffy of Lancer, and after some time they came into Wild country and went astray.

At last Becfola halted, saying, I do not know where we are.

The maa replied that she also did not know.

Yet, said Beckfola, if we continue to walk straight on, we shall arrive somewhere.

They went on, and the maid watered the road with her tears.

Night drew them on a gray chill, a gray silence, and they were enveloped in that chill and silence, and they began to go in expectation and terror, for they both knew and did not know that which they were bound for as they toiled desolately up the rustling and whispering side of a low hill, the maid chanced to look back.

And when she looked back, she screamed and pointed and clung to Beccfola's arm.

Beccfola followed this pointing finger and saw below a large mass that moved jerkly forward.

Wolves.

Cried the maid.

She looked with angry woe, with a straining and snarling horde below.

Run to the trees, Yonder, her mistress ordered.

We will climb them and sit among the branches.

They ran.

Then the maid moaning and lamenting all the while.

I cannot climb a tree.

She sobbed.

I shall be eaten by the wolves.

And that was true.

But her mistress climbed a tree and drew by a hand's breath from the wrap and snap in flavor of those steel jaws.

Then, sitting on a branch, she looked with angry woe at the straining and snarling horde below, seeing many a white fang in those grinning gels and the smoldering red blink of those leaping and prowling eyes.

Chapter Three but after some time the moon arose, and the wolves went away, for their leader, a sagacious and crafty chief, declared that as long as they remained where they were, the lady would remain where she was.

And so, with a hearty curse on trees the troop departed.

Beckfola had pains in her legs from the way she had wrapped them about the branch.

But there was no part of her that did not ache, for a lady does not sit with any ease upon a tree.

For some time she did not care to come down from the branch.

Those wolves may return, she said, for their teeth is crafty and sagacious, and it is certain from the look I caught in his eye as he departed that he would rather taste of me than any other woman he has met.

She looked carefully in every direction to see if she might discover them in hiding.

She looked closely and lingeringly at the shadows under the distant trees to see if these shadows moved.

And she listened on every wind to try if she could distinguish a yap or a yawn or a sneeze.

But she saw or heard nothing, and little by little tranquillity crept into her mind, and she began to consider that a danger which is past is a danger that may be neglected.

Yet ere she descended, she looked again on the world of jet and silver that dozed about her, and she spied a red glimmer among distant trees.

There's no danger where there is light, she said, and she thereupon came from the tree and ran in the direction that she had noted.

In a spot between three great oaks she came upon a man who was roasting a wild boar over a fire.

She saluted this youth and sat beside him.

But after the first glance and greeting he did not look at her again, nor did he speak.

When the boar was cooked, he ate of it, and she had her share.

Then he arose from the fire and walked away among the trees, but full of followed, feeling ruefully that something new to her experience had arrived.

For she thought it is usual that young men should not speak to me now that I am the mate of a king, but it is very unusual that young men should not look at me.

But if the young man did not look at her, she looked well at him, and what she saw pleased her so much that she had no time for further conjugation.

For if Crimson had been beautiful, this youth was ten times more beautiful.

The curls on Crimson's head had been indeed as a benediction to the queen's eye, so that she had eaten the better and slept the sounder for seeing him.

But the sight of this youth left her without the desire to eat, and as for sleep, she dreaded it, for if she closed an eye, she would be robbed of the one delight in time, which was to look at this young man and not to cease looking at him while her eye could peer or her head could remain upright.

They came to an inlet of the sea, all sweet and calm under the round silver flooding moon, and the young man with beckfola treading on his heel stepped into a boat and rode to a high, jutting, pleasant island.

There they went inland, towards a vast palace in which there was no person but themselves alone.

And there the young man went to sleep, while Beck soula sat staring at him, until the unavoidable piece pressed down her eyelids, and she, too, slumbered.

She was wakened in the morning by a great shout come, Flynn, come out my heart.

The young man leaped from his couch, girded on his harness, and strode out.

Three young men met him, each in battle harness, and these four advanced to meet four other men, who awaited them at a little distance on the lawn, when these two sets of four fought together for every warlike courtesy, but with every warlike severity.

And at the end of that combat there was but one man standing, and the other seven lay tossed in death.

Becala spoke to the youth.

Your combat has indeed been gallant, she said.

Alas, he replied, if it has been a galliant deed, it has not been a good one, for my three brothers are dead, and my four nephews are dead.

O me.

Cried Beckfola.

Why did you fight that fight?

For the lordship of this island, the Isle of the Dock, son of Dal.

But although Beckfola was moved and horrified by this battle, it was in another direction that her interests lay.

Therefore she soon asked the question which lay next to her heart why would you not speak to me or look at me until I have won the kingship of this land from all claimants?

I am no match for the maid of the High King of Ireland, he replied, and that reply was like balm to the heart of Beckfola.

What shall I do?

She inquired radiantly.

Return to your home, he counseled.

I will escort you there with your maid, for she's not really dead.

And when I've won, my lordship, I will go seek you in Terra.

You will surely come?

She insisted.

By my hand, quoth he, I will come.

These three returned then, and at the end of a day and night they saw far off the mighty roofs of Terra, mast in morning haze, the young man left them, and with many a backward look, and with dragging reluctant feet, beck full across the threshold of the palace, wondering what she should say to Dermot, and how she could account for an absence of three days duration.

Chapter Four.

It was so early that not even a bird was yet awake, and the dull grey light that came from the atmosphere enlarged and made indistinct all that one looked at, and swapped all things in a cold and livid gloom.

As she trod cautiously through dim corridors, becfola was glad that saving the guards no creature was a stir, and that for some time yet she needed a count to no person for her movements.

She was glad also of a respite which would enable her to settle into her home and draw about her the composure which women feel when they are surrounded by the walls of their houses, and can see about them the possessions which, by the fact of ownership, have become almost a part of their personality.

Sundered from her belongings no woman is tranquil.

Her heart is not truly at ease.

However, her mind may function so that under the broad sky or in the house of another, she is not the competent, precise individual which she becomes when she sees again her household in order and her domestic requirements.

At her hand, Beckfollow pushed the door of the king's sleeping chamber and entered noiselessly.

Then she sat quietly in a seat, gazing on the recumbent monarch, and prepared to consider how she should advance to him when he awakened, and with what information she might say, his inquiries or approaches.

I will reproach him, she thought.

I will call him a bad husband and astonish him, and he will forget everything but his own alarm and indignation.

But at that moment the king lifted his head from the pillow and looked kindly at her.

Her heart gave a great throb, and she prepared to speak at once and in great volume before he could formulate any question.

But the king spoke first, and what he said so astonished her that the explanation and reproach with which her tongue was thrilling fled from it at a stroke, and she could only sit staring and bewildered and tongue tied.

Well, my dear heart, said the king, have you decided not to keep that engagement?

I beck full of Stammered.

It is truly not an hour for engagements, Dermot insisted, for not a bird of the birds has left his tree.

And he continued maliciously, the light is such that you could not see an engagement even if you met one.

Aye back, full of gasp.

Aye, a Sunday journey, he went on, is a notoriously bad journey.

No good can come from it.

You can get your smocks and diatoms tomorrow.

But at this hour a wise person leaves engagements to the bats and the staring owls and the round eyed creatures that prowl and sniff in the dark.

Come back to the warm bed, sweet woman, and set out on your journey in the morning.

Such a load of apprehension was lifted from Bacfolda's heart that she instantly did as she had been commanded, and such a bewilderment had yet possession of her faculties that she could not think or utter a word on any subject.

Yet the thought did come into her head as she stretched in the warm gloom that Crimson, the son of I must now be attending her at Clue, and I chalak.

And she thought of that young man as something wonderful and very ridiculous, and the fact that he was waiting for her troubled her no more than if a sheep had been waiting for her, or a roadside bush.

She fell asleep.

Chapter Five in the morning, as they sat at breakfast, four clerics were announced, and when they entered, the king looked on them with stern disapproval.

What is the meaning of this journey on Sunday?

He demanded.

A length jawed, thin brow brother, with uneasy, intertwining fingers and a deep set, venomous eye, was the spokesman of those four.

Indeed, he said, and the fingers of his right hand strangled and did to death the fingers of his left hand.

Indeed.

We have transgressed by order explain that we have been sent to you hurriedly by our master Molasses of Devinish.

A pious, a saintly man, the king interrupted, and one who does not countenance transgressions of the Sunday.

We were ordered to tell you as.

Follows, said the grim cleric, and he buried his fingers of his right hand and his left fist so that one could not hope to see them resurrected again.

It was the duty of one of the brothers of Devonish, he continued, to turn out the cattle this morning before the dawn of day.

And that brother, while in his duty, saw eight comely young men who fought.

Together on the morning of Sunday.

Dermot exploded.

McLaren nodded with savage emphasis on the.

Morning of this self an instant, sacred day.

Tell on, said the king wrathfully.

The terror gripped with sudden fingers at beckfola's heart.

Do not tell horrid stories on the Sunday, she pleaded.

No good can come to anyone from such a tale.

Nay, this must be told, sweet lady, said the king.

The clerk stared at her glumly forbiddingly and resumed his story at a gesture.

Of these eight men, seven were killed.

They are in h***, the king said gloomily.

In h***?

They are, the cleric replied with enthusiasm.

And the one that was not killed?

He is alive?

McLaren responded.

He would be.

The monarch assented.

Tell your tale.

Melasius had those seven miscreants buried, and he took from their unhallowed necks and from their lewd arms, and from their unblessed weapons the load of two men in gold and silver treasure.

Two men's load?

Said Dermot thoughtfully.

Not much, said the lean cleric.

No more, no less.

And he has sent us to find out what part of that hellish treasure belongs to the brothers of Devonish and how much is the property of the king.

Mechvala again broke in, speaking graciously regally hastily.

Let those brothers have the entire of the treasure, for it is Sunday treasure, and as such it will bring no luck to anyone.

The cleric again looked at her coldly with a harsh, litted, small, set greyeyed glare, and waited for the king's reply.

Dermot pondered, shaking his head as to an argument on his left side, and then nodding it again as to an argument on his right.

It shall be done as the sweet queen advises.

Let a reliquary be formed with cunning workmanship of that gold and silver, dated with my date and signed with my name to be in memory of.

My grandmother, who gave birth to a lamb, to a salmon, and then to my father, the Ardri.

And as to the treasure that remains over, a pastoral staff may be beaten from it in honor of Molassius, the pious man.

The story has not ended, said that.

Glum, spike chin cleric.

The king moved with jovial impatience.

If you continue it, he said, it will surely come to an end sometime.

A stone on a stone makes a house, dear heart, and a word on a word tells a tale.

The clerk wrapped himself into himself and became lean and menacing, he whispered.

Besides the young man named Flan, who was not slain, there was another person present at the scene in the combat in the transgression of Sunday.

Who was that person?

Said the alarmed monarch.

The cleric spiked forward his chin and then butted forward his brow.

It was the wife of the king.

He shouted.

It was a woman called Beckfola.

It was that woman.

He roared, and he extended a lean, inflexible unending first finger at the queen dog.

The king stammered, starting up, if that.

Be in truth a woman.

The cleric screamed.

What do you mean?

The king demanded in wrath and terror.

Either she is a woman of this world to be punished, or she is a woman of the she to be banished.

But this holy morning she was in the she, and her arms were about the neck of Flan.

The king sank back in his chair, stupefied gazing from one to the other, and then turned an unseeing, fear dimmed eye towards Bacfola.

Is this true, my pulse?

He murmured.

It is true, Bacfola replied, and she became suddenly to the king's eye a witness and a stare.

He pointed to the door.

Go to your engagement, he stammered.

Go to that flan.

He is waiting for me, said Beckfollow with proud shame, and the thought that he should wait wrings my heart.

She went out from the palace.

Then she went away from Terra and an all Ireland, and in the world of living men.

She was not seen again, and she was never heard of again.

Thank you for joining Freya's fairy tales.

Be sure to come back next week to hear J.

L.

Castin's journey to holding her own fairy tale in her hands and hear one of her favorite fairy tales.

Music.