The Sorcerers Tower

By T.M. Hatfield

Once upon a time there lived three sisters who were all scholars by trade. Each girl fancied herself

the wisest of the bunch, but for all their cleverness they hadnt a penny to pinch between them. All day

long they were made to toil in a dusty old library, and their meals were no richer than a bookworms.

There visited the library one day a man stooped low with age, dressed in splendid robes of gold. A

great big wart festered on his nose, and when they saw it the sisters were frightened, for everyone

knows that old men with warts on their noses are most certainly sorcerers. But the mans voice was so

pleasant and kind, as sweet to hear as milk and honey to taste, that the scholars could not bear to throw

him out.

This dusty old place is by no means fit for such brilliant girls, said the kindly sorcerer. There are

better books used as doorstops where I make my home. Whats more, if you can manage to climb every

step in my tower, I will give you something more valuable than a book you shall learn the ultimate

truth.

Immediately, the two oldest sisters began to scheme of how they might learn the ultimate truth and

publish an acclaimed article on it in the kingdoms most reputable journal. Perhaps they might even

become personal advisors to the king himself, and then everyone would consider them the wisest

scholars in all the land. After all, the sort knowledge held most in esteem these days is the kind very few

people are in on. The youngest sister, meanwhile, thought only of all the lovely books that the sorcerers

tower must hold, and how she would very much like to read them.

In the end, all three sisters agreed to take up the kindly sorcerers offer. Before he went on his way,

the sorcerer gave the scholars a map, and they agreed they would set out for the tower on Sunday when

the library was closed.

Now the sorcerer made his home in a tower in the deepest part of the forest. It was made entirely

of ivory, and it was so tall that it disappeared into the clouds and kept going up, up, up, so that not even

the birds knew what lay on top. Such a shadow the sorcerers ivory tower cast! Where it fell, the forest

was as dark and cold as a winters night. When the three sisters reached the tower, it seemed to them

that nobody was home, for all the windows were dark.

The nice old sorcerer must be at mass, the girls said, even though they knew most sorcerers were

notoriously allergic to the sacraments.

Being quite civilized scholars, the sisters decided they would take turns and climb the steps of the

sorcerers tower one at a time.

So the eldest sister took her turn first. She climbed and she climbed and she climbed until her feet

were quite sore, but not once did she pause, for she was eager to reach the top of the top of the tower

so she could learn the ultimate truth and publish her findings.

Eventually, she came to a chamber as black as a ravens socks. Around a little lamp, the scholar saw

a white month flitter.

Poor scholar, poor scholar, the moth said,

If you climb the tower, youll end up dead!

Many young faces have I taught,

But all their learning came to naught!

Im much too clever for that, the scholar replied.

Very well, but if you want to get any further along, you must learn the history of lamps and

candlesticks, and all things we moths so love.

So the scholar listened carefully, and when the moth was satisfied that she knew all he had to teach,

he gave her a helmet made of paper, on which was written all the names and dates she had memorized.

The scholar, quite satisfied with herself, set out once more.

She climbed and she climbed and she climbed, and eventually she came to a chamber filled with

bushes whose berries were as red as a ladybugs umbrella. On a little twig, the scholar saw a white bird

perch.

Poor scholar, poor scholar, the bird said,

If you climb the tower, youll end up dead!

Many young faces have I taught,

But all their learning came to naught!

Im much too clever for that, the scholar replied.

Very well, but if you want to get any further along, you must count every berry that we birds so

love to eat.

The scholar did as she was told, and when the bird was satisfied that each berry had been accounted

for, he gave her a breastplate made of paper, on which was written the figure she had counted. The

scholar, quite satisfied with herself, set out once more.

She climbed and she climbed and she climbed, and eventually she came to a chamber draped in

curtains as yellow as a mallards trumpet. On a little cushion, the scholar saw a white cat lounge.

Poor scholar, poor scholar, the cat said,

If you climb the tower, youll end up dead!

Many young faces have I taught,

But all their learning came to naught!

Im much too clever for that, the scholar replied.

Very well, but if you want to get any further along, you must recite for me Puss in Boots, and all the

other stories we cats so love to read.

The scholar recited every story she knew about cats, big and small, and when the cat was satisfied

that there were no more stories to be told, he gave her a pair of paper boots, on which were written all

the stories she had read. The scholar, quite satisfied with herself, set out once more.

At last the scholar reached the top of the tower, and who did she find there? Why the sorcerer of

course! Only now he had taken off his old mans face and was making himself quite at home in his true

form: a red dragon with black claws and yellow eyes. He had just woken up from a refreshing afternoon

nap. When he saw the scholar, he shook off his blanket of gold and jewels and laughed until smoke

came out his nose.

Your timing is most impeccable, rumbled the dragon. I was getting hungry, and youll make a

dainty morsel!

Im much too clever for that, the scholar replied, for she felt quite pleased with her beautiful set

of armour.

The dragon groaned, and he belched, and he burnt the poor scholar to a crisp in her paper armor,

which was after all highly flammable.

Now the two remaining sisters had been waiting for the eldest to come back down for quite some

time, but eventually they gave up hope for her. And so the middle child went next, just as proud and

eager to reach the top of the tower as her sister, but the same fate befell her. Now the poor dragon had

two piles of ashes to sweep up, and not so much as a bone to pick his teeth with! But the dragon knew

that where there were two sisters, there must necessarily be a third on her way, so he bade his

grumbling belly to quiet down as he lay in wait for his next meal to arrive.

At last the youngest sister figured she should give it a go, so she climbed, and she climbed, and she

climbed. But unlike her sisters, she took her time about it, pausing to take down books from the shelves

lining the staircase and to flip through their pages. From the first book she read, the scholar learned all

there was to know about swordsmanship.

After taking her good time, the scholar came to the chamber as black as a ravens socks and saw the

white moth flittering around its little lamp.

Poor scholar, poor scholar, the moth said,

If you climb the tower, youll end up dead!

Many young faces have I taught,

But all their learning came to naught!

Then give me a sword so I might preserve my life, the scholar replied.

The moth was baffled by this request, but he offered his assent.

Just like her two sisters, the scholar completed the moths task. When she was done, he did as she

had asked, and instead of a helmet of paper he gave her a fine sword.

Once again, the scholar climbed and climbed and climbed, and once again she read all that she

could. This time she mastered the art of archery, and when she came to the chamber with berries as red

as a lady bugs umbrella, she asked the white bird for a bow, and when she completed the task it was

granted to her. She climbed and climbed and climbed, and page after page she read. By the time she

reached the chamber with curtains as yellow as a mallards trumpet, she had learned all there was to

know about wielding a shield. Once again, she completed the task given to her, and she received a shield

in return.

Finally the scholar reached the top of the tower, and right away she saw the dragon lying on its

treasure hoard. He had just finished setting out his cups and saucers for dinner. Between his big black

claws the dragon clasped the tassel of a scholars well-charred cap, which he was using to brew his tea.

So there you are! the dragon exclaimed. Im afraid your sisters were a little too well done for my

liking. Youre a small morsel, I admit, but youll just have to do its nearly supper time and Im so very

hungry!

Immediately the dragon groaned and belched, but the scholar hid behind her shield, so that only the

tassel of her cap was singed. Then the dragon reached for her with his fearsome claws, but she shot out

his eyes with her bow. Enraged at having his appetite quite thoroughly spoiled, the dragon blindly

stretched out his neck to snatch the scholar between his jaws, but she drew out her sword and chop,

chop, chop, she cut off his head just like that! The dragon fell down dead

Looking about her, the scholar saw that the dragon had left his share of gold and jewels behind.

Dragons sorcerers being of no exception are such greedy devils that they scarcely ever leave a last

will and testament! Knowing that she wasnt robbing any relatives of their due inheritance, the scholar

gathered up as many jewels and gold pieces as she could carry and climbed back down the ivory tower.

From then on she lived happily, and never had any want, for she became the finest general the

kingdoms army ever had. Ive heard it said that there was never a soldier who knew how to wield a

sword, a bow, and a shield as equally well as she, and her sword, bow and shield are still on display in

the kingdoms museum to this very day.

The End.