The king was always very happy. He always held the greatest parties everyone had ever seen. Until that one fateful night when his daughter was to choose a husband. He held an extravagant ball, with everyone he knew, which was everyone in his part of the country.
"Honey, could you go upstairs and get that beautiful table cloth for me?" he asked of his not-so-loving wife. She obeyed, and went upstairs. She went into their bedroom, but did not get the tablecloth from their very deep closet. instead, she went to her closet, and pulled out a statue of a hideous monster, that the family had used in the past to ward off the evil beast, Grendel.
"Oh, Grendel," she prayed to the statue, "Please come tonight from your watery home to kill my husband!" There was a flash of lightning.
On the shores of this small island, a ship pulls into harbor. A man wearing a cloak of leather steps cautiously off the ramp. He is using a walking stick to slowly find his way around. A beggar walks in front of him, and asks for a coin.
"Why, certainly, ye who art fortunate enough to see the morning sun." He hands the beggar a bag of gold, light, but more than the beggar had ever seen at one time in his entire life.
"Bless you, sir! May I be fortunate enough as to know your name?" The beggar asked of the generous blind man.
"My name," the man said, "is Beowulf. Now, would you be kind enough to tell me what compass direction the castle of King Waldorf is? I have been invited to his party. He always throws the best parties."
"Why, it is North!" the confused beggar responded. "But, how do you know which way is North? It is not a difficult task to see that you are blind."
"When you have as much faith in your god as I do, you don't need eyes to see the way of truth." And with that, Beowulf turned in the direction of the castle! He started walking North, but only took two steps before he reeled and fell to the ground.
"Sir, what is wrong?"
"The castle is in grave danger. I need a carriage to the castle, now!"
"What is happening, kind sir?"
"I sense a great monster is approaching. Bring me to the castle immediately!"
Back at the castle, everyone who is in the great Hall is having a great time. People are dancing, eating, and singing to their heart's content. Then, suddenly, the wall nearest the door caves in. A giant serpent-like creature, with the blackest of black eyes and the darkest of dark scales. The creature scanned the area, and caught sight of King Waldorf. The evil beast let out a roar, and then spoke to King Waldorf.
"Hello, King of kings," the beast spoke in a sweet, but devious voice. "I received word from your wife that I was to kill you. However, I am a gentleman, so I will eat your guests first." One by one, Grendel ate the King's guests, and King Waldorf could only watch in horror, until Grendel came to his daughter.
"Wait!" Waldorf shouted. "Spare my daughter's life! It is me you want!"
Grendel just laughed. "You don't know who I am, do you? I am Grendel, and I AM Evil! These black eyes show my evil heart, which is just a block of enchanted coal! My dark scales represent my victims deaths! And you want me to spare your daughter's life?" With that, Grendel tore the princess's arms from their sockets, and swallowed them whole. Then he just watched, gleefully as the young girl screamed in pain. She begged him to eat her. Grendel agian laughed. "My purpose, young lady, is to exact misery on all beings, so I will not eat you, but rather leave you on the floor to die a long and painful death." Grendel dropped the poor damsel to the floor, and she screamed again. Then, without showing any signs of injury, Grendel roared in pain, and a bright light entered the Great Hall.
"You have no business here, Grendel," Beowulf spoke in a genuinely sweet voice, "for you were not invited. Please return to your home."
"Beowulf?" Grendel was shocked to see that the blind fool had found his way here. "Are you not afraid of me?"
"Why should I be afraid? I cannot see you, and you have a very sweet voice, albeit a false one."
"I haven't time to waste on the likes of you!" Grendel shouted, but Beowulf knew that Grendel was in pain from his purity. Grendel left the castle in a hurry, and fled to the swamp near the castle.
"We will send a search party out tomorrow to kill that wretched beast."
"Darling, what has happened?" The king's wife had just come down the stairs, and seemed disgusted at the sight of blood all over the stairs. Beowulf spoke;
"My dear, it seems a monster has destroyed your party. Don't worry, I know you didn't mean to send Grendel to kill your husband. If, however, you did, I pity you, because now you must live with the fact that you caused the deaths of thousands, including your own daughter, who at this moment is dying. If I were you, I would apologize to her before she dies, so that you are not hated in the afterlife. Well?"
"I will not apologize, for I have not done anything wrong!" The crazed woman exclaimed. But as her daughter died, she realized that everyone knew that it was her who had sent for Grendel, so she ran into her bedroom to hang herself.
The next day the king sent his finest warriors to the swamp where Grendel lived. Beowulf led them.
"How do we know where we are going? I mean, we're following a blind guy, for heaven's sake!" The king's knights were getting restless.
"I found it!" Beowulf shouted to the discouraged knights. They stood before a huge lake, that was seemingly covered with peat moss. The knights were even more discouraged when they saw where Beowulf was suggesting they go.
"You can't expect us to go into the water, do you?!"
"If you are too scared to delve into the deeps of this swamp, I won't stop you. Grendel! Come from your watery home, and face us!"
"Are you crazy?! We don't want him out here!"
Suddenly, Grendel rose out of the peat-covered swamp, and spoke to the king's knights.
"So, you decided to come avenge your king's guests! Ha! Of course, you realize your attempts will be futile." With that Grendel let out a roar, causing the knights to run from the swamp, screaming for their lives. Beowulf now stood alone, in the swamp, blind, before a greater foe than he had ever faced before.
"so, Grendel," Beowulf spoke in a calm voice, "I see you have decided to join me in a battle to the death. So be it."
Having said this, Beowulf readied his staff. Grendel stood up on his hind legs.
"Puny human, don't you realize who you are dealing with? A simple staff is no match for me... Where'd you go?"
Beowulf snuck behind Grendel, and hit him in the back of the neck, paralyzing him for a few seconds. Then he snuck around again, and hit Grendel's underside. The sudden two attacks angered Grendel to the point where he could no longer contain himself. He Lashed out and charged at Beowulf... Who jumped out of the way, causing Grendel to fall into the water. He did not come up.
Beowulf lept into the water, and five seconds later, he rose again on the other side of the water. In Grendel's lair.
|
