Emma Moyen used to think that fairytales were just stories. She doesnât believe that anymore.
When Jardin â who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Rumpelstiltskin of fairytale fame â pulls her through a mud puddle into the strange land of Saterra, Emmaâs life is turned upside down. Literally.
In Saterra, everyone she meets is convinced that she is their long-lost princess. The story of Rumpelstiltskin was apparently true â at least in part. A little princess was traded in payment of a debt and whisked away to a land under the Earth, where she was loved and treasured. Until she was stolen back, that is.
Emma discovers that Saterra is a land full of rich minerals, a castle with a grandeur Disney would envy, and an elderly council that aims to keep Saterra safe and invisible. She doesnât mean to uncover a sinister plot, but thatâs exactly what happens. Sheâs only twelve yearsâ old, but she knows right from wrong. No matter the risk, she must do what she can to protect Saterra and the people sheâs come to care about deeply.
Is she truly a princess? Read and find out!
Emma Moyen used to think that fairytales were just stories. She doesnât believe that anymore.
When Jardin â who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Rumpelstiltskin of fairytale fame â pulls her through a mud puddle into the strange land of Saterra, Emmaâs life is turned upside down. Literally.
In Saterra, everyone she meets is convinced that she is their long-lost princess. The story of Rumpelstiltskin was apparently true â at least in part. A little princess was traded in payment of a debt and whisked away to a land under the Earth, where she was loved and treasured. Until she was stolen back, that is.
Emma discovers that Saterra is a land full of rich minerals, a castle with a grandeur Disney would envy, and an elderly council that aims to keep Saterra safe and invisible. She doesnât mean to uncover a sinister plot, but thatâs exactly what happens. Sheâs only twelve yearsâ old, but she knows right from wrong. No matter the risk, she must do what she can to protect Saterra and the people sheâs come to care about deeply.
Is she truly a princess? Read and find out!
Prologue
Once upon a time, something happened that involved a king, a young woman, rooms full of gold, a baby, and a small man named Rumpelstiltskin. You might have heard something about it. But it did not happen the way you think. Nor did it ever truly end. Hereâs what you donât know.
Now, it so happened that a man named Fred had a really crummy job working in a mill. His job was to grind grain into flour. Not only was it mind-numbingly boring, but it didnât pay well, either. Fredâs wife had moved on to greener pastures, but due to his station in life and his annoying personality, he had no prospects for a better job or a new wife. Fred had quite a chip on his shoulder.
To make himself seem more important, he bragged to anyone who would listen about his miraculous and amazing daughter, Eleanor, who was beautiful, had a lovely mezzosoprano voice, and (get this) was able to spin common, ordinary straw into solid gold. The fact that a man with such a gifted daughter would have a marginal job and still be poor doesnât make any sense, but thatâs the story he continued to tell.
The King heard the village gossip about this amazing young woman, and commanded that the girl and her father be brought to him immediately. Now, this King was very greedy and especially fond of gold. Everywhere he went he wore a gold lamé jacket, gold embossed shoes, a gold and diamond embellished cape, and a gold crown. Gold was kind of his trademark.
Youâd think Fred would back off in the presence of royalty, but he actually laid it on thicker. To hear him talk, Eleanor was spinning straw into gold before she could even walk! Eleanor had never so much as seen a spinning wheel, so this was a flat-out lie. No matter. The King had a wagonload full of straw put into one of his barns. Eleanor was to present herself to the Royal Master of the Kingâs Treasury the next day at 8 AM sharp to begin spinning.
When Fred explained matters to Eleanor, her crying and shrieking could be heard five miles away. She was not pleased. But her dad had made the commitment, so what was she to do? She asked women of her village to help her learn how to use a spinning wheel, but it was much harder than she thought, so she gave up and went to bed, convinced that the next day would be her last.
Promptly at 8 AM, Fred and Eleanor walked into the barn, as instructed. The Master of the Royal Treasury guy was there, and so was the King. The King was actually very taken with Eleanor (Fred hadnât exaggerated her good looks, to be sure). He watched her getting seated next to the spinning wheel and tossed one little remark in her direction before leaving. âI will return tomorrow morning at 8AM. If, as your father promises, this room is full of gold, you and your father will be amply rewarded. If, however, you fail to accomplish this task, you and your father will be thrown off the bridge into the river.â
The barn door was barred shut from the outside, and there was no way for Eleanor to escape. Fred felt awful â he really did â but it was too late now for regret.
Eleanor sat on the little stool beside the spinning wheel and cried and screamed and begged and pleaded. For hours on end. Finally at midnight, when everyone else had gone to bed, a small man with a purple cap, a red velvet coat, green leggings, and pointy boots appeared out of nowhere.
âWhy are you crying, young lady?â he asked. Eleanor explained the situation, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose.
âHmm,â said the little man. âWhere I come from, gold is so plentiful that it is of absolutely no value to us. What will you give me if I bring you the spun gold the King is expecting?â
Eleanor was flabbergasted. âI have this necklace,â she said, offering it to the man. He examined it, pronounced it a deal, and left the room in a puff of smoke. Less than two hours later, he appeared again, with a wheelbarrow full of spun gold. He dumped the gold onto the ground and held his hand out to Eleanor for his reward. He snatched the necklace out of her hand, bowed, and again disappeared into thin air.
A few hours later, at precisely 8 AM, the Royal Treasurer, the King, and Eleanorâs sorry excuse for a father showed up. The King was beside himself with joy. And greed. He picked up as much of the gold as he could stuff into his royal pockets and chuckled with glee.
Then he led Eleanor by the hand to another, larger barn, which was filled to the brim with straw.
âYou know what to do,â said the King. âAnd you know what will happen if you donât do it,â he added ominously on his way out the door.
Again, Eleanor started crying and screaming, this time throwing herself down on the floor in misery.
And again, at 12 midnight on the dot, the little man showed up.
âThe King wants more gold?â he asked. âOf course he does. Pffftt. What will you give me this time?â
âI have this ring,â said Eleanor. âIt was my grandmotherâs, and itâs very special to me, but Iâll gladly give it to you if you can get me out of this mess.â
The little man nodded, bowed, and disappeared. He returned about three hours later with two wheelbarrows full of finely spun gold thread. He held his hand out for his payment, slipped the ring on his finger, and disappeared.
The next morning, the King arrived early. The amount of gold defied his expectations. This young woman was beautiful and able to spin straw into gold. The King was truly smitten.
He led her to yet another large barn full of straw. This time, in addition to his threat about the bridge and the river, he added something new. âIf you succeed in spinning this straw into gold, I will marry you and make you my Queen.â
Now, thereâs not a young woman alive who wouldnât be excited at the prospect of becoming royalty, but this room was enormous, and chock full of straw. Eleanor cried and paced and cried some more, hoping the little man would come again to save her.
At 12 midnight, he showed up, as expected.
âThis barn is twice as big as the last one,â he grumbled. âWhat will you give me if I fill this room with gold, too?â
Eleanor chided herself for not bringing more jewelry. âI donât have my earrings with me, but if you do this, I will give them to you. They are made of gold and pearls and little rubies, too. Youâll love them,â she said.
âI have a better idea,â said the little man. âI donât want any more of your jewelry. The King has promised to marry you if you do this,â said the man. âAfter you marry, you will be Queen. You will have money and power and influence and pretty much everything you could ever want. What I want from you is very simple. You must promise me your firstborn child.â
Eleanor was appalled at the idea, but she was a practical person. She might never get married to the King. She might never have children. And, even if she did, who knows when that might be? The little man might die. Or maybe heâd be unable to find her. So she agreed.
Just as before, the little man disappeared and returned a few hours later, this time with three wheelbarrows full of spun gold. He dumped it out onto the barn floor and came over to Eleanor.
âRemember your promise to me,â he said. âYour firstborn child.â With that, he bowed and disappeared once again.
At 8 AM, the King, the Master of the Treasury, and Eleanorâs father Fred came knocking at the barn door. The morning sun illuminated the piles of gold inside the barn. It was beautiful and quite impressive. The King approached Eleanor with tears in his eyes. He offered her his hand, and she rose up from the spinning wheel bench and took it gratefully.
They were married with much celebrating and merry-making. Eleanor got used to a life of luxury and promptly forgot everything about her previous life, including her father and the funny little man whoâd saved her life. She embraced her new, lavish lifestyle and reveled in the impending birth of her first child.
When the child was born â a little girl â Eleanorâs heart was full of joy. Her baby was beautiful, she was finally a mother, and life was perfect.
Her happiness would not last.
Three months later, Eleanor was rocking her baby girl to sleep, when the door and all the windows in the nursery slammed shut. There, standing in the middle of the room, was the little man.
âGood day, Your Highness,â he said with a bow. âIâve come to collect on our contract. Give the child to me.â
Eleanor was startled and panicked. She had made a deal with the little man, but she never in a million years thought heâd ever find her and try to collect.
âPlease,â she begged. âThis is my little girl, my baby, my child. Donât take her from me!â And she started crying uncontrollably.
There was one thing the little man couldnât handle, and that was the sound of anyone crying.
âAll right, all right,â he said. âIâll give you a chance to undo the contract. I never told you my name, did I?â he asked.
The Queen was still sobbing, but shook her head no. âNo, you never did,â she said.
âYou never even asked me,â the little man complained. âYou let me do your bidding and save your life, but you never even once asked me my name. Well, no matter now. You would never guess it in a million years. So I will give you one chance and one chance only. If in three days you can tell me my name, our contract will be void, and your baby daughter can stay here with you. If you cannot, however, I will bring her with me to my world, and you will never see her again.âÂ
Once again, the Queen felt she had no choice but to agree. The little man bowed again and disappeared.
The Queen assembled everyone she could think of and set them about finding out the odd little manâs name. They traveled the country, visiting farms and villages and stores and taverns, but to no avail. It seemed that no one besides Eleanor had ever laid eyes on the little man before. She made a list of every strange name she could think of, still hoping that her servants would come through for her.
By the third day, the Queen was agitated and quite upset. She had compiled a long list of unusual names, but they were just guesses. She had no proof.
At the end of the day, the little man appeared as expected. The Queen recited fifty names, one after the other, but the little man just smirked and, each time, said, âNo, that is not my name.â
As she reached the end of her long list, the little man asked her if she had any more names to submit. She didnât, and started crying â this time the tears of a new mother who would soon be losing her child forever.
âWait, before you leave,â she pleaded. âTell me: What is your name?â
As was his custom, the little man removed his hat and bowed to the Queen. âMy name,â he said, âIs Rumpelstiltskin.â With that, he snatched the child from her cradle and disappeared.
The story shouldâve ended here, since this was a contract, and whatâs fair is fair. But the Queen would not lose her child without a fight. She sent a small army across the world, searching for the little man called Rumpelstiltskin and her baby daughter, Emma. Eventually, he was located in a land under the Earth called Saterra. He was killed immediately, and the baby was whisked back home to Eleanor.
In addition to an abundance of gold, many things in Saterra are different from their counterparts on Earth. Time, for instance. Baby Emma was returned to Earth many years ago. But in Saterra, its inhabitants are even now still searching for their lost Princess. Citizens carry an image of the stolen princess in lockets, in knapsacks, and in their hearts. They all resolve to find her and bring her home.
Chapter 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Emma was way ahead of the rest of 7th period runners. Or really far behind. She had a stitch in her side and was gasping for breath. Running the mile three times a week, youâd think sheâd be in better shape. Yeah, well. She stopped, pulled over to the side of the road, and leaned down to massage her achy calves.
She noticed a puddle of water with a shiny oil slick on top and leaned down to get a closer look at her sweaty, red face. Thatâs when two short, chubby, but surprisingly strong arms reached up and pulled her in. She didnât have time to scream, freak out, or even process in her almost 13-year-old brain what was happening. She plopped down on the ground beside the diminutive, odd-looking person whoâd plucked her out of the last period of the day at Fairview Middle School. And stared.
She was tempted to laugh, but she didnât think it wise. So she stifled a smile and asked indignantly, âWho are you, where am I, and what Che heck just happened?â
The small man leapt to his feet (he too had plopped down when sheâd landed wherever the heck she now was) and surprisingly bowed and cocked his head.
âAllow me to introduce myself, Your Highness,â he said formally. âMy name is ââ
âRumpelstiltskin,â she blurted out. âYouâre Rumpelstiltskin.â
âDonât be absurd,â he replied, with obviously hurt feelings, and stalked away a couple of feet.
Emma didnât want to hurt anyone, not ever, especially a weird little guy in this land on the other side of a mud puddle. So she apologized, patted his little shoulder, and looked him right in the eye. Which was tough, because his eyebrows were so long and bushy she could barely see his eyes.
âIâm called Jardin, Highness,â he said, smoothing his purple waistcoat and brushing soil from his olive green pants. He bowed again. His eyebrows twitched, and his eyes glistened with tears. âI am your humble servant,â he said, âHonored to be the one to save you and restore you to the kingdom.â
âKingdom? Save me? What are you talking about?â Emma said. âI was running in gym class, and you grabbed me. Iâd call the police, but my cell phone is in my gym locker. Are you completely nuts?â
Emma looked around and tried to come to terms with where she now was. Theyâd landed in a field in the middle of countryside, which was green and lush, with small trees and shrubs. But the sky, although pale blue, had a decidedly brown tinge to it and somehow felt lower, kind of curved at the edges. At home, the sky felt and looked limitless. Here, there was a layer of sky butting up against a ceiling she couldnât see. The brown tinge didnât bother Emma at all. Sheâd lived in Southern California her whole life and was very used to dusty, dirty, smog-filled skies. The height of this sky, though, now that was weird.
She peered off into the distance, looking for houses or buildings, but saw none.
âTell me about this place,â she encouraged Jardin. âWhat do you call it? Where are all the people? And where do they live?â
Jardin looked at her strangely. âPeople live in Saterra, Highness,â he said. âWe are only in B Portal. There are no people here.â
âWhat do you mean, âportalâ?â Emma asked. âPortal from where to where?â
Jardin looked at her with a smile, nodding and speaking slowly like she was a simpleton.
âWhy, from Earth to Saterra, of course.âÂ
Up to now, Emma had been sort of amused by the whole situation. Now she started to panic. She started backing away from him as quickly as she could. Then she turned and started running.
Jardin ran after her. âStop running, Princess Emma,â he said. âYou are going to hit a ââŠâ
Too late. Emma had smacked right into a wall. She fell back, dazed and confused. But unhurt. This wall wasnât stiff and hard. It was kind of spongey and gave when she pressed her hand into it. It was a barrier of some sort, but Emma had never seen anything like it. But then sheâd never seen B Portal before, either.
âWhat if I donât want to go to Saterra? What if I want to go back to my PE class and my room and my homework? How do I get out of here?â
âMy job is simply to escort you, Your Highness,â Jardin said. âWhen we get to Saterra, you will meet with the Elders. Perhaps Iâll be allowed to escort you back. Or perhaps not. Who can say?â
âWhy do you call me âYour Highness,â Jardin?â Emma asked. âI think you have me confused with someone else. Look, Iâm just a regular girl. Iâm in 9th grade at Fairview High School. My parents are Cathy and Greg Moyen. I live at 11347 Skyview Lane, Fairview, California. Thereâs no royalty in California. And even if there were, itâs certainly not me. Seriously, you have the wrong person. I am nothing special.â
âOh, but you are someone special,â Jardin insisted. âYou are our Princess Emma. The citizens of Saterra have been searching for you for years. See this locket? And these images?â Jardin opened the locket he wore around his neck and a series of photos cascaded out. All the photos were of her. This made no sense. Jardin didnât seem particularly dangerous. He didnât act like a kidnapper, although thatâs what he was. No, somehow, he seemed trustworthy and, despite some misgivings, she really wasnât scared.
âTell me about this place you keep talking about. Saterra. What is it and where is it? And how do we get there?â
Jardin smiled. âYour Highness, it would probably be much simpler if I just showed you.â He bowed, and gestured for her to follow him. They walked about 200 feet and stopped. Then Jardin placed his arm through hers and said simply, âHome.â Walls rose and surrounded them. Emma reached out and grabbed Jardinâs arm in fear. At first, it was unnerving â the sensation of falling â but there was something about the elevator, or whatever the conveyance thing was, that felt comforting and safe. Still, she held her eyes tightly shut and tried not to scream. When the movement stopped, the walls retreated into the ground with a sigh. They were here. Saterra.
Emma Moyen just wants to go home. And who can blame her? One minute sheâs a normal ninth grader out running for P.E. class. Her biggest concern is getting a passing grade in pre-Algebra. The next minute she finds herself pulled through a puddle into Saterra, a realm beneath Earth. It's âa land that no one on Earth even knows exists." But everyone in Saterra is convinced Emmaâs their long-lost âPrincess Emma.â Do they know something she doesn't?
The plot thickens when Emma discovers and reads the journals of Saterra's Queen Catherine. With the help of some talking birds, Emma eventually learns that Queen Catherine was her adoptive mother.
Emma further learns that she was born to the beautiful Eleanor, the daughter of a curmudgeonly miller prone to exaggeration. When Fred the miller boasts that his amazing daughter can spin straw into gold, the king takes him up on the offer, and⊠well. You know the story. In exchange for Rumpelstiltskinâs help in weaving straw into gold, Eleanor agrees to give her firstborn to the funny little man. She does. And thatâs how Emma winds up in Saterra, raised by Queen Catherine.
But Eleanor doesnât give up without a fight. Emma is finally located and whisked back to the Above. The citizens of Saterra have been searching for their lost Princess ever since. They remain resolved to âfind her and bring her home.â Hence the puddle.
Landing in a strange new world under the Earth as a ninth grader, Emma soon learns that all is not what it appears to be. For starters, Saterraâs king has died. Queen Catherine has disappeared. And now the good people of Saterra want twelve year-old Emma to become their ruler. The people of Saterra were told that Queen Catherine died of a broken heart after Emma was returned to the Above. But the more Emma learns, the more that story rings hollow.
So, what really happened to Queen Catherine â and why? And what about âthe coming incursionâ and âinvading soldiers from Aboveâ? Is the handsome scribe Sam really interested in her, or are his plans about to turn sinister? Will greed and selfish ambition bring an end to Saterraâs peaceful civilization and âa dangerous imbalance in the Earth itselfâ? Meanwhile, Emma still wants to go home. But just what or where, exactly, is "home"?
This charming story features a brisk writing style, nimble pacing, and a clever, dynamic plot. Loaded with vibrant characters and crisp dialogue, this story is just plain fun. A quick and compelling update of the classic fairytale, Puddle is a charming, absorbing read that will captivate and enchant young readers and anyone who enjoys a good yarn. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Delightful!