Brünnhilde

By Jed Oliver

A delightful musical romp!
A young woman discovers that she is actually a modern day Valkyrie, and that her Father and Mother are an ancient Norse God and Goddess.
This is also a book about show business, love, hope, gangsters, and the efforts to make dreams come true.
I call it a musical comedy, because music plays an important part in the story.
Born Anna Maria Von Heisensteidt, our heroine adopts the Valkyrie's name Brünnhilde.
Hoping to be noticed by a talent scout from the Met, she orders a Valkyrie costume from the costumer at the famous Wagnerian Opera house in Bayreuth, Germany.
Unknown to Anna Maria, the costumer is Gudrun, an old Valkyrie and sorceress, who realizes that the order was sent by a descendant of the family of the original Brünnhilde.
Gudrun has in her possession, in a dusty chest high in an attic, the original armor which was worn by the Valkyrie Brünnhilde in ancient times.
She ships this to the modern Brünnhilde, who wears it with pride. A fantastic musical future awaits her, wherein she displays not only her amazing musical talents, but her talents as a Valkyrie Shieldmaiden as well.
Comedy, music, and a touch of Norse mythology intermix in this unusual tale.
Smile, laugh, cheer for the heroine, and if you wish, wipe an occasional tear of joy from your cheek. Brünnhilde deserves it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jed Oliver
• Release date: Apr 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458059864

Jed Oliver

Born and raised in the rural area outside a small midwestern city, I learned to treasure good books at an early age.I have always had a strong urge to create, occasionally dabbling in the arts and music. My true love, however, is writing, and I am seldom happier than when writing for the enjoyment of others.When people comment that writing a book must be a very difficult task, I must respond thatI don't consider writing to be a task at all. For me, it is a genuine joy. I sincerely attempt to allow this to show through in my writing.My writing goals? I think perhaps, if the reader can close the book at its end with a smile on their face, my writing has been successful. I'm sure many of us can benefit from a bit of extra cheer in our days. If my writing encourages that, I feel I have succeeded.I write to produce sheer, light hearted entertainment.With my very best wishes, Jed OliverP.S Please check my web site. From time to time I include audio excerpts from my books. Enjoy!

Book preview

BRÜNNHILDE.

A Musical Comedy Novella

In 27 Acts

By Jed Oliver

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2011 by J. E. Oliver

All rights reserved

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Author’s Introduction

Dear Reader: This is a book about show business. It is also a book about love, and hopes, and gangsters, and the efforts to make dreams come true.

I call it a musical comedy, because music plays an important part in the story. It's a happy book, so if you want lots of violence and sadness, you won’t find it here.

You are cordially invited to smile, laugh, and cheer for the heroine, and if you wish, wipe an occasional tear of joy from your cheek.

Brünnhilde deserves it.

Humbly dedicated to music and comedy lovers everywhere.

Table of Contents

Prelude

Chapter 1: Brünnhilde

Chapter 2: Herr Beckstein

Chapter 3: Lovely Laura

Chapter 4: Walter Mannmeister

Chapter 5: Fate Arrives

Chapter 6: An Interview with the Mayor

Chapter 7: First Rehearsal

Chapter 8: A Little Assistance

Chapter 9: A Little Politics

Chapter 10: Further Developments

Chapter 11: The Big Night

Chapter 12: A Conversation With Papa

Chapter 13: The Wedding

Chapter 14: Author’s Interlude

Chapter 15: The Honeymoon

Chapter 16: The Plot Thickens

Chapter 17: Another Kidnapping

Chapter 18: Perseverance

Chapter 19: Encounter

Chapter 20: The Tour

Chapter 21: In the Jailhouse

Chapter 22: Meanwhile, Back at the Barndance

Chapter 23: An Unlikely Coupling

Chapter 24: Interviews / a Special Performance

Chapter 25: Fulfillment

Chapter 26: Denouement

Chapter 27: Reunion

Cast of Characters:

Brünnhilde: whose real name is Anna Maria Von Heisensteidt, but who goes by the name of Brünnhilde, because her dearest wish in life is to sing Wagner at the Metropolitan Opera. She had not always realized that because of her heritage, she is actually a real Valkyrie.

Wotan: Chief of the Norse Gods (retired). Also Brünnhilde’s Father.

Fricka: Goddess of love and fertility. Also Brünnhilde’s Mother

Walter Mannmeister: Walter is a proud and excellent violinist who is secretly in love with Brünnhilde. His major goal in life is to play his violin in a real symphony orchestra. Walter is a perfect gentleman.

Herr Beckstein: Nobody knows his first name, so his friends call him Herr. Everyone else calls him Mr. Beckstein. His greatest wish in life is to conduct a real symphony orchestra. He is a good musician, a gentleman, and gives accordion lessons part time from his home. He is secretly in love with:

Lovely Laura: She plays the cello beautifully. Her main goal in life is to play her cello in an orchestra conducted by Herr Beckstein, with whom she is secretly in love.

Sheckley Fonson: A young man who had one year of trombone lessons in high school, but has not played since. He is the Mayor’s son, and some would call him a spoiled nerd.

The Mayor: A politician. Also Sheckley Fonson's father

Reverend Stump: An ordained minister and recreational tuba player.

Various other amateur musicians, totaling forty one.

Shorty, Archie, and Big Al: Gangsters

Old Gudrun and her sister, Gerda. Retired Valkyries, who frequent the great Wagnerian opera house in Bayreuth, Germany. Gudrun is also a sorceress.

Prelude

Old Gudrun relaxed in a living room chair in her lovely home in Bayreuth, Germany. She often sat there, gazing out of the window, reminiscing about her old days as a Valkyrie. Like all her sisters, her principal job had been to conduct the souls of fallen heroes to Valhalla, the great hall of the Gods, where they would dwell eternally.

She has often recalled with deep regret the terrible day in the last act of Richard Wagner’s opera Götterdämerung , when Valhalla burned to the ground. That occurrence put her, her sisters, and most of the Gods and Goddesses who resided there, out of business.

Why did Wagner go to all that trouble to burn down Valhalla? thought Gudrun. It was completely unnecessary! Perhaps he was simply tired of writing operas, and wanted to retire to the country and raise goats. Men! Or had it burned down years before, and Wagner simply retold the story? She couldn't remember.

If the great God Wotan had been home at the time, he could have put out the fire instantly, simply by calling down a huge thunderstorm. Alas, both he and the Goddess Fricka had been vacationing in the south of France, and didn't hear the news until it was too late.

Because Valkyries are more or less immortal, she has had a lot of time to reminisce.

Only one new Valkyrie has been born in recent times. The birth occurred in the year 977. Her name is Gerda, and she now lives in the same town as old Gudrun. Because of their sisterly relationship, and their deep and abiding friendship, they have tea together every Wednesday afternoon.

******

The tea is nice and hot, said Gudrun, as she poured a cup for Gerda.

Thank you, Dear. I don't know what I'd do if we didn't have these tea-times together. There just isn't any work for a poor Valkyrie since the great hall of the Gods burned down. All these years, and Gerda still couldn't forget.

I don't think any of the modern dead heroes believe in the old Gods anyway, so they'd never make it to Valhalla, even if it hadn't burned. One lump or two? asked Gudrun.

Two, please. She eyed the plate of cake.

Oh, excuse me, please have some cake, that's real whipped cream on top, said Gudrun, passing the plate. You should take up a hobby, as I have. It helps compensate for the lack of Valkyrie jobs.

I suppose you mean your study of sorcery? Somehow, I've never been interested in that.

They both sipped their tea slowly, remembering good times past.

Oh Gerda! I must tell you! Big, big news!

Gerda leaned forward in her chair, nearly spilling her tea.Tell me! Tell me!

Put your tea down first, Dear. Here it is: FRICKA IS WITH CHILD!

Noo, really? How do you know?

Gudrun looked very pleased with herself. It's my sorcery skills! I can see anything with my crystal ball.

Gerda was amazed. The news nearly took her breath away. Tell me when it happens, she whispered.

*******

After the burning of Valhalla, Wotan, the leader of the Gods, moved with his wife Fricka, the Goddess of love and fertility, to the new world. There they adopted the name Von Heisensteidt, for Social Security purposes. When applying for benefits, they quickly learned that for some strange reason, everyone in the modern world seemed to require a last name.

Darling, said Wotan, let's just keep this God and Goddess stuff to ourselves. Most of the people in this new world haven't even heard of us, so why stir up problems?

I agree, replied Fricka, we might as well just relax and enjoy our retirement. They sat in silence for a moment, and then she added and if we ever have another child, let's not say anything to her about being a Valkyrie.

Child? Child? How long has it been since the last, 1000 years?

Give or take a few, said Fricka, but after all, I AM the Goddess of fertility!

******

Old Gudrun sat