Once in a Blue Moon

By Ken Au

A small collection of three short stories:
(1) Of Sand and Castles - Two brothers in medieval times, one born to be a soldier, the other a dreamer
(2) The Mother's Day Gift - A little boy tries to get his mother a gift on the special day
(3) Once in a Blue Moon - The title story, an enchanting fairytale. Rainbow, a goddess, is disillusioned by the unfairness of love and is determined to fix it

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ken Au
• Release date: Aug 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301688067

Ken Au

Ken Au first started writing short stories, although unpublished. Among his careers he has been a computer programmer and a graphic production artist, as well as having served three years in the army.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form, without the prior written consent of the copyright owner of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters resembling actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 Ken Christopher Ping

All rights reserved.

Once in a Blue Moon

Three short stories

by Ken Christopher Ping

Of Sand and Castles

The Mother's Day Gift

Once in a Blue Moon

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Ken Christopher Ping

Of Sand and Castles

In a time once forgotten, friends and family of a great lord prepared for a celebration. They gathered in his home where there was food and a lot of wine to drink. For on this joyous occasion, his lovely wife had produced heirs to the family name in the form of twin boys.

Everyone oohed and aahed as they crowded around the two cradles. Virginia, they're so precious, remarked the women.

A bespectacled little man said, I wonder if mere infants know how lucky they are? For indeed, there were so many lesser roofs to be born under.

If so, then I dare say you knew how unlucky you were, someone shouted, which started the men laughing in their raucous manner.

Then a gentleman stepped forward, a friend of the father, and he put his arm around his shoulders. Alright, Randolph, tell us what you have planned for your boys. Come on, what will they be? The other men echoed his words for they all had the same manly pride.

The proud father held up his hands and said, They'll be educated by the finest tutors, of course. Learn to be men, to be great rulers.

His friend said, Can they really be as great as their father? He grinned mischievously. Perhaps better? You put a hefty challenge on their plates.

They'll eat it, the lord said, just as mischievously, and cry for more. Everyone laughed.

The gentleman offered a playful finger to one of the babies. What are their names, Ginny?

This one is Aaron, she said, and this one is Alexander. Her voice was tender, as was her manner, and she smiled down on them now, feeling that she had not yet had her fill of holding them and all this talk of men and greatness. Their loftiness disturbed her.

Did you say rulers, Randolph? the man said then. Look here! Alexander will rule armies, and they all gathered around the boy, Alex.

Will you look at that? they marvelled, for Alex had a tight hold of the man's finger, so firm that he could almost have been lifted up from his cradle by that grip alone. The lord broke into a grand smile.

In the adjacent cradle, a quiet Aaron looked on.

As the years passed, so did the boys grow. From their cots to the floor, from gibberish to the King's English, they found their way into the world. They were very close, finding comfort in one another in times of trouble. They were each other's best friend. But they were as different as night and day. Alex had a strong and robust spirit, while Aaron, fated to be the younger brother, was frequently reposed and lost in thought. This latter disturbed the lord greatly for he tried at every turn to foster in them a sense of aggression. He himself was fierce by nature. As a