The Woodcutter's Daughter

By Edward Charles Spreeman

A classic fairy tale set in the renaissance period, the story begins in a humble woodcutters cottage on the edge of the forest in the kingdom of Antwin, with a couple who desperately desire a child of their own. Suddenly they discover one day they are expecting. Their little girl is brought into their world like every other child, with one exception: she is born extremely ugly. From then on she finds herself rejected and friendless because no one is able to see her value and worth beyond her appearance, including herself, until she has the most heartbreaking day of her life. It is on that same day that she has an unusual meeting with a mystical being in light. After this encounter, it seems everything in her life begins to change. Follow this young girls story as she journeys through fear, love, and hopelessness to finally find real joy as well as acceptance from others and from herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524610623

Edward Charles Spreeman

Edward is a husband of twenty-six years and the dedicated father of two grown children. He has been an avid reader of everything from history to fantasy all his life. His inspirations came at a young age from great writers such as C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, and MacDonald. He brings this passion for fantasy and fairy tale into his writing to create a story that will bring the reader a fresh take on an age-old classic style. He currently resides in Michigan, where he has been a pastor for the last seventeen years.

Book preview

The

Woodcutter’s

Daughter

FRONT.tif

EDWARD CHARLES SPREEMAN

Illustrated by Natalie Gregorarz

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2016 Edward Charles Spreeman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/06/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1061-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1063-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1062-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016908403

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

7245.png

CONTENTS

1 An Unexpected Surprise!

2 Brianna Wants A Friend

3 The Crossing Over

4 Brianna Meets A Being In Light

5 In The Dark Wood

6 Brianna Meets The Prince

7 The Royal Treatment

8 A Royal Dinner Party

9 The Secret Comes Out

10 Brianna Finally Makes A Friend

11 A Wedding Is Announced

12 The Great Day

13 The Prince Commissions A Portrait

14 The Unveiling

15 All Is Revealed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

First of all, I’d like to acknowledge my family for their continuing encouragement and belief in me without which I am certain I would have never finished this book. To my daughter, Olivia who did such a great job in adding that feminine touch to the story. I’d also like to thank Cindy Sawyer whose first real edit and remarks concerning the book were invaluable. A special thanks to Natalie for bringing the images to life! Lastly, I’d like to thank my Creator for the inspiration that gave me this story, I am really not this clever!

DEDICATION

To my little princess, Olivia, may you always see yourself as the beautiful young lady that God has made you to be.

1.tif

1

AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE!

Sometimes in life, someone may happen along our path so that when we meet this particular someone we may allow what we see, and very little else, to form within us an opinion of what kind of person they are. But things are not always as they appear, are they? This is exactly the kind of mistake the people who lived in the kingdom of Antwin a very long time ago made concerning a little girl named Brianna.

The kingdom of Antwin was very much like the other kingdoms at that time. They had tailors for making clothes, cobblers for making shoes, cheese makers, bakers, soldiers, and all the other kinds of people that make for a good kingdom, which, of course, Antwin most certainly was. And in Antwin, as in all the other kingdoms, there lived a king, a queen, and a prince, who had just recently been born. Antwin in those days was a large city surrounded by a great high wall, which sat right on top of a large hill with the castle itself rising up from the very center like a great oak tree in the middle of an open field. It was in this city that most of the people of the kingdom lived, although some had found their way beyond the walls outside the city.

It was here, outside the city gates on the edge of the great woods, which was some distance but not too great a distance, that there lived a poor woodcutter and his wife, Zodh and Deriva. They lived humbly in a small wooden cottage that sat just inside of the edge of the woods. The cottage itself was a simple home, the kind where the dining room, the kitchen, the living room, and the bedroom are all the same room. It had a big fireplace opposite the entrance for cooking and warmth and a tiny loft above the main floor, which they found useful for storing the few things they owned. Their only furniture was a modest wooden table with two chairs, and a mattress laid out on a low wooden platform stuffed with straw where the couple made their bed at night. Even though they were poor and their circumstances humble, they loved each other very much and found great joy and contentment even in the few things they had.

Now Zodh was a woodcutter. He was rather average in height and size, and his hair was beginning to gray, but his hands were still strong and his ivy green eyes were as full of life as they had ever been. Every day after an early breakfast of bread and tea he would bundle up and go out into the forest to cut wood, which he would put into his cart. When it was full he would put the shoulder harness on and pull his cart down the road and up the hill leading to the main gates of the city of Antwin, where he would sell his wood to the people who lived there.

Deriva, Zodh’s wife, was somewhat shorter and a bit round, of course, the way mothers are supposed to be. Her dark brown hair, which was also beginning to gray, was usually pulled up into a knot on top of her head so it didn’t get into her plain blue eyes. She could be found most days either in the garden tending the vegetables or at work in their cottage cooking, cleaning, baking, and doing all the other things a good wife would be doing in her home. This was the way the couple had lived for many years, and both were very content with their simple life together. Well, that is, almost.

Zodh and Deriva were beginning to grow old, and they longed for a child of their own, one they could love, one they believed would bring happiness to their humble lives. But dear Deriva after all their years together had found herself unable to be with child. One day, while she was waiting for Zodh to return home, her heart was especially heavy from the thought of having no child of her own, and without her meaning it to happen, big tears started to form in her eyes and began to run down her cheeks and onto the table where she was sitting. Deriva found herself praying to the Creator once more, asking Him to bless their home with a child. She had prayed this so many times before, but this time it felt different. The words seemed to tumble from her lips somehow more earnestly than ever before. Suddenly she noticed Zodh walking up the path to the house, and she jumped up, quickly drying her eyes and busying herself at the pot over the fire with their supper in it. Deriva soon forgot her tears and the prayer, and their lives continued on, each day much the same as all the others.

A few weeks later she began to notice changes. At first they were very slight changes, but they continued until she realized something was taking place inside her. It was then Deriva knew that the Creator had answered her prayer that day at the table just few short months ago.

Deriva waited for several more days to pass until she was quite certain of the life now growing inside her. Once she was very sure, she finally decided to tell Zodh. After Zodh left, she went to work making his favorite meal, which she took all day to cook. She set the table. Then she arranged some wild forest flowers she had picked into a jar and placed them in the center of the table as a final touch. When all was finished she sat down in her chair and waited eagerly for him to come home so she could tell him the wonderful news.

When Zodh walked in he didn’t notice things at first, but Deriva’s unusual mood and the food as well as the flowers on the table quickly told him that she was up to something. Even so he kept his thoughts to himself. When he had finished eating, Zodh spoke to Deriva in his usual quiet and gentle manner.

Is there some sort of special occasion I missed? Is today your birthday?

No, it’s not my birthday, but I do have some very special news I must tell you, she replied with a little twinkle in her eyes. Zodh had a puzzled look on his face and wondered what sort of news it could be. Deriva couldn’t contain herself any longer and motioned for him to come and sit down by the fire with her. When they were both seated, Deriva leaned forward slightly. She reached out and put her hands softly on his knees. Looking him clearly in the eyes, she couldn’t contain herself a moment longer.

She half-blurted, half-laughed, I am with child.

With child, said Zodh quietly as he just sat there stunned, letting her words slowly settle down into his mind. After so many years of waiting and being disappointed, it was a very hard thing to believe.

Are you certain? he said still with some disbelief in his voice as he looked at Deriva.

Yes, I waited until I was absolutely positive, Deriva replied, sounding very sure of herself and nodding her head up and down rather quickly.

A big smile started to break across the woodcutter’s face, and then suddenly with a hoot and a holler he jumped up from his chair and grabbed Deriva, and the two began to dance the happiest jig they had ever danced. That night there was tremendous joy in the woodcutter’s humble cottage on the edge of the woods, down the long road from the walls of the city surrounding the Kingdom of Antwin.

The next day dawned bright and sunny, as if the Creator were continuing to