The Legend of Andromeda

By Gloria Denise Hopkins

Little Andromeda is a young Ethiopian princess who is sent away from her parents and her palace home on a perilous journey. One day, an evil, selfish man decides to place a curse on her kingdom of Abyssinia, seeking to spread fear and superstition all throughout the land. In a desperate attempt to protect her from his dark, supernatural threat, her mother, Queen Cassiopeia, tells Andromeda to run away from home without giving her any explanation. Despite not understanding why she would do this, Andromeda obeys her mother’s command without question and finds herself in an exciting adventure exploring the mysterious jungles of her kingdom. There, she encounters many surprises, including a young prince named Perseus and his talking pet monkey, Solomon, who are traveling out of their home kingdom, Kenya, on a hunting trip. After she meets Perseus, Andromeda makes her very first friend outside of the palace, and they become very close as they try to solve the mystery about her magical star necklace. However, back at home, Andromeda’s parents and her kingdom’s people are in great danger, and King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia must make a huge decision to save their young daughter’s life before it’s too late. Feeling torn between her new friend and wanting to go home, Andromeda must also decide what’s truly important to her before time runs out. Can little Andromeda herself find a way to break the evil spell and save all the people she cares about while discovering why she’s special to her parents at the same time?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781684565269

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The Legend of Andromeda

Gloria Denise Hopkins

Copyright © 2021 Gloria Denise Hopkins

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2021

ISBN 978-1-68456-525-2 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-66246-971-8 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-68456-526-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

To my parents, who inspire me to never give up on achieving my dreams.

To Mr. Joseph Digangi, my college art teacher, who never stopped believing in me.

To my closest friends, who have always been there for me with encouragement and loving support when I needed it the most.

To my beloved English teachers from high school and college, Mrs. Peggy Carey, Ms. Sondra Brazil, Mrs. Marie Thompson, and Mr. James McDonald. Your passion for literature and the English language is what inspired me to pursue writing as my professional career. Thank you for all the many things you taught me and for all the wonderful memories you gave me while I was a student.

To all the people of Africa, whose beautiful homeland and cultures are what inspired me to write this story.

To children all over the world, who will always need assurance that they are loved and treasured beyond measure.

Most importantly of all, to God Himself, Who gave me this story in my heart to write when I was only twelve years old. Without His help, I would be incapable of doing anything at all.

Preface

This story is a reimagining of the classic Greek myth about Princess Andromeda. In the original tale, Andromeda was stated to be an Ethiopian princess, yet she was never given any credit for her true African origin. The pages that follow contain an original fairy tale, a children’s story set in Africa, told in the style of all the traditional fairy tales that the world is familiar with. Although the characters are indeed African, I have kept their Greek names for the sake of identification with the characters in the original myth. I have decided to use artistic license by portraying Perseus as an African prince, to serve my story’s purpose. In my version of this myth, all the characters are specifically of African origin, and they are imagined with Greek names under the pretense that all the described events took place in Africa but were told from a Greek perspective.

This book tells of the adventures of Princess Andromeda as a very young girl, whereas the next part of her story as an adult will be told in the second book. I desire for this book to be an honor and celebration of all African cultures, even though the story mainly focuses on just one. There were many kingdoms that existed within the interior of Africa besides Egypt—which Egypt, up to this point, seems to have enjoyed the majority of popular recognition. Because this story is set in ancient times in the country of Ethiopia, I have chosen to represent the kingdom of Abyssinia for Andromeda and her family’s specific cultural origin. While I do not in any way claim to have perfectly portrayed all the cultural aspects of my story, I have tried to the very best of my knowledge and ability to give full, accurate respect of such by the words I have written. It is my heart’s greatest wish that this children’s story brings joy to all its readers, no matter what their ages are.

Introduction

Most esteemed reader, I humbly invite you to hear the tale of young Princess Andromeda. It is a very special tale indeed, for it tells of how she saved her family, her kingdom, and also her best friend. This, however, is only the first part of her tale, which tells of the events during her early childhood. In this legend, you will learn how the Andromeda galaxy came to be, which is named after the beloved princess in this story. Perhaps you have heard of Andromeda being portrayed as a Greek princess in the past; yet, dear reader, this tale gives the true account of her African heritage. With that much being said, without further delay, let us journey deep into the heart of the motherland, where the beat of tribal drums matches the passion of its mighty people. As we travel to this ancient realm, we shall first meet a powerful woman who is queen of a vast empire in the east, where the modern kingdom of Ethiopia lies. Are you ready to hear this enchanting tale? All right, dear reader, as we begin, you must close your eyes and imagine that you can see all that I am about to tell you…

Chapter One

Long ago, in the ancient land of Africa, during a time when tribes ruled the jungles and savannas, there was a beautiful young queen named Cassiopeia. She had recently been betrothed to a handsome king named Cepheus, who ruled over all the empire of ancient Abyssinia. On the day of their wedding, they were married in a majestic, inspirational ceremony; they exchanged their sacred vows with each other in front of the whole kingdom, promising that their love would be as bright and glorious as the intensity of the daytime sun, and that they would cherish and honor each other just as the sun illuminated the nighttime moon. They chose these as symbols of their eternal love for each other.

King Cepheus turned to his bride, Queen Cassiopeia, and spoke these words to her: My Dearest Joy, I swear to fill your heart with the light of my eternal love, just as the shining sun gilds the shimmering moon with light each night. I will cherish you with my utmost respect, showering you with my golden rays of adoration and affection. I shall protect you with my life at all costs, never leaving you to dwell alone in darkness. I promise to comfort you with the warmth of my presence, for I shall always be there for you. I will rise with you every morning and guard you as you sleep, for you are my soul’s true equal.

Queen Cassiopeia smiled in return and proceeded to answer his virtuous vows with her own: O My Heart’s Delight, I swear with all my being to reflect the light of your love back to you, just as the moon is content to borrow the splendor of the sun each night, only to bestow it unto him again in the morning. I shall honor you by giving you glory and praise as your lover, bearing witness of your majesty to our people as your loyal queen. I will respect you as long as I live and remain with you faithfully until the end of time. I shall be your companion each day and your confidante each night, for you alone are worthy of my soul’s devotion.

Upon giving these oaths, the high priest of the elders of Abyssinia blessed them and declared that their divine union would last until these heavenly bodies ceased to rule over the sky. Because of the tender promises their new king and queen gave each other, the people of Abyssinia made a special gift to honor and celebrate their new rulers’ love and dedication to one another. On the day of their royal coronation, the loyal subjects of Abyssinia presented King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia with two meticulously crafted, elaborate adornments, which were meant to represent the king and queen.

One was specially made for King Cepheus; it had links of bronze and held a bright radiant stone of aquamarine Ethiopian topaz that was cut in the magnificent shape of the sun. The other was perfectly designed for Queen Cassiopeia; it was comprised of delicate, shimmering beads of pure silver, which encircled another gleaming, sparkling stone of aquamarine Ethiopian topaz that was cut in the graceful feminine shape of the crescent moon. They were placed separately on the necks of the king and queen, just before they were bestowed with two noble crowns, which were both tall hats of a majestic stature. As they both graciously accepted their royal titles, the overjoyed people of Abyssinia shouted and praised them, rejoicing at the advent of their long-awaited reign.

Though their marriage was arranged, King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia loved each other passionately, and as time grew on, they desired to share their love with someone small. They wanted to have a daughter, someone special whom they would raise with loving care, who would not only make them happy but also become the kingdom’s pride and joy, the crowning jewel of the people. So one dark enchanting night, King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia walked out to their private palace balcony together, which was adjacent to their bedroom.

Queen Cassiopeia stepped forward and leaned on the railing of the balcony, sighing deeply as she gazed longingly at the velvety black-and-sapphire blue heavens above her. As she stood searching, her husband approached her from behind and tenderly placed his arm around her shoulders. Cassiopeia turned her gaze toward Cepheus, looking deeply into his loving, brown eyes. As Cepheus returned her gaze, he saw just how profoundly beautiful his wife’s sparkling green eyes were; as he looked directly into them, he could see the reflection of the diamond stars in the dark pupils of her eyes.

Cepheus leaned in close to address his wife, My dearest joy, you know that I love you so much that all the worlds in the universe could never overcome it. You are so vital to my soul. I would most surely perish in great agony, should I be so dreadfully cursed as to be separated from you. You bring me such perpetual happiness and calm assurance, that I am in eternal debt to repay you for your abundance of passion and unconditional love. So please tell me, that I may make an effort to compensate you, what is your heart’s deepest desire, that you should stare into the everlasting firmaments with such a sorrowful sigh resonating from your soul?

Oh, my great and mighty warrior, I am most distraught, for even though I have shared one glorious year of wedded bliss with you, I feel as though I have done you an irreconcilable disservice, since I have yet to produce an heir or heiress for you. As she said these words, she bowed her head in shame and released heavy sobs from within her heart. You are within your right to be displeased with me, as I owe you the continuance of your royal line. She covered her face with her hands.

King Cepheus’s eyes saddened once he learned of his wife’s great despair. He had never before seen her so upset, even though he had known her before they were betrothed. As he watched her express her grief, he pulled her close to him within his arms and embraced her with all the love he had for her. Once his wife had stopped her tears, he bent his head down and kissed her softly on the cheek. Cepheus looked into her eyes once more.

My delicate exotic flower, please do not say or think for one moment that I am displeased with you, for you are a radiant, glorious jewel, and you far exceed the value of all the riches in the world. I understand completely your desire for children, yet you should not dismiss your worth to me for something that is beyond our control. I assure you, my wife, that if the great and glorious Divine Spirit sees fit, He will most surely bless us with the gift of a child. Come, my queen, let us send our desire to Him by finding a special star in the heavens to receive our message.

King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia took each other’s hands and leaned close together as they watched and waited for the sign of a special star. Looking into the far reaches of the sky, they glimpsed a sparkling flash, which was much brighter than all the other stars surrounding it. As they continued watching, they witnessed a golden, gleaming orb growing in the heavens. The couple looked at one another and knew that this was the sign they had been waiting for. Their royal pendants of the sun and moon began to glow brightly as their unified souls expressed their shared earnest desire. The king and queen looked directly at the magical golden star and pleaded their wish to it:

O mysterious globe that shines so bright,

Please hear our desire tonight.

As thou glistens through celestial breeze,

We hope you hear our ardent pleas.

All we ask of you is a child,

With tender spirit so meek and mild.

We pray that you will understand,

Our request to be the wisest parents in all the land.

Should you send one from above,

We promise to caress her with love.

As she grows throughout the years,

We will do our best to dry her tears.

We hope to in her heart instill

Nothing but the Divine Spirit’s will.

If you grant our request, thanks we give;

we promise to be grateful