Glass Shoes and Magic Beans

Three Queer Fairy Tales by Matt Jenson

Author’s Note: I wrote these stories shortly after Minnesota’s Marriage Equality Act was signed into law in May 2013. Designed to spark discussion in elementary and middle school classrooms, my stories were presented by storytellers as part of an artist residency program that teaches critical literacy through creative writing and theatre arts. This is the first time these stories have been published.

THE PRINCE AND THE GLASS SHOE

Once there was a handsome prince who was expected to get married. The law of the kingdom said that if a prince did not marry a princess before his twenty-first birthday, he would be banished from the kingdom.

The prince was already twenty (and a half), but he was still a bachelor. He liked the three princesses who lived in the castle next door, and the four of them spent their afternoons together playing music, reading in the library, and baking scones. He considered proposing to the oldest, but the part at the end of the ceremony where the husband is supposed to kiss the bride just didn’t feel right to him.

The king and queen were starting to get worried, so they decided to throw a big ball in hopes that the prince would find a wife.  After all, two of the prince’s favorite things were to dress fancy and to dance. If a ball didn’t put him in a romantic mood, nothing would.

Princesses came from far and wide, and he met each and every one of them. Some of them he liked quite a bit. He had a fascinating conversation with Princess Be about archery theory and practice. Princess Daleah was an excellent dance partner, and they waltzed every chance they could. Princess Alejandra was witty and clever, and he found himself laughing at all of her jokes.

But he didn’t think he was in love with any of them. He was so confused. How were you supposed to know for sure?

After a few vigorous dances with Princess Daleah, the prince excused himself to get a drink of water. He sat down at a table and noticed the young man next to him was wearing glass shoes.

“I like your shoes,” said the prince.

“Thank you,” said the young man. “I have unusually narrow feet, so my fairy godmother made these just for me.”

Thus began a very interesting conversation. They talked and laughed and talked some more. The prince finally knew what falling in love was supposed to feel like. He invited the young man to dance. The prince put his arm around the young man’s waist like he had already done with princesses all evening. As the clock struck midnight, they began to waltz.

Some of the noblemen did not like what they saw. They grabbed the young man by the collar and yanked him away from the prince. They punched him. He fell to the ground, and they kicked him.

The prince ordered the guards to take the noblemen to the dungeon, but it was too late. The young man was nowhere to be found. In the haste of his getaway, he left behind one of his glass shoes.

The prince took the shoe and immediately announced to his parents that he had found the man he was going to marry. At first they thought it was a joke. When they saw that he was serious, the king became angry and stormed out of the ballroom. The queen reminded him that the law said he had to marry a princess, not a prince.

But the prince’s heart was certain, though he didn’t even know the young man’s name or where he lived. All he had was the glass shoe, which he decided to try on the foot of every eligible bachelor in the world until he found the one that fit. The king and queen hoped the prince would tire of his quest and eventually return to marry a nice princess.

The search was definitely not easy. Some men refused to try on the shoe. Some even tried to shatter it, but the shoe was enchanted and the pieces always put themselves back together. Some wanted the shoe to fit, but their feet were too wide.

Some kingdoms cheered him on and helped him search for his true love. In other kingdoms he had to be very careful, because if the police found him they would arrest him and maybe even execute him. But the prince kept searching day after day, week after week, month after month, kingdom after kingdom.

Finally, on the eve of his twenty-first birthday, the prince found himself in a kingdom so tiny that it wasn’t even on his map. He knocked on the castle door. Princess Daleah, his favorite dance partner, answered. When she saw him holding the glass shoe, she smiled.

“Have you come to return my brother’s glass shoe?” she asked. “Prince Ellis, someone is at the door for you.”

The prince’s heart leapt for joy as Prince Ellis appeared, for it was the young man with whom he had fallen in love so many months ago. He knelt down and slipped the shoe on Prince Ellis’ foot.  It was a perfect fit.

They could not return to the prince’s kingdom, for he was now banished. His twenty-first birthday had come and gone, and he had not married. Instead, they lived in Prince Ellis’ castle. The prince had found his true love, and he was content.

On the prince’s twenty-fifth birthday, the fairy godmother brought the two men a magical rose bush with one large bud. They planted it in the garden, watered it, and tended to it. On the twelfth day the bud blossomed to reveal a tiny baby girl. They named her Rose and raised her as their daughter.

The years went by, and the king and queen missed their son. They realized that the love the prince felt for Prince Ellis was no different from the love they felt for each other.  They understood that the love their son had for Rose was the same as the love they had for him. By royal proclamation, they changed the law so that the prince could marry the man or woman of his choice, if and when he felt ready.

A week later there was a royal wedding celebrated by everyone in the kingdom. The prince and his husband ruled the kingdom for many peaceful years. Afterwards, Queen Rose (who was quite happy to remain unmarried) became the most beloved monarch in the kingdom’s history.

THE END

RAPUNZEL AND THE THREE PRINCES

Once a prince was hunting in the forest when he heard the most beautiful singing. He followed the sound of the voice until he came to a tower deep in the woods. The tower did not appear to have any doors. In the single window at the top, a maiden sat and sang. The prince stood transfixed, for the maiden was very fair of face and voice.

He was roused from his reverie when he heard someone coming down the forest path. He hid himself behind a bush as a woman walked right up to the base of the tower.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,” said the woman. The maiden in the tower let her unbelievably long hair flow down from the window until the woman could reach it. The woman climbed up the maiden’s hair and inside the window.

“Clearly the woman is a witch who has trapped Rapunzel in this tower,” thought the prince. He waited in the bushes until the witch descended Rapunzel’s hair and disappeared into the forest.

The prince desperately wanted to meet the fair maiden. He approached the base of the tower. Disguising his voice to sound like the witch’s, he said, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”

The unbelievably long hair flowed down. The prince climbed up the hair and inside the window.

“A man!” shrieked Rapunzel.

“Fear not, fair maiden,” said the prince. “I am here to rescue you.”

“You are?” asked Rapunzel. She looked confused.

“Yes,” said the Prince. “I will bring you skeins of silk and you can weave them into a ladder.”

“What kind of a rescue plan is that? It sounds like I have to do all the work,” said Rapunzel. “Besides, I don’t want to be rescued.”

“But I want to save you from all this! I want to marry you!” exclaimed the prince, getting down on one knee.

“No, thanks,” said Rapunzel.

“No, thanks?” he said, flabbergasted. “Don’t you know who I am? I’m a prince!”

“I’m flattered by your proposal, but I don’t want to marry you,” said Rapunzel. “I think it’s time you leave.”

Rapunzel threw her unbelievably long hair out the window, and the befuddled prince had no choice but to climb down and leave.

That evening at dinner, the prince told his two younger brothers about the maiden in the tower, her unbelievably long hair, the witch holding her captive, and how the maiden had actually refused a marriage proposal from a prince.

The middle prince thought that perhaps she just hadn’t met the right prince yet. The next day he set off into the woods, followed the sound of the beautiful singing, and hid in the bushes. He waited while the witch came and went. He disguised his voice and said, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”

The unbelievably long hair flowed down. The middle prince climbed up.

“Another one,” said Rapunzel.

“M’lady, I am a prince, and I can see that you are the loveliest thing in this whole kingdom,” said the middle brother. “You must be mine! Come with me to the castle. You will be dressed in such finery that you can’t even imagine, and ladies will wait on you hand and foot. What do you say? Will you marry me?”

“No, thanks,” said Rapunzel. “I’m already in love with someone else. I think you better leave.”

The middle prince, befuddled, had no choice but to climb down her hair and leave.

That night at dinner, he told the story to his brothers. The oldest brother called her unkind names for refusing a prince, but the youngest prince said nothing.

The next day, the youngest prince went into the forest and followed the sound of the beautiful singing.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel,” he said.

Rapunzel poked her head out of the window and said, “Oh, great. Another prince.”

“I’m sorry to intrude,” said the youngest prince, “My brothers are meatheads who think they deserve to get whatever they want. I just wanted to meet the woman who set them straight.”

Rapunzel threw her unbelievably long hair out the window, and the youngest prince climbed up. They shook hands.

“Is it true that you do not wish to be rescued from this tower?” asked the prince.

“The tower is the only thing that is keeping me and my true love safe,” said Rapunzel.

“But how do you protect your true love from the witch?” asked the prince.

Rapunzel looked confused. Just then, from down below the witch called out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”

Rapunzel smiled and let down her unbelievably long hair. Soon the witch climbed through the window.

“Prince, I would like to introduce you to my true love,” said Rapunzel.

“Ah, now I understand!” said the Prince. “So you aren’t a witch at all!”

“Oh, no, I am,” said the witch. “My magic helps the forest. I help the trees and flowers grow strong and make sure the stream runs pure so everyone has clean water to drink.”

“And she brings any injured animals back here,”  said Rapunzel. “together we nurse them back to health.”

“But why do you two hide in this tower?” asked the prince.

“Some of the people in the town don’t think that two women should be in love,” said Rapunzel. “Some people call us names. The baker refuses to sell us any bread or cake. I used to be a teacher, but I was fired when they found out we were together. It’s hard to be around that unkindness all the time, so we left and moved in here.”

“Doesn’t it get lonely out here all alone?” asked the prince.

“Oh, I go into town all the time,” said Rapunzel, “but I have to wear a disguise. It does get lonely, though. We don’t have many friends.”

“You seem like wonderful women to me,” said the prince, “may I visit you again?”

And that is how the kind witch and fair Rapunzel became friends with the youngest prince. He visited them often, and the women were glad to know that there were people in the world who would treat them with kindness.

THE END

THE BEANSTALK

Once upon a time there was a boy named Jack. He was a kind and gentle fellow who lived with his mother and took great care of their cow, Milky White.

Ever since Jack could remember, he knew he was different from other boys. His mother told him many fairy tales in which the prince married a princess, but he knew that wasn’t what he wanted.

The boys at school always talked about trying to impress the girls and which ones they thought were the prettiest. The person Jack thought was the prettiest was Bob, the boy that sat in front of him during math class.

Jack never told anyone that he was different. He knew they wouldn’t understand. He noticed how they teased kids for even just appearing to be different. Like in fourth grade when they teased Mohammad for a year because they caught him playing with his sister’s dolls. And in seventh grade when they teased Scott and Owen because they hugged when their team won the soccer tournament. And even last year in tenth grade when they teased Cheng because his glasses looked too “girly.”

Jack didn’t want to get bullied, so he never told anyone except his cow, Milky White. As he brushed and fed her, he confided in her all of the thoughts and feelings he didn’t dare tell anyone else. Milky White never judged him. She just nuzzled him with her snout and moo’d with affection. And so it was that Jack didn’t feel completely alone, and he was content.

Until one day, Jack’s mother said, “Jack, Milky White is getting old and has stopped producing milk. Take her to town and sell her.”

“No!” cried Jack. “She’s my best friend in the world!”

“Jack, without her milk to sell, we’ll starve. Take her to town and make sure you get at least five gold coins for her.”

Jack sadly walked Milky White down the road, choking back his tears the entire way. They were almost to town, when a man suddenly appeared. He wore brightly colored clothes that sparkled and a hat with a huge feather.

“Jack,” said the mysterious man. “I have a deal you and Milky White can’t refuse.”

“How did you know our names?” asked Jack.

“That’s not important,” said the man. “What’s important is that I am here to offer you both the deal of a lifetime. I will buy Milky White, and she will live the rest of her days on a petting farm where she will be lavished with affection from children of all ages. Now, that’s a good deal better than getting chopped up into steaks and hamburgers, am I right?”

“Milky White does have a way with children,” said Jack. “But I have to sell her for at least five gold coins.”

“Pish posh! I have something better,” said the man. “Five magic beans. They’ll change your life! You’re not going to get a better deal than this. What do you say?”

Jack knew his mom would be angry, but he decided that at least this way Milky White would have a good life. He accepted the deal and took the beans.

“Magic beans!” shrieked Jack’s mother when he got home. “Of all the ridiculous…give me those!”

She snatched the beans from his hand and threw them out the window. “Now get to bed! No supper for you tonight!”

When Jack awoke the next morning, he was astonished to see the beans had grown into a beanstalk that stretched all the way up to the clouds. Overcome with curiosity, he began to climb up the beanstalk to see where it would lead.

When he reached the top, he found a kingdom up in the clouds. There were other kids up there. Some of them were humans, but there were also giants, elves, dwarves, trolls, and fairies. Everyone seemed to be getting along. Jack stood there, taking it all in, when a very tall teenage boy stomped towards him.

“Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum,” said boy. “I smell the blood of a newbie.”

“A giant!” cried Jack as he fell to the ground.

“Half-giant, actually,” said the boy. He held out his hand to help Jack up. “Let me guess. First time up the beanstalk?”

“What is this place?” asked Jack.

“It’s a safe place for people like us to be who we are. For boys who like boys and girls who like girls,” said the boy. “Actually, for anyone of any gender who likes anyone of any gender.”

“You mean ‘like’ as in friends right?” asked Jack. “Boys who have friends who are boys.”

“No, silly!” chuckled the boy. “I mean ‘like’ as in the word you use when you are too embarrassed to say you have a crush on someone.”

“You mean I’m not the only one?” asked Jack.

“Nope! We’re all gay. C’mon, I’ll show you around!”

Jack met a lot of new friends that day. They sang songs together and danced. They talked about their favorite books and played checkers. Simple stuff, but Jack found it thrilling. It was the first time he didn’t have to pretend. A part of his personality that had been buried down deep was finally being set free. He finally felt like a whole person.

When Jack climbed back down the beanstalk, his mother was waiting for him. She demanded to know what was up there. He smiled and said, “just some clouds.”

“Well, while you were up there playing in the clouds, I spent the day picking beans off this giant beanstalk,” said his mother. She thrust a basket of enormous beans into his hands. “Go sell these at the market so we can eat more than bean soup for the rest of our lives. And hop to it!”

Jack didn’t tell anyone about the land of the clouds. Not his mother. Not the other kids at school. He felt sure they wouldn’t understand. His mom kept asking when he was going to get a girlfriend. The other kids at school noticed he had become very quiet and mostly kept to himself. Whenever he got the chance, he climbed back up the beanstalk to be with his friends and to be himself.

Eventually the beanstalk stopped producing beans, so his mother chopped it down. But Jack wasn’t worried. By then he knew where there were other beanstalks he could climb.

The more time he spent up in the clouds, the more he felt like he was keeping a big secret from his mother and his friends at school. Maybe someday I’ll tell them that I’m gay, Jack thought. Someday.

THE END

About the author

name: Matt Jenson

Matt Jenson (they/them) has been a writer, choreographer, dancer, and teaching artist for over twenty years. They are currently writing and illustrating a series of children’s early chapter books. Matt enjoys deep discussions about comic books with their son, Blackstar, and lives in St. Paul with their husband, Paul. Website: mattjensonarts.com