Title: A Dubious Tale of the Crystal Tower
Author: Bibenus Geon
IsNaughty: False
Price: 770
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Content:


[/font=2]

[/center]A

[/center]Dubious Tale

[/center]of the

[/center]Crystal Tower



[/font=4]

[/center]

[/center]    This story was first told to me when I was a neonate, newly
studying in the Crystal Tower of Sumurset. I was admiring
the famous animal pens of the Tower when I was approached by
an older student. The fellow who told me this tale seemed
very trustworthy at first, but, as the reader will soon
discover, the tale is very dubious indeed. Of course, I have
told it since to other neonates of the Tower in the same
spirit.

    I offer the following for your august consideration,
gentle reader.

    Many, many years back, a talented but poor bard was
passing through Sumurset, looking for work. He could sing, he
could dance, he could act, but no one had any use for his
performances. The poor bard was lugubrious, but he still
visited the taverns and palaces, day after day, begging for
a chance to showcase his talents.

    One day, dejected from more bad luck, he was approached by
a tall elf in a long robe. A Magister of the Crystal Tower,
in charge of the animal pens. The elf tells the bard of the
white ape they made a cell for at the Tower, how it had died
en route. There was a royal party from Firsthold visiting
who had been promised a glimpse at the rare white ape. The
Magister had a costume for the bard if he would deign to act
out the part of the ape for the visitors. The bard had
promised himself to take the first part that came his way, no
matter how minor, so he agreed. The elf promised that the
charade would last no longer than a fortnight, when the
visitors left.

    For the first several days of the masquerade, the bard did
nothing more than sit in the back of the pen. He was afraid to
move and show the possible imperfections of the ape costume.
In time, he became bored and began walking around. He
suddenly noticed that the royal party was watching,
fascinated. Happy that the ruse was working, he decided to
enliven the act.

    Soon he had both a performance and a crowd. Instead of
dancing a traditional elven jig, he would swing around the
cell with every acrobatic trick he knew. Instead of singing a
ballad, he would roar a roar he imagined a rare white ape
might roar. The crowd loved it. The party outside his cell
grew larger and larger every day.

    One day, he was performing for the crowd -- his finest work
to date. He swung himself round and round, roaring and
bleating. His hand slipped and he went flying through the bar
and into the cell next door, where a Snow Wolf was in
residence. Hackling its back and growling, the Snow Wolf
began to inch toward the bard.

    Seeing no other way out, the bard screamed, "Help! Help!"

    The Snow Wolf whispered, "Shut up or you'll get us all
fired."

    



 
