The Parkerstown Delegate by Grace Livingston Hill Read Free Book Online Page B

Visitor.’ I will give you two tries to guess my last name, I will give you a favor if you get it right. But if you don’t, then I get –“
    “Rumpelstiltskin.”
    The creature gaped at him. Philip wasn’t sure if he felt more amused or annoyed. Surely Rumpelstiltskin knew the story about him was famous? But maybe he just wasn’t very smart. That seemed increasingly likely to Philip, given the circumstances of how Rumpelstiltskin lost his infamous contest.
    “But… you…” Rumpelstiltskin sputtered.
    *Poof*

Chapter 3: The Visitor Departs
    Philip looked around. In a cloud of smoke, Rumpelstilskin had departed.

Chapter 4: Deep Winter
    The next event in Philip’s adventure took a bit longer. Several hours passed as he journeyed further and further into the forest, without any sign of life beyond the trees and the occasional bird. Philip started to second guess his decisions. Maybe he should have given Snow White a second chance. Surely she couldn’t be that bad, compared to all this…
    Philip’s musings broke off as he noticed a castle ahead. It was castle made completely of ice, and it looked ominous. Philip frowned. He knew he had heard of it before, but he couldn’t place which story it was from. Dismounting from his horse, he took small steps across the draw bridge. It was slippery, being made from ice and all, but Philip found it was manageable as long as he was careful.
    To his surprise, the castle opened up to a large room built of ice and snowing from its ceiling. Although it was summer outside, inside it felt like deep winter. The room housed three occupants: a small girl, who looked like she had been crying. A boy, devoid of more color than he should and who was staring intently at a mirror-like circle in the center of the room. And a woman, dressed in an elaborate white gown and sitting on what could only be described as an ice throne. The woman is what gave it away. Her ethereal beauty could have almost rivaled Snow White’s, except that she seemed to have a heart of ice – literally.
    “Yo, dude.” Philip called to the boy in the center of room.
    The boy looked up.
    “The answer to eternity is ‘love.’ You’re welcome.”
    Philip’s eyes swept the room, checking the results of his helpful hand. The girl looked confused yet happy, the boy seemed to look more normal, and the woman – well, the Snow Queen looked very angry. Philip took one look at her and decided he would take his chances on the icy drawbridge as he ran back to Chester.

Chapter 5: The Visitor Returns
    Philip was just starting to feel at home in the deserted forest, riding his trusty horse for a couple more hours with no particular direction, when things started happening again.
    *Poof*
    Rumpelstiltskin appeared without warning, scaring Chester into rearing and nearly tossing Philip off. Chester glared at the small creature, and then settled in to eating a grassy snack.
    Philip took one look at Rumpelstiltskin’s sullen face, and sighed. “Hello ‘The Visitor.’ Why did you decide to return?”
    “You answered my riddle. Fairs fair.” “Although you’re a cheater like the rest of them” Rumpelstilskin muttered. In a louder voice, he said: “What wish would you like fulfilled?”
    “Well, right now I’d really like to find the right girl for me.”
    Rumpelstiltskin looked like he was going to snigger, so Philip added defiantly,
    “My mom’s making me do it!”
    Rumpelstiltskin’s snigger turned into a full-bodied guffaw.
     “Laugh, for all I care! You don’t know what it’s like dealing with a queen for a mom. She’s use to always getting her way. Why yesterday she planned a ball for birthday! She expected me to find a wife there.” “Seventeen is when you come of age” Philip mocked in a sing-song voice. “It’s time to find a wife! You will dance with every girl who attends, you will be a charming prince to every one of them, and by the end of the ball… I want a name!” He added this last part