Tales from the Cave-Sleeping Beauty

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, far, far, FAR away, there was a small, cold red planet called Mars, that neighbored our own. It had once been ravaged by a bloodthirsty civil war between the White Martians and the Green Martians.  However, the great White King M'rnn M'orrz brought peace to the land when he fell in love with the beautiful Green J'an'na J'onzz and took her as his bride.  Their marriage ended the war and brought the two races together in harmony.

King M'rnn and Queen J'an'na ruled Mars with compassion and kindness, adored by their subjects and respected by leaders of other worlds.  They had everything they could possibly want, except for the one thing that they desired above all else—a child of their own.  Years passed, but nothing conceived in J'an'na's womb.  Some of the traditionalists, who were opposed to the marriage from the beginning, said it was a sign that they should not have wed.

As time went by, the couple grew sadder and weaker under the hateful comments that their inability to produce an heir was proof that their interracial marriage was unholy and wrong.  Then, one fateful day, everything changed.

Queen J'an'na sat by the river, sewing away.  She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize what she was making until she finished.  She looked down on her lap and saw a beautifully made baby blanket.  She burst into tears and buried her face in the soft material.  Her tears soaking the blanket, she closed her eyes and whispered, "If only I had a child."

All of the sudden, a soft light emerged from the bushes.  J'an'na looked up, staring at the light, unable to move or speak.  She couldn't feel her heartbeat as a deep, echoey voice reached out to her and said, "J'an'na M'orrz, Queen of Mars, I have heard your prayers, and I am here to answer them.  Let it be known that before the year is over, your dearest wish shall become reality."  And with those words spoken, the light disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

For the first week or two, J'an'na believed that it had been her imagination, mixed with her wishful thinking.  But sure enough, nine months later, it happened.

M'rnn paced back and forth in front of the master bedroom door.  The advisors gathered in the halls with him could clearly see how anxious he was.  All of the sudden, the door opened, and a nurse came out into the halls.  M'rnn looked at her.  "How is she?"  The nurse smiled.  "See for yourself."

M'rnn went into the room, and what he saw filled his heart with joy.  J'an'na sat up in bed, cradling a bundle wrapped in the blanket she had accidentally made that fateful day by the streams.  Her eyes were lit up as she looked up at her husband standing in the doorway.  "Its a girl."

M'rnn bounded over to look at the bundle in his wife's arms.  She had her mother's smooth green skin and full red lips, and his bright red hair and auburn-toned eyes, eyes that were full of wonder and awe as she looked up at her parents for the first time.  M'rnn found himself close to tears as he took her in his arms and held her close.  "She is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

J'an'na smiled as she lay her head back on her pillow.  "What shall her name be?"  M'rnn smiled.  "M'gann.", he said, holding her up closer towards the moon shining it's light in the window.  "Princess M'gann M'orrz."