by Bridget Webber

Created on: October 26, 2007   Last Updated: November 08, 2008

Many years ago there stood a town where not a breeze stirred or a raindrop fell without the permission of the king. The king ruled his land fiercely and no-one dared to speak to him unless they were spoken to first.

If any of the occupants of his town wished to purchase a house then they had to pay him a percentage of the cost of the property. If anyone wanted to marry then they had to give him part of the dowry, if there was one, and if there wasn't then they had to pay a penance in the form of a forfeit to amuse the king.

The forfeit may have been an embarrassing or humiliating task which the king would go to great lengths to think up.

If any of the towns-people became ill and coughed then they had to apologize to the king, via a footman as the king wouldn't go near anyone with a cold. Should anyone dare to bicker in the street and spoil the kings peace and quiet then they were sent to the kings tower where they would slowly waste away.

The towns-people were poor and lived in a constant state of fear should they accidentally do something to offend the king and get into trouble.

Our story begins in earnest on a Monday which was market day in the town. People were scurrying to and fro getting their goods and wares ready for their displays.

Children were sat watching, because they couldn't play lest they make a noise and upset the king. The seamstress, Madam Merrybead, was laying out her fine cloths onto a long trestle table ready for sale in the market.

Just then the trumpets began to sound which meant that the king was on his way. Everyone quickly tidied up anything which was out of place and stood at their stalls with their heads bowed as the king didn't like anyone to look at him without permission.

Soon people could hear the clip clopping of the kings horse as he approached. Master Fettle, the ironmongers son, had never seen the kings face before and desperately wanted to. He had a plan that when the kings horse could definitely be heard approaching his table then he would raise his eyes to see him from beneath his sack-cloth hood.

Master Fettle was sure that the king wouldn't notice and so waited impatiently for the kings horse to approach. Then with trepidation he slowly raised his eyes, just in time to meet the kings!

'Guards! Guards!' screamed the king. 'Fetch that boy and bring him to the courthouse for sentencing!'

Master Fettle was indeed dragged to the courthouse where the king sentenced him to wear a sandwich board for the rest of his life which had the letter

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