Golly Gosh Golly: The Adventures of Ella May Sue

“Well Golly gosh golly, what am I gonna do?”

“I’m quite in a pickle, I’m quite in a stew”

Said sixteen year old, Ella May Sue

“It’s quite a conundrum, what will I do?”

“Well there’s no helping for it, there must be a quest!”

“Probably perilous, but I’m up to the test!”

“But golly gosh golly, I wish they’d give it a rest!”

“It’s dreadful at worst, annoying at best”

So off went sixteen year old, Ella May Sue

Not knowing quite where, or what she was to do

Determined to quest, till her face was blue

To free her cousins, from a dragon of glue

A word about Ella’s cousins three

Jake and Jarod and little Jimmy

An awful troublesome lot, you see

For running off or breaking a knee

And who was to watch them, third day of each week?

Why Ella May Sue, the quiet and meek

This was worse than the time, they made the house leak

And somehow stole, a dodo bird’s beak!

But how, oh how, oh how could you

Get stolen by a dragon of glue?

What was she to do, Ella May Sue

But save them from, that goppity goo

Off she started her long long trek

Till she reached a fork at trail bottleneck

Where to go⎯ “Miss, calm down, you’re a wreck!”

“Who are you?” she asked, “Why I’m Mr. Fleck”

“Mr. Fleck you must believe me, you simply have to!”

“My cousins have been kidnapped by a dragon of glue”

“A dragon you say? Never fear! Here’s what to do!”

“Turn left, hop the river, then a mountain go through”

“Traverse the forest, and have no fear”

“Give your name to no creature, lest She hear”

“Stray not off the path, or you’ll be gone a year”

“Find the red mound, and your destination draws near”

“There, there are stairs, leading deep into earth”

“This is the chimney of the dragon’s hearth”

“Though long ago this was not always a dragon’s berth”

“A place once of joy and wonder and mirth”

“Never you mind, never you care”

“For now you have reached, the dragon’s lair”

“And as for how well you shall fare”

“You’ll only know, once you get there”

And then he was gone, Mr. Fleck

Not a trace was left, not a speck!

But Ella May Sue was much less of a wreck

As she continued, on her long long trek

Left she went, and found a river wide

But saw no way, to cross from her side

Nor bridge, nor stones, nor boat to ride

No living soul to help, or with to confide

She wandered and windered near the edge

Wondering how, to reach the other ledge

When suddenly she stumbled, for hidden in the sedge

Was a small wooden boat, no bigger than a hedge

She found no owner under tree and leaf

“I certainly hope, this doesn’t make me a thief” 

“And I’ll definitely strive to be brief”

“Halt!” cried a voice “You’re up to mischief!”  

Out from a bush, stared a pair of of green eyes

“Please,” Ella started, to explain the whats and whys

But the harsh voice interrupted with “Lies, Lies!”

“Leave while I let you, or I’ll do something unwise!”

Terrified, poor Ella May fled

“How will I get to the mound of red”

“If I can’t cross this river bed?”

She thought and thought and finally she said

“It’ll be swim or sink for me”

“Though a poor swimmer, I happen to be”

“For if my cousins are ever to be free”

“My crossing this river is absolutely key”

Though the river was icy and black

She paddled across, without looking back

And soon discovered she had a knack

For swimming, though of training, she had a sore lack

And soon she reached the other shore

Cold and wet, down to her core

Ahead were obstacles, plenty more!

But behind, one less, to worry for

Presently, she reached a mountain great

Yet be it ill luck or be it fate

The passage was now barred by an iron gate

Added only as of late

Why it was added, she did not know

Only that she must cross even though

There now was no entry to the tunnel below

Over or around the Mount she must go!

Over she tried, but it was too steep

Around she attempted, but far too deep

All she could do was sit there and weep

Until she cried herself to sleep

She woke to a night as black as tar

She couldn’t see even a single star

And not that she had any joy to mar

But she was trapped, in a giant glass jar

“Hello!” she cried “Is anyone there?”

“I’m not anyone” hissed the voice “Should I care?”

“Please help me!” sobbed Ella “This is too much to bear!”

“Why ought I?” asked it “Child so rare?”

Ella felt all quiet and hushed

This hissing creature, wished not to be rushed

But she hated tight spaces, and felt she’d be crushed

Her face felt hot and red and flushed

“Where am I?” she let out in a squeak

“Why under the mountain, child so meek”

“There was a gate” her knees felt weak

“Now you know why, dear little cheek”

“As for who placed it, that was I”

“So inconvenient, visitors always dropping by”

The creature let out a hissing sigh

“Yet you came, so now you must die!”

“But-but I was outside-” Ella’s voice died

“Well,” replied the creature “I guess I lied”

The jar twisted open, there was nowhere to hide

A serpentine mouth stretched wide

A shuddering screech filled the hall

The head fell off, mouth, teeth and all

Suddenly Ella heard a call

“Girl are you alright? My name’s Paul”

It felt like an hour, maybe two

Explaining what and why and who

What they were doing and what to do

Many a golly gosh golly, was said by Ella Sue

Paul was a squire for the Knights of the Order

Though he was sixteen, he helped guard the border

Due to the deaths of many who were older

In a war now over, with hard victory won o’er

As they made their way through cave and mine

Ella told Paul her story, he said “Fine”

“Forgive me for saying so, hope I’m not out of line”

“But to face a dragon, don’t you at least need a spine?”

“How dare you” said she “That’s very impolite”

“I’m sorry” he replied “But I think I’m right”

“You can’t control your cousins, but said you’d watch them overnight”

“You didn’t stop to explain to the boatman,  just fled without a fight!”

“You came after the dragon, which was very brave”

“But if the house wasn’t alone, someone else would be in this cave”

“If I wasn’t here, that thing would be your grave”

“How will you save your cousins, if yourself you cannot save!”

Ella had nothing to say to that

Paul wondered if he should’ve kept his thoughts under hat

For a while the only sound was a solitary bat

Then Paul asked “After here, where are you aiming at?”

“Mr. Fleck said to go to the wood”

“The Forest!” exclaimed Paul “That’s not good!”

“The closest forest is vast and little understood”

“But dangerous, nothing could get me under its hood!”

Eventually, they reached the tunnel’s end

A while longer, and the forest was just around the bend

Paul turned to Ella and said “An earlier statement I must amend”

“I hoped my help to you, to lend”

“Yet as I face the forest, I now know true”

“I’m sorry, I’m just as spineless as you”

“If not worse, for you’ll do what I dare not to”

“No,” answered Ella “You’re brave by deeds, what you do”

“I owe you, you saved my life”

“Even though I now go into further strife”

“Whatever dangers that in these woods are rife”

He stopped her “Please take my knife”

“And once more, I’m sorry, I’m not brave enough to go”

“I thought I could but-” She interrupted “No”

“Don’t say more, I’ll be less scared if I don’t know”

Ella felt her courage wane lower than low

She plunged into the forest before she could change her mind

She stayed on the path and didn’t look behind

All Paul could think was “What a find!”

“I’ve never met someone like that or I’m blind!”

For two seconds, he considered following her

Then she was gone, faster than a fishing lure

Rushing through trees as thick as fur

And he turned back home through briar and burr

Deeper in drew Ella May Sue to the forest heart

“Golly gosh golly,” she whispered “This place is swart!”

Dusky vines encircled trees like ribbon art

She felt more than ever, this plan was not too smart

“What did Mr. Fleck say?”

“Why’d I listen to him, anyway!”

“It’s so dark, is it night or day?”

“Sure hope my cousins are okay!”

“I wish I hadn’t left Paul in that way”

“It was awkward, but what more was there to say?”

“Will my cousins be alive by the next day?”

“My feet keep getting stuck in clay!”

In this manner, her fears grew

Till Ella May Sue, knew not what to do

And might have turned back, run back too

Had she not promised, to quest till she was blue

“What did Mr. Fleck say, don’t let fears be my guide?”

“Well he isn’t here now!” she said as she sighed

She stayed her courage, at least she tried

And hoped her best, Mr. Fleck hadn’t lied

Yet as the forest went deeper, so did her fears

Till she was reduced, nearly to tears

Knowing not, of listening eyes and ears

Especially She, who dwelt in the meres

The She had placed the forest under a spell

Though she lived in the lakes, made it dark and fell

So only She could truly dwell

All else were servants, or victims, to her death knell

Next to stream and under knoll

Lay hidden a small dark hole

As Ella passed to cross o’er

A voice called out ”A Toll, A Toll!”

“What!” asked she “What do you mean?”

“I mean what I say” it replied “Just how I seem”

“A fee to cross bridge on yonder stream!”

“A price to pay tax, for our Queen”

But Ella replied “I have no money”

It laughed, she asked “What’s so funny?”

But it laughed and laughed till it’s nose was runny 

And it was left sniffing, like a bunny

“No coin I require” answered the voice “Just your name!”

“To pay the tax for the ruling dame!”

“And if crossing the river is your aim”

“Pay me, I’ll let you do the same!”

Ella remembered Mr. Fleck’s advice though

But stalled the voice, too afraid to say no

“Tell me voice, hidden so low”

“Who is this Queen you speak of so?”

It said “She who lives in yonder lake?”

“Who only lets you live if you toil for her sake?”

“Dark and wicked, this land she did make!”

“So much fear, it makes one’s heart ache!”

“Nay child nay, ask me no more”

“For fear of our lives, not being a bore”

“Soon we may both be at death’s door”

“Already, indeed, my heart is troubled sore”

Asked Ella “If she scares you, why don’t you leave?”

“Ah girl!” cried the voice “I, you bereave!” 

“Leave? Hah, better chance slipping through a sieve!”

“Willing slave or no, none this forest may cleave!”

“No one leaves, whoever comes in!”

“Hearts are left forever ailin’”

“Crying, weeping, wailin’”

“Succumb to her, or your life is failin’”

The voice screeched “Enough, Enough!”

Then, quickly, it was cut off

Leaving Ella alone, under a tree bough

An unpleasant silence, not much sought

Onwards hurried Ella May Sue

No fee had she payed, that was due

Not sure what happened, that was true

What became of the voice, she never knew

Inwards, she felt her fear arising

Well, certainly, it hadn’t been minimizing 

Yet onwards, she kept on striving

Against the fear she kept contriving

Above, she heard a shriek in the dark

A horrid, blood chilling sort of bark

“A new one!” it yelled, “For the mistress’s park!”

“A new one arrives! hark! hark! “

Ella felt a sudden chill

The forest seemed more silently still

Only love for her cousins, bolstered her will

Helped her keep going, when fear seemed to fill

How were her cousins, wondered she

Eaten by a dragon, in time for tea?

“Hope they’re alive, wherever that may be”

“They can’t be dead, no indeed!”

She stumbled onwards along the path

Scared of hidden creatures’ wrath

Suddenly she froze, unable to move an inch or half

Rendered still by an echoing gleeful laugh

“Come my child, come draw near”

“Isn’t it lovely, this forest of fear”

“Isn’t it sweet- Come Here!”

Spoke the voice, with a leer

Ella walked, a sight came into view

A vast lake, plus one or two

The Queen beckoned Ella May Sue

She didn’t want to go, but what was she to do?

“Golly gosh golly, I’m in for it now!”

“I’ve got to escape, if only I knew how!”

Her feet were forced forward, she made a small bow

“How are you doing this, stop it- OW!”

Ella felt a pain in her spine

“Silly child, you can do nothing, you’re mine!”

“So mild, you’ll easily get in line”

“Off with you now, you’ll do fine!”

Ella started walking by will of the witch’s power

She had no freedom of her own, just crumpled like a flower

Her feet strayed off the path and headed towards a tower

Seconds turned to minutes, a minute to an hour

Here she would for decades be tied

Long after everyone she knew had died

The Witch Queen certainly had time to bide

Ella stood, and waited, and sighed

“That’s it” she thought dully “It’s done”

“A few magic words, and I couldn’t run”

“The Witch in the lake has already won”

“I’ll never leave, nor see the sun”

“Paul was right, I’m spineless and meek”

“My cousins will die because I’m too weak”

But a voice in her head began to speak

“Not even Paul, came with you to seek”

“He said you were brave, for coming alone”

“Even he wouldn’t enter, the forest’s dome”

“Though you’re trapped, and far from home”

“You can’t save your cousins, if you can’t roam”

And Ella May Sue took a step out of place

Of course, she tripped and fell flat on her face

But the spell was broken, her heart began to race

And she ran away at a hasty pace

Deep in the forest, she quickly got lost

Fear gave way to a lingering frost

She couldn’t find the path she had crossed

Oh to escape, what would it cost?

She wished she was back home in bed

Instead she was out with a sore heart and head

Badly hurt from the spell, and feeling half dead

Hurt and frightened she lay down but caught a glimpse of red

She staggered towards it and felt herself choke

If only she could make it before she broke

Was that, she wondered, a faint wisp of smoke?

Her vision went black, was this some cruel joke?

Ella awoke with a tired yawn

What happened she knew not, but now it was dawn

She was encircled by a mushroom ring on the grass lawn

But though fully healed, she knew not what had gone on

“Someone’s looking out for me, that’s for sure”

“Someone who somehow gave me a full cure”

“Well onwards I go, feeling somewhat secure”

And onwards she went, over grass azure

Presently she reached the mound of red

The chimney of the dragon’s bed

And though yesterday she would have run instead

She followed down to where the steps led