KNIGHTS:  “Clankety-clank”
MAIDEN:  “Help!  Help!”
MEAN KING:  “Grrrrrr”
DRAGON:  “Roarrr”
CASTLE:  “Home sweet home”

Back in the days of bold KNIGHTS and fair MAIDENS, there lived a MEAN KING with his daughter, who was indeed the most beautiful MAIDEN in all the land.  All those who passed by their CASTLE could see this fair MAIDEN sitting by the hour in the window longing to be set free.  It was told about the land that this fair MAIDEN had a curse put upon her by the wicked witch that if the DRAGON, which lived in the woods close by, were to look upon her, she would suddenly become the most ugly MAIDEN that lived.  So that was why the MEAN KING kept her locked within the CASTLE.

Of course, after hearing all this, the brave KNIGHTS for miles around came to that part of the land hoping to kill the terrible DRAGON, and thus save the fair MAIDEN from a terrible fate.  Night and day the brave young KNIGHTS searched for that terrible DRAGON; each hoping to be the one to save the fair MAIDEN and take her away from the CASTLE of the MEAN KING.

However, one day there came a gallant KNIGHT who was much wiser than all the rest.  he decided that since the DRAGON was nowhere to be found, that maybe there was another reason why the MAIDEN didn’t come out.  So he rode his horse as swiftly as he could and charged at full speed right through the door of the CASTLE, sending debris and rubble flying in all directions.  it seems the MAIDEN couldn’t find the door because the CASTLE was such a mess, and that’s why she hadn’t come out.  The brave young KNIGHT bounded up the stairs and carried his fair MAIDEN down and put her on his horse and rode away from the CASTLE of the MEAN KING and left the other KNIGHTS in the land still searching for the terrible DRAGON while he had saved the damsel in distress – right out of her terrible mess!

– Southeastern Massachusetts Cluster Council Pow Wow 1997