Priscilla, the Trout Princess A Collection of Fantasies Gerald E. Gregg Priscilla, the Trout Princess... A collection of 5 fantasies that illustrate the absurdities of youth and the questioned wisdom of maturity. 1) Why are you here?... Once upon a time, long before anyone cares to remember, there existed a wondrous place of neverending joy...and celebration ...and dreams...and thoughts, warm and tender. Not many from the kingdom of greed and perversion visited this land of unselfishness. The royal scribe, reverently called The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases, ventured forth one day to discover the magic of this wondrous place. His quest, by royal edict, was to search for Priscilla, the princess of light and beauty and fine thoughts. Upon entering this place, the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases became confused and disoriented. The purveyor searched every hamlet in the kingdom until, suddenly, he discovered the elusive Priscilla. She was there one day...a day that was lost from memory, but still a remembered day. She was lost in the black shadow of a fleeting fantasy. Remembered, yet unremembered...until another more joyous day that is remembered and still fresh in memory. Yet another day to be remembered was discovered and is even more fresh in memory. On that recent memorable day, she caused a tingling...a glow...a feeling of desire. She emerged from the fantasy shadow on yet another memorable day and shared her enlightened thoughts with him. He was confused...by his reaction...by her reaction. He asked her, "Who are you?" "Why are you here?" Priscilla answered with tenderness and a smiling voice, "I am Priscilla...your fantasy for emotional outpourings...your escape from the junkyard of shattered dreams." The great mysteries surrounding the uncontrolled absurdities of youth and the questioned wisdom of maturity were magically brought forth into the gentle light of a shimmering rainbow. Where is your Priscilla? Who is your Priscilla? 2) Chase the Rainbow... Once upon a time, even before your mother was born, there existed a barely acceptable place where birds did not sing and flowers did not blossom in the Spring. In this kingdom of lost souls and tattered dreams, the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases counted his discarded treasures with cash register eyes. Then in a dream he dreamt that was no dream, in a sleep he slept that was no sleep, the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases muttered boldly, "Come, hold hands with me in this twilight of talk...but don't leave go of my hand...I'm no braver than you." He, of course, was referring to Priscilla the Trout Princess, who was a nearly normal creature in this land of trenchcoated degenerates. Priscilla was named the Trout Princess because she was always chasing rainbows. Priscilla was doing well in remedial thought and self control until she heard the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases mumble to himself, "Where does the beginning end...where does the ending begin?" The Trout Princess took exception to the utterances of the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases and quietly shouted, "We will begin again the beginning that will never end. The children of our children's children will sing the many melodied one-song as the crimson edge of dawn creases the eastern horizon." Priscilla took the hand of the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases and led him blindly to a secret place. "Look at the rainbow," she proclaimed, "Chase it with a closed mind and you will find a puddle. Gaze upon it with careful consideration and you will discover beauty." Priscilla the Trout Princess continued, "Open your mind and let the birds sing in your brain." Priscilla startled the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases when she led him to a golden field of wild flowers and whispered softly, "If you pause long enough, you will see and smell the flowers." The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases was pleased. He took the hand of Priscilla the Trout Princess, and said sincerely, "Come, hold hands with me and lead me out of the emptiness of my own mind." Priscilla the Trout Princess, and the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases lived happily ever after chasing rainbows and smelling wild flowers. 2) Escape?...Only for a Little While... Once upon a time, even before your mother was born, there existed a barely acceptable degenerate who was called the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases. The purveyor toiled for many Barons, both honorable and dishonorable, constructing magical displays of sounds, words and dazzling images. One day the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases. suddenly found himself lost in the emptiness of his own mind. The purveyor turned to his old friend Priscilla The Trout Princess. She was called The Trout Princess because she was always chasing rainbows. Priscilla pampered him and scolded him until he regained some degree of normalcy. The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases went about his business of creating fine words and magical images with a new found insight of what pleased the Barons of greed and mistrust. To cope with the deceit, greed and selfishness of the purveyors of mindless banter, he turned to the Scottish Mead and the table of sumptuous repasts. The purveyor turned into himself for protection from the evils around him. The fine words and magical phrases still flowed, but with a touch of the bizarre. One day, during the loneliness of the yuletide season, the purveyor suddenly got his wits about him and quietly shouted, "Where does the beginning end and where does the ending begin?" He magically discovered that now is the time to begin again the beginning that will never end. The broken wings of a flightless bird can be mended. He began...and is continuing the beginning that will end when there is no flight left. The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases when lost in the emptiness of his own mind, could only find a puddle at the end of the rainbow. Now, the end of the rainbow is filled with brilliant color and soft beauty. 3) Search for Priscilla... Once upon a time, even before anyone can remember, there existed a wondrous fantasy land of California girls and middle-aged degenerates. One of these middle-aged degenerates was called "The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases." The perverted purveyor of riddles and words and amorous thoughts pursued his questionable craft with the cunning of cat. His successes were admired by the younger princes of the kingdom. Joyous ocassions arose when the purveyor told of his triumphant crusades in the land of abundant pleasures. One brilliant day the purveyor returned from one of his many recent crusades with a heavy heart. He gathered the young princes of the castle around him and told his sad, but enlightening tale. Elizabeth, the princess of Happauge, visited the purveyor in his castle of polished floors and hedonistic trappings. All went well for the first two moonlit nights. The purveyor and the princess were blissful and joyous and reveled in the love they shared for each other. But, alas, the purveyor and the princess discovered the magic they shared was only a fantasy of their imagined dreams. Their pleasures were quickly tarnished by the reality of cold morning quiet and bad breath. The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases and Elizabeth, the Princess of Happauge, parted, not as lovers, but friends. They will remain friends forever, or for at least a year, but the purveyor now wanted to discard the fantasies and search for Priscilla the Trout Princess. He turned to his wise spiritual mentor, The Purveyor of Fine Thoughts and Good Deeds, for help in the search for Priscilla the Princess of Joy and Unselfishness. Priscilla is there...somewhere. Have you seen Priscilla? 5) A Fable for the Season... Once upon a time, before anyone cares to remember, there existed a sad and lonely scribe called the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases. He dwelt in a land of greed and empty promises. The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases pondered the meaning of the meaningless void that was the emptiness of his own mind. Suddenly one day, without warning, the purveyor happened upon Priscilla the princess of light and beauty. Throughout the kingdom Priscilla was fondly called the Trout Princess because she was always chasing rainbows. Priscilla took pity upon the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases. She took his hand and led him to a secret place of light and color and warm thoughts and said softly, "Stare at the light and fill the emptiness of your mind with thoughts of joy and celebration and smiles of unremembered dreams." The purveyor was startled by the generous offer of Priscilla and eagerly absorbed the brilliant treasures into his once shallow and empty mind. The Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases was pleased and proudly proclaimed for all the kingdom to hear, "Come, share with me this truly magnificent place that glows with the brilliant light and gentle colors of a watery diamond. This wondrous place of constant surprise sparkles with the shimmering brilliance of an echoing star." Priscilla the Trout Princess and the Purveyor of Fine Words and Magical Phrases looked at each other unafraid, and smiled at each other separately, the knowing smile of enlightened awareness.