The Corn, the Fork and the Spoon

Thirty ships bound for the Kingdom
Graciously bestowed
With gifts and presents from the suitors
It's their love they want to show
Carpets and precious scents
Spices rare, fruits succulent
Many coloured jewels and beads
All this for her

She was called Emma the Fair
Beautiful was she
Golden hair fell in many locks
And round her neck were pearls
The suitors came from oversea
They came from over land
But her father bid her not the love
That she wanted so much

The man that princess Emma loved
Was called Justin Dare
He wooed her with a flute of wood
When he didn't know she was there
She was walking in the woods one day
And heard the shepherd's pipe
And when the two saw each other
There was a flash of light

As he was just a shepherd poor
How could this love be
The princess cried many nights
Because of her cruel destiny
Her father had seen her in Justin's embrace
And threw the man in jail
He did not think it fit that Emma wed
Someone of no avail

To Emma side came the friendly monk
Nigel by name
He comforted her with kindly talk
But in his head he knows
The suitors will soon be here
And for all the words he has to say
Emma may soon be married off
And her nightmares live by day

I shall work out some plan
He says scratching his head
You and Justin shall be wed
And live to produce an heir
'It shall be done' he says to himself
As he thinks later alone
'But quite how I do not know'
Then the walls quake and groan

Out steps a figure small and strange
From the breathing wall
'I am Genkrill, gnome of night
I appear when starlight fails
I have listened to this plight
Of Emma, Justin and the princes
For your friendship you the princess show
I deign to help you out'

'I have an ear of corn' he says
'I have a fork and spoon
When the suitors show their wares
Justin will show these'
'Shh' says the gnome conspiringly
I know what you're thinking
That Justin is in that deep dungeon
But just leave that to me

Genkrill shows Nigel the magic corn,
Magic fork and spoon
Bows low and vanishes
It's all happened too soon
Nigel takes a sip of water
Sits down and rubs his eyes
Looks down to the courtyard
What should his eyes spy

Justin is walking proud and tall
Genkrill is also there
As are many courtiers riding horses fair
So handsome and debonaire
He joins the suitors at the end of the line
Nigel jumps for joy
It all seems somehow beyond hope
But magic is in the air

In the Throne Room a long line
Of suitors in costly array
Is boring the Queen into the ground
Making Emma terrified
They are either overfed and ugly
Or thin, cruel eyed and evil 
Their gifts make the King's eyes light up
But make the princess quail

One by one they roll by
The pile of presents grows
And who will gain the ladies hand
No one really knows
Last of all comes Justin
Emma is startled quite
The King recalls him not at all
Then Justin speaks forthright

'I bring these gifts simple and true
The corn, the fork and spoon
To express my love for the princess here
I wish to wed her soon'
Justin bows most graciously
The queen wakes up and stares
'Who is that man' she asks the King
'Haven't I seen him somewhere'

Nigel, watching from behind
Holds his breath here
Will Genkrill's plan all come undone
This is what he fears
But no, the Queen is fully charmed
And lo! Something more
The corn fallen from Justin's hand
Is growing on the floor

It grows and grows and spreads about
'Till a foot high, then ten feet and more
And round about, it has spread outside
It's broken through the doors
'What! What!' says the King
'Pray, stop this awful growth
If you can ~ The princess's hand
Shall be yours in truth I troth'

'A~ha' says Justin Dare
'I have a fork and spoon
If I give them to the poor
They'll know what to do
Use their scythes to cut this corn
And eat it, as my tool's purpose can
You do not feed your people well
Yet I feed every man

Soon the Kingdom was eating
As it never had done before
And empty tums were filled with food
And needed nothing more
The King he then bowed his head
And said 'I have done wrong
I realise I am a mean old man
And far too headstrong'

The gnome then gestures to Justin
And Justin made a bow
'This cutlery is magical'
He said, 'And here's how
The fork will talk and grant good harvest
When the spoon is polished with good deeds and truth'
To the King he gave the fork   
To the Queen he gave the spoon

'I have seen you before' then mused the Queen
As she looked in Justin's eyes
We put you in our prison
I don't remember why
Then Genkrill sprung up front to proclaim
'The King has consented
Emma and Justin are to be wed
By the moon and stars it meant is'

The two were wed beneath those stars
And the King had changed
His people were fed by the magic corn
The fork and spoon prevailed
Nigel kind continued his work
Grew in wisdom to be old
Genkrill vanished into the wall
And so their story is told