14. FAIRY TALE SOLDIER

A Fairy Tale soldier once signed up for a fairy tale war in a fairy tale kingdom. Two fairy kings were fighting for control of the entire land and region and the war was bitter and severe. The Fairy Tale soldier left his little wife and small family in the autumn of that bitter cold year, and went off to the frontline to fight as a foot soldier in the trenches for his fairy king and his fairy kingdom. The fairy tale soldier found out the hard way that there were casualties in any war, even fairy tale conflicts and disputes. The numbers of the dead and wounded rose after every bitter battle on the frontline. His life was in grave jeopardy more than once, and more than once he survived by the skin of his teeth. The war raged on year after year and there seemed to be no end in sight for the little fairy tale soldier and his loyal comrades in arms. Yet, one day, the great war did indeed end. It was said back home that they had won the war to end all wars, but the little soldier knew better by now. In a hateful war like this there were no outright winners or losers; there were only survivors at the end of the day. So he went back home with desperate memories and deep emotional scars from the thick of the fight. He went back to his little wife and family in the countryside of his own fairy tale kingdom, and settled down forever. All wars were over for him, even fairy tale conflicts. He had found out that the only fairy tale was that he had survived the bitterest of wars, and that he had returned safely home to his little wife and kin. The fairy tale war was over for the fairy tale soldier and he would cry no more tears for all those bitter trials and tribulations that he had faced. Peace was the only fairy tale of all; afterall.