The Search For All Things Beautiful

Clang! The jail gate closed, as Geoffrey and Amy Armstrong's eyes
grew full of tears.
" Father! Father!" They screamed as the guards took them away from
their beloved father. Alexander, their father, nodded in their
direction, a signal to hush and do as they were told. Reluctantly, they
quieted and easily went where the guards insisted.
Soon the grip that held tightly on their clothing loosened and they
were free, except they were alone on the streets. Amy looked back at
the door that had just been shut in their faces and winced.
" Geoffrey, why was father locked up and taken away from us?" Young
Amy asked her older brother.
" He was ordered, by the Queen, to find all things beautiful. Father
failed at doing so and now he is in jail," Geoffrey explained while he
searched for his handkerchief.
" Oh. How will we ever survive without him?" Amy inquired.
" I don't know, Amy. I just don't know," Geoffrey answered as he
loudly blew his nose.
" I am going to protest to the Queen!" Amy announced.
" Amy, how is a seven year old girl going to persuade the
Queen?"
" I'll find a way, I always do," Amy walked off without her
brother.
" Amy! You can't leave me!" Geoffrey ran after her.

" I would like to see the Queen," Amy stated to the guard at the front
on the palace.
" You would like to see the Queen, eh? Why would she want to see you?"
He sneered.
" My father is in jail! My name is Amy Armstrong." The guard
apologized and let her in.
" Humph!" Geoffrey gasped at his sister's confidence.

Amy walked right into the throne room without a care.
" Who are you?" A voice bellowed from a shadowy corner.
" I am Amy Armstrong and this is my brother, Geoffrey."
" Oh. Come in, why don't you?" The Queen said, anxiously.
They stepped up to her and bowed.
"What can I do for you, my darlings?" The Queen questioned.
" You can let my father go!" Amy shouted.
" Oh! I'm sorry, dear, but I can't do that. You see, your father has
dishonored me. I trusted him to go and find all things beautiful, and
well, he couldn't do it," She explained.
" Well, what is to become of us?" Geoffrey stepped in.
" You mean to tell me that there is no one at all to take care of you?
You can't be serious," The Queen assumed.
" It's true. There has got to be a way you can let Father out, hasn't
there?" Amy looked down, in deep thought.
" I know!" Amy began excitedly. " If Geoff and I can find all things
beautiful, will you let him out?"
" Yes, but it is quite a task for people of your age, Amy. It's
difficult at any age, as a matter of fact."
" It doesn't matter! We can do it! Can't we, Geoff?" Amy looked at her
brother for approval.
" Sure we can!"
" Alright, children. Go ahead. You must bring back to me five things
of the most beauty in the land. Use your judgement and think of mine
when choosing you items - or people if you wish." The Queen sighed,
afraid the youngsters might never come back from this gruesome
journey.

Geoffrey and Amy set out with self-assurance that they could complete
this search and return with five of the most beautiful things in the
land.

" Amy! Why didn't we stop home before we left? I've really got to go!"
Geoffrey whined.
" Ah, Geoff, I hate to tell you but we are going to be out here quite
awhile. You'll have to get used to going?going outside."
" Going outside? Are you nuts?"
" Don't tell me, you didn't realize this before? What did you expect?"
Amy said, bewildered.
" I don't know, but not this," Geoff answered.
" Get used to it, bro."
They traveled on, though their feet were terribly tired. The grass
became healthy and green and simply beautiful as they went on. Every
once in awhile, they would hear a bird singing a tune and Amy would
keep the tune for the bird all the way until she heard another bird
singing. This of course drove Geoffrey crazy.
Eventually Amy had begun singing " The Lusty Month of May" from
Camelot. After the thirteenth time Geoffrey was a little fed up and he
asked Amy: " Amy, who sings that song?"
" Julie Andrews- Guenevere from Camelot," Amy replied contently.
But her brother replied coldly: " Let's keep it that way!"
At first Amy didn't understand her brothers cruel wit, and when it
finally came to her she turned around and gave Geoff a horrid look.
Geoffrey didn't understand why, seeing as how his remark had taken
place about fifteen minutes before.
They were silent to each other, until they couldn't keep quiet any
longer.
" Amy, have you seen anything of exceptionally beauty yet?" Geoffrey
asked.
"No, not particularly."
They kept trudging along, anxiously looking around. They soon got
tired and frustrated and took a rest on a large rock by the path.
" Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Amy admitted.
" No! It was a stupendous idea, Amy. If we have no one to take care of
us, we need Father. And while we wait for him to be released at least
we have something to keep us amused," Geoff reassured her.
" True."
Amy looked down in pity for herself and her brother and then jumped up
with glee.
" Geoff, if beautiful! It's extraordinary! It's perfect," Amy said in
her best English accent. She held up the most stunning Edelweiss flower
in the land, so she thought. Geoffrey agreed half-heartedly, but he was
just grateful to have even a sliver of the journey finished. Amy put
the flower in the basket and they got up and continued.

Geoffrey yawned and Amy turned around abruptly and exclaimed, "Look!
Isn't he something?" She pointed to an odd-looking creature that had a
tail coming from his neck that served as a mouth/throat and his legs
were stubby and short.
"You don't think we should take him back to the Queen, do you?"
Geoffrey was taken back by this hideous being.
"Of course not, silly. But isn't it something just to watch it?"
"Um?sure."
"Well, there's no sense in a boring journey, lighten up a bit!"
They walked on and on?and on. The sun was setting and the sky turned a
beautiful pink, which then blended in with other extraordinary colors.
The world around them seemed to be slowly winding down. Everything was
so peaceful. And this all made Geoffrey want to sit and enjoy it
all.
"That's it, Amy. Let's call it a night. Ok?" He suggested.
"Alright." They settled down at a nearby tree and looked up at the sky
with pure wonder in their eyes. And every second their eyes lowered
until they could see the darkening sky no more, just the magic of their
dreams.

Amy and Geoffrey awakened to the birds merrily singing unknown tunes
and a gentle breeze urged them to stand and greet the new day. They
welcomed this new start with open arms and quickly continued their
journey.
Just as they had begun to feel truly awake and refreshed, Amy saw
something that made her stop in her tracks. It was something glowing
and glistening in the soil.
"Geoffrey!" She exclaimed. "Do you see that? It's gold!"
"Gold? Ha! Come on, Amy, really?oh my gosh, it really is gold."
"Oh, Geoffrey, how do we get it out? It's sure to please the Queen,"
Amy wondered.
"Dig!" Geoffrey began to movie the soil around.
"Dig? With my hands?" Amy cried out in surprise.
"Um, yeah."
"Oh, alright."
They started to dig and dig until at last they had freed their second
item to present to the Queen.

Geoff and Amy stopped for lunch around noon and enjoyed every minute
of their break.
Geoffrey was munching on his sandwich and then he saw something that
made him choke.
"Amy!" He yelled.
"What? What is it?"
"That!" Geoff pointed to the tiny fairy sitting beside the picnic
basket.
"Wow!"
The fairy was glittering and basking in the glow of all the attention
she was receiving.
"Hello. What's your name?" Amy boldly asked.
"Beindra," The fairy replied.
"You're very beautiful, you know," Geoffrey complimented.
"Thank you very much."
"Beindra, may we take you to meet the Queen?" Amy inquired.
"If you must, you must. Sure," Beindra smiled. Amy beamed.

Hours later, the kids were starting to get cranky.
"Amy, this is too hard. We still have two more things to find,"
Geoffrey whined.
"We can't give up now," Amy panted.
"Yes, but?"
"Ah!" Amy screamed. Geoff and Beindra jumped. "See it? Over
there!"
Sure enough, hanging from a tree was a sheer Japanese lamp.
"Gee, that's quite a sight," Geoff mused.
"That? I've seen tons of those around Japan," Beindra told them.
"But we're not in Japan," Amy answered.
"Amy, grab it. It's perfect!" Geoff exclaimed, excitedly.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Alright?" Amy took it down from the tree and added it to their
collection.
"Four down, one to go!" Geoff recapped.

The sky dimmed as another day came to an end. The kids and Beindra
settled down under a Maple tree and stared at the clouds that were
slowly fading.
"Amy, Geoff, what about a star? To give to the Queen?" Beindra
suggested as she locked her eye on the prettiest star above.
"Oh, Beindra, that would be perfect. But how in the world would we get
a star?" Amy replied.
"Easy! I'll be right back." And she zoomed through the air like a beam
of light. Amy and Geoff watched her in amazement as they saw the
sparkle (which was Beindra) fly in the air, right up to a star. She
took hold of it and shot down. Beindra handed the shining star to
Amy.
"Wow. This is wonderful."
"Get up! Get up! Let' go!" Geoffrey shouted.
"What? Where are we going?" Beindra cried.
"To the castle!"
"Geoff, it's dark. We can't head back now. We won't be able to see our
path," Amy argued.
"Beindra, could you shine a light to help us? I want to get back as
soon as possible."
"Sure can, old buddy." She returned.
And so, by the light of Beindra's wings, they started off toward the
castle that held that fate of their lives and their father's.

Surprisingly, it didn't take them long to reach the Queen's kingdom.
And when they did, they had to wake the guards at the front gate.
"Excuse me, could you please let us in. We're Amy and Geoffrey
Armstrong."
The guards grunted and let them inside. They walked aimlessly around
the palace, not knowing where to find the Queen. And then, a tap on
their backs told them she was right behind them.
"You're back, and so soon," She greeted them.
"Yes. We've done it, your Majesty. We've done it!"
"Let me see. Show them to me." The Queen sat down on her throne.
"Well, first we have Edelweiss." Amy held up the flower. The Queen
nodded.
"And we have Beindra here. She's a fairy. Isn't she lovely?"
"Quite."
"Oh! And we have this bar of gold. And this little Japanese lamp. And
last, but definitely not least, this star. It was taken right form the
sky. Beindra got it," Amy explained.
"Wow, children. You really have done it." The Queen recited the famous
Henry Higgins line. They just stood their, smiling.
"Guard! Let the childrens' father out of the dungeon- immediately!"
The Queen ordered.

Amy and Geoff followed the guard downstairs where they saw their
father sleeping in a cell. The key was turned in the lock of the cell,
and Amy and Geoff felt like it was unlocking there heart to see their
father once again.