Appleby
Mrs. Gay, a widowed philosopher and shepherd owned the largest flock of sheep in Grimm’s countryside. It was twice the size of the 2nd largest, tended by Appleby Jacks, a known brigand and philanderer.
Appleby wanted Mrs. Gay in the worst way and often tried to woo her to the best of his abilities. But Mrs. Gay wouldn’t give Appleby the time of day. She went about her business tending sheep and laying by the babbling brook whenever she could, reading books by Nietzsche, Humethe, Kierkegaard and Aristotle, and wondering why Appleby was such a thorn in her side.
One day, after failing miserably to woo Mrs. Gay yet again, Appleby went down to the babbling brook and made a wish, just as he was dosing off. When he awoke, he knew exactly what to do to win her heart.
Over the next week, Appleby built a cozy hut, made of his own blood, sweat and tears, and filled it with books and a little table for two. Appleby had Tinker, the neighborhood fairy, cast an enticing ribbon around it and around him, and laid the ribbon’s end at Mrs. Gay’s doorstep.
One gloriously sunny morning, Mrs. Gay opened her door and found the most beautiful ribbon of green. Picking it up, she felt a curious tingling. The ribbon disappeared, and she found herself standing inside the little hut with Appleby beside her.
She didn’t know why, but she knew she had always loved Appleby, and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Looking around the small hut, born of blood, sweat, and tears, Mrs. Gay knew she was finally home.
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