Finding a way out and how to stay out

This part of the story is about finding, making and using tools. Once the tools are available and in use, the hero can survive her future.

The princess picked up the silver spoon and began to dig. She dug a stairway all along the edge of the hole. Step by step she dug out ledges and little outcroppings and shelves until she was most of the way up and out of the hole. Then she found herself surrounded by her shredded dresses hanging from the roots of the hearth. When she looked through the mirror at the threads of her shredded dresses, she saw the truth of what they could become.

She began to weave the cloth. It was hung to the walls of the hole all the around in a circle. She wove a garment hooded and flowing. It sparkled with the gold and silver thread. The princess wove protection into the weave and weft of this cape. The cape became a shield against all encroaching deceptions. The princess learned to block unhealthy attacks using the cape. Of course she first had to learn, as we all do, how to block unhealthy attacks from her own mind. This learning made the cape stronger and more protective.

When the princess finally got to the top of hole and back into the kingdom, she was able to use the mirror and see people for what they truly were no matter what kind of spell they had cast. She used her cape to fend off unhealthy attacks. The prince found his wife and the princess found her children, and they were able to be a family again.

Some tools come from friends and mentors and some come from the strengths of the past and some need to be created in the present moment in order to fill a persons protective needs.

The Mentor

Now we go back to the hero and her experience.

The princess bounced off the edges of the hole. From root to rock she rolled and fell. Finally she landed at the bottom of the hole. It was deep and dark and it felt like time itself had stopped in the slow stagnant place. The princess was so surprised, se didn’t even know for certain where she was. Se wandered around the small circle that was the bottom of the hole. Eventually she cried. Se cried for a long time.

Now came a time of struggle. The prince lost his wife and the children lost their mother. The prince held onto the children though it all.

This story introduces a new character. This fellow is common in traditional stories. He is the wise old man or the mentor. This character can of course be a woman. I just decided on a man. The mentor provides wisdom and gives gifts.

Their came a time at the bottom of that hole when the princess could see a warm red glow begin to form in the center of the hole. As her eyes adjusted and the fire grew larger, she saw that a dwarf was tending the fire.

The dwarf spoke to her, “Pick up all those pieces of mirror and bring them to me.” The dwarf said. So she picked up every scrap of that mirror. Each scrap was easy to see because they were reflecting the fire. The dwarf took the shards of glass and put them all into the fire. He wove a spell and with the magic of the deep earth, the dwarf pulled from the fire a mirror like no other she had even seen. This mirror was silver on the edges and had a silver handle but the glass itself was as clear as the truth. When the princess looked through the glass at the dwarf, she did not see an ugly little man, she saw who he really was in his heart. He was glowed with kindness and wisdom. Her heart was filled with gratitude. When she looked through the mirror at the walls of the hole, she saw the truth of what they could become.

The princess will find more gifts available to her and we will work on that part of the story next.