The Magicalendar (Fairy tale)

Once upon a time, a long time ago, an old man who was dying made a will leaving all of his money, land and property to his beloved son, his only heir, a boy named Calvino and, to his only other relative, his Sister, he left an old calendar.

But his Sister, discovering that all the man had left her was an old calendar was outraged and breaking into his house and stealing the will replaced it with another which she had forged that gave all the man’s money, land and property to her and her three daughters and only the old calendar to Calvino.

“Let my Nephew have the lousy old calendar if he wants it”, thought the wicked Aunt.

And, when the man’s Solicitor read out the will, the son was dismayed to hear that all he would receive for his inheritance was the calendar.

“What will I do, how will I survive without any money, property or land?”, he thought.

But, because the son had loved his father, he accepted the calendar with good grace.

However, when his Aunt took possession of the house and land she had inherited, she threw Calvino out, saying,

“Take your calendar and get out. This house is not your home anymore”.

And so Calvino was made homeless and, with nothing but the calendar and the clothes upon him he travelled down the road that led from his house, not knowing what would become of him.

But after sometime it started to rain and so the young man sought shelter inside a nearby cave.

“Oh if only my father hadn’t given away our house to that horrible Aunt of mine and her three ugly daughters. I would still have a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in. Now all I have is this stupid calendar”, he said.

And, opening up and looking at the calendar, he saw that upon every page there was a picture of a pretty girl dressed in a toga with flowers in her hair, like an ancient Goddess, a different one for every month.

“Oh well, at least I will not feel so lonely with these 12 pretty goddess’s for company, but I do so wish that I had a house to hang this calendar in”.

The moment he said these words, however, suddenly, as if a strong gust of wind had blown into the cave, the pages of the calendar started to flap and flutter and then, out of the pictures upon the pages of the calendar leapt the 12 women and as they did, they said their names aloud which were January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December and then, because the man had wished for a house, the 12 women rushed about at incredible speed sawing and hammering and laying brick upon brick until, eventually, outside the cave stood an enormous mansion fit for a duke or an earl.

“Is there anything else that you wish us to do for you, oh master?”, asked the beautiful, blonde haired January who seemed to be the leader of the 12, bowing to him.

“Umm..no..but”, said the man, too flabbergasted to be able to think of what to wish for, “But who are you?”.

“We are the Months; the 12 daughters of Cronos or Old Father Time, the stars and planets turn within our hands and all the miracles that time can accomplish, we can perform; we can make mountains rise and fall; we can turn seas into deserts and deserts into forests; make paupers into rich men, build and ruin nations”, said January, “Whatever you wish, oh master, because the Magicalendar is yours”.

Now the young man, looking up at heaven, thanked his father,

“Oh thank you, father”, he said, “I forgive you for giving away our money, house and land for who needs those things when I have power such as this”.

Then the man entered the mansion and, inside, it was as lavish as outside, with vast rooms ornately decorated with frescos and carvings and mosaics, filled with expensive furniture and hung with crystal chandeliers.

But then, the next day, as she was riding by in her coach and horses Calvino’s Aunt saw the mansion and wondering where it had come from and who it belonged to, she knocked upon its door and the door was answered by one of the 12 Months from the calendar, the auburn haired March and when the Aunt asked her who owned the mansion, she said,

“It belongs to my master Lord Calvino. His wicked Aunt threw him out of his house after she inherited it and all his father’s land but, fortunately, his father left him a magical calendar that grants his every wish”.

Hearing this, the Aunt realised that the owner of the house was her nephew,

“Oh, what a fool was I to leave that Calendar to that good for nothing, Calvino”, she said, sulking jealously, “All I got was money, a house and land but he got the power to grant his every wish”.

But then his Aunt decided that she must get her hands upon her nephews Calendar so she sent her Nephew an invitation to a New Year’s Eve party, instructing her three daughters,

“While I am entertaining him, you will go to his house, find and steal that magic Calendar. Understand?”.

When Calvino got the invitation, however, he was very suspicious,

“My Aunt has never been nice to me before and she threw me out and left me penniless and homeless. Why is she being nice to me now? She must be after my Calendar”.

But when he told his worries to January, she reassured him,

“Don’t worry, master. Go to your Aunt’s party and leave the Calendar behind but, before you do, wish that any wish made with it, unless the words “Happy New Year” are spoken first, shall turn into a horrible curse”.

And so Calvino did as January suggested and then went to his Aunts Party and while he was there, his Aunts three daughters broke into his house and searching all the rooms, found the calendar, taking it back to their mother.

Then, while he was seated at his Aunts dinner table, his Aunt entered holding the Calendar with a large satisfied smirk upon her face.

“Now I’ve got everything that’s yours”, said his Aunt, “Not to mention the power to have anything I wish for”.

Then the Aunt started to make a wish,

“Now I wish that I was the richest woman in all the world”, she said, “And as powerful as a queen”.

And, as she said this, thunder started to boom and lightning began to flash across the sky,

But then, instead of 12 beautiful women leaping out of the calendar, 12 horrible hairy ogres leapt out and then, snarling and growling, they chased the Aunt and her three daughters out of their house, down the road and far away.

“What happened?”, asked Calvino as he saw January and the other Months appear.

“Your Aunt did not say ‘Happy New Year’ ”, said January, “And so her wish turned into a horrible curse”.

After that Calvino had a very happy new year and a very happy life.