The Dancing Puppet

One day he found in the attic four wooden plates attached to a tangle of strings and at its end a little lifeless, broken doll. Beautiful porcelain face, blue eyes, red locks and pink lips forming a perfect smile.

Hour after hour he spent on her. Untangling her strings, fixing her, making her dresses, turning her into a princess. And he'd murmur sweet nonsense in her hair in the hope of soothing her and bring her back to life.

Slowly his soft caresses started to effect her and she started to react when he pulled her strings. Her movements were coarse, his jabs where rough but they slowly got used to each other and fell into a smooth rhythm. He willed her to dance and she accepted, for she loved him and was grateful for his patience. Together they made a perfect match, bringing smiles on everyone's face as they saw here graceful dance and her lit up face.

But as time passed he started to get greedy. He wanted her all for himself. He didn't like all the attention she was getting. Because she basked in others' love and started to ignore him.

Hurt and jealousy turned into anger and it instigated revenge. So he went to a sorcerer's for advice on how to punish her.

The sorcerer gave him a potion that would make her dance forever. And she drank it because she trusted him. Thus cursing herself for life and with her he slowly realised he was cursed as well. For as her perfect smile turned into a frown his heart cried out for her.

But all he could do was watch her dance. So he went back to the sorcerer to see what he could do. And the sorcerer turned him into a puppet and he joined her in the dance.

And they belonged to him now but they cared no more. For now they were equals and were together forever.

Dance for me my puppets

Dance these steps I give

Dance until you can't no more

Dance the dance of death