Mahogany Brown
Long ago, and far, far away, a child was born. The child had beauty of the purest kind, her face was the color of true mahogany, she had skin so dark and smooth it was like a cool autumn night, her hair was black and pure as a midnight sky, thickly coiled, standing full and proud upon her head. Her laughter was warm with the richness of joy. Her heart was innocent and pure. She was called Mahogany Brown.
Shortly after her birth, the First Queen, Mahogany Browns’ mother, died. The King was miserable in his loneliness and sought another wife. His new wife was beautiful, yet she did not encompass the same kindness or modesty as the First Queen. She prized her beauty above all else.
The Second Queen had a Magic Mirror that she looked upon and said “Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the most beautiful of us all?” To which the Mirror replied “Why you are the most beautiful of them all.” This made the Second Queen very pleased, for no one in the kingdom could surpass her beauty. She was as warm as cinnamon with a touch of hazelnut cream, with locks of soft golden brown braids resting on her shoulders with cowrie shells dangling here and there. Even with all the beauty she possessed her heart was conceited and mean.
The Second Queen, absorbed in her own beauty, did not notice Mahogany Brown grew more and more beautiful with each passing day and year. The Second Queen treated Mahogany Brown fair enough, until one day she looked in her Magic Mirror and asked “Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the most beautiful of us all?” It answered “Second Queen you possess a beauty that has never before been beat, but Mahogany Browns beauty exceeds yours and runs enchantingly pure and deep.”
This sent the Second Queen into an outrage her skin grew ashy and pale, her soft brown braids became dull and frayed. Her conceited heart became wild with hatred and grew sick with envy. She could not rest knowing that Mahogany Brown was the most beautiful of all. In her rage she ordered a huntsman to take Mahogany Brown deep woods and kill her so that no one can look upon her beauty again.
The huntsman obeyed and took the girl deep into the woods, except when he lifted his sword to pierce her pure heart, he looked upon the young girl and seeing her weep, felt a pang of regret. As he came down with the sword Mohogany Brown cried out “Please spare my life, I will run deep into the wilderness and never come home again.” The huntsman, overwhelmed by her beauty and innocence said “Run child, run deep in to the wilderness and never ever look back.” Mahogany Brown dashed into the mess of tangled trees and overgrown woods and was never seen again, until...
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most beautiful of us all?” The mirror replied “Second Queen, although your magnificence is abundant and rare, Mahogany Brown grows beautiful as the moonlight sparkles and dances where seven little men take their chances, keeping her beauty there.” The Second Queen screamed so loudly that the magic Mirror shattered into a seven million pieces. As her rage grew so did her plan…
Mahogany Brown had found a home with the seven dwarfs. They were a happy and friendly bunch, unique and grand, like the shades in the woods during a deep autumn sunset. Fawn was the nurturer; he was gentle and dear as could be. Oak was the oldest he was magnificent, strong and wise. Russet had a unique deep red color to his hair and was always the most cheerful of them all, but Tawny was the serious and dull one of the bunch and his pale skin tone never mattered to much to them. Now Bronze and Copper where brothers very close in age, they loved to entertain and had the talent to brighten even the gloomiest of days. Then there was Umber he was known best of all for his knowledge of plants and growing things. Mahogany Brown grew fond of her new friends and found a unique beauty in each one of them.
When the seven dwarfs left for work they warned “Let NO one in the house, it is the only way to keep you safe.”
Later that day Mahogany Brown heard a fragile voice call out “Laces of all colors for sale! Get your fine laces here!” Mahogany Brown peeked out the window and saw what looked to be a sweet innocent old lady and replied “Good day, what have you for sale? Please come in.” The old woman then helped Mahogany Brown in a beautiful golden lace. The old woman tugged and pulled and yanked, until Mahogany Brown had no breath left and gracefully crumpled down to the warm brown earth. The old woman sprinted away changing into the Second Queen as she fled, leaving Mahogany Brown for dead…
The dark warm earth helped keep Mahogany Brown safe until the seven dwarfs returned home and cut the lace away giving her back her breath. She told them all that happened to which they replied, “This mysterious old woman was none other than the Second Queen. You must not allow anyone into the house, it is much too dangerous.”
When the Second Queen returned home, she found the Magic Mirror intact as if it renewed its beauty. When the mirror got a glimpse of the Second Queen, he crooned, “She still lives and grows more beautiful than you, as the moonlight sparkles and dances where seven little men take their chances, keeping her beauty there.” The Second Queen was boiling over with envy and hate. She set out to kill Mahogany Brown, but just as before, the seven dwarfs returned home just in time to save her, again and again, until finally she had the perfect plan…
A sweet baby faced child knocked on the window. Mahogany Brown peeked her head out and said in a panic, “Go away, I am not to let anyone in.” Then she looked down, saw the sweet little girl, relaxed, and smiled. The little one shyly whispered, “Would you like a delicious red apple miss?” “Oh, no thank you.” replied Mahogany Brown still cautious from her previous encounters. The little girl pleaded, “Oh please, miss take an apple or my step mother will banish me, please miss!” Feeling sympathy for the sweet child, Mahogany Brown quickly took the apple and deeply bit into it. She began to feel weak and dizzy, ”OH NOooooo!” cried Mahogany Brown as she fell into a deep, deep sleep, that could only be awakened by her soul-mates gentle touch. This time the seven dwarfs could not save her and they wept and mourned…
The Second Queen returned home, removed the sweet little girl disguise and stood proudly in front of her Magic Mirror and asked “Mirror, mirror on the wall, now who is the most beautiful of us all?” The mirror wept as he replied, “You are now the most beautiful of them all.” The Second Queen was now very pleased and her conceited heart smiled.
The seven dwarfs encased Mahogany Brown in an elegant glass coffin where she remained as beautiful as the day they met her, even the dark red rose they placed in her hands stayed as fresh as the day it bloomed. They placed the coffin in the garden where the moonlight sparkled and danced over her night after night, hoping that her beauty and innocence would live again…
Many long years passed as Mahogany Brown lay in the coffin. Her beauty remained of the purest kind, her face remained the color of true mahogany, her skin so dark and smooth it was like a cool autumn night, her hair remained black and pure as a midnight sky, thickly coiled, and standing full and proud upon her head. Her warm and rich laughter could be heard throughout the midnight garden. Even in this eternal sleep, her heart remained innocent and pure.
Soon a Faithful King’s Son came across the coffin and fell instantly in love with the pure beauty of Mahogany Brown. The Faithful King’s Son was tall as an evergreen, as bold as brass, and his smile spread across his face slowly like pure sweet molasses. His skin was deep, soft, and as dark as the midnight sky. His voice was like smooth cinnamon butter and his heart was innocent and pure, a soul mate of sleepy Mahogany Brown. Deep in her sleep, Mahogany Brown could feel his presence, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not rouse herself to wake, the poison the Second Queen cast was mean and strong. The Faithful King’s Son begged and pleaded with the dwarfs to be allowed to touch her just once. The seven dwarfs at first denied, wanting to keep her beauty to themselves, had a change of heart and allowed the Faithful King’s Son to open the coffin and touch her just once. As he reached his gentle hand down to touch her beautiful face he thought he could hear her sweet voice melting over his heart. She awoke at once and fell deeply and truly in love. He said to her “I have searched for many years for a beauty and love so pure, deep in my heart I have always known and loved you. Please spend the rest of your days as my wife my beautiful Mahogany Brown.”
That day the Second Queens mirror rejoiced and sung happily “O’ Second Queen although your magnificence was once abundant and rare, Mahogany Brown grows even more beautiful as the moonlight sparkles and dances where a king’s son took his chances and found true love there.” After hearing this, the Second Queens face slowly grew pale as an albino rat and her skin shriveled up and became gray and ashy, just as her hair all fell to the ground. Her conceited heart leapt, crashed, and then exploded with envy killing her slowly as she watched her prized beauty tumble away.
However, Mahogany Brown, the Faithful King’s Son and the seven dwarfs all lived happily ever after, of course!
