Once Upon a Pond

Once upon a time there was a queen. As a young princess the queen had loved fish and marine life. She had a large tropical fish tank and spent a great deal of time tending to her cute little fishies. Once the queen had married and had her very own castle she decided to put in a little pond. After all, ponds are so much more attractive than the typical moat! She started small with a tiny partially submerged pond. Pretty goldfish swam happily among the water plants. A small pump kept the water fresh and circulating. No nasty algae found its way into her perfect little water world. Little frogs came to visit the pond and mosquitoes were quickly eaten by the pond dwelling residents.

Emboldened by her success in the pond world, the queen decided it was time to take the next step. After all, bigger is always better, right? The queen pestered her handsome king until he caved to her charming ways, and excavation began. The king and their princely son dug until a pond sized hole was made on the outskirts of the castle patio. Soon the new, larger, better pond was teaming with pretty Koi. The queen surveyed her kingdom with content. “Ah,” she sighed, “Now I can sit for hours gazing upon my beautiful pond!”

Then mosquitoes discovered the pond. Soon the only way to enjoy the royal garden was with eau de bug spray slathered upon oneself. “More fish,” cried the queen, “they will eat the bugs!” Soon the pond began to look somewhat cloudy. Ugly Darth Vader like algae eaters were brought in to alleviate the problem. Soon a larger filter and pump joined the castle expenses. The royal pond soon became a royal pain. 

One day, as the queen sat surveying her pond, wondering how to keep her future grand princess from falling in and drowning, she had an epiphany! 

Fire! “I must have fire near my patio,” shouted the queen! The king once again sighed and busied himself doing the queens bidding. 

Now the queen and the rest of the royal court enjoy evenings sitting by the fire, talking and enjoying s’mores. And they all lived happily ever after! ….Hmmm….I wonder if a chicken coop would fit in that corner of the yard…

~ Marla  (aka, the Queen)