The Mine

A kingdom mines to find there freedom,

Once upon a time, in a land far away, existed the Kingdom of McClarity. Its lands were vast and beautiful. However it wasn’t a rich kingdom by any means. The people worked hard to put food on the table and struggled to earn enough to pay their taxes. It wasn’t their fault. The kingdom had vast resources in the past. They mined gold, silver and salt. They timbered the vast forests full of large beautiful trees.The kingdom had been invaded a century before and between harvesting what resources they had themselves at a breakneck speed and when they were conquered the invaders had set up shop and mined the remaining gold and silver and had cut down almost every tree in the once beautiful forest. After they had taken everything they wanted, they just left. They left the people of the Kingdom of McClarity with nothing. They couldn’t hunt to feed their families because all of the trees had been cut down and there was nowhere left for the animals to live. The mines were mined out except for a little salt that they were grateful to have. Life seemed hopeless. The people struggled and suffered for many years.

The Kingdom of Mclarity was isolated from its neighboring lands by the high mountains that surrounded it on all sides. These mountains were tall and treacherous; they made any kind of travel or trade with neighboring kingdoms almost impossible. After a century of suffering, the forests had grown back and the animals had returned. But industry was destined to suffer. They couldn’t trade timber with neighboring kingdoms because it was impossible to get over the mountains.

The ruler of the Kingdom of Mclarity. A ravishing beauty named Queen Kim was a fair and honest ruler. Times were tough though and so was she. Queen Kim ruled with an iron fist. If she didn’t, the whole kingdom could implode. The people respected her for treating them fairly even under such difficult circumstances.

One day an old man arrived at the castle. His name was Kevin. He lived at the base of the black mountain and had been there for his entire life. He asked for an audience with the queen. He may have the answer to all their problems. He was led down a dark corridor and into the Queens Hall. Queen Kim sat on a wooden throne. It was almost as beautiful as she was. “How may I help you?” the queen asked. The old man Kevin explained, “Your Highness, My Queen. I have lived at the foot of the black mountain my entire life. I have hunted and explored every inch of that mountain. I have found a place that can still be mined for gold! Not only that but as we mine we will be headed towards the other side of the mountain where the Kingdom of Winslow is located. If we play our cards correctly, once we’re finished, we will have a tunnel through the mountain allowing us access to travel and trade in far off kingdoms.” The Queen was astonished. If this were true and they could make it work, it would mean unlimited prosperity for the people of the kingdom. ”Nobody deserves it more than the people of this kingdom.” The Queen thought to herself.

“This is wonderful, the gold we mine will pay for the project. You, Kevin, will oversee this endeavor. I, the Queen, as well as all the people of this kingdom are counting on you and your ingenuity to make this project a success. I command you to gather a crew and begin immediately.” The Queen proclaimed.

Overjoyed, Kevin went straight to work finding people for the mine. Once the word got around, workers were easy to find. The whole kingdom was happy and wanted to pitch in. It was the first time in a century they had hope.

As the months went by the mine got deeper. They pulled gold out of the mine daily. Luckily the trees had grown back and could be cut for timbers to shore up the tunnel. They had to dig it much bigger than a normal mine to accommodate the highway that would run through it. They dug air shafts all along the length of the tunnel as well. It was an enormous undertaking.

Finally the day came. The miners dug into the face of the mine swinging picks. Then it happened. an hole appeared opening to the outside on the opposite side of the mountain. The sunlight shone through the hole so bright it illuminated the tunnel for hundreds of feet. They had done it. They had mined enough gold to put the kingdom back in good standing and created a highway through the mountains that would allow them access to the outside world. The people celebrated. The Queen held a feast in honor of Kevin and the miners. They were hero’s. She commissioned a statue of Kevin and his team to commemorate their deeds so future generations would know of there great accomplishment.

All was right with the world. The future was bright and opportunity was everywhere. Now, the people of the Kingdom of McClarity, could live without struggle for the first time in a century.

And they all lived happily ever after…

The End