Girl Who Lived by a Well (A Short Story)

[WalrusFaces (Layla)]

Once upon a time there was girl. She had long golden hair and wide blue eyes. She could always be found at the side of a well, the same well that in many fairy tales had belonged to fairy queens or magical women. She thought that if she sat beside it long enough one of the enchantresses would show up to visit her. So every morning she would wake up at four and sit by the well. She would stay there until 11 at night. No one ever showed. She would often study while there. For women in that time werent allowed to learn much other than sewing and how to keep house. So she would sit beside the well and study maths and literature. She loved the childrens tales about how princes would always come for their princess.

A hundred years had passed since those days. The young girl was now an old maid. At least 110. She still sat by the well, hoping to meet one of the extraordinary women who granted wishes by this well. One day while the woman was engaged in a math book a beggar woman came to sit beside her. The beggars voice was old and course. "Now child, how long have you sat by this well?"

The old woman looked up from her book at the beggar. "Im a child no longer kind beggar, Ive been here for at least one hundred years." The old woman straightened up. "As a child I would often wake up early to sit by this well. But now in my old age I just remain here. Im sure my home is gone by now." She didnt seem to saddened by this. For the well had always been the girl's real home.


"Well that is indeed a shame, Since I have kept you witing for so long I shall award you your younger years back. When you wake in the morning you will once again become young and beautiful. You shall keep all of your learned knowledge to help you further." The beggar woman looked up from beneath her hood. "Tell me your name child."

"Elise. Thank you for your gift." She said with a smile. She bid the beggar goodbye and returned to her math books.

So then the woman slept.


When she woke it was just as the beggar had said. Elise was much younger than she was the day before. She was in the prime of her youth, the age that most would venture out into the world to be courted and then married. She looked at the well beside of her. It was just the same as it always had been. Old, grey, magical. She smiled a bit to herself as she packed all her books away and hid them. She set off through the woods toward the town where she used to live. The streets were just as crowded as they always had been. People always rushing to and fro. street peddler was selling fruits on a stand, children played ball all down the road. Everything was so alive and loud. It was so much different from the silence and serenity of the well that she had known for so long.


There was a man not too far from her. He smiled as he approached. "My names Nick, Its spelled M-o-o-n." He said. He wriung his hands in front of him.He looked shyly down at the ground and held out his hand to shake hers. Elise was baffled. This man couldnt even spell his own name. Odd. Education standards for men must've declined.

"Im Elise. E-l-i-s-e" she said shaking his hand.

"Elise. M-o-o-n." Nick said laughing. he smiled and gave her an apple from his pocket. "Yours." he said placing it in her hand. He bit his nails with a proud grin.


She took the apple. It was indeed a very good apple.

And from that day forth they were friends. Elise taught Nick simple gramar and math since that was all he could learn and understand. And he taught her more about humanity, through action of course.

But during these time Elise had been seeing another man. Not in the same way though. Nick was a friend. Joseph was her courtier. Her betrothed. He was a nobleman from another town. He'd come seeking a bride. And he'd found Elise. Their wedding would be in a few months.

At this moment in time Elise was teaching Nick simple divisions. He smiled up at her. He was always such a happy person. "Elise," He said wringing his hands. "I love you.L-o-v y-u."

Elise smiled at him too. "I love you too Nick." She ruffled his hair like you would a child's.

"No Elise. I love you. I want you to marry me." He said sounding a bit frustrated.

"Nick, Im marrying Joeseph. Its the wise decision." She said.

"You say everythings a wise descision." Nick grumbled. He looked like he was almost in tears. He set the mathbook down on the bench by the well, Thats where she'd been teaching him, and stormed off. Elise clicked her teeth and shuffled all the little papers together. She went back into town, she was supposed to be meeting Joseph in a few minutes. She went down to the tea stand to wait at one of the many tables. It took joseph at least two hours to finally show up. He'd often been coming late and being argumentative. He'd always been an easily angered man. More than likely from all the rum he drank. Bu Elise still pretended to love him because it was 'the wise descision'.

"Where've you been?" Elise asked sipping her tea.

"Don't be so nosy." Joseph growled at her. "I ran into your little handicapped friend."

"Dont say that about Nick. Hes just like everyone else." Elise said stiffening.

"I dont want you around him anymore. Not like he could see you anyway after the beating i just gave him." He said with a smirk.

Elise slapped him. Hard. By this point she had decided that Joseph was no longer the 'wise descision'. She took her shawl and ran off. She found Nick curled up by the well crying.

"Oh Nick." She said crouching beside him.

He hugged her tightly in fear. "Elise."

"Yes Nick?"

"Do you still Love joseph?"

"No, Nick. But I do love you. So if your still offering marriage I would be glad to say yes."

"I love you Elsie. M-o-o-n."

So Elise and Nick lived Happily ever after.

THE END

(I know this moved at a ridiculous pace. Its supposed to be a short children's story with one or multiple morals.)