Hector Protector was dressed all in green;
Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.
The Queen did not like him,
Nor more did the King;
So Hector Protector was sent back again.
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Hector Protector the Famous Magician
There once was a young boy named Hector Protector who dreamed of being the best magician in all the land. He saved his money for months to buy a kit of magic tricks and then he practiced many hours each day. His mother, Mrs. Protector, who believed in him most of all, sewed an all green outfit- complete with a blouse, leggings, shoes, and a cape- fit for the greatest magician of all because green was his very favorite color. Armed with his kit and dressed all in green, he performed his shows around the town and his reputation soon began to spread. He soon found himself dreaming of one day performing for the King and Queen, who were known to be enormous fans of magic shows.
Hector's Magic Tricks
After months of performing and on his 18th birthday, Hector received the best birthday gift imaginable. An old squire delivered a royal scroll right to his door and when he opened it, his jaw dropped to the floor. He had been summoned to the royal court to perform his very best magic tricks at the King and Queen's royal Summer Solstice dinner. He had one week to prepare his very best. He shined his wand and straightened his cards while Mrs. Protector washed and ironed his clothes and cape. Finally, the day had come and he was ready.
Hector was escorted into the palace by the very same squire who had delivered the good news. He was led into the royal dining room where the King and Queen were seated at a beautiful table with all the important lords and ladies of the land. Hector took a deep breath, knowing this was his time to shine. After arranging his props and with the Queen's nod of approval, he began. However... much to his dismay, he couldn't perform his show! He dropped his wand, jumbled the cards, and even knocked a glass off the table with his mighty cape. Hector was mortified and wondered how he could possibly save his show.
The Royal Dining Room
Alas, the Queen rose and stood at the head of the table, staring straight into his eyes. As he looked around, he suddenly realized that neither she nor the King was amused and all of the lords and ladies were laughing at him. He felt his face turn bright red as she raised her arm and pointed to the door in dismissal. The squire from before quickly returned to his side and shuffled him out of the room while he frantically trying to gather his belongings. Hector felt tears streaming down his face in embarrassment as he was sent away from the royal palace.
His mother was waiting with open arms when he returned home and he told her of his tragic experience. Hector desperately wanted to quit being a magician at that moment, but Mrs. Protector would not let him give up that easily. She told him that his talent as a magician was not determined by the King and Queen's approval and that it was time to find a new dream audience. Consoled by her advice and encouraged by her kind words, Hector constructed a backyard theatre with a stage, curtains, lights, and seats and created fliers, hanging them around the town in eager anticipation of his new show.
When the night of the show arrived, Hector, dressed in all green, stepped on stage and was greeted by a full house of friends and family there to support him. He nervously began his show and to his surprise, it was flawless! The audience erupted into cheers and he couldn't help but grin realizing that friends and family were more important than the King and Queen anyway. Hector was a real magician- he had done it!
Hector's Magic Show
Author's Note:
In the original rhyme, Hector Protector- who was dressed all in green- was sent to the Queen, but neither she nor the King liked him and he was sent back home. I instantly pictured Hector as a young man who was eager to impress the Queen and King with his talent but was devastated to be dismissed from their palace. This inspired me to make him an aspiring magician who was anxious to prove himself. However, I did not want the story to settle with a depressing and sad ending, so I added that his mother, who was his biggest fan, encouraged him to try again and become successful in his own way. Expanding on Hector's character, as well as creating his mother Mrs. Protector, was challenging yet enjoyable!
Bibliography:
This short story is inspired by and based on the nursery rhyme "Hector Protector" in The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang.
I loved this story! You took a simple nursery rhyme and made it into so much more. I really like how you gave Hector a strong person in his mother so that he had someone in his life to support him and lift him up when the world was cruel to him. I also like the moral that teaches it is okay to have your own kind of success and that it doesn't matter if you impress "important" people. I loved the happy ending with the backyard show!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard the original version of the nursery rhyme, "Hector Protector," but for some reason I feel that I'd still like your version better based on the happy ending that you made and the lesson it taught. You did a great job at giving the characters personality. I felt so sad for Hector when he failed in front of the King and Queen, but soon after was happy when his mom taught him an amazing life lesson and he went on to complete an even more important task for more important people to him.I also love all the pictures that you incorporated, as it makes your blog look both more professional and interesting. Good job!
ReplyDeleteRight off the bat beginning this story of a magician my mind immediately began to think of the magicians who are shown in Now You See Me, dressed as normal everyday people performing their illusions. Only for this preconceived image to be immediately blown away by the detailed description you presented of his homemade green outfit, which in my mind is similar to the one worn by the Batman villain Riddler. Picturing an energetic young magician watching his mother sew the outfit for him with the dream of one day performing for the royalty of his country is an image that belongs in a BBC series. You might in a future revision consider adding a description as to how he managed to garner the attention of the king to be invited to his court to perform. Did he write a letter, perform in the street for years, or have an unimaginable trick that the king had to see for himself in his palace.
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