A collaborative story using the meaning of names

G.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a beautiful princess. Her name was Veronika, which means something like victory bringer. Princess Veronika's home was a white castle, on the top of a remote hill, protected from all evil by the winds which surrounded it and from which the mountain got its name of 'Windmountain' "

Princess Veronika's neighbour was called Glynis Burr. Her last name (Burr) means she lived in a castle, in a valley (Glynis) and she was like a weed. Everywhere she went she planted weeds and destroyed people's gardens. Her castle was called Castle Burr. Burr castle could not be seen because of the weeds. Glynis had to build a tall tower so that she could see Veronika's castle and she used to try and throw weed seeds  into the wind and hope they would  grow in Veronika's castle  garden. Veronika was so glad she lived at Windmountain and that the weeds  would blow away towards Meiann's garden. Meiann (whose name means peace) never complained as she did not want to cause an argument.

A.

One day Meiann was herding cattle when she saw a lot of weed seeds being blown towards her garden and so she asked the cattle to eat the weeds. The cattle ate the weeds and grew sleek and fat, so, Meiann (whose name means beautiful peace) was very pleased with Glynis. This meant that Queen Glynis of Castle Burr had to think of another plan. Princess Veronika of the White castle on Windmountain was safe that day but the following day, because weeds grow quickly, Glynis had more seeds to throw to the wind. she decided that instead of trying to hurt people with the weed seeds she would try to persuade them that weeds could be beautiful too.

Glynis (whose name means valley) was just sad that everyone looked at Veronika the victory bringer in her romantic castle on the peak of Windmountain and overlooked her pretty and often useful weeds. Now she realised that Sam whose Chinese name means Forest lived nearby. She thought she would try to get some of her weed seeds to grow in the forest's shade. 

Some of the weeds were very happy to grow there, pretty Miss Alchemilla Mollis who was known to her friends as Ladies Mantle (a kind of cloak) and the tall handsome Mr Digitalis Purpurea who kindly allowed the foxes to use his flowers for gloves, earning him the name of Foxglove. These flowers were so pretty that people went to ask Glynis for the seeds so that they could grow them in their gardens. ''What we need now'' they said ''is a gate for the garden and some ornamental trees''.

V.

In less than no time Glynis's weed seeds had snowballed the forest shade, where Sam lived in a beautiful block house with a small garden. He was so thrilled about the pretty Alchemilla Mollis, Digitalis Purpureas and the yellow dandelions that had grown rapidly, that he decided to invite all the  neighbours for a nice cup of tea.

S. 

All the neighbours accepted Sam’s invitation and during a chat over a good cup of tea they admired the beautiful weeds in the shade of the forest. Then Sam promised his guests a surprise. On the stroke of midnight they could hear a rustling sound of leaves in the forest and suddenly a fairy appeared, dressed in the most beautiful plant covers, with a gorgeous wreath of flowers in her hair. Sam hugged and kissed the fairy, then he turned around and said, “My dear friends, this is my bride Silvia, the forest fairy of Windmountain. We want to invite all of you to our wedding party at full moon next week.” Glynis offered  the couple the chance to celebrate their party at Burr Castle but then. 

G.

Glynis remembered the calf herder had said Princess Veronika 's castle needed some gates at her castle. Glynis decided to plant a wall of ivy around  Princess Veronika's castle as she thought this would make a good gate. Glynis broadcast her seeds and very soon Veronika's castle was obscured (hidden) behind a wall of lush green foliage. Then someone asked Sam if he would like to celebrate his marriage to Silvia at Veronika's castle. Sam said he thought it was a good idea.

On the day of the wedding  everyone went to Veronika's castle to celebrate Sam and Silvia’s wedding. Silvia borrowed a horse from Monika to take her to the wedding  but she couldn't find Veronika's castle. She got lost in the woods in the dense undergrowth  and 

A.

was beginning to get frightened at being all alone among the rustling leaves, with no living creature near her other than Monika's horse. Suddenly, she heard a sound of crying and so, she followed the sound and came upon a rather grubby (a bit dirty) little child. The child had tears running down its small face which had  left tracks in the dirt on its cheeks. 

Silvia had a kind heart and even though she was lost and it was her wedding day, her first thought was for the waif (small, thin and poor child) in front of her. " Oh! you poor thing" she said " whatever is the matter" (what is the problem)."I was picking the wildflowers (weeds) yesterday but I got lost and I've been here alone all night. I want to go home!" replied the child. 

Silvia (who was named after the Roman goddess of woodlands and trees) realised that she was no longer lost. Monika's horse had led her to the child deliberately. Then she remembered that Queen Monika's name meant a counsellor or advisor and realised that she had used her wisdom to find the lost child.

M.

Queen Monika, who was also the councillor of the country, lived in the most beautiful castle in this area. When she heard about Queen Glynis of Castle Burr, who was causing trouble with weed seeds, she harnessed her team of horses.

As she went round the area she was able to examine the damage. Afterwards she got her administrator to write the survey report. She was very angry about the intensity of the weeds on her land. 

When Queen Monika heard about the wedding party to be held at full moon at Burr Castle, between Sam and his bride Silvia, the forest fairy of Windmountain, she wanted to go there too, because she would have the opportunity to meet everyone in the neighbourhood and to inform them all about the new edict or law on her land. 

She and her husband went by carriage with the second horse, they had at hand, through the dense wood.  What a suprise! In the forest they found the lost and  fearful Silvia with the frightened child waiting for help. 

At first Silvia was very shocked and surprised to see the strong, powerful Queen Monika, but nevertheless she was glad to get help..

V.

The small child had calmed down and said that she lived with her grandparents on the edge of the wood next to the small lake, where her grandfather used to catch fish,

A.

but now he couldn't  catch fish anymore because, Glynis of Burr Castle had used water birds to carry weed seeds to the lake on their legs and feet. The lake was now clogged with weeds and the fisherman's nets became tangled when he tried to use them. This was the reason the small child had gone into the woods alone, she was hoping to find some edible (safe to eat) nuts and berries to take home as a surprise for her Grandparents but instead she became lost and frightened.

When Queen Monika, Silvia The woodland fairy and Princess Veronika of Windmountain heard this they were determined to help. They went to Meiann the calfherder and asked her if her cattle could eat the lake weeds, as they had eaten the ones in the grass. Sadly, Meiann explained that grass weeds are different from lake weeds and her kine (a North country name for cattle) would not eat them. So they spoke to the small animals in the woods. The squirrel (whose name is often used to describe someone who hoards things) said he had a lot of nuts in his stores and ran off to bring some to the child. The magpie (whose name is used to mean someone who keeps stores of bright treasure) said he had some very fine red currants and flew away to get some as his contribution. 

This was very kind of them but it did not solve the problem of the weed clogged lake and so they spoke to the owl, because, as everyone knows their name is synonymous (means the same, or, is interchangeable with) with wisdom. The owl said that as the water birds had brought the weed seeds to the lake, they should be asked to help to remove the weeds which had grown from them. So, a meeting of all the water  birds was called 

G. 

and they decided that the wading birds could collect some of the weeds on their  legs  and drag them to the bank of the lake, then any small animals or fish therein, could crawl back into the lake.  The ducks said they liked to eat pondweed and they would have a feast, which they did.  Some of the birds decided to collect bits of weed to use in their nests although they didn' t usually use weeds to line their nests.

The local inhabitants (people) looked at the lake and decided to remove some of the rotting weeds to use as compost on their crops. Princess Veronika of  Wind mountain decided to  send a cold  wind  which killed some of the weeds and very soon the lake was clean and the fish and other small creatures that lived in the lake were happy again. Queen Monika was very impressed. She thought her subjects, the animals and birds, had shown they were true Friends of the Earth, balancing nature by working together, being sensible and never being defeated  by small disasters. She was also grateful to the owl for offering a practical solution to the problem.

Meanwhile Glynis  was still waiting for an invitation to the wedding. She decided to blow some convolvulus seeds towards Windmountain and dug up some  pieces of convolvulus root which the birds carried for her up to Princess Veronika's castle. The seeds germinated very quickly and pieces of  convolvulus root soon started to sprout. The gate to Princess Veronika's castle was soon covered in beautiful ivy and  the white flowers of the convolvulus. Princess Veronika  was very  happy.  Her castle had never looked so good. She sent a message to Glynis in her valley to thank her for all her help and invited her to the wedding. Glynis was  glad to go to the wedding and made lots of new friends . She was no longer lonely.  

The wedding took place as planned. Silvia and Sam had a wonderful day and everyone lived happily ever after.  

Many thanks to  G., A., V., S. and M. for their contributions. 
corrected by G., England