The Fountain of Fair Fortune by Chris Riddell
The Fountain of Fair Fortune is a story in The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
History[]
The Fountain of Fair Fortune is considered the most popular of Beedle the Bard's tales. However, the pro-Muggle sentiments expressed through the character of Sir Luckless and his proposal of marriage to the witch, Amata, has drawn the ire of those who are anti-Muggle. Lucius Malfoy once wrote to Albus Dumbledore demanding that the story was banned and removed from the Hogwarts library. He felt that any work of fiction or non-fiction that promoted wizard-Muggle marriages would negatively influence children, including his son, into destroying their pure-blood lineage. When the request was denied, Lucius started a campaign to have Dumbledore removed from the post of Head of Hogwarts in the late 20th century.[1]
In the early 20th century, the Herbology Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Herbert Beery tried to introduce the pantomime to the school's Christmas celebrations. He chose The Fountain of Fair Fortune for the performance. Albus Dumbledore built a fully functioning Fountain and a miniature grassy hill, and Silvanus Kettleburn provided the Worm. The performance was a disater. The actress and actor playing Amata and Sir Luckless broke up right before the show started, and he transferred his affections to the girl playing Asha. Then the Worm, revealed to be an Ashwinder with the Engorgement Charm placed upon it, exploded and filled the Great Hall with smoke and gragments of scenery before laying eggs at the bottom of the hill. The girls playing Amata and Asha started fighting and duelling each other. Professor Beery was caught in the middle while the staff evacuated the room and an inferno raged onstage. The room smelled of wood smoke for months afterwards, Professor Kettleburn was put on probation and Professor Beery took ages to recover. The Head, Professor Dippet, banned future pantomimes.[1]
Plot[]
The Fountain
In an enchanted garden, high on a hill, there is the Fountain of Fair Fortune. Once a year during daylight on the longest day, the Fountain gives one person the opportunity to bathe in its waters and receive good fortune for evermore. The enchanted garden is protected by a wall that briefly opens at dawn. Hundreds of people gather outside the garden walls every year before dawn.[2]
One year, three witches meet before dawn at the garden walls and tell each other their sorrows. Asha is sick and hopes the Fountain will cure her. Altheda has been robbed by an evil sorcerer and hopes the Fountain will rid her of poverty. Amata has been deserted by the man she loves and wants the Fountain to mend her broken heart. The three witches agree that they will unite and travel to the Fountain together if they have the chance.[2]
When a gap in the garden wall opens, the crowd tries to run through before it closes. Asha grabs Altheda's wrist and she grabs Amata's robes. Amata falls onto the armour of a Knight called Sir Luckless and they fall threw the gap together. When the chink in the wall closes, the two other witches are angry at Amata for bringing another person through because only one can bathe in the waters. When the Muggle knight realises they are witches, he believes he has no chance of bathing in the waters and tries to leave. The witches say he has a faint heart and demand he draw his sword and help them.[2]
They travel through the garden unobstructed until they reach the bottom of the hill the fountain stood on. Wrapped around the hill is a blind, fat and monstrous white Worm. To pass it, they gave to pay proof of their pain. Sir Luckless tries to kill the beast but his sword snaps. Altheda cast rocks and Asha and Amata try every spell they can to subdue the Worm, but they still couldn't get pass the Worm.[2]
Asha begins to weep and the Worm drinks her tears and slithers aside. The witches and Sir Luckless climb up the hill until they reach another obstacle. In the ground, there is an inscription asking them to "pay me the fruit of your labours". Sir Luckless gives it a coin which rolls away. They keep walking for hours only to realise they haven't moved any further up the hill. Altheda tells her friends not to yield while wiping sweat from her brow. When the drops hit the earth. the inscription vanishes and they finally move further up the hill.[2]
The witches hurry up the hill to reach the Fountain before night falls. However, they then reach a third obstacle at the stream that runs around the hilltop. In the depths of the water is another inscription: Pay me the treasure of your past. Sir Luckless sinks when he tries to get across and the witches fail to leap across. They ponder the meaning of the request until Amata realises she has to draw the happy memories of her former lover and drop them in the water. The stream vanishes and stepping stones appear, so the four finally manage to reach the Fountain.[2]
The group reach the Fountain
Before they can decide which of them will bathe in the Fountain, the frail Asha collapses and is close to death. Altheda picks up the herbs nearby and mixes them with a gourd of water. Asha drinks the potion and she is cured. Now that she doesn't need the Fountain to get better, she tells Altheda to bathe in the waters. Altheda carries on collecting the herbs after realising she can make money by curing the disease instead of bathing in the Fountain, and tells Amata she can bathe. Sir Luckless tries to guide her to the Fountain but when her happy memories were washed away by the stream, she is glad to be rid of her former lover and is already cured of her broken heart.[2]
She tells Sir Luckless to bathe and he enters the water. When he emerges, he tells Amata she is the kindest and most beautiful woman he has ever known and begs for her hand and heart. She is delighted and the four happily walk back down the hill to live long and happy lives, never realising the Fountain didn't really have any enchantments.[2]
Gallery[]
