The Three Apples
The Three Apples — an illustrated tales story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Tales.
Page 1
In the ethereal realm where the Great Railway bridged slumber and wakefulness, lived three souls bound by a single, shimmering promise. Old Elara, the Dream Weaver, watched over the junction; Kai, the Sleeper, yearned for a love beyond dreams; and Nyx, the Shadow Broker, craved the Railway's golden heart. Their destinies were entwined with three enchanted apples – each a gateway to unimaginable power, each a path to unforeseen peril.
Page 2
Kai spent his days sorting dreams, fragile things that evaporated like mist at dawn. He longed for a connection that transcended the fleeting beauty of the dreamscape. 'What good are all these visions,' he sighed, watching a train disappear into the swirling void, 'when true love remains just beyond my reach?'
Page 3
A whisper slithered through the station, 'Loneliness is a choice, Sleeper.' Nyx emerged from the shadows, face obscured by a deep cowl. 'The apples offer more than dreams. They offer reality, dominion, anything you desire.' Kai hesitated. 'Desire unchecked leads to ruin,' Elara warned from across the platform, her voice echoing with ancient wisdom.
Page 4
'Take the golden apple,' Nyx hissed, extending a gloved hand towards Kai. 'Imagine a love built on solid ground, not fleeting fantasies. Power to shape your destiny!' Kai's hand trembled as he reached for the apple's seductive gleam. 'Remember what Seneca said,' Elara called out, 'Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.' What are you willing to end to begin something new?'
Page 5
Kai snatched the ruby-red apple instead. 'Love should be freely given, not bought with power,' he declared, turning to face Nyx. The apple pulsed with warmth in his hand, revealing a vision of a woman with eyes like starlight and hair like spun moonlight. 'You chose poorly,' Nyx growled, face twisting in anger. 'Power is the only language this realm understands.'
Page 6
Nyx lunged, cloak transforming into shadowy tendrils that snaked towards Kai. 'The apples belong to the Railway!' he roared. Kai dodged, the red apple radiating heat as he sprinted towards a departing dream train. 'If I'm to find her,' he thought, jumping aboard the train just as the doors slid shut, 'I need to protect this first.'
Page 7
Inside the dream train, visions swirled - fragmented memories, fleeting desires, half-formed realities. Clutching the apple, Kai saw her again, clearer this time. Her laughter echoed through the train car. 'Where are you?' he whispered, the train hurtling faster, its destination unknown. 'The heart knows its own bitterness and no stranger shares its joy,' she whispered.
Page 8
The train screeched to a halt at a desolate station, the platform fractured and overgrown with thorns. A mirror stood at the station's heart, reflecting Kai's despair back at him. 'You seek love,' a voice echoed, 'but you do not know yourself.' Nyx stood behind him, an apple-shaped shard of mirror in his hand. 'True love begins with self-knowledge,' Elara whispered from behind Nyx. Who is the person in front of you?'
Page 9
Kai closed his eyes, the red apple burning in his hand. He saw not a reflection of a beautiful stranger, but a vision of himself - his hopes, his fears, his capacity for love. He opened his eyes, the thorns vanished, and standing before him was Elara, her form shimmering. 'Love isn't found,' she said, smiling softly, 'it's created.'
Page 10
Kai understood. The woman he sought was not a separate being, but the embodiment of the love he was capable of creating. Elara smiled, offering Kai three shimmering, newly woven dreams. 'Go now,' she said, 'and share what you've learned. Remember, The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. - Eleanor Roosevelt' And so he did, carrying the gifts of love and self-knowledge back into the Great Railway.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
Questions and answers
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