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.
(traditional nursery rhyme)
~~~
Hector the Green
There was once a young boy named Hector who dreamt of being a knight.
Since he was born, all Hector wanted to do was fight. When he was 5, he protected his mum from a man with a knife. Using only a spoon and all of his might, he chased the bad many away into the night.
When Hector was 8, as if by some fate, he defended a seamstress called Kate. She was so grateful and wanted to thank young Hector, but she had no money to give. All she could fashion was a shiny green cape. Hector was reluctant to accept the gift, but Kate insisted. So he obliged, and wore his new cloak with pride.
By the time Hector was 12 he had made a name for himself as a skilled fighter and swordsman. So much so that he was often told he would make a formidable knight. So Hector decided that he wanted to become a knight.
To do so, he journeyed to the largest castle in the land to see the King and Queen. The castle was far away from Hector's home, and it took him many days to get there. Once he arrived, he asked to speak to the King and Queen so that they might make him a knight. The court granted his request, and he awaited the King and Queen in the grand ballroom.
When the King and Queen arrived, Hector was summoned before them. He knelt. "What is your name, boy?" asked the Queen.
"Hector, your majesty," replied Hector.
"And what is it that you want, Hector?" interjected the King.
"I want to become a knight, to serve as your protector, sire," said Hector.
"Oh really?" mocked the King. "How could a boy as young as yourself possibly protect us?"
Hector pleaded his case, citing his many victories in duals and encounters with evil men. The King and Queen listened to his story, and whispered to each other for a moment.
Finally, the Queen spoke. "Hector," she said. "You are brave beyond measure, and your stories are wonderful, but we cannot allow you to become a knight."
Hector was crushed. "Why not?" he asked.
"Frankly," said the King, "you are too... green."
"Green?" said a puzzled Hector.
"What my dear husband means," added the Queen, "is that you are far too young to defend us with your life. Perhaps when you have grown in body and mind, we might reconsider. But for now, your place is at home with your family."
"But-," started Hector.
"Our decision is final," grumbled the King. "You are dismissed. Return home at once, and do not return until you are a man."
Hector was crushed. Though he could return and try again, years felt like too long of a wait. Hector mounted his horse, and rode away in tears.
My idea of the boy Hector Protector, dressed in green. Painting titled Prince Sigismund Casimir Vasa of Poland in Polish costume, circa 1644, by Peter Danckerts de Rij.
~~~
Author's Note: Hector Protector is a very simple nursery rhyme, as you can see. I imagined Hector Protector as a knight because of the 'protector' in the name, and the reference to king and queen. I chose to use Hector's 'green' garb as a metaphor for his youth. Youth would provide a fitting reason for the king and queen sending him away. Naturally they would want a protector to be around them, so there must be another reason for their not liking him. I gave him a little back story to the 'protector' name, in the form of protecting his mother and the seamstress. The seamstress served to provide the literal green that Hector wears.
~~~
Bibliography: The story is based on the nursery rhyme "Hector Protector" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang.
Photo of painting Prince Sigismund Casimir Vasa of Poland in Polish costume, circa 1644, by Peter Danckerts de Rij, available at Wikimedia.
To do so, he journeyed to the largest castle in the land to see the King and Queen. The castle was far away from Hector's home, and it took him many days to get there. Once he arrived, he asked to speak to the King and Queen so that they might make him a knight. The court granted his request, and he awaited the King and Queen in the grand ballroom.
When the King and Queen arrived, Hector was summoned before them. He knelt. "What is your name, boy?" asked the Queen.
"Hector, your majesty," replied Hector.
"And what is it that you want, Hector?" interjected the King.
"I want to become a knight, to serve as your protector, sire," said Hector.
"Oh really?" mocked the King. "How could a boy as young as yourself possibly protect us?"
Hector pleaded his case, citing his many victories in duals and encounters with evil men. The King and Queen listened to his story, and whispered to each other for a moment.
Finally, the Queen spoke. "Hector," she said. "You are brave beyond measure, and your stories are wonderful, but we cannot allow you to become a knight."
Hector was crushed. "Why not?" he asked.
"Frankly," said the King, "you are too... green."
"Green?" said a puzzled Hector.
"What my dear husband means," added the Queen, "is that you are far too young to defend us with your life. Perhaps when you have grown in body and mind, we might reconsider. But for now, your place is at home with your family."
"But-," started Hector.
"Our decision is final," grumbled the King. "You are dismissed. Return home at once, and do not return until you are a man."
Hector was crushed. Though he could return and try again, years felt like too long of a wait. Hector mounted his horse, and rode away in tears.
My idea of the boy Hector Protector, dressed in green. Painting titled Prince Sigismund Casimir Vasa of Poland in Polish costume, circa 1644, by Peter Danckerts de Rij.
~~~
Author's Note: Hector Protector is a very simple nursery rhyme, as you can see. I imagined Hector Protector as a knight because of the 'protector' in the name, and the reference to king and queen. I chose to use Hector's 'green' garb as a metaphor for his youth. Youth would provide a fitting reason for the king and queen sending him away. Naturally they would want a protector to be around them, so there must be another reason for their not liking him. I gave him a little back story to the 'protector' name, in the form of protecting his mother and the seamstress. The seamstress served to provide the literal green that Hector wears.
~~~
Bibliography: The story is based on the nursery rhyme "Hector Protector" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang.
Photo of painting Prince Sigismund Casimir Vasa of Poland in Polish costume, circa 1644, by Peter Danckerts de Rij, available at Wikimedia.
Good backstory and application of the greenhorn metaphor puts a nice angle on the short and sweet nursery rhyme. Having Hector as a heroic young boy gives a good reason for the royals' rejection and makes this a nice parable for kids that need to learn that some things take time. There's some rhyme in the beginning that I didn't think was necessary, but overall, this was solid!
ReplyDeleteI like that you included the original nursery rhyme! I also thought that it was a good idea to not give him his happy ending, but for a good reason, he just simply wasn't ready which is a theme I think people over look. A lot of the times our hero either gets his way or he doesn't because he loses/fails, but in this case he just simply needs more time because of his age. I loved how you kept the wording the same as well as trying to rhyme. I really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteUsing the green dress as a metaphor for the boy's age was a great addition to the original nursery rhyme. That being the reason as to why the King and Queen don't allow Hector to protect them is also good because it makes the reasoning less harsh. When reading the original rhyme, I thought the King and Queen were arrogant in a way because they just chose not to like Hector, but your detail of the situation portrayed them in a positive light. Good writing!
ReplyDeleteI just have to say the dedication you took for your rhyming at the beginning was fantastic! It flowed so well and I loved how the rhyming contributed to the rhythm. I feel like it fit especially well with the source being a nursery rhyme itself! I wish you would have been able to extend the rhyme throughout the entire story, but I understand that it would have been really difficult. I wonder if there could be another reason the King and Queen sent Hector away? I like the idea that he's a green boy so they think he's not ready, but it almost seemed too weird considering he had already become famous as a swordsman. Still, they had to send him away for some reason so yours works! Poor Hector though. I hope he gets to become a knight soon. Anyway, great job with your story! I thought it was adorable and a nice retelling.
ReplyDeleteThe rhyming at the beginning was awesome! Your adaptation of the nursery rhyme was very creative. I think that your 'green' metaphor was a nice tough, and it was cool that you actually gave a rational reason for the king and queen to not want this particular protector around. Your backstory for him being a protector was also a nice touch.
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