Katie O’Toole and the Mysterious Castle
by
Joseph P. Rogers
My name is Katerina O’Toole.
Just “Katie” will nicely do.
Thank you!
I attend Public School,
Number One
In the tiny, little-known Kingdom of Celticon.
My classmates are basically all right,
Though we have an occasional fight.
During last year’s field trip to the zoo,
Things did go a bit askew.
“Katie did it!”
Was an often heard refrain,
Placing on me all the blame!
For my school’s next field trip day
Early in the month of May,
We went to the castle to see
Our country’s royal family.
My classmates and I walked
Across the castle grounds
In two straight lines,
Just like in stories
About a girl named Madeline.
All of us were excited beyond measure;
Perhaps the Queen and King
Would show us the famous room
Filled with royal treasures.
However, before long,
I knew something was wrong.
Two guards near the stairway
Were singing a song.
A bleary-eyed maid
Nearly had a scary fall
When she almost toppled
Over the castle wall.
Fortunately, I was able to grab
Her by the arm
And keep her from any harm.
However, the clothes from her basket
Were scattered and went flying away
Like kites to lands faraway.
It was a most unusual day!
“Oh, my goodness!”
The maid declared.
“There must be a sleeping potion
In the air!
Such carelessness
By me is very rare!”
Everyone I saw inside seemed to be
Either crazy or incredibly lazy.
Our castle guide was
Very confused,
And he did not know what to do.
Where we were going, he had not a clue.
For a while, we wandered the halls.
I was quite appalled.
Eventually, we stumbled into the throne room.
It was none too soon!
The King, Queen, guards, staff,
And the Chancellor
Were each uniquely affected
By some mysterious malady
Previously undetected.
Each person seemed either
As mad as a hatter
Or sunken into a stupor.
Everyone was either laughing,
Babbling, or napping.
Both the King and Queen,
I’d heard, were
Good and kind,
But today they seemed
Out of their minds.
The Queen slid down
On her throne a little more,
Then with a plop,
She landed on the floor!
The jolt woke her up a bit,
And she threw a furious fit.
“You slow, lazy, and useless guards!
You might as well be standing out
In the courtyard!
All of you need a lot more pep!
Add some liveliness to your step!’
Neither my teacher nor classmates spoke.
They apparently considered this was all to be an elaborate joke.
Someone needed to take the lead,
So I decided to fill the need and proceed.
“I’m Katerina O’Toole.
I came here with my school.
Hello, good King and gracious Queen,
My teachers’ and fellow students’ greetings
To you I bring.
Thank you for receiving us in your court today
To study and learn of your royal ways.”
I hoped that my speech
Was nicely recited,
But neither King nor Queen
Seemed a bit delighted
By us, though we were visitors who
They had invited.
At first, there was no reply.
Then the Queen opened her right eye.
“I wondered who was being so loud.
I see now that it’s just a wee small child.”
I try to be attentive and perceptive
And hope someday to be a detective.
Induction and deduction
Are the tools of my profession.
At first I suspected a culinary explanation
For this crazy situation
About what happened to
The rulers of our nation.
However, then I remembered
That the royal family and their staff
Ate in separate venues
And had completely different menus.
Suddenly, I noticed a sly look
In the Chancellor’s eyes.
This was a person who told many lies!
His behavior was just part of a charade
To conceal the plans that he laid.
Intuitively, I knew,
Without the slightest doubt,
What this charlatan was all about.
The truth I would proclaim very soon,
Shining like the sun at noon.
Almost instantly,
The Chancellor’s eyes narrowed very tight.
Something was not right.
I realized that he suspected
That his plot I had detected.
“The Royal couple is not feeling well today,
So you’d best be on your way,”
The Chancellor declared as cold as ice.
This man was definitely not nice!
I pointed at the Chancellor
Whose features became distorted
As his body weirdly contorted.
“It’s curious that
The Chancellor is the only one unaffected.
I’ve analyzed the situation.
He is a threat to our nation.
After he is in custody,
Everyone will soon feel better –
You’ll see!”
For King and Queen,
Both eyes were now quite open
As they listened to each word that was spoken.
My teacher was reluctant to take on this foe.
“Perhaps we should just go.”
Looking like a terrible troll,
The Chancellor suddenly
Charged at me like a bull.
Although this modern-day court
Had no jester,
This man was a fool
To charge at me –
Katie O’Toole!
I stepped aside,
Grabbed his arm,
And performed a
Perfect karate throw,
Just as I had learned at my dojo.
“Arrest her!” the villain cried,
But the bewitched guards merely
Looked at him with bleary eyes.
Seeing the Chancellor threatening me,
Awakened within the King
His great chivalry.
With sudden, surprising energy.
He jumped from his throne
And defended me.
Hitting the traitorous Chancellor
With a left and a right,
I was impressed how well
My King could fight!
Similarly, someway, somehow,
My Queen found the grace within
To overcome the powers of the villain.
“I am myself again,”
The Queen declared,
Looking at the betrayer
With a frosty stare.
This scoundrel needed to beware!
The Chancellor now knew
That his wicked plot had been detected,
And it was he
Who would soon be arrested.
When the Chancellor ran toward the window,
I half-expected to see him magically transform
Into a raven or some other bird.
I suppose that idea was a bit absurd!
The Chancellor jumped out the window
And landed with a splash in the moat,
Then climbed into a little rowboat.
Following his carefully-prepared escape plan,
He fled across the land.
Then the King gave a royal command:
“Release the hounds.”
Soon we heard many barking sounds.
I later learned that
The Chancellor had been caught.
The hounds had been faster than he thought.
All his schemes went for naught.
I’m happy that our defense of the Kingdom
Was successful,
But I’d prefer that my next field trip
Be less eventful.
This has been my field trip report,
Complete and done
By Katie O’Toole
Of Public School, Number One.
