Waiting for a Fairy Tale

I'm N.M. Mac Arthur, author of "The Prince of Prophecy" series. The first two books in the series "The Prince of Prophecy Vol. I: Destined" and "The Prince of Prophecy Vol. II: Cursed" are published and available for purchase. If you're interested in checking them out you can find them on Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com. This is my author blog, so I'll be updating it with news of my books and other writing projects. If you'd like to know more about "The Prince of Prophecy" series, please visit my other blog: http://theprinceofprophecy.tumblr.com/ NOTE: This blog is attached to my wordpress blog which is updated every Wednesday and Saturday.

[nmmacarthur]

The Prince of Prophecy Vol. I: Destined - Chapter 1

The Prince of Prophecy Vol. I: Destined – Chapter 1

Given that the third book in this series The Prince of Prophecy Vol. III: Changing Tides will be making its publishing debut this fall, I decided to put up the first chapter of the first book again. This chapter will be available to read from now (I’m not taking it down from this blog like I did last time). So please feel free to read the first chapter, and, if you like it, the FIRST and SECOND …

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's "The Vagabonds"

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s “The Vagabonds”

The cock said to the hen, “It is nutting time; let us go together to the mountains and have a good feast for once, before the squirrels come and carry all away.” “Yes,” answered the hen, “come along; we will have a jolly time together.”

Then they set off together to the mountains, and as it was a fine day they stayed there till the evening. Now whether it was that they had eaten so much, or…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

The Prince of Prophecy Vol. III: Changing Tides

The Prince of Prophecy Vol. III: Changing Tides

Hello Everyone! Sorry I’ve been so spotty with my posts. I’ve been working hard on getting my third book, The Prince of Prophecy Vol. III: Changing Tides, ready for publishing. This new book will feature daring sword fights, pirates, betrayal, magic, and lots of new characters. Changing Tideswill also include 8 illustrations for those who purchase hard copies of the book (softcover and…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Rudyard Kipling's "A Ripple Song"

Rudyard Kipling’s “A Ripple Song”

Once a ripple came to land In the golden sunset burning— Lapped against a maiden’s hand, By the ford returning.

Dainty foot and gentle breast— Here, across, be glad and rest. “Maiden, wait,” the ripple saith; “Wait awhile, for I am Death!”

“Where my lover calls I go— Shame it were to treat him coldly— ’Twas a fish that circled so, Turning over boldly.”

Dainty foot and tender heart, Wait the…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Lewis Carroll's "Lays of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour"

Lewis Carroll’s “Lays of Mystery, Imagination, and Humour”

NUMBER 1:

THE PALACE OF HUMBUG

I DREAMT I dwelt in marble halls,

And each damp thing that creeps and crawls

Went wobble-wobble on the walls.

    Faint odours of departed cheese,

Blown on the dank, unwholesome breeze,

Awoke the never-ending sneeze.

    Strange pictures decked the arras drear,

Strange characters of woe and fear,

The humbugs of the social sphere.

    One showed a vain and noisy prig,

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Hans Christian Andersen's "Ole Lukoie"

Hans Christian Andersen’s “Ole Lukoie”

Sorry for missing Wednesday’s post. I’ve been working like crazy trying to get my third book ready for publishing (The Prince of Prophecy Vol. III: Changing Tides I will be released in October of this year). Thank you very much for following my blog, and I’ll try my darndest to keep these blog post coming despite the busy schedule! 

  There is nobody in the world who knows so many stories as…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's "Mr. Korbes"

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s “Mr. Korbes”

A cock and a hen once wanted to go on a journey together. So the cock built a beautiful carriage with four red wheels, and he harnessed four little mice to it. And the cock and the hen got into it, and were driven off. Very soon they met a cat, who asked where they were going. The cock answered,

“On Mr. Korbes a call to pay,

And that is where we go today!”

“Take me with you,” said the cat. The…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Rudyard Kipling's "The Undertakers"

Rudyard Kipling’s “The Undertakers”

When ye say to Tabaqui, “My Brother!” when ye call the Hyena to meat,

Ye may cry the Full Truce with Jacala — the Belly that runs on four feet.

Jungle Law

“Respect the aged!”

“It was a thick voice — a muddy voice that would have made you shudder — a voice like something soft breaking in two. There was a quaver in it, a croak and a whine.

“Respect the aged! O Companions of the River —…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Lewis Carroll's "Photography Extraordinary"

Lewis Carroll’s “Photography Extraordinary”

The Milk and Water School

    ALAS! she would not hear my prayer!

Yet it were rash to tear my hair;

Disfigured, I should be less fair.

  She was unwise, I may say blind;

Once she was lovingly inclined;

Some circumstance has changed her mind.

  The Strong Minded or Matter of Fact School

  Well! so my offer was no go!

She might do worse, I told her so;

She was a fool to answer “No”.

  However,…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Hans Christian Andersen's "The Buckwheat"

Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Buckwheat”

Very often, after a violent thunder-storm, a field of buckwheat appears blackened and singed, as if a flame of fire had passed over it. The country people say that this appearance is caused by lightning; but I will tell you what the sparrow says, and the sparrow heard it from an old willow-tree which grew near a field of buckwheat, and is there still. It is a large venerable tree, though a little…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Jacob and Wilhlem Grimm's "The Dog and the Sparrow"

Jacob and Wilhlem Grimm’s “The Dog and the Sparrow”

A shepherd’s dog had a master who took no care of him, but often let him suffer the greatest hunger. At last he could bear it no longer; so he took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood. On the road he met a sparrow that said to him, ’Why are you so sad, my friend?’ ’Because,’ said the dog, ’I am very very hungry, and have nothing to eat.’ ’If that be all,’ answered the…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Chapter 6 of my new sci-fi novel!

Chapter 6 of my new sci-fi novel!

It’s been a while since I’ve posed an update for my sci-fi novel, so here is chapter 6 (it still has yet to be named by the way). If this is the first chapter you’ve come across please check out the prologue, chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, and chapter 5.

Disclaimer: these chapters have not yet been professionally edited so there will most definitely be mistakes that I did not catch.…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Rudyard Kipling's "Mowgli's Song Against People"

Rudyard Kipling’s “Mowgli’s Song Against People”

I will let loose against you the fleet-footed vines – I will call in the Jungle to stamp out your lines ! The roofs shall fade before it, The house-beams shall fall; And the Karela, the bitter Karela, Shall cover it all !

In the gates of these your councils my people shall sing. In the doors of these your garners the Bat-folk shall cling; And the snake shall be your watchman, By a hearthstone…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Lewis Carroll's "She's All My Fancy Painted Him"

Lewis Carroll’s “She’s All My Fancy Painted Him”

She’s all my fancy painted him (I make no idle boast); If he or you had lost a limb, Which would have suffered most?

They told me you had been to her, And mentioned me to him: She gave me a good character, But said I could not swim.

He sent them word I had not gone (We know it to be true): If she should push the matter on, What would become of you?

I gave her one, they gave him two, You gave us…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Hans Christian Andersen's "A Rose from Homer's Grave"

Hans Christian Andersen’s “A Rose from Homer’s Grave”

ALL the songs of the east speak of the love of the nightingale for the rose in the silent starlight night. The winged songster serenades the fragrant flowers.

Not far from Smyrna, where the merchant drives his loaded camels, proudly arching their long necks as they journey beneath the lofty pines over holy ground, I saw a hedge of roses. The turtle-dove flew among the branches of the tall trees,…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's "The Hare and the Hedgehog"

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s “The Hare and the Hedgehog”

This story, my dear young folks, seems to be false, but it really is true, for my grandfather, from whom I have it, used always, when relating it, to say, it must be true, my son, or else no one could tell it to you. The story is as follows.

One sunday morning about harvest time, just as the buckwheat was in bloom, the sun was shining brightly in heaven, the east wind was blowing warmly over the…

View On WordPress

[nmmacarthur]

Rudyard Kipling's "Letting in the Jungle"

Rudyard Kipling’s “Letting in the Jungle”

Veil them, cover them, wall them round —

Blossom, and creeper, and weed —

Let us forget the sight and the sound,

The smell and the touch of the breed!

Fat black ash by the altar-stone,

Here is the white-foot rain,

And the does bring forth in the fields unsown,

And none shall affright them again;

And the blind walls crumble, unknown, o’erthrown

And none shall inhabit again!

You will remember…

View On WordPress