A long time ago, in a land in the East, there lived a handsome emperor and his loving wife. They ruled a large land well and were greatly loved by the people. Now, these royal parents had six royal children. The eldest was a son, who wore silver and golden robes with red trim, and red shoes. This heir to the empire learned many languages, horse-riding, military skills, and government. He was young, but wise. And, in all ways, he was quite normal, for a prince. When he was born, there had been peace in the realm, and his parents rejoiced in hope at his birth. He was called the Eldest Son.
However, the siblings of this prince had come into the world under strange circumstances. Before the next child was born, the empress became ill, and the royal physicians suggest that she go west to eat strange orange fruits, and salmon, and shrimp to heal her illness. This the empress did, travelling west to both southern and northern land, with her young son and retinue. The empress became well again eating the prescribed foods, but when her daughter was born, within a year, the empress and emperor noticed that the child would not eat anything unless it was orange. So, the child ate salmon, shrimp, apricots, oranges, mangoes, carrots (which were rare, indeed) and any manner of orange produce. She ate pumpkin, and squash and tangerines. The empire had to scour lands far away for such food. As the child grew older, she only wanted to wear orange slippers and orange gowns. She wanted orange decorations for her room, an orange cat and orange flowers for her hair. The princess desired an orange pony, and merchants were sent far and wide to find one. As the child grew older, she developed a strange colour of hair, like than of straw in Autumn, but she was beautiful. Her favourite gems were of coral and all her jewellery was made of this. She was called the Eldest Daughter.
And, she was a happy and not a really spoiled child, but she did prefer orange. Her older brother remained baffled.
Then, the empress became ill with another child she was lovingly awaiting and the new physician, (as the emperor had banished the one who prescribed orange food), and the empress was asked to go north and south again, but as she could eat nothing but blue berries, she went north, and ate strange berries like blue blackberries, blue berries, blueish potatoes, the lovely star-flowers of the East and blue lobsters, found by the merchants sent all over the world. The queen became healthy again, but she had a odd idea that her new baby would only like blue things.
She was right, and when the baby boy became two, he only wanted blue food, blue clothes, a room of blue, blue toys and a blue cat. The young prince grew up handsome, with blue-black hair and blue eyes, very rare for his people. When he was older, he asked for a blue sapphire ring and was presented with it by his father. The boy was called the Second Son.
Well, the emperor was intrigued by his own, strange children, but he loved his wife and could only think that some odd magic was involved. He called his holy men together, who all wore yellow, by the way, and they tried to understand but could not, the odd colour preferences of the young, royal children.
The children were not exactly spoiled, but the Orange Princess, as she was called, and the Blue Prince did get what they wanted in their colour range.
A few years passed and the lovely empress was with child again, and she became very ill. The emperor grew anxious, as she could not eat anything, and only drank cherry juice. The royal physicians had her go East across the sea to a strange land, and there, she ate strawberries, and cherries, and lingonberries. She ate pomegranates, red beets, rhubarb, tomatoes, red pears, raspberries, red cabbage, cranberries, watermelon, red grapes and other red foods. The empress never felt better, and even ate red meat.
The physicians guided her back in a sumptuous boat filled with red foods, and in no time, the baby came into the world, a beautiful strong girl. Of course, the emperor, who had received letters of what the empress was eating, had a room decorated in red ready for the royal child, a red pony, a red cat, and a red bird singing in a cage.The Red Princess, of course, loved to wear only red clothes and red shoes and wear red roses in her red hair. Of course, her favourite gem was the ruby, and all her jewellery held these precious stones. She was called the Second Daughter.
The emperor began to realize that he had strange but gifted children. However, as they grew and did not want other colours in their private chambers and private games or sport, the emperor was a bit concerned for their future.
However, he was busy with some wars, sadly, and did not think much on the issue, as his children were happy and prospering, learning many things and growing stronger and more handsome daily.
The empress and emperor had such love between them that another child was born quickly after the Red Princess, but again, the empress became ill. This time, the royal physicians asked the empress to go south and east, to stay in the sun, and to rest by the sea. This the empress did, and she was hungry only for yellow things. She ate yellow cheeses, yellow peppers of several types, bananas, maize, pineapples, and yellow squash. She drank lemonade and told her maidens who served her that she never felt better in her entire life.
When she returned to the empire and the palace for the birth of the baby, the emperor had filled a room full of yellow things and had a yellow dog waiting for his wife. Of course, the baby, who was a boy, grew up only wanting yellow things and eating yellow food. He was the handsomest of all the sons. And his hair was like bright gold. On his ring finger, he wore a large yellow amber ring from the far western lands, and had a necklace to match. This youth was called the Third Son.
By this time, the emperor had decided that there was nothing really wrong with his children, as they were happy and strong and intelligent, but, except for the eldest, very strange about colours.
A few years passed and once again the empress was with child. However, she was more ill than ever, and the physicians became very concerned about her health. The emperor looked at his thin wife, who could not eat anything. He decided that this time, if she had to leave, he would go with her and watch over her carefully.
Indeed, the physicians wanted the empress to go as far west across the sea, and a far south as possible. The emperor gave the rule of his empire to his eldest son and left with his wife. They travelled a long time over land until they came to a warm country with high mountains ranges and clear rivers. Here, they found green things to eat, which is all the empress could eat.
The empress ate lettuce, green tomatoes, artichokes, limes and avocados. She ate green grapes and pistachios nuts, and honey dew melons. She ate kale, green onions, cucumbers and most of all, kiwis. The empress stated that she never felt better in her life, and the emperor was glad.
When the time for the baby to be born was near, the emperor sent messengers back to his son to prepare a green room with a parrot on a perch, and green fish in a green pond. He asked for green plants and trees to grace the large room, like a conservatory, with other green birds flying loose in the bright, windowed room.
And, so the last prince loved green. And his eyes were the colour of emeralds, his favourite stone, of course. And he wore green clothes and emeralds only. He was called the Fourth Son.
The empress grew too old for more children, but secretly she had hoped for a child who liked the colour violet best, as she loved elderberries, plums and purple grapes. She also loved violets and amethysts, and most of all purple dahlias. But, no more children came. The emperor loved her so much, he gave her a ring with an emerald, ruby, amber, coral, sapphire, and diamond, (representing the oldest son), set cleverly, for their wedding anniversary. He also gave her a broach to match and a crown with the same stones which graced the empress's head like a rainbow.
However, the emperor was uneasy about his fine five children, and their strict preference for one colour and so he decided to call a conference of all the wise men in the empire to the holy city, the capital, and discuss why this strange phenomenon had happened, and what could be done, if anything, to broaden the spectrum of colours in the lives of the five youngest children. The eldest son was invited as well. But, before the conference, a terrible thing happened.
To be continued....copyright 2013; began in 1978.
