Part twenty five: The book

New Home

“Kelly, wake up!” said Prince. “The lifeboat has landed.”

“There’s no one around,” said the captain. “Whoever was here has disappeared, but their fire is still burning. There’s Irish stew in the cast iron pot and green tea,” he said, helping himself.

Kelly recognized her father immediately when she saw him.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed, under her breath.

“Hello there!” her father hollered. "Is there someone here?" 

“Quiet,” ordered Prince, concerned about Kelly’s safety, as well as his own.

“But that is my dad!” Kelly whispered. 

“I see a rowboat and a raft,” said Kelly’s father looking around. “Someone kept that fire going. I have seen its smoke every time we were on the river.”

Suddenly, he spotted the couple sitting on the hearth.

“Come down!” he ordered, not recognizing Kelly at first. 

“Daddy!” exclaimed Kelly. “It is me, Kelly. You found us!”

Prince lowered the ladder and they climbed down.

Kelly saw the huge tears welling up in her father’s eyes, as he realized she was his daughter.  

“Kelly, you are safe. Thank God!” he exclaimed, hugging his daughter tightly. “I’d almost given up. Thank you for taking care of my colleen,” he said to Prince.

“Welcome to our island, sir.” replied Prince with a smile. “I am Prince. Kelly is my colleen now.”

Prince opened the door of the secret room at the bottom of the chimney and brought out the children and Ambrose, the pup.

“Two young children,” said Kelly’s father, with amazement. “And you found a pup, too?”

“This is Molly, Moe and Ambrose, Daddy.”

“Welcome to our family.”

Timothy, Tauren and Jon remained in hiding. Since all three were homeless now, they decided to make the room Prince had discovered, their new home, at least for the time being.     

Years later in a book, a troll recounted Kelly’s dad finding her sitting on the hearth with Prince. Timothy, Tauren and Jon, along with the changelings and the dog, had disappeared down an underground passageway.

A gnome recounted Kelly and Prince as discovered on the island by her father. The captain married them and they raised several children, along with a dog.

A leprechaun recounted everyone living together as a family on the island, happily ever after, with four pots of gold, one for each grandfather. He had Kelly’s four-leaf clover to prove it.