Hurray. -- And then he took a deep breath.

I, Bonsai The Guardian-- Bonsai continued reading -- certify such an event. And with the power vested in me by The Law of Life, written in The Great Book of Life, under article one million twenty six thousand... -- he took a breath -- and two. I decree and order that this story must continue. The law has spoken.

He stepped down from his stool, picked it up and disappeared again. The Princess got up. The Dragon wouldn’t let go of her dress.

It’s over, Dragon. You can let go now. Thank you.

That was close, Princess.

They were in The Canyon of the Wind, which by the way, was a breathtaking place. It wasn’t as big as the Grand Canyon or even the Sumidero Canyon in Mexico, but it was a splendid canyon. From where they were standing, they could see how the earth opened up. At the bottom of the canyon there was a little river with quietly flowing water. The first sensation they both felt when they looked down was vertigo.

Oh, dear. I don’t want to fall in! -- And he held on to a nearby tree.

How could this be?! -- the Princess bitterly complained. -- Another dead end! We have been to every road and there hasn’t been anything. We’ve been walking all day long. It’s going to be dark soon and we haven’t achieved anything. Why did I ever leave the tower? It’s all worthless if I’m worse off than before. What is this all about? Shouldn’t I find something wonderful? It’s not fair! I conquered fear and now I’m more trapped than ever! -- The Princess sat down. She was so sad that it brought her to tears.

Ah, Princess. Please don’t cry. Writer, what should I do?

I don’t know.

We’ll never ever get out of here! -- The Princess was feeling terribly hopeless. Great big tears were rolling down her cheeks.

Don’t say that, dear Princess. Look, I’m going to find a way to get us out of here before it gets dark. Don’t move. Take care of her, Writer. -- And the Dragon ran off into the forest.

A long time passed. The Princess cried, and cried, and cried... until she couldn’t cry anymore. The Writer let her cry because he has always believed that crying is very good, that it helps people vent, and one should always let people cry freely if they need to.

Suddenly, the Princess walked to the edge and looked down. She could see the rocks, the river, the plants and everything around it. It was all there.

How long has that been there? -- she thought.