Mr. Linden’s Library
He had warned her about the book. Now it was too late.
By: Adelia Roberts
Mr. Linden was someone you might call odd, mysterious, or even silly. He owned a library because it had been in his
family for generations. It had all sorts of books from books published hundreds of years ago to books published a day ago. So
when you went in you would never know what you would find. Mr. Linden lived alone with no family so he often kept a book
with him. Mr. Linden was never quite normal, he seemed to have power beyond humans. And that was because of his secret
library, no one knew about it outside his family and because he was the only left living decedent of Meriwether Linden he
took great care to make sure the books did not get in the wrong hands.
On one particularly cold day in January he was not feeling lick quite himself. He felt woozy and lonely so he did
something he had promised himself years ago he would never do he let someone in the outside world look at his magic
books. He was opening the library while reading the magical book Sleeping Beauty. He sat down at his desk and read until he
saw a young girl he often saw in the library, Lavender. He knew Lavender and liked her a lot.
“Hello,” she said in her small quiet voice “What are you reading?”
Before Mr. Linden knew what he was doing he gave her the book to read with only the simple warning, be careful.
Wait what? He thought to himself probably an hour later, what did he do no ordinary human could endure such a powerful
book. She was definitely going to sink in and that was the worst possible for that particular book. He got up and ran to her
house. He quickly explained to her mother and they were both in her room. In there they saw her looking peaceful and
happy in her sleep with a book next to her.
“What can you do?” Lavender’s mother asked almost in tears.
He had warned her about the book, but it was too late. Mr. Linden could only think of one risky trick, go into the
book himself to save her. Mr. Linden told Lavender’s mother his plan and she only said yes because it might save her
daughter.
Mr. Linden prepared to go in he settled down then warned Lavender’s mother to leave because it might get
dangerous. He picked up the book and started to read. He now was in the story as Lavender’s or sleeping beauty’s
grandfather. It started at the beginning with the curse then finally it was time she was of the age of sixteen. Because he was
not from the fairy tale world he escaped the curse. Then he saw Lavender laying there small and vulnerable and he knew
this could not go wrong. He had to save her.
Then he started cutting away at the undergrowth that was starting to grow. After days of cutting he got to her and
gave her a small kiss on the cheek. It worked! Soon they were both in her room. Mr. Linden soon began to understand what
this could mean if he was grandpa in the story he was grandpa now.
Tears started streaming down both Lavender’s and Mr. Linden’s faces. This bond of a grandparent and grandchild it
was unbreakable. “Thank you,” she said, “you saved my life.” Mr. Linden also understood one more thing now she had read
one book she could read any of the books in the magic library. Now he could give the library to her. Their eyes locked and
she understood too.