Rogues Island Productions Presents:
Saturday May 26th, 2007 Starting at 8pm PirateFest kicks off on another note with The Buccaneer Ball at the Newport Yachting Center.

The Buccaneer Ball is the final celebration to this day long festival, and will be starring Sharks Come Crusin, DJ Mike Palucchi, and Pirate Eye for the Mundane Guy.
The Ball of course is Pirate/Tropical Themed, with costume contests and costumed entertainment. Partial Proceeds to benefit the Seamen's Church Institute of Newport.

Sharks Come Crusin, straight out of NE, rock one of Americas lost music styles, Sea Shanties. Combining songs of sailing, whaling, drinking and sinking, they use drums, bass, accordion, guitar, and the crowd to bring back this raw flavor. ..
PRESALE- $25.00 AT THE DOOR $35.00

YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR TICKETS AT BEACH BUM'S IN NEWPORT,
ME( PIRATEQUEEN), MCNIFF, JONIE AND OTHERS WILL BE SELLING THEM -GET YOURS TODAY!
LET ME KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND I'LL GET THEM TO YOU!
www.piratefest.net

If you wish to Donate Prizes, or Sponsor The Buccaneers Ball... Contact Kat @ www.myspace.com/RhodeIslandpirate

Well, it's been a quiet week here at King Richard's Faire, my favorite faire, out on the edge of the cranberry bogs We are halfway through our Faire this year, and now we are well into October.  October is truly the beginning of the fall season.  Oh sure, we say it's September, but most of us just look on September as an extension of Summer.  A grace period between the seasons so that we can get ready for the darkening months ahead.  But October.  October calls for sweaters and liederhosen and beer.  October brings forth thoughts of pumpkins, and cider, and our own mortality.  We face this every year as October sets in, and disguise it through the veil of carved jack-o-lanterns and candy and spooky stories.  October begins the long journey through Autumn, and oncoming dark winter months.

 

It was on this day that our favorite, Lord Percival, the Chancellor of the realm was walking across the site.  We all know that Lord Percival owns, well, pretty much everything here at the faire.  The King is awful fun and all, but the money resides with the one man for whom these faire grounds are a second home and a respite from the world outside.

 

As he was wandering along he passed through the games.  You know the types of games.  Games where men in sleeveless leather jerkins encourage you to spend a few dollars to test your strength in order to impress the lovely young woman on your arm.  Where incredibly buxom women with bodices laced so tight that parts of their bodies seem to defy gravity hawk challenges like sirens on the cliffs of Greece.  Challenges no mere mortal could resist, and only for a few dollars.  You'll hardly even notice you spent it.

 

It was on this journey that he passed the memorial to Queen Katherine.  He stopped for a moment and looked at the picture of her.  There she was, a vision of beauty, looking so much like an angel.  You see, Queen Katherine and Lord Percival were friends.  In fact they were so much closer than friends.  They were as close as two people can be who aren't married and have no intention of ever being married to each other.  They were best friends.

 

It was while he was thinking of all the fond memories of Katherine that he noticed a little boy, standing not far from where he was looking at the marker.  He was dressed in the modern style and had a string of food tickets dangling from his hand, 5 or 6 of them.  The boy was watching him while Percival was admiring the marker.  He had watched the Lord Chancellor as he kissed his fingers and pressed them to the picture of his queen.  The boy had watched him as the wistful look of sadness crossed Lord Percival's face and the clouds of memories slipped by.

 

Once Lord Percival saw that he was not alone in his reminiscences, he turned to the boy and greeted him warmly.

 

"Hello," he said, "how are you?"

 

The boy was taken a bit back by this, for he had never been addressed directly by someone with quite as much gold braiding on his clothing or with such a large hat before.  But he quickly recovered and said "I'm fine." he quickly added, "Who's that?"

 

The boy couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 years old.  Percival gauged just how much he should share.  He simply said, "That's our Queen."

 

"Why's her picture in a box, and with all those flowers and things around it?"

 

"Well, she died a few years ago and many of the people in this realm miss her very much.  Her picture is here to remind us all that she is still with us, and the flowers and gifts are here to let her know that we miss her very much."

 

"Oh," said the boy, and he turned and started walking off to the kitchen for whatever snack he had originally set out for.  Lord Percival turned and continued his walk.

 

It wasn't until later that he passed the shrine again and noticed the food tickets that had been left there.  There were six or seven of them, in a long trailing strand, bunched up and dirty as if they had been clutched tightly by the hand of a small boy.  He took the tickets and folded them up and tucked them neatly alongside the picture of the beautiful lady in the wooden box.

 

He turned and started heading toward the joust field to officiate the final joust of the day.  On his way he passed the kitchens and the same small boy.  He was staring at the selection of fudge and brownies and cookies and all the fresh baked goods that so many people enjoy.

 

"Hello again," said the Lord Chancellor.

 

"Hi," replied the boy.

 

"See anything you like?"  Lord Percival asked.

 

"Plenty," replied the boy.

 

"So, what are you going to get?" asked Percival.

 

"I can't get anything.  I don't have any tickets left."

 

It was then that Lord Percival realized that the memory held so dearly by him and the spirit and strength of character of his friend, Queen Katherine was so strong, that she could fall people to love her even now, years after her passing.  He said to the boy, "Wait right here."

 

Lord Percival turned around and went back to the memorial and retrieved the handful of dirty tickets that the boy had left behind.  On doing this he went back to the boy and handed them to him.  "Here," said Lord Percival, "Get your treat."

 

"But I left these for the Queen.  They're for her," said the boy.

 

"She knows," said Percival, "She knows, but she would want you to have them back."

 

"Besides," he added, "they don't take food tickets where she is now anyway."

 

The boy took the tickets and went to the counter to buy the treat he had so longingly wanted, and so willingly sacrificed.

 

It was at that time that the sun broke through and a soft warm breeze blew through the fair grounds.  Lord Percival felt the reprieve from the chill of the day and enjoyed the sunshine on his cheek.  With a soft tear in his eye he looked up at the sky and said, "You're welcome."

 

That's the news from King Richard's Faire, where all the wenches are strong, all the knights are good looking, and all the pirates are above average.