-sizepieaureentomakeiteasierforhimtoeat.Tohismistress,Maureenwasamemberofherfamilyandequalinpositiontoanyotherhumanbeing,sohesatatthetablewiththemandpartookdaintilyofhismeal.AsforCharina,shehadapteoffreshlettucedribbledwithsomevinegarandpepperandasliceofturkey.Shemurmured,“Womeobebeautiful.Iokeeptheirfigurestheyhavetosacrificetheirenjoymentoffood!”ShelookedatMaureenandsaid,“Itisarareopportunitythatbroughthimintothisworld.Iknowdogsarenotsupposedtoeatthesamefoodashumans,butIwanthimtoexperiehedifferentgourmetfoodwehumanshavesoasnottowastethisuniqueceofhishavinglivedinthisworldofours.”

    NowthetwoofthemweresittinginCharina’srgebrightlivingroom.Exhaustedbyhism’sadventureofrunningaround,jumpingandpying,Maureenybyhismistress’ssidefastasleep.CharinatookasparklinggsshalffullofcrushedidpceditinfrontofDimitriandthenpouredsomegoodwhiskeyintoit.Shealsopouredanssforherself,heldupthegsstoDimitriandsaid,“Cheers!”Dimitritoohelduphisgssawoofthembothtookasip.“Well”Charinathensaid,“nowweareallset.HowaboutgoingonwithyourstoryoftheKingdomintheDreams?Itmustbeaveryiingandfasatingstory.Iamallears.”“WhereshouldIbegin?”murmuredDimitri,gazingattheskyoutsidethewindow.“Let’sstartwithmytwenty-fourbeautiesthen.Theyarealldifferentandhavedifferentbackgrounds;Iwillintroducethemtoyou.”Hetookanothersipofthewhiskeyandasifreminisgaboutthepastbegantotellhisstory.

    1

    Theafternooabatedsomewhatandtheairbegantocooldownwiththeeveningbreeze.AthiiedtoablueballooahabranchofatreeinCharina’sbackyard.Theballoonbobbledrestlesslyinthelightbreezeasifstrugglingtofreeitselffromtheshacklesofthethreadandflyawayintotheskies.Butitsfootwasboundbythethinthread.Dimitri’sstorycametoacloseforthetimebeing.Charinaaddedsomemoreiitri’sgssandpouredmorewhiskey.Shedidthesameforherself.Shetookasipandasked,“WhenyouledthebeautiesonebyoheKingdomofDreams,whydidyetme?Whydidn’tyoutakemetheretoo?Ifyoudid,Iwouldhavehadmorematerialformywriting.”

    “Er...er...Ihoughtofitatthetime.”Dimitrihoughtshewouldasksuchaquestionanddidnotknowwhattosay.“ButyoumakeuseofthecreativityandimaginationthatisiinyouaeforyourselfyourownKingdomintheDreams.”

    “Butmykingdomwouldnotbeasbeautifundperfectasyours”

    “No.No.No.No.”saidDimitriwavinghishandsindisagreement.“Youjustoscattersomeseedsiilesoilofyourdreamsandtheywillnaturallygrowandblossomiifulflowersinyourdreams.Liketherefleierofthemagnifitsitains,theywillbejustasbeautiful.Solongasyouhaveapureandkiearsinyourdreamswillsuretht,calmaiful.”

    Charina’seyesbrightehiswordswhichshookupherheartwithuraiimentsbutshecouldnotdistinguishwhatkindoffeelingthatwas.Shesuddenlystoodupsaying,”EverydayIreleaseablueballoonintotheskiesfrommybackyard,hopingitwouldbringmebaessageabouttheworldbeyondtheblueskies.Butdayafterdaymyhopeshaveallbeendashed.Inevergaveupandtiodoso.Let’shopethattodayIwillgetsomeextraordinarynews.”Sayingso,sheopeheFrendowsandsteppedintothebackyard.Shegrabbedholdofthethreadtiedtotheblueballoonaouttheairintheballoon.Shewaskeyedupasherhanervouslyallovertheftballoonandthene

-sizepieaureentomakeiteasierforhimtoeat.Tohismistress,Maureenwasamemberofherfamilyandequalinpositiontoanyotherhumanbeing,sohesatatthetablewiththemandpartookdaintilyofhismeal.AsforCharina,shehadapteoffreshlettucedribbledwithsomevinegarandpepperandasliceofturkey.Shemurmured,“Womeobebeautiful.Iokeeptheirfigurestheyhavetosacrificetheirenjoymentoffood!”ShelookedatMaureenandsaid,“Itisarareopportunitythatbroughthimintothisworld.Iknowdogsarenotsupposedtoeatthesamefoodashumans,butIwanthimtoexperiehedifferentgourmetfoodwehumanshavesoasnottowastethisuniqueceofhishavinglivedinthisworldofours.”

    NowthetwoofthemweresittinginCharina’srgebrightlivingroom.Exhaustedbyhism’sadventureofrunningaround,jumpingandpying,Maureenybyhismistress’ssidefastasleep.CharinatookasparklinggsshalffullofcrushedidpceditinfrontofDimitriandthenpouredsomegoodwhiskeyintoit.Shealsopouredanssforherself,heldupthegsstoDimitriandsaid,“Cheers!”Dimitritoohelduphisgssawoofthembothtookasip.“Well”Charinathensaid,“nowweareallset.HowaboutgoingonwithyourstoryoftheKingdomintheDreams?Itmustbeaveryiingandfasatingstory.Iamallears.”“WhereshouldIbegin?”murmuredDimitri,gazingattheskyoutsidethewindow.“Let’sstartwithmytwenty-fourbeautiesthen.Theyarealldifferentandhavedifferentbackgrounds;Iwillintroducethemtoyou.”Hetookanothersipofthewhiskeyandasifreminisgaboutthepastbegantotellhisstory.

    1

    Theafternooabatedsomewhatandtheairbegantocooldownwiththeeveningbreeze.AthiiedtoablueballooahabranchofatreeinCharina’sbackyard.Theballoonbobbledrestlesslyinthelightbreezeasifstrugglingtofreeitselffromtheshacklesofthethreadandflyawayintotheskies.Butitsfootwasboundbythethinthread.Dimitri’sstorycametoacloseforthetimebeing.Charinaaddedsomemoreiitri’sgssandpouredmorewhiskey.Shedidthesameforherself.Shetookasipandasked,“WhenyouledthebeautiesonebyoheKingdomofDreams,whydidyetme?Whydidn’tyoutakemetheretoo?Ifyoudid,Iwouldhavehadmorematerialformywriting.”

    “Er...er...Ihoughtofitatthetime.”Dimitrihoughtshewouldasksuchaquestionanddidnotknowwhattosay.“ButyoumakeuseofthecreativityandimaginationthatisiinyouaeforyourselfyourownKingdomintheDreams.”

    “Butmykingdomwouldnotbeasbeautifundperfectasyours”

    “No.No.No.No.”saidDimitriwavinghishandsindisagreement.“Youjustoscattersomeseedsiilesoilofyourdreamsandtheywillnaturallygrowandblossomiifulflowersinyourdreams.Liketherefleierofthemagnifitsitains,theywillbejustasbeautiful.Solongasyouhaveapureandkiearsinyourdreamswillsuretht,calmaiful.”

    Charina’seyesbrightehiswordswhichshookupherheartwithuraiimentsbutshecouldnotdistinguishwhatkindoffeelingthatwas.Shesuddenlystoodupsaying,”EverydayIreleaseablueballoonintotheskiesfrommybackyard,hopingitwouldbringmebaessageabouttheworldbeyondtheblueskies.Butdayafterdaymyhopeshaveallbeendashed.Inevergaveupandtiodoso.Let’shopethattodayIwillgetsomeextraordinarynews.”Sayingso,sheopeheFrendowsandsteppedintothebackyard.Shegrabbedholdofthethreadtiedtotheblueballoonaouttheairintheballoon.Shewaskeyedupasherhanervouslyallovertheftballoonandthene