Linda-Gold and the Old King
Long ago there lived an eccentric old king who had suffered great sorrow: his queen and children had died, and someone had torn his heart to pieces — someone 'with claws,' he said. Ever since, the king imagines that everyone has claws on their hands. No one is allowed to come within two arm's lengths of him. Servants must serve food at the farthest edge of the table, and anyone who steps closer spends a week in prison. Despite his oddities, he rules justly and is beloved by his people. But they worry because he refuses to remarry or name an heir. One day, a little girl named Linda-Gold arrives