Age Of Emerald

Long ago, hidden in luscious and serene woodland that descended to the warm sea, there lived four magicians. The magicians were admired amongst the people of that land for the good deeds that they did: they helped the peasants from nearby villages; they protected the woodland from deadly fires; and fed the beasts of the land during the cold, severe winters. Nobody knew that quiet province hidden in the woods, the home of fishermen and peasants, better than the four magicians did.

One day, a panting messenger from a nearby village approached the magicians. He had with him a decree from the King. The decree told the magicians that His Majesty wished to hold a competition among all of the provinces in his kingdom. Each province was to choose one city to represent it before a committee of learned men, which was to choose the worthiest of them as the venue for the King's birthday festival. To celebrate his birthday, the King desired to hold a festival of magic and sorcery, the likes of which the world had never seen, in the finest city in his kingdom. The most skilled magicians from all the ends of the earth would attend this festive event - the coastal waters would be parti-colored with beautiful flags and sails, and the province would flourish with the many thousands of rich guests attending the event.

The magicians began to think - the reward was very tempting! They also knew that the people living in their quiet little province were hard-working and kind-hearted, and that they deserved to hold this marvelous celebration. The magicians themselves, too, were willing to show off their own craft marvel at the master of the other magicians coming from distant parts of the globe. Only one obstacle remained: there was not a single city - not even a building with more than two stories - in their province!

That's where the magicians' skill, perfected during the long years of traveling, came in handy. The first magician struck the ground with his staff, and in the midst of the dense woodland appeared an immense glade, surrounded by the remainder of the woodland. The second magician clapped his hands, and there appeared a splendid table laid with an amazing array of viand - the most splendid foods the province had ever seen. The third magician waved his hands, and there were magical instruments and beautiful adornments garnishing the table. The fourth magician muttered a spell, and the land was filled with gold.

Now everything was ready for building there and, with the help of the hard-working peasants, a marvelous city would be built that was not only the most splendid in the whole of the Kingdom, but in the entire world!