Emily Jaramillo and the Kingdom Under the World
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"I’m going there," she said, "-- right over there," and she pointed toward the purple glow. She climbed quickly, her bare toes wrapping around the wires of the chain link fence like a monkey’s. Patti looked up, worry crinkling her smooth face. "Oh, no, Emily, please don’t!" The purple glow grew deeper and darker. "I have to, Patti Pat. Tell Papacita I’ll be safe. I just know it." Emily reached the top and just for a moment squatted there, her long dress wrapped high around her legs. A light rain had begun to fall. "I love you Patti Pat Pat forever and ever. Take care of Wayne and Michael." She dropped her backpack over the fence and hung for just a moment from the iron bar at the top, then dropped gracefully to the ground on the other side. Grabbing her pack, containing sandals and the phone, she ran hard for the cover of the forest and the deepening purple light. Under the World As she ran, the rain beat down harder and harder. The velvet dress was soaked and plastered to her body. She pushed her wild hair away from her eyes, then stopped, looked straight up, and let the cleansing rain drench her face. She laughed in delight and opened her mouth into the downpour. Then ducking her head, she ran on into the thickening underbrush. Suddenly she stopped. The trails had branched, but a picnic table showed her she was not far from civilization. She crawled under it and crouched in the dry spot looking out at two paths moving in a Y from the one she had come down. She rested, then crawled out and stood at the crossroads. The steepest trail ended in purple so deep it was nearly black. Drawn irresistibly, she ran and skidded in the slick mud, snatching at branches to slow her as she ran. The undergrowth was thick and snarly and sharp branches caught her arms and the skirt of her dress. Each time, she pulled loose and went on, never thinking of turning back. Dark branches grew into the trail and over it until she seemed to be in a tunnel. Slipping out of control, she dug her small bare heels into the mud. Her feet went out from under her and she hit, sliding on her back into steeper and muddier ground. On she went -- out of control, her body rolling and slipping. The ground seemed to open beneath her and she dropped into a great cavity in the earth. It narrowed and she bumped against the sides until her head hurt. For a while she would slow and the speed decrease; then again she would hurtle downward. Terrified, she plummeted on. It seemed as if her downward slide would never stop. At last she fell into a soft smooth dry area, rolled over and over and came to a stop. She looked up to find herself surrounded by dozens of tiny brown people whose bodies were covered with a soft and downy fur. She was in a huge cavern lit by some unseen source. As she struggled to her feet, she heard a strange sound that seemed to roll and gather -- almost a gurgling sound. She realized the little people were giggling uncontrollably. Most were about half her size. Their little feet were encased in soft leather shoes, and they each had beautiful brown eyes and a small brown tip at the end of their noses. They wore clothing of a soft tan color and they were clamoring and chattering excitedly. Some clapped their hands, and others gave a sharp little barking noise. "What is it?" "Where did it come from?" "Kill it! Eat it for dinner--" more giggles. One stepped forward. He wore a leather vest decorated with purple jewels. Her heart was pounding hard but she struggled to her feet and found her voice. "Where-- Where am I? Donde? Que pasa? I mean-- Who are you? Why are you laughing at me?" She trembled all over with fear and excitement. The little man said, "We are Ground Gnomes. My name is Bayo. On the Upper Earth we are called prairie dogs but when the Humans tried to kill us we moved far underground, and underground we have always turned into what you see before you. Ground Gnomes. We have a great deal of magic, but on Upper Earth we are disrespected. Only the children like us." He continued, "You are in the Great Cavern of Charms, a part of the Kingdom Under the World, presided over by Queen Serena, whom you will meet. And we are laughing because--" A low snicker ran through the gathering of gnomes. He was overcome with laughter now and struggled to talk. "You look so funny in a beautiful dress and totally covered in mud. We also see that you do not have shoes--?" She stood up very straight and said shakily, "Emily Maria Rosario Jaramillo does not wear shoes."
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About the Book
Emily Jaramillo is the tough ethnic heroine of the book, Emily Jaramillo and the Kingdom Under the World. She struggles through caverns hung with stalactites and ominous with stalagmites to swim across an underground lake where shark-like fish and man-eating plants linger. Her journey with her young companions brings her to Obsidian City, in the Kingdom of Darkness. Obsidian City is black and dimly lit and is the towering home of the Hawkbats and Raptormen. The evil King of Darkness has stolen two gnome babies from their protective home in the Kingdom of Serena and is determined to kill the children who have come to rescue them. Their struggle to escape The Kingdom of Darkness once they have found the babies, is frightening but successful. By the end of the story, they have learned to rely on each other and they have learned what true courage, trust and leadership really are. The time is right for a great adventurous journey for a little girl, as once captivated the world in the wonderful classic, The Wizard of Oz. Several teachers in the town of Del Norte, Colorado have just read this book to their elementary students. The range was from second to fifth grade. These students reported they liked the book better than Harry Potter and are clamoring for the sequel.
About the Author
Margaret King was raised in the gold mining camps and copper mining towns of Nevada. She grew up an athletic girl who loved excitement and often explored the old mines and tunnels where her dad had leased an old gold mine. These years gave her the reality and feeling of caves, which appears in Emily Jaramillo and the Kingdom Under the World. Chasing wild horses was an activity she and her father pursued when she was a teen. Later she and her children explored the South Fork Caves near Meeker, Colorado. The caves and the deep underground lake are a rite of passage for many young people of this community. Many of these young adults attempt to raft across the underground lake into caves beyond. Emily and her friends swim this underground lake. The author was educated in Nevada and Colorado. Her educational background is a BA in English and Physical Education with an MA in counseling. She met and married a fellow educator who has been her life-long companion. They have four children and six grandchildren. She was a teacher for many years in the small mountain of Meeker, Colorado, and now lives in Fort Collins, Colorado where she teaches Johnny G. Spinning classes in a local health club.