Once Upon a Thyme
An original Faerie Garlic Tale created by the community at the 2025 Garlic & Herb Festival
Original illustrations by Dakota Dungeon
Where the tale began…
At the 2025 Garlic & Herb Festival, the community gathered around one very big book and spun a very strange, very garlicky faerie tale together.
Once upon a thyme…
As the sun sank onto a beet-red horizon, the townsfolk of Benton’s Landing looked to the sky! A foretold comet streaked across the sky, marking the arrival of the one who would save their world.
Princess Clove sighed in relief, thankful the sky had finally revealed the omen the kingdom was waiting for.
The smell of garlic and onions cooking reminded Princess Clove that she needed to finish her adventure snack—before she heard the Duchess scream!
“My beautiful creation is ruined!”
The Duchess slumped over the steaming pot, and her shiny tears shed a cloud over Princess Clove’s glow of sunshine.
Meanwhile, back at Court Carrot, an associate of the dastardly Cook was trying to convince the court that those marked by the foretold comment were not to be trusted!
The Knights bristled knowing the dastardly cook was plotting something…
The elves bickered among themselves and split in their opinions.
The magical librarian silenced the room by smacking her frying pan.
"Surely princess clove must weigh in on this!"
The tower of Carrot Court agreed and sent along a silky chicken messenger to fetch her.
A toad named kitten was singing in the soup. It was singing the song that had been forbidden in Benton Landing, and it sang and danced and sang and danced until nearly all the Duchess's soup had splashed out of the bowl and onto her lace and frills.
Princess Clove went to comfort the Duchess, when she was turned around by a peck on her ankles... Around the chicken's neck was a sparkling ruby as well as a note alerting Princess Clove about the Cook's evil meddling! Princess Clove, took one long look at the chicken, the toad and the Duchess and she knew what she must do.
Toad bore the symbol of his master, the dastardly Cook, and Princess Clove knew she'd have to act fast to stop the prophecy of Thyme before time ran out.
She ran to the stables to fetch her horse named, Dog, and they galloped to the west of Benton's Landing to the cottage of the witch named, Scallion.
Scallion exclaimed "Save your words deary! I already know why you've come!"
Together they tracked down the Garlic King, which wasn't much of a challenge as they both had a keen sense of smell.
Upon arrival to his layer in the magical forest, he exclaimed, "Princess, eat this jam!"
Upon first taste, it glowed and sparkled, marking her as the chosen one!
Scallion and the Garlic King laughed, for she was right under their noses the whole time!
Princess Clove raced back to the kingdom before she could celebrate.
She snatched the toad, saving the Duchess and burst into the court.
Before the dastardly cook could even reveal his disguise and start rambling…
She chucked the toad and knocked him out!
The carrot court rejoiced.
Princess Clove saved the garlic kingdom!
The end.
What’s a TAT Faerie Tale?
Every year at The Mohawk Valley Garlic & Herb Festival (https://mvghf.com/) The Art Thing collaborates with other venders and the whole community of festival-goers to explore what happens when we tell stories together.
Instead of belonging to one author, the characters, twists, and unexpected turns in our Faerie Garlic Tale take shape through the imaginations of anybody that wants to add a little something of their own to the story as it unfolds throughout the day.
The Garlic & Herb Festival, 2025
At the end of the day, the tale is read aloud for all to hear by none other than the Garlic King himself!
But a faerie tale is never really finished…
A year later, we’re opening the book again!
At the 2026 Garlic & Herb Festival, we’re handing last year’s story back to the community that created it—to retell it, twist it, reimagine it, and see where our story goes next.
Because that’s part of the magic of telling stories together. A story grows with every retelling as it changes hands, gathers new ideas, and become something ever after none of us could have imagined on our own.
So… what happens next?
To be continued at the Garlic & Herb Festival 2026…