The Four Diamonds is a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

themed, allegorical

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

written by Chris Millard in 1972 shortly before succumbing to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

at the age of 14. After returning from summer vacation, his teacher told Chris' class to write a story about what they did during their vacation. Chris had spent the summer being treated for his illness, and asked his teacher if he could write something else, to which she agreed. He wrote about adventures and struggle of an aspiring knight, also named Millard, to conquer Raptenahad (a play on "

rhabdomyosarcoma Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly aggressive form of cancer that develops from mesenchymal cells that have failed to fully differentiate into myocytes of skeletal muscle. Cells of the neoplasm, tumor are identified as rhabdomyoblasts. The four ...

," the cancer Chris had), a magic-wielding evil queen who symbolized his illness. To defeat her, the story's Millard has to complete four difficult tasks. The story gave its name to the

Four Diamonds Fund Penn State Health Children's Hospital (PSCH) is a nationally ranked women's and pediatric acute care teaching hospital located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The hospital has 134 pediatric beds. PSCH is affiliated with the Penn State College of Medicin ...

, a childhood cancer-centered charitable organization established in 1972 by Chris' parents Charles and Irma. The story was also turned into a Disney TV movie in 1995.

Story

The story relates the quest of teenage

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Boys served a knight as an attendant, doing simple but important tasks such as saddling a horse or caring for the knight's weapons and armour. Terminology ''Squire'' ...

Millard to prove his

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

hood for

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

preliminary to questing for the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...

. Millard decides to do this by ridding a distant land of the evil sorceress Raptenahad and liberate it of her many curses. Once captured by Raptenahad, the young hero attempts repeatedly to regain his freedom and vanquish her. The witch begins to admire her captive for his courage, and offers Millard to try and collect the ''Diamonus Quadrus'' (the Four Diamonds) of

Courage Courage (also called bravery, valour ( British and Commonwealth English), or valor (American English)) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in ...

Wisdom Wisdom, also known as sapience, is the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good judgment to navigate life’s complexities. It is often associated with insight, discernment, and ethics in decision-making. Throughout history, wisdom ha ...

Honesty Honesty or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtue, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness (including straightforwardness of conduct: Good faith, earnestness), along with the ...

and Strength in order to defeat her (these were

virtue A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be morality, moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is Value (ethics), valued as an Telos, end purpos ...

s Chris believed were necessary in the battle against cancer). If Millard accomplished every difficult task she assigned him, he would be freed and her reign would end forever. Eventually, his continued success enrages Raptenahad and, fearing for her life, she determines to destroy him on his final challenge, however he manages to overcome all obstacles and completes it too. With the sorceress being no more, and her curses lifted, the knight takes over her former castle as his own palace and the story of

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Millard begins.

Film adaptation

''The Four Diamonds'' television film, written by Todd Robinson and directed by

Peter Werner Peter H. Werner (January 17, 1947 – March 21, 2023) was an American film and television director. His 1976 film, '' In the Region of Ice'', won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Biography Werner was born to a Jewish family, ...

, was broadcast on August 12, 1995, starring

Tom Guiry Thomas John Guiry (born October 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is best known for his lead performance as Scott "Scotty" Smalls in the coming-of-age film ''The Sandlot,'' which was filmed when he was 12, and his role in NBC crime drama ''The Bl ...

as Chris Millard and Squire Millard,

Christine Lahti Christine Ann Lahti (born April 4, 1950) is an American actress and filmmaker. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1984 film '' Swing Shift''. Her other film roles include '' ...And Justice for All'' (197 ...

co-starred as Chris' doctor and the sorceress Queen Raptenahad,

Kevin Dunn Kevin Dunn (born August 24, 1955) is an American character actor who has appeared in supporting roles in numerous films and television series since the 1980s. Dunn's roles include White House Communications Director Alan Reed in the political ...

as Charles Millard and the wizard Charles the Mysterious, and

Jayne Brook Jayne Brook (born Jane Anderson) (born September 16, 1960) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Dr. Diane Grad on the medical drama '' Chicago Hope'', as a series regular for five of the show's six seasons, and Mary Ann Mitchell o ...

as Irma Millard and Hermit of the Lagoon. The film weaves the stages of Millard's real life with Arthurian parallels in the story.Elizabeth Sherr Sklar, Donald L. Hoffman, ''King Arthur in Popular Culture''

References

Press coverage

*Beth Kleid
Brave Heart: A Young Boy Battling Cancer Writes A Story Inspiring Others To Face Life's Obstacles
''Los Angeles Times'', August 6, 1995 *Kate O'Hare
Diamonds' Sparkle In Tribute To A Boy's Legacy
''Chicago Tribune'', August 6, 1995 *Tony Scott
A Disney Channel Premiere Film the Four Diamonds
''Variety'', August 7, 1995 *Walter Goodman

''The New York Times'', August 11, 1995 *Hal Boedeker
Mush And Medicine Collide
''Orlando Sentinel'', August 12, 1995

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Four Diamonds 1972 short stories 1995 drama films 1995 television films 1995 films 1995 fantasy films American fantasy films Arthurian films Disney Channel original films Films directed by Peter Werner Fantasy short stories 1990s American films

Story

Film adaptation

See also

References

Press coverage

External links