The Four Diamonds
Encyclopedia
The Four Diamonds is a fantasy
short story
written by Chris Millard in 1972 shortly before succumbing to cancer
at the age of 14.
The story relates the details of the quest of teenage squire
Millard to prove his knight
hood for King Arthur
preliminary to questing for the Holy Grail
. Millard decides to do this by ridding the land of an evil sorceress Queen Raptenahad (named after his disease, rhabdomyosarcoma
) and liberate it of her many wicked curses. Once captured by the treacherous witch, the young hero attempts repeatedly to regain his freedom and kill her. Raptenahad begins to admire her captive for his courage, and offers Millard to try and collect the Diamonus Quadrus (the Four Diamonds) of Courage
, Wisdom
, Honesty
, and Strength in order to defeat her (these were virtue
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 of evil would end forever. Eventually, his continued success enrages the sorceress and, fearing for her life, Raptenahad determines to destroy him on his final challenge, however he manages to overcome all obstacles and completes it too. Once the sinister queen of darkness is gone and her curses lifted, the knight takes over her former castle as his own palace and the story of Sir
Millard begins.
, a childhood cancer-centered charitable
organization established in 1972 by Chris' parents Charles and Irma.
as Chris Millard and Squire Millard, Christine Lahti
co-starred as Chris' doctor and the sorceress Raptenahad, Kevin Dunn
as Charles Millard and the wizard Charles the Mysterious, and Jayne Brook
as Irma Millard. The film weaves the stages of Millard's real life with Arthurian parallels in the story.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by Chris Millard in 1972 shortly before succumbing to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 14.
Story
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.The story relates the details of the quest of teenage squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
Millard to prove his knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
hood for King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
preliminary to questing for the Holy Grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
. Millard decides to do this by ridding the land of an evil sorceress Queen Raptenahad (named after his disease, rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
A rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of cancer, specifically a sarcoma , in which the cancer cells are thought to arise from skeletal muscle progenitors. It can also be found attached to muscle tissue, wrapped around intestines, or in any anatomic location...
) and liberate it of her many wicked curses. Once captured by the treacherous witch, the young hero attempts repeatedly to regain his freedom and kill her. Raptenahad begins to admire her captive for his courage, and offers Millard to try and collect the Diamonus Quadrus (the Four Diamonds) of Courage
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
, Wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
, Honesty
Honesty
Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or theft....
, and Strength in order to defeat her (these were virtue
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
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 of evil would end forever. Eventually, his continued success enrages the sorceress and, fearing for her life, Raptenahad determines to destroy him on his final challenge, however he manages to overcome all obstacles and completes it too. Once the sinister queen of darkness is gone and her curses lifted, the knight takes over her former castle as his own palace and the story of Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Millard begins.
Foundation
The story gave name to Four Diamonds FundFour Diamonds Fund
The Four Diamonds Fund is a charitable organization based out of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Its ultimate objective is to "conquer childhood cancer"....
, a childhood cancer-centered charitable
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
organization established in 1972 by Chris' parents Charles and Irma.
Movie
A Disney TV movie based on The Four Diamonds story was broadcast in 1995, starring Tom GuiryTom Guiry
Thomas John Guiry is an American actor.Guiry was born in Trenton, New Jersey and attended St. Gregory the Great school in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey from kindergarten through eighth grade, and then high school at Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey...
as Chris Millard and Squire Millard, Christine Lahti
Christine Lahti
Christine Lahti is an American actress and film director. Lahti has had a successful career in television and film. Throughout her career she has garnered 2 Golden Globe Awards from 8 Nominations, An Emmy Award from 6 Nominations and 2 Academy Award nominations...
co-starred as Chris' doctor and the sorceress Raptenahad, Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn is an American actor who has appeared in supporting roles in a number of films since the 1980s. His roles include Colonel Hicks in the 1998 version of Godzilla, Sam Witwicky's father in Transformers, and Oscar Galvin, the primary antagonist in the 2010 action thriller...
as Charles Millard and the wizard Charles the Mysterious, and Jayne Brook
Jayne Brook
Jayne Brook is an American actress, known for her role as Dr. Diane Grad on the medical drama Chicago Hope. She appeared on the series from 1995 to 1999.-Early life:...
as Irma Millard. The film weaves the stages of Millard's real life with Arthurian parallels in the story.
Film reviews
- Brave Heart: A Young Boy Battling Cancer Writes A Story Inspiring Others To Face Life's Obstacles, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, August 6, 1995 - Diamonds' Sparkle In Tribute To A Boy's Legacy, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, August 6, 1995 - FOUR STARS FOR 'FOUR DIAMONDS', Daily News, August 10, 1995
- Boy's Short Life Blends With a Fantasy He Wrote, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, August 11, 1995 - Mush And Medicine Collide, Orlando SentinelOrlando SentinelThe Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
, August 12, 1995