The Princess, the Witch, and the Unicorn

Princess Arazel was walking in the garden. Her father was in a conference and her sister, Princess Lillina, was away visiting. She heard a noise coming from the fountain and leaned over to investigate. A hand broke the surface of the water and grabbed Arazel. The Princess screamed as the hand pulled her into the water. Arazel wasn't a good swimmer, but she knew that she had to hold her breath for a long time. The fountain was deep, but it seemed to Arazel that it was deeper than usual. She still couldn't see who was holding her and pulling her down. Arazel had to breathe or her lungs would burst. She inhaled and found that she could breathe underwater. What a miracle! The hand pulled her through a little door in the fountain wall. The door led to a room. The room had a little bit of water on the floor, but otherwise, it was a rather nice room. Arazel could now see who was holding her. It was a gruesome witch. Her skin was icy blue, and her hair was white. The witch grinned terribly, and said," I am Bogra, the water witch." Arazel gasped and said," But what do you want with me?" Bogra rolled her eyes. "I want you to eat, of course," she said. "Come here." Arazel guessed that Bogra must have been using an enchantment, because she came, even though she tried not to. Bogra got some rope that looked like snakes, and tied her to a pole. Arazel watched as Bogra got her cauldron and dropped in some strange looking plants. "Will she really cook me?" Arazel asked herself. Bogra grinned that horrible grin again and said," There is no way out of it, Princess. I will eat you." Arazel saw her go through the door and immediately tried to think of a way to escape. She noticed a lamp sitting by her. Intrigued, she rubbed it with her foot. Blue smoke came out of the spout and transformed into a genie. "Hi!" the genie said, cheerfully. "Gee, thanks for letting me out. I was getting kinda cramped in there. So, what can I do for you, young lady?" he asked, regarding Arazel with interest. "I wish to go home," Arazel said, clearly. The genie smiled. "Now, there's a wish!" he cried in delight. "Excuse me?" asked Arazel in confusion. "You, young lady, are a rose among weeds," the genie continued. "I wish. Now there's something I don't hear every day. Most of the people stutter or mumble or say, I think, I want, or maybe. Not you! I wish. There's a girl with a good head on her shoulders, I says." Finished, he smiled at her and asked," So what was your wish again?" "I want to go home," Arazel repeated. The genie flexed his fingers and admitted," It's been a long time. I hope I get this right." Arazel started to worry. In all her twelve years of age, never had she been transported by an out-of-practice genie. And she wanted to keep that record. Suddenly she found herself in a forest, by a blue pool. She felt dazed, but she was all right. Arazel got up and looked around. "Where am I?" she asked aloud. "Here," said a timid voice. "Where's here?" asked Arazel. A unicorn appeared before her, coming out from behind a large tree. "You are trespassing on my pool," the unicorn stated. "I'm sorry," she said. Then she explained what happened. The unicorn snorted. "I can get you there," she said. "Hop on." Arazel climbed up on the unicorn and they raced off. In case you have never ridden a unicorn, this is what it felt like. The wind rushed by and there wasn't a single bump. The ride was as smooth as glass. Very fast, too. In almost no time at all, they were at Arazel's castle. As it turned out, the unicorn liked Arazel and so she became the Princess's pet. A professional exterminated Bogra, the water witch, and they cemented the door in the fountain. And so, everyone was happy once again.

Copyright 1999 by Chantessy. All rights reserved.