A Fairy Tale by Hope Hughes
1318 Words
Once upon a time there was a brave girl called Annabelle Harris. She was on the way to see her Uncle Vincent Harris, when she decided to take a short cut through Sherwood Forest. It wasn't long before Annabelle got lost. She looked around, but all she see were trees. Nervously, she felt into her bag for her favorite toy Phillip E Bear, but Phillip E Bear was nowhere to be found! Annabelle began to panic. She felt sure she had packed Phillip E Bear. To make matters worse, she was starting to feel hungry. Unexpectedly, she saw a friendly lamb dressed in a purple skirt disappearing into the trees. "How odd!" thought Annabelle. For the want of anything better to do, she decided to follow the peculiarity dressed lamb. Perhaps it could tell her the way out of the forest. Eventually, Annabelle reached a clearing. In the clearing were three houses, one made from broccoli, one made from muffins. Annabelle could feel her tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease her hunger. "Hello"! she called. "Is anybody there?" Nobody replied. Annabelle looked at the roof on the closet house and wondered if it would be rude to eat somebody else's chimney. Obviously it would be impolite to eat a whole house, but perhaps it would be considered acceptable to nibble the odd fixture or lick the odd fitting in a time of need. A cackle broke through the air, giving Annabelle a fright. A witch jumped into the space in front of the houses. She was carrying a cage. In that cage was Phillip E Bear! "Phillip E Bear! shouted Annabelle. She turned to the witch. "That's my toy!" The witch just shrugged. "Give Phillip E Bear back!" cried Annabelle. "Not on your life!" said the witch. "At least let Phillip E Bear out of that cage!" Before she could reply, two friendly lambs rushed in from a footpath on the other side of the clearing. Annabelle recognized the one in the purple skirt that she'd seen earlier. The witch seemed to recognize her too. "Hello Big Lamb," said the witch. "Good morning, " The lamb noticed Phillip E Bear, "Who is this!" "That's Phillip E Bear" explained the witch. "Ooh! Phillip E Bear would look lovely in my house. Give it to me!" The witch shook her head. "Phillip E Bear is staying with me." "Um... Excuse me..." Annabelle interrupted. "Phillip E Bear lives with me and not in a cage!" Big Lamb ignored her. "Is there nothing you'll trade? She asked the witch. The witch thought for a moment, then said, "I do like to be entertained. I'll release him to anyone who can eat a whole front door." Big Lamb looked at the house made from muffins and said, "No problem, I could eat an entire house made from muffins if I wanted to." "That's nothing" said the next lamb. "I could eat two houses." "There's no need to show off, "Said the witch. Just eat one front door and I'll let you have Phillip E Bear." Annabelle watched, feeling very worried. She didn't think Phillip E Bear would like living with a friendly lamb, away from her house and all her other toys. The other one lamb watched while Big Lamb put on her bib and withdrew a knife and fork from her pocket. "I'll eat this whole house" said Big Lamb. "Just you watch!" Big Lamb pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from chocolates. She gulped it down smiling, and went back for more. And more And more. Eventually, Big Lamb started to get bigger- just a little bit at first. But after a few more fork-fulls of chocolates, she grew to the size of a large snowball- and she was ever bit as round. "Erm... I don't feel good" said Big Lamb. Suddenly, she started to roll. She'd grown so round that she could no longer balance. "Help! she cried as she rolled off down a slope into the forest. Big Lamb never finished eating the front door made from chocolates and Phillip E Bear remained trapped in the witch's cage. Average Lamb stepped up, and approached the house made from muffins. "I'll eat this whole house "said" Average Lamb. "Just you watch!" Average Lamb pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from muffins. She gulped it down smiling and went back for more. And more And more. After a while, Average Lamb started to look a little queasy. She grew greener... and greener. A lumberjack walked into the clearing. "What's this bush doing here? "he asked. I'm not a bush, I'm a lamb!" said Average Lamb. "It talks!" exclaimed the lumberjack. "Those talking bushes are the worst kind. I'd better take it away before somebody gets hurt.". "No wait! Average Lamb. as the lumberjack picked her up. But the lumberjack ignored her cries and carried the lamb away under his arm. Average Lamb never finished eating the front door made from muffins and Phillip E Bear remained trapped in the witch's cage. "That's it", said the witch. "I win. I get to keep Phillip E Bear." "Not so fast" said Annabelle. "There is still one front door to go. The front door of the house made from broccoli. And I haven't had a turn yet. "I don't have to give you a turn!" laughed the witch. "My game. My rules." The lumberjack's voice carried through the forest. "I think you should give her a chance. It's only fair." "Fine, said the witch. "But you saw what happened to the lambs. She won't last long." "I'll be right back said Annabelle. "What?" Said the witch. "Where's your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Phillip E Bear back". Annabelle ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. She came back to the clearing and started a small camp fire. Carefully, she broke off a piece of the door of the house made from broccoli and toasted over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, she took a bite. She quickly devoured the whole piece. Annabelle sat down on a nearby log. "You fail!" cackled the witch. "You were supposed to eat the whole door." "I haven't finished," explained Annabelle. "I am just waiting for my food to go down." When Annabelle's food had digested, she broke off another piece of the door made from broccoli. Once more, she toasted her food over the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. She ate it at a leisurely pace then waited for it to digest. Eventually, after several sittings, Annabelle was down to the final piece of the door made from broccoli. Carefully,. She toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. She finished her final course. Annabelle had eaten the entire front door made from broccoli. The witch stamped her foot angrily. "You must have tricked me!" she said. "I don't reward cheating!" "I don't think so! said a voice. It was the lumberjack. He walked back in the clearing, carrying a axe. "This girl won fair and square. Now hand over Phillip E Bear or I will chop your broomstick in half. The witch stamped ok. Then Annabelle hurried over and grabbed Phillip E Bear, checking that her favorite toy was all right. Fortunately,. Phillip E Bear was unharmed. Annabelle thanked the lumberjack, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried to meet Vincent. When Annabelle got to Vincent's house her uncle threw his arms around her. "I was worried!" cried Vincent. "You are very late " As Annabelle described her day, she could tell that Vincent didn't believe her so grabbed a napkin from her pocket. "What's that?" asked Vincent. Annabelle unwrapped a doorknob made from chocolates. "Pudding!". She said Vincent almost fell off his chair.
The End
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