The Young Animal Girls' Plan

"But King Horace, still fearful of his daughter's life, did then and there decree that every spinning wheel in the kingdom should on that very day be burnt. So it was done."

All of the spinning wheels were taken from their places and were piles in the castle in the courtyard and all were then put on fire as the massive smoke begins to tower above them as the wheels were burnt. As more spindles were piled, more fire was ignited on them.

Marie watched the entire scene from the window and felt disgraced. Burning the wheels won't be much helpful to Horace and Lila. She knew that Penelope wouldn't stop at nothing to see the death of his daughter. "D'oh, silly fiddle faddle!" said Marie, feeling disgraced as she floated over to Angel and Nala. They were busy drinking tea from cups, just sitting alone in the room. It's true that they were animals, but these girls drink and eat like mortals do.

"Now, come have a nice cup of tea, dear. I'm sure it'll work out somehow." said Angel, and, with a swirl of her wand, a teapot, and a cup on a saucer appeared in mid-air and floated as she grabbed the cup and saucer.

"Well, a bonfire won't stop Penelope." said Nala.

"Of course not. But what will?" said Marie, as she took the cup and saucer and took a sip from the cup.

"Well, perhaps if we reason with her..." said Angel.

"Reason?" said Marie, feeling somewhat startled.

"With Penelope?" said Nala, feeling startled as well.

"Well, she can't be all bad." said Angel.

"Oh, yes, she can!" said Marie.

"Ohhh, I'd like to turn her into a fat, old hoptoad!" snarled Nala, feeling frustrated about Penelope.

"Now, dear, that's not a very nice thing to say." Angel scolded lightly.

"Besides, we can't." said Marie, "You know our magic doesn't work that way."

"It can only do good, dear, to bring joy and happiness." added Angel.

"Well, that would make me happy." said Nala between munches of cornbread.

"But there must be someway...There is!" said Marie when she thought of something.

"There is?" asked Nala.

"What is it, Marie?" asked Angel.

"I'm going to..." said Marie, but she stopped for a moment and resumed talking in a quiet voice. "Shh, shh, shh! Even walls have ears." whispered Marie. Then she looked around the room, looking around the corners, under the tables, and outside the room.

Then she floated back to them and said, "Follow me!" Then, with a swirl of her wand, she minimized herself, and her friends did the same. Then Angel and Nala followed Marie into the closet. "I'll turn her into a flower!" said Marie.

"Penelope?" asked Nala.

"No, no, dear, the princess!" Marie said happily.

"Oh she'd make a lovely flower!" said Angel.

"Don't you see? A flower can't prick its finger." said Marie.

"It hasn't any!" said Nala, smiling.

"That's right." said Angel.

"She'll be perfectly safe." said Marie.

Then Nala's smile turned into a disappointed frown, and she said, "Until Penelope sends a frost."

"Yes, a-" said Marie. But she suddenly stopped when she realized what Nala said. She knew now what would happen if ice and a delicate plant meet. And it was not a pretty mix. Marie sadly slumped and said, "Oh dear."

"She always ruins your nicest flowers." said Angel.

"You're right. And she'll be expecting us to do something like that." said Marie.

"Ohhh! Well what *won't* she expect? She *knows* everything." said Nala.

"Oh but she doesn't, dear. Penelope doesn't know anything about love, or kindness, or the joy of helping earnest. You know, sometimes I don't think she's really very happy." said Angel.

Then an idea popped in Marie's mind when she got a splended idea listening to Angel's comment. "That's it, of course! It's the only thing she can't understand, and won't expect!" said Marie, feeling excited. Then she paced around as she talked to herself. "Oh, oh, now, now ... We have to plan it carefully, let's see, woodcutters cottage, yes, yes, the abandoned one, of course the King and Queen will object, but when we explain it's the only way ..." said Marie to herself.

"Explain what?" asked Nala. Marie turned to Angel and Nala and said, "About the young girl kitten, the young girl puppy, and the young lioness cub, raising a foundling child deep in the forest."

"Oh? That's very nice of them." said Angel.

"Who are they?" asked Nala.

"Turn around!" said Marie.

While Nala and Angel turned around to face a mirror, Marie changed them into normal young animal girls, including herself.

Angel and Nala were very surprised when they only see themselves in run-of-the-mill forms.

Marie was now wearing a pink dress, a matching hood, and a white apron.

Angel was now wearing a sky-blue dress, a matching hood, and a white apron.

Nala was now wearing a red dress, a matching hood, and a white apron.

"Why, it's ... us!" said Angel, being surprised.

"Uh-huh." said Marie.

"You mean, *we*, us?" asked Nala.

"Uh-huh." Marie repeated.

"Take care of the baby?" asked Angel, who seemed excited about the idea.

"Why not?" said Marie.

"Oh, I'd like that!" said Angel. Nala then noticed that her clothes were red and changed them to teal. After all, her favorite color *is* teal, and she was obsessed with it. "Well, yes, yes, but will we have to feed it?" asked Nala.

"And wash it and dress it and rock it to sleep. Oh I'd love it!" sighed Angel.

"You really think we can?" asked Nala.

"If normal young animal girls can do it, so can we." said Marie.

"And we have our magic to help us." Nala said.

"That's right." smiled Angel.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no magic!" said Marie, who denied it. "I'll take those wands right now." She took Angel's wand, but Nala was still holding onto hers. Then she got rid of Angel's wings with her wand. "Oh! Better get rid of the wings, too."

"You mean, live and look like normal young animal girls? For thirteen years?" asked Nala, as she proceeded to fly away from Marie.

"Uh-huh." said Marie. She zapped away Nala's wings with her wand, making her fall into a big spoon.

"Now, we-we-we don't know how. We've never done anything without magic." said Nala, who was now concerned about the idea.

"And that's why Penelope will never suspect!" said Marie.

"But who'll wash, and cook?" asked Nala.

"Oh, we'll all pitch in." said Marie.

"I'll take care of the baby!" said Angel.

"Let me have it, dear." said Marie, reaching for Nala's wand. At last, Nala got rid of Marie's wings with her own wand. Then she took the wand from Nala.

"Come along now, We must tell their majesties at once!" said Marie. Then she changed herself to normal size, leaving Angel and Nala still inside the closet.

"Marie!" called Angel.

"Marie!" called Nala.

Marie forgot about her friends and changed them to their normal sizes. Then they left the room.

"As night fell, King Horace and Queen Lila then watched from their balcony with heavy hearts as their most precious possession, their only child, disappeared into the night."

When the young animal girls reached the door in their disguised forms, they looked around to make sure they weren't being watched or followed. Then Marie motioned them to start moving into the forest, and they disappeared into the wilderness.