The Three Princesses' Plan

"But King Li Shang, 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 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.

Minnie watched the entire scene from the window and felt disgraced. Burning the wheels won't be much helpful to Li Shang and Mulan. She knew that Messina wouldn't stop at nothing to see the death of his adoptive daughter. "D'oh, silly fiddle faddle!" said Minnie, feeling disgraced as she floated over to Alice and Wendy. They were busy drinking tea from cups, just sitting alone in the room. It's true that they were females, 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 Alice, 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 Messina." said Wendy.

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

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

"Reason?" said Minnie, feeling somewhat startled.

"With Messina?" said Wendy, feeling startled as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"But there must be some way...There is!" said Minnie when she thought of something.

"There is?" asked Wendy.

"What is it, Minnie?" asked Alice.

"I'm going to ... " said Minnie, but she stopped for a moment and resumed talking in a quiet voice. "Shh, shh, shh! Even walls have ears." whispered Minnie. 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 Alice and Wendy followed Minnie into the closet. "I'll turn her into a flower!" said Minnie.

"Messina?" asked Wendy.

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

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

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

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

"That's right." said Alice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh but she doesn't, dear. Messina 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 Alice.

Then an idea popped in Minnie's mind when she got a splended idea listening to Alice's comment. "That's it, of course! It's the only thing she can't understand, and won't expect!" said Minnie, 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 Minnie to herself.

"Explain what?" asked Wendy. Minnie turned Alice and Wendy and said, "About the female mouse and her two human friends raising a foundling child deep in the forest."

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

"Who are they?" asked Wendy.

"Turn around!" said Minnie.

While Alice and Wendy turned around to face a mirror, Minnie changed them into peasant girls, including herself.

Alice and Wendy were very surprised when they only see themselves in peasant forms.

Minnie was now wearing white frilly panties with pink hearts on them, a pink dress went down to her knees, a red bow on her head, and magenta high-heeled shoes. She was still wearing her white gloves, though.

Alice was now wearing a cerulean-blue dress with turquoise short, puffy sleeves and a teal bodice, a matching hood, and a white apron. She was still wearing her white stockings and her black Mary Janes, though.

Wendy was now wearing a pink dress with baby pink short, puffy sleeves and a magenta bodice, a white apron, a pink hood, coral-pink stockings, and black ballet flats.

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

"Uh-huh." said Minnie.

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

"Uh-huh." Minnie repeated.

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

"Why not?" said Minnie.

"Oh, I'd like that!" said Alice. Wendy then noticed that her clothes were pink and changed her dress and hood to light blue, the sleeves on her dress to baby blue, the bodice on her dress to blue, and her stockings to turquoise. After all, her favorite color *is* light blue, and she was obsessed with it. "Well, yes, yes, but will we have to feed it?" asked Wendy.

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

"You really think we can?" asked Wendy.

"If normal girls can do it, so can we." said Minnie.

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

"That's right." smiled Alice.

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

"You mean, live and look like normal girls? For seventeen years?" asked Wendy, as she proceeded to fly away from Minnie.

"Uh-huh." said Minnie. She zapped away Wendy'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 Wendy, who was now concerned about the idea.

"And that's why Messina will never suspect!" said Minnie.

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

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

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

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

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

"Minnie!" called Alice.

"Minnie!" called Wendy.

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

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

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