The Fairies' Plan

"But King Aladdin, 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 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.

Thumbelina watched the entire scene from the window and felt disgraced. Burning the wheels won't be much helpful to Aladdin and Jasmine. She knew that Eris wouldn't stop at nothing to see the death of his daughter.

"D'oh, silly fiddle faddle!" said Thumbelina, feeling disgraced as she floated over to Crysta and Tinker Bell. They were busy drinking tea from their cups, just sitting alone in the room. It's true that they were fairies, 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 Crysta, 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 Eris." said Tinker Bell.

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

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

"Reason?" said Thumbelina, feeling somewhat startled.

"With Eris?" said Tinker Bell, feeling startled as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"There is?" asked Tinker Bell.

"What is it, Thumbelina?" asked Crysta.

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

"Eris?" asked Tinker Bell.

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

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

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

"It hasn't any!" said Tinker Bell, smiling.

"That's right." said Crysta.

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

Then Tinker Bell's smile turned into a disappointed frown, and she said, "Until Eris sends a frost."

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

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

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

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

"Oh but she doesn't, dear. Eris 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 Crysta.

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

"Explain what?" asked Tinker Bell. Thumbelina turned to Crysta and Tinker Bell and said, "About the three peasant women raising a foundling child deep in the forest."

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

"Who are they?" asked Tinker Bell.

"Turn around!" said Thumbelina.

While Crysta and Tinker Bell turned around to face a mirror, Thumbelina changed them into peasants, including herself.

Crysta and Tinker Bell were very surprised when they only see themselves in peasant forms.

Thumbelina was now wearing a light blue peasant dress with long white sleeves and a teal bodice, a teal hood, a white apron, matching stockings, and black pumps.

Crysta was now wearing a red peasant dress with long orange sleeves and a scarlet red bodice, a red hood, a white apron, scarlet red stockings, and black elf shoes.

Tinker Bell was now wearing a purple dress with lavender short, puffy sleeves and a violet bodice, a matching hood, a white apron, lavender stockings, and black ballet flats.

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

"Uh-huh." said Thumbelina.

"You mean, *we*, us?" asked Tinker Bell.

"Uh-huh." Thumbelina repeated.

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

"Why not?" said Thumbelina.

"Oh, I'd like that!" said Crysta. Tinker Bell noticed that her clothes were purple and changed her dress and hood to green, the sleeves on her dress to light green, the bodice on her dress to dark green, and her stockings to light green. After all, her favorite color *is* green, and she was obsessed with it. "Well, yes, yes, but will we have to feed it?" asked Tinker Bell.

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

"You really think we can?" asked Tinker Bell.

"If humans can do it, so can we." said Thumbelina.

"And we have our magic to help us." Tinker Bell said.

"That's right." smiled Crysta.

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

"You mean, live and look like mortals? For fourteen years?" asked Tinker Bell, as she proceeded to fly away from Thumbelina.

"Uh-huh." said Thumbelina. She zapped away Tinker Bell'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 Tinker Bell, who was now concerned about the idea.

"And that's why Eris will never suspect!" said Thumbelina.

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

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

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

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

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

"Thumbelina!" called Crysta.

"Thumbelina!" called Tinker Bell.

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

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

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