The Animal Girls' Plan

"But King Adam, 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.

Cindy watched the entire scene from the window and felt disgraced. Burning the wheels won't be much helpful to Adam and Belle. She knew that Grimhilde wouldn't stop at nothing to see the death of his daughter. "D'oh, silly fiddle faddle!" said Cindy, feeling disgraced as she floated over to Floral and Panini. 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 Floral, 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 Queen Grimhilde." said Panini.

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

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

"Reason?" said Cindy, feeling somewhat startled.

"With Grimhilde?" asked Panini, feeling startled as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"There is?" asked Panini.

"What is it, Cindy?" asked Floral.

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

"Grimhilde?" asked Panini.

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

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

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

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

"That's right." said Floral.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh but she doesn't, dear. Grimhilde 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 Floral.

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

"Explain what?" asked Panini. Cindy turned to Floral and Panini and said, "About the two beautiful Southern girl bears and the little girl rabbit, raising a foundling child deep in the forest."

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

"Who are they?" asked Panini.

"Turn around!" said Cindy.

While Panini and Floral turned around to face a mirror, Cindy changed them into normal animal girls, including herself.

Floral and Panini were very surprised when they only see themselves in peasant forms.

Cindy was now wearing a blue peasant dress, a matching hood, and a light blue apron.

Floral was now wearing a fuschia peasant dress, a matching hood, and a pink apron.

Panini was now wearing a white collar with a forest green bow, white panties, a light blue shirt with long sleeves, a blue miniskirt decorated with a red plaid pattern, white socks, and black Mary Jane shoes. She was still wearing her hair band, though.

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

"Uh-huh." said Cindy.

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

"Uh-huh." Cindy repeated.

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

"Why not?" said Cindy.

"Oh, I'd like that!" said Floral. Panini then noticed that her clothes were blue and the bow on her collar was forest green and changed the bow on her collar to golden-yellow, her shirt to light yellow, and her skirt to yellow. After all, her favorite color *is* yellow, and she was obsessed with it. But the plaid pattern on her skirt remained red. "Well, yes, yes, but will we have to feed it?" asked Panini.

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

"You really think we can?" asked Panini.

"If normal animals can do it, so can we." said Cindy.

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

"That's right." smiled Floral.

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

"You mean, live and look like normal animals? For twelve years?" asked Panini, as she proceeded to fly away from Cindy.

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

"And that's why Grimhilde will never suspect!" said Cindy.

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

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

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

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

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

"Cindy!" called Floral.

"Cindy!" called Panini.

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

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

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