THE FOREST FAIRIES WORK THEIR DUBIOUS MAGIC

Arabella, Annie and Annalisa

"Annie, that is a lovely name.  We are worried that you will catch pneumonia since you have no coat and you are barefoot.  We are freezing too and we all need warm clothes," said Arabella.

"But how we will buy winter clothes?  I have no money," said Annie, sadly.

"We can perform magic," said Annalisa with more confidence than she felt.  She remembered only too well that they were supposed to be in distant Lapland helping Gerda find Kay.  And yet....they weren't.  "We don't have Mama's spell book with us, but we can remember some simple spells, can't we, Arabella?"

"I remember nothing," said her sister which was only too true.

"Well, let's confer over here," said Annalisa, grabbing her twin's arm. "Wait here, Annie, we'll be right back.  Now let's try to conjure up some coats first and then we'll ask for something to eat."

Annie watched the fairy sisters intently as they waved their arms about and cried out strange words.  Were they speaking French?  Had they gone crazy?  Now they were dancing in a circle around some dead plants and chanting.  Were they holding mice?  But nothing was happening!  Then...

Suddenly, Annie was surrounded by three confused little goats.

"Coats!  We wanted coats!" cried the sisters in unison.  "Begone, tiny goats.  We need coats before we freeze!"

In a flash Annie and the fairies were dressed in warm coats and mufflers.

Annie and the Fairies dressed for winter

"Voila!" cried Annalisa.  "Coats!  And mufflers too.  Oh, I'm so excited!"

"Let's order Christmas dinner!  With all the trimmings--I'm starving!" said Arabella.  "And perhaps some raspberry wine."

Annie stood dumbfounded in her new clothes.  "I'm so warm!" she said, wonderingly.  "But I am hungry too."  Her stomach grumbled loudly.  The girls laughed together and very soon the fairies produced a most excellent Christmas dinner.  They gathered together under a large tree and the sisters spread out the delicious dinner while Annie built a fire with her last match.  The three girls laughed, ate heartily and drank a little raspberry wine until at last they lay down near the fire under the thick, soft eiderdowns the fairies had wisely ordered along with dinner and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.