A Fairy Tale

Darkness fell upon the hill
Swirls of violet and indigo
A gold ring on the horizon
All was quiet, all was still
Except the song of the humming crickets

A little girl stood
With golden hair
And hazel eyes
Her dress was worn
And her feet were bare.

She held as small basket
With loaves of bread
Intended for her
Dear old aunt
Lying sick in bed.

"Tra-la-la-la"
She sang to the night air
The grass was sweet and soft
Beneath her tiny feet
And the summer breeze tossed her hair.

"Wouldn't it be grand,"
To herself she said.
"If I were to go
On an adventure tonight."
And down the path she tread.

"An adventure, you say,"
Replied the old Tawny Owl
High up in a tree
"If it's adventure you want
Then you must come with me!"

And the forest lit up
With a thousand miniature lights.
With fairies and elves,
A magical world awakened.
But the Owl had disappeared from sight.

One young elf came prancing forth
And the little girl was afraid.
"Do not fear,"
He said.
"With me, danger you shall evade."

The fairy light sparkled brightly
Revealing silver blonde hair
And his tall, slender frame
With pale, shimmering skin
He face filled with kindness and care.

The little girl took his hand
And off through the night they flew
Thought the lighted wood
And the soft, sweet grass
Through the evening dew.

Suddenly the fairy lights
All became extinguished.
"Turn back, it is not safe"
Cried a voice
The little girl could not distinguish.

The out of the nothingness
Swept a huge black bird
Plucking the poor young elf
From where he stood.
To the heavens his cry could be heard.

The little girl gasped
In fear
The trees cried out
In sorrow
The wind moaned in agoney.

Upon the cliffs above
Stood an old witch
Howling and laughing in triumph.
Her one bloodshot eye throwing
The little girl the evilest look she could pitch.

Hatred filled the witch's heart,
As she looked upon the little girl.
"How can it be?"
She asked the bird,
As she threw her hands up in a whirl.
"How can it be,

She bring the light
Undoing my darkness
In which I have created
To make eternal night."
The elf smiled in defiance

Knowing triumph was theirs.
"She is the one
The one who will
Free us from the darkness."

The old witch threw back her head
In confidence and pride
"We'll see about that"
She hissed
Becoming very snide.

She sent down her giant bird
And she snatched her by the hair.
The stars awoke
To her piercing screams
That filled the evening air.

The little girl stood at the cliff edge
Frightened by its height
The witch advanced upon her
With menace
And greater darkness to the night.

"So you are the one."
The wicked witch did sneered.
"The one to bring the light."
But the little girl stared back
In confusion and in fear.

"Who, me?"
The little girl asked in astonishment.
"I just wanted an adventure,
And therefore
I was sent!"

"Don't lie to me,
You little brat!"
The witch growled in rage.
"You know full well what you are
And you plan to do just that!"

The witch pulled out
Her long black nails
Like talons of a bird.
She stretched them forward angrily
Her hatred was absurd.

But the little girl
Kept her head
An thought it through and through.
The basket 'round her arm, she thought.
To her dear old aunt in bed!

The little girl pulled out her basket
A tiny loaf of bread,
And threw it at the witch.
It struck her upon the nose
Or at least that is what is said.

The witch cried out
In rage in pain
But once she gained composure
She posed
To strike again.

But the loaves kept coming
Striking the maddened witch
And though she tried
And tried
Their wrath she could not ditch.

For the bread
Contained a special wheat
Magical in nature.
Which caused the witch's evil skin to burn
With immense heat.

The witch's screams
Filled the night air
And the little girl starred in awe
As the witch's body burst into flame
And the giant bird cried in despair.

But something was not right.
The darkness still remained.
She stamped her little foot.
At the flaming heap she shouted,
"Now you let go of the light!"

The moon rose in the sky
And tiny light illuminated the trees
The lake turned from black to crystal
And everything was lit
All the way out to the seas.

The little girl collapsed
From exhaustion
So the elf
Took her in his arms
And brought her to her home.

He tucked
The little girl into bed
Before stealing into the night
He kissed her on the head.
And soon night after night

The two went on adventures
Finding new worlds
And saving the day
In each of new venture.

And time went by
The months and years
The little girl grew up
She left the wood for city
To start a new career.

Darkness fell upon the hill
The young elf stood waiting
For the little girl
His friend
But the little girl had forgotten.