| abstract | - Back at the castle, Grimhilde was sitting on her throne. She waved her hand while scowling at a Nega-Chao, and she said, "Take her far into the forest. Find some secluded glade where she can pick wildflowers." "Yes, Your Majesty." said the Nega-Chao, glaring at Grimhilde before bowing before her and smiling sarcastically. He is a blackish-blue Chao with gold eyes (with green, catlike irises), wearing a gray belt with a gold "M," white gloves, and red boots just like Coconuts. His name is Bokkun, the huntsman. "And there, my faithful huntsman, you will kill her!" Bokkun gasped in utter horror. "But, Your Majesty, The little princess..." Grimhilde stood up. "Silence!" she shouted, pointing at him, "You know the penalty if you fail!" "Yes, Your Majesty," Bokkun nodded. Grimhilde held up an ornate box with a knife through a heart as its clasp. "But to make doubly sure you do not fail," she went on. "bring back her heart in this!" Later that day, Grimhilde let Wendy change out of her rags and into her day clothes - a sky-blue nightgown and black bedroom ballet slippers. She sat down in a secluded glade, humming the tune to "A Spark Inside Us," and sometimes singing along as she picked wildflowers, while dreaming of her true love. The wind blew lightly, making her hair blow and making her look like a vision. After Wendy stood still, she then moved before she heard the cry of a baby bluebird. Wendy put her flowers down and went to the tearful bird. "Hello, there." She carefully picked up the bird. "What's the matter? Where's your Mama and Papa? Why, I believe you're lost." The bluebird started crying again. "Oh, please don't cry. Come on, perk up. Won't you smile for me?" Wendy asked. The bluebird stopped crying and began to laugh. Wendy giggled, too. "There, that's better." she smiled, "Your mama and papa can't be far." The bluebird started singing a little song before Bokkun walked closely to the girl. The bluebird saw her parents perched on the next tree branch, waiting for their child. "There they are!" said Wendy happily, "Can you fly?" Wendy let the bluebird fly out of her hands and onto the branch where her parents were waiting for her. "Goodbye," Wendy called. "Goodbye!" Suddenly, a shadow fell over the little girl. She turned around fast and screamed as she saw Bokkun holding a knife in his right hand. But nothing happened. He fell to his knees and grabbed the girl's nightgown. "I can't!" he cried, "I can't do it! Forgive me! I beg you, forgive me!" Calmly, Wendy said, "I don't understand." "She's mad! Jealous of you! She'll stop at nothing!" He says wildly, letting go of Wendy's nightgown. "But--but who?" Wendy stammered. "The queen!" answered Bokkun. Now Wendy was alarmed. "The queen?" "Now! Quick child! Run!" Bokkun warned her, "Run away, hide! In the woods! Anywhere! Never come back! Now, go! Go! GO! Run! Run! Hide!" During Bokkun's shouts of warning, Wendy began running through the woods. An owl screeched and dove at her head. Worried that the owl will explode, Wendy screamed. She ran and stopped suddenly when she saw eyes staring at her from the darkness. The eyes belonged to twenty bats. The bats screeched as they swooped down at Wendy making her scream again. Wendy turned to run from the bats, but her nightgown got caught in the branches of some trees. She screamed as she ran into the branches of another tree. Screaming once more, Wendy falls into a hole. She caught the root of a tree and holds on for dear life, but the root was wet and slippery. She slid into a pool of water. In the pool were moss-covered logs. Her fall created waves, which moved the logs up and down, up and down. When Wendy saw that the logs had turned into crocodiles, she screamed and ran out of the pool. A heavy wind blew, moving branches. Wendy turned in circles, staring in horror. With one final scream, Wendy collapsed, cold, wet, tired, and afraid, and started to sob. Wendy lay sobbing on the ground as the lights slowly turned up. A bunny slowly started to appear, along with a squirrel and a turtle. The forest animals started to surround her, frightening her. But she hid it. The bunny almost went to her face, startling her. "Ooh!" The bunny ran away, acting very scared. "Please don't run away." Wendy pleaded. "I won't hurt you!" Several other forest animals peeked out of their many hiding places. "I'm awfully sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you, but you don't know what I've been though, and all because I was afraid.I'm so ashamed of the fuss I've made." said the frightened little girl, "What do you do when things go wrong?" Some bluebirds twittered. Wendy smiled. "Oh! You sing a song!" As the birds sang, Wendy followed suite, this time by vocalizing. Again, birds sang, and Wendy vocalized twice. Once more, the birds sang, and Wendy vocalized for the final time. After Wendy vocalized, the youngest bird sang again, this time off-key. Wendy giggled and started singing. Wendy: With a smile and a songLife is just a bright, sunny dayYour cares fade awayAnd your heart is young The birds chirped happily, and Wendy continued singing. Wendy: With a smile and a songAll the worldSeems to waken anewRejoicing with youAs the song is sung The forest animals are surrounding the girl. Wendy: There's no use in grumblingWhen raindrops come tumblingRemember you're the oneWho can fill the worldWith sunshine A chipmunk slowly crept toward Wendy, who petted it before it quickly ran and hid in the bushes. Wendy: When you smile and you singEverything is in tuneAnd it's springAnd life flows alongWith a smile and a song As the song ended, birds twittered as Wendy sighed with relief. "I really feel quite happy now. I'm sure everything's going be all right." The forest animals nodded. "But I do need a place to stay at night." The five bunnies giggled as Wendy giggled. "Oh, I can't sleep in the ground like you." The bunnies shook their heads before Wendy looked at the squirrels and chipmunks in the tree. "Or in a tree the way you do." Before Wendy looked at the birds in their nest, the squirrels and chipmunks shook their heads. "And I'm sure no nest could possibly be big enough for me." The birds only shook their heads. "Maybe you know there's a place where I can stay," Wendy said sadly, before smiling. "In the woods somewhere?" The birds chirped. Wendy stood up excitedly and clasped her hands together. "You do? Will you take me there?" she asked hopefully. And so, off went Wendy Darling and her animal friends! The birds grabbed ahold of Wendy's nightgown and start dragging her through the woods. The deer started pushing her along as well. They went through the woods, over a river, and along a path until they reached some small trees.
|
