"Bedtime Story" by Michael Sawyer

"Once upon a time, there was an elf.."

"A what?"

"An elf. Little guy with big ears."

"Oh, an elf. You should have said that."

"Yes, of course, I should have. Well, once upon a time, there was an elf. This elf wondered through the woods, minding his own business, when he saw a rabbit in the road. The rabbit looked very sad, so he leaned down and asked the rabbit, `What's wrong, little bunny, that you are so sad?'

"The rabbit looked up to the elf with a tear in his eye and said `My ears. They hang down so low. Your ears stand up so straight and proud, but mine just droop.'

"The elf looked at the rabbit, and was sad too. The rabbit's ears were droopy and sad looking. He thought a moment, then sat down and took his pack off his back. In the pack was a string of magic beads, which he took out and placed around his neck while the rabbit watched. He carefully picked one of the beads, twirling it in his fingers, while quietly speaking the secret magic words."

"What were the words?"

"If I told you that, they wouldn't be a secret, now would they?"

"I'll keep the secret, I promise!"

"You promise?"

"Yeah! I promise!"

"The magic words were... Hmm... `Ummagumma ummagumma.'"

"What kind of magic words are those?"

"Those are elven magic words, now can I finish?"

"I'm sorry."

"As I was saying, the elf spoke the secret elven magic words, twirling the bead in his fingers, until he could feel the magic from the beads go into his fingers. He then reached down, still chanting the words softly, and stroked the ears of the rabbit, until they were standing up as straight and tall as his own. As he finished, he reached into his pack again, searching until he found a small looking glass."

"A what?"

"Sorry. He found a small mirror in his pack..."

"Oh, a mirror."

"... And he sat the mirror down in front of the rabbit, so it could look at its proud ears now. The rabbit stopped crying, but started laughing, and ran back into the forest to show off his proud ears to all of his rabbit friends. The elf packed the mirror back into his pack, but decided to keep the beads around his neck in case he needed them again. He put his pack back on his back, and started walking down the trail again.

"A few minutes later, he saw a bird in the middle of the trail, with a broken wing. The bird was flapping around, trying to fly, but couldn't because of the wing. As the elf walked up to the bird, it squawked, afraid of the elf, `Don't eat me, big monster!'

"The elf leaned down in front of the bird, and said `I don't want to eat you, little bird. Your wing, it is hurt. I just want to make you better; I don't want to hurt you.'

"The bird looked back at the elf, still afraid. `What can you do for my wing? It is broken, and I will never fly again. I will just flop around here on the ground until some big monster comes along and eats me.'

"The elf looked back to the bird, running his fingers over his beads again. `I have magic beads here, and with them I can make your wings better. You will fly again, far above the monsters who want to eat you.' The elf picked another bead out and started twisting it in his fingers, speaking the same magic words..."

"Gummaumma, gummaumma!"

"Something like that. But he sat there, twisting the beads, feeling the magic until it was built up inside him. He reached down and picked the bird up, bending its wings back into shape. When he was done, he tossed the bird into the air, where it spread its wings, and flew off into the distance.

"The elf was happy for the bird and the rabbit, and happy for himself, after helping them. He started walking again, and listened to the gentle tweets of the birds overhead. The birds were happy, and he knew the rabbits were happy, so the forest was a happy place again. Soon, he came to the edge of the forest, where it opened up into a big opened plain. The trail he was on led into the plains, so he kept walking into the open.

"When the elf reached the top of one of the hills, he saw a cheetah laying down at the bottom of the hill, its head twisted around to lick clean an injury to one of its legs. As he walked up to the cheetah, it swung around to watch the elf. `Come no closer to me. Though I cannot run with the broken let, my claws and teeth remain sharp, and I will not be killed easily.'

"The elf stopped, looking back at the cat. `I don't want to hurt you, but I have magic beads, and perhaps can help your leg. How were you hurt?'

"The cheetah looked back to the elf, still not trusting him completely. `I was hunting, and there was a small bird resting on one of the bushes. I jumped, to catch the bird, but my leg was tangled in the bush. I caught the bird on one wing, but it flew away before I could eat it.'

"The elf watched the cheetah, unsure what to do. `I just healed the bird you injured, making its wings better, but you injured those wings, and would do so again to eat the small creature. I do not know if I should make you better or not.'

"The cheetah looked back at the elf. `Do what you will, but to kill the bird is my way, and I will not change. It is as nature dictates.'

"The elf knew that if he healed the bird, he too had to heal the cheetah, since both were doing what they had to do to survive. He walked up to the cheetah, who growled slightly at him, but did not attack, and started fingering his beads again, for their magic. When he finished healing the cheetah's leg, the big cat ran back into the plain. Just before he was gone, he turned to look at the elf and yelled, `You have made the correct choice, my friend.'

"The elf sat there for a few moments, unsure about what the cheetah said. While he was sitting there thinking, a fox appeared from behind one of the bushes, and limped up to the elf. `I saw what you did for the cheetah, and I too injured a leg, when I slipped and fell near the watering hole. Can you and your beads help me too?'

"The elf reached down, examining the fox's leg, and again started to finger his beads for their magic. As he did so, the fox jumped up, grabbing the beads in his mouth, and ran off into the distance, yelling, `Hah! I have your beads now! What magic can you do without them!'

"The elf jumped to his feet, chasing after the fox, but could not catch it. He turned to walk back to the forest, so he could return home when the rabbit again jumped out in front of him. `There is danger about, friend elf! Use your magic to take my ears so you can hear it before it comes!'

"The elf looked back to the rabbit, and said, `Alas, friend rabbit, I cannot do so, for my beads were stolen, and I have no more magic.'

"The rabbit said, `Then I shall walk with you, and warn you when I hear danger.'

"`Thank you, friend rabbit,' said the elf.

"After they had been walking for some time, the rabbit stopped, and looked around. `We are in danger. I hear something, but cannot tell where the sound is, and do not recognize it.' Just as the rabbit spoke these words, a big, evil dragon landed in front of them."

"But dragons aren't evil!"

"This one was."

"No! Dragon's aren't evil!"

"OK, this was a wyvern then."

"What's a wyvern?"

"It's like a dragon, but evil."

"Ohhhh."

"So, this evil wyvern landed in front of the elf and the rabbit, with its long tongue licking its lips. `Ahhh, I see I have found my dinner for tonight,' said the dragon to the travellers.

"Just as the dragon... Uh, wyvern started to attack the elf, the small bird flew right into its face, distracting it from its attack. `Use your magic, elf, to take my wings and fly away. I am too small to make a meal for him, and I will find a small hole to hide in!'

"The elf looked to the bird, and said sadly, `Alas, the fox took my beads, and I have no more magic.'

"As the elf spoke to the bird, the wyvern looked back, laughing at the two. `So, elf, you are helpless? My meal shall be an easy one, then.'

"Just before the wyvern attacked again, the cheetah ran from behind the monster, jumping into the air, clawing at its wings. `I too am a hunter and a killer, and I would not take this meal from you, but I owe a debt to the elf, and do not intend to see him taken so easily.' As the wyvern stepped back, in shock, the cheetah spoke to the elf, `Use your magic to take my speed, and run away, into the forest, before he can attack again.'

"`Again, the fox's betrayal has cost me a chance to escape. I can do no magic without my beads.'

"From the distance, a voice was heard to chuckle slightly, where the fox stood, beads looped around his neck. `Friend elf,' he said, `I have done you a favor. The beads are not magic. They are nothing but painted wood. The string through which they are thread are certainly not magic. The magic is in you, not these trinkets. We all have magic, but only if we learn how to use it. Your magic is not in fighting, but in helping. Look to the beast before you, and offer him your help, and no harm will come to you.'

"The elf thought about this, and looked back to the wyvern, still being attacked by the cheetah with the bird pecking at his eyes. `Friend wyvern, perhaps I can help you. As you see, I am no easy meal, for I have friends who will protect me when I am helpless. But I will help you find your dinner. There is a fox behind me, who will make a far easier meal than I. Friend bird, fly away from his eyes so he can see of what I speak.'

"The bird flew away a moment, and the wyvern looked to where the fox stood in the distance. Throwing the cheetah off, the wyvern leaped toward the fox, yelling to the elf, `You had best be gone when I am finished with him, for you will not get a second chance.'

"As the elf leaped into the protection of the forest, he looked back to the fox, who was laughing gently as he darted into a small, hidden hole in the ground."