“When you go into the woods, remember your coat, gloves, scarf, and the buns for tea,” said Mrs Squirrel. “The New Forest is still cold. It’s almost spring.”
“Yes I know, you always remind me,” said Harriet kissing her mother before jumping off their oak tree to join the other young squirrels gambolling to school. Today was a special day. For the Queen of the fairies was coming. Harriet had been looking forward to meeting the Queen for months, weeks and days.
She hopped along the branches of the trees, shouting and cheering, full of life. She was so excited that she didn’t notice a weak branch. It couldn’t hold her weight. CRASH!!! She went down. Landing with a bump on the ground. Her front right leg landed with a thump. The pain shot through her like a splinter. Now there was no way she could see the Queen. She started to cry.
In a tree nearby a fairy heard her and came out to see what was the matter.
“I can’t walk and so I can’t go to school and the Fairy Queen is coming, I was so looking forward to today.” Harriet sobbed, disappointment showing in her face.
“Well, we are just going to have to make sure that happens aren’t we?” And with that the fairy dragged her in a hole, “stay there, I’ll be back.”
Five minutes later she returned, carrying a basket of leaves. “Here you go, we’ll get you better in no time.” She said, starting a fire to make some tea. Then she got working on Harriet’s leg. Cleaning it with love and dressing it. It really stung like hell!
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Stay still. Nearly done.” Seeing that talking distracted her from the pain, she continued, “I’m Buttercup by the way and you’re Harriet. I see you walking to school and back everyday, I’ve always wanted to say ‘Hi’ and I dreamt that one day we could be friends, you see I don’t have many friends.”
“I’ll be your friend, I’ve never been a friend to a fairy. I can’t wait to tell my school friends,” said Harriet. “Do you know the Fairy Queen?”
“Yes of course we all do.”
“Have you met her? What’s she like?”
“Well, she’s very beautiful. The most beautiful fairy I’ve ever seen. Very kind.” Buttercup sighed, and was silent for a while lost in her own thoughts.
“Well, up until recently but someone put a mean spell on her. We don’t really understand it, I mean us fairies.”
“What happened? Is there anything I can help you with?” asked Harriet.
“If I tell you, please don’t tell anyone I told you.”
“I swear on my life,” said Harriet, crossing her paws across her heart.
Buttercup began to whisper. “I don’t know exactly what happened but ever since she met the Prince she has been acting very strangely. She keeps running back to him and then they have an argument and we fairies are distraught. We know it’s bad for her but she doesn’t seem to want to listen to us.” And a tear rolled down Buttercup’s cheek.
“Do you think I can help at all?”
“Maybe,” Buttercup said, “but only when your leg is better.”
“Oh so I’ve got to wait to meet the Queen! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting? I’ve been waiting for days. It’s not fair!” Harriet cried in desperation. “When will my leg be properly healed?”
“It will take a day to heal properly.”
“But school will be over by then. I did want to be with all my friends today.”
“I’ll tell your mother that you’re staying here. For you cannot move,” said Buttercup.
That day in the grass of the forest Harriet spent in thought. Ideas were spinning around in her head. None of them seemed to be very good. One idea was to kill the Prince but that would be against her nature and besides, she was only a young squirrel. The next was to take the Queen away and lock her up but as Buttercup pointed out. That was against the law and well, the Queen was the Queen.
“Oh Buttercup what can I do? I want to help, really I do but I don’t know how,” complained Harriet “I feel this task is too big for just me alone.”
“Well it’s too much for any of us to do alone but the beauty of it is you’re never alone’’ said Buttercup.
“That’s it!” cried Harriet. “Buttercup can you get all the animals together for a meeting now? You’ve given me an idea. All the animals in the forest and the fairies and elves and pixies need to work together.”
Without asking why, Buttercup immediately sprang into action. She flew in and out of the trees, calling to anyone who was around, that there was a very important meeting and “No!” it could not be delayed! Not even for something to eat.
When everyone was gathered around Harriet, she began to talk. “All of you know about the Prince, he is bewitching the Queen. The Queen is losing control. I didn’t know this until this morning when Buttercup told me. I wanted to help. I am only a young squirrel. I think with your help we could make the Queen see her true power is dying.”
There was a deadly silence while Buttercup passed around the buns Harriet’s mum had given her this morning. Followed by nods as all the information began to sink in, even the birds had stopped singing.
“So what you’re saying it is impossible, we cannot work together,” grumbled a fox “We’re deadly enemies.”
“We must!!!” Harriet stamped her good leg and lost her balance. “So we need a plan. We must learn to work together now.”
“So what is your plan?” Buttercup asked, “You got me to bring the whole forest here. You must have a plan.”
Everyone looked at Harriet expectantly. As time passed she became more anxious. She slumped to the ground. She hadn’t actually thought of anything. The animals started to leave.
“Wait! You can’t go yet,” Buttercup shouted.
“We haven’t finished,” added Harriet frantically, “I was hoping you have some ideas. I have some but I wish they were better.” She said crashing to the ground and started to cry. “I can’t do this on my own!”
There was a silence as everyone thought about what they could do to help the Queen. For they all loved her very much! It saddened them to think she was losing her power to the Prince, who clearly wasn’t thinking of her at all, just himself and the power of being King. That was very clear to everyone except the Queen; who refused to listen to anyone. What could they do?
After the sun had set and the moon was out, they had come to an agreement. Harriet said, “Now you can eat and go to sleep. We will meet here as soon as the sun rises in the sky. “
Harriet found it very difficult to sleep that night. She was kept awake with all sorts of worries. She went over and over in her mind about what was going to happen. Yes the letters were written. Yes all the animals knew what they were doing, was there anything else? Eventually she slept, but her dreams were muddled with thoughts and fears of the coming day. She dreamt she was the Queen and the prince was so kind to her. It was a lovely dream. He was so soft. If this was what the Queen was experiencing, she could understand. She woke, with a start to the sound of her mother calling “Harriet!” Half awake she yawned and stretched. Then her memory kicked in. She jumped out of the tree, sleepily. Luckily not causing more injuries to her self.
By the time Harriet had drag herself to the meeting place she was properly awake. Everyone had already gathered for the day. Even the foxes and badgers were up!
“You look tired” said Buttercup, concerned. “Here sit down, how’s the leg?”
“It’s fine,” said Harriet sitting down “I didn’t sleep too well.” Then to the animals, “Is everything in order?”
The plan was to get the Queen on her own and somehow persuade her to stop seeing the Prince by giving her the letters, so she, they hoped, would take action. They didn’t want anyone to get hurt but if necessary they would take it into their own hands!
“ I will give the letter to the Queen” said Harriet. “Let’s go.”
They went altogether to the Queen’s Palace in the middle of the largest wood in the New Forest. It took half a day to get there. She lived in a hollowed out oak tree, leaves covered the windows and doors. As the party got nearer, they heard shouting and then someone screaming. The front door was flung open as the Queen ran out of the door, tears clouding her eyes.
“What’s the matter?” asked Buttercup “What’s he done?”
“Oh nothing.” said the Queen, wiping her eyes, “He drank too much last night. He gets like that sometimes,” then she turned to all the animals, “Why are you here?”
“Your Majesty,” said Harriet, with a bow like she was told in school, “ I am so pleased to meet you. Please read this,” handing the Queen an envelope.
Dear Fairy Queen,
We love you so much. We feel we have to tell you. Your kingdom is in danger. If you carry on seeing the Prince it will get worst for all of us. We beg you to let the Prince go.
We know what it is like to be in love. Would you rather give up your kingdom or choose the Prince, we know it will be hard. But we are here to support you, please let us help you.
Love from all the animals, fairies and pixies in the New Forest.
Dear Fairy Queen,
I could not come yesterday to school, which made me cross with myself. I could not see you. Maybe you feel the same way. If you do please know that I’m your friend. Do not let the Prince get to you. We need you.
Love Harriet
There was a moment silence as the Queen began to read. “Why, I love him. He’s not affecting any of you?”
“But he is,” Harriet cried not quite believing what she was hearing. Was this the Queen, who she was so much looking forward to seeing, what a disappointment. “He’s killing you. He’s killing us too!”
The Queen sat down on a log and started to cry. Everyone gathered close around her.
When the Queen told the Prince, he found it very hard to think all the animals didn’t like him. She would not listen to him anymore. He decided to go his own separate way. Hoping, maybe one day they will look each other in the eyes and be able to laugh about it!
From the look of the party a stranger might find it odd that a group of animals and fairies were huddled together when ordinarily they were deadly enemies. Everyone in the party knew that whatever the Queen’s decision could very easily change the whole of the New Forest. Was that Stranger the Prince?
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