How the Dragon Was Tricked and Other Silly Stories by Vic Parker

Author:Vic Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP
Published: 2016-11-18T16:00:00+00:00

“Well then,” said Anthea, “everything we have wished has turned out rather horrid. I wish you would advise us. You are so old, you must be very wise.”

“I was always generous, since I was a child,” said the Sand-fairy. “I’ve spent the whole of my waking hours giving. But one thing I won’t give – that’s advice.”

“You see,” Anthea went on, “it’s such a wonderful thing. It’s so good and kind of you to give us our wishes, and it seems such a pity it should all be wasted just because we are too silly to know what to wish for.”

“Child,” said the Sand-fairy sleepily, “I can only advise you to think before you speak….”

“But I thought you never gave advice.”

“That piece doesn’t count,” it said.

“You’ll never take it! Besides, it’s not original. It’s in all the textbooks.”

“But won’t you just say if you think wings would be a silly wish?”

“Wings?” it said. “I should think you might do worse. Only, take care you aren’t flying high at sunset. There was a little Ninevite boy I heard of once. He was one of King Sennacherib’s sons, and a traveler brought him a Psammead. He used to keep it in a box of sand on the palace terrace.

“One day,” continued the Sand-fairy, “he wished for wings and got them. But at sunset, the wings turned into stone, and he fell slap onto one of the winged lions at the top of his father’s great staircase. But I believe the boy enjoyed himself very much till then… Goodbye. I am so sleepy.”

It jumped off her lap, dug frantically, and vanished.

Anthea was late for breakfast. Afterward, she and the others went back to the sand-pit, without the Lamb. In the lane Anthea, breathless from scurrying about, panted out, “I want to propose we take turns to wish. Only, nobody’s to have a wish if the others don’t think it’s a nice wish. Do you agree?”

“Who’s to have first wish?” asked Robert.

“Me, if you don’t mind,” said Anthea apologetically. “And I’ve thought about it – and it’s wings.”

“Not so dusty,” said Cyril generously, and Robert added, “Really, Panther, you’re not quite such a fool as you look.”

Jane said, “I think it would be perfectly lovely. It’s like a bright, joyful dream.”

They found the Sand-fairy easily.

Anthea said, “I wish we all had beautiful wings to fly with.”

The Sand-fairy blew himself out, and then each child felt a feeling, half heaviness and half lightness, on its shoulders.

Then the Psammead turned its snail’s eyes from one child to the other. “Not so dusty,” it said. “But really, Robert, you’re not quite such an angel as you look.” Robert almost blushed.

The wings were very big, and more beautiful than you can possibly imagine – for they were soft and smooth, and every feather lay neatly in its place. And the feathers were of the most lovely mixed changing colors, like a rainbow, or iridescent glass, or the beautiful scum that sometimes floats on water.

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