14 of 20 Tails

Once upon a time there was a Human girl called Flora Sparkle. She was on the way to see her ex friend Sonya Vader, when she decided to take a short cut through Dallington Forest.

It wasn't long before Flora got lost. She looked around, but all she could see were trees. Nervously, she felt into her bag for her favourite toy, Little Mouse, but Little Mouse was nowhere to be found! Flora began to panic. She felt sure she had packed Little Mouse. To make matters worse, she was starting to feel hungry.

Unexpectedly, she saw a naughty pigeon dressed in a yellow t-shirt disappearing into the trees.

"How odd!" thought Flora.

For the want of anything better to do, she decided to follow the peculiarly dressed pigeon. Perhaps it could tell him the way out of the forest.

Eventually, Flora reached a clearing. In the clearing were three houses, one made from onions, one made from toffees and one made from doughnuts.

Flora could feel her tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease her hunger.

"Hello!" she called. "Is anybody there?"

Nobody replied.

Flora looked at the roof on the closest house and wondered if it would be rude to eat somebody else's chimney. Obviously it would be impolite to eat a whole house, but perhaps it would be considered acceptable to nibble the odd fixture or lick the odd fitting, in a time of need.

A cackle broke through the air, giving Flora a fright. A witch jumped into the space in front of the houses. She was carrying a cage. In that cage was Little Mouse!

"Little Mouse!" shouted Flora. She turned to the witch. "That's my toy!"

The witch just shrugged.

"Give Little Mouse back!" cried Flora.

"Not on your nelly!" said the witch.

"At least let Little Mouse out of that cage!"

Before she could reply, two naughty pigeons rushed in from a footpath on the other side of the clearing. Flora recognised the one in the yellow t-shirt that she'd seen earlier. The witch seemed to recognise him too.

"Hello Big Pigeon," said the witch.

"Good morning." The pigeon noticed Little Mouse. "Who is this?"

"That's Little Mouse," explained the witch.

"Ooh! Little Mouse would look lovely in my house. Give it to me!" demanded the pigeon.

The witch shook her head. "Little Mouse is staying with me."

"Um... Excuse me..." Flora interrupted. "Little Mouse lives with me! And not in a cage!"

Big Pigeon ignored her. "Is there nothing you'll trade?" he asked the witch.

The witch thought for a moment, then said, "I do like to be entertained. I'll release him to anybody who can eat a whole front door."

Big Pigeon looked at the house made from doughnuts and said, "No problem, I could eat an entire house made from doughnuts if I wanted to."

"That's nothing," said the next pigeon. "I could eat two houses."

"There's no need to show off," said the witch. Just eat one front door and I'll let you have Little Mouse."

Flora watched, feeling very worried. She didn't want the witch to give Little Mouse to Big Pigeon. She didn't think Little Mouse would like living with a naughty pigeon, away from her house and all her other toys.

The other one pigeons watched while Big Pigeon put on his bib and withdrew a knife and fork from his pocket.

"I'll eat this whole house," said Big Pigeon. "Just you watch!"

Big Pigeon pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from toffees. He gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.

   And more.

      And more.

Eventually, Big Pigeon started to get bigger - just a little bit bigger at first. But after a few more fork-fulls of toffees, he grew to the size of a large snowball - and he was every bit as round.

"Erm... I don't feel too good," said Big Pigeon.

Suddenly, he started to roll. He'd grown so round that he could no longer balance!

"Help!" he cried, as he rolled off down a slope into the forest.

Big Pigeon never finished eating the front door made from toffees and Little Mouse remained trapped in the witch's cage.

Average Pigeon stepped up, and approached the house made from doughnuts.

"I'll eat this whole house," said Average Pigeon. "Just you watch!"

Average Pigeon pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from doughnuts. She gulped it down smiling, and went back for more.

   And more.

      And more.

After a while, Average Pigeon started to look a little queasy. She grew greener...

   ...and greener.

A woodcutter walked into the clearing. "What's this bush doing here?" he asked.

"I'm not a bush, I'm a pigeon!" said Average Pigeon.

"It talks!" exclaimed the woodcutter. "Those talking bushes are the worst kind. I'd better take it away before somebody gets hurt."

"No! Wait!" cried Average Pigeon, as the woodcutter picked her up. But the woodcutter ignored her cries and carried the pigeon away under his arm.

Average Pigeon never finished eating the front door made from doughnuts and Little Mouse remained trapped in the witch's cage.

"That's it," said the witch. "I win. I get to keep Little Mouse."

"Not so fast," said Flora. "There is still one front door to go. The front door of the house made from onions. And I haven't had a turn yet.

"I don't have to give you a turn!" laughed the witch. "My game. My rules."

The woodcutter's voice carried through the forest. "I think you should give her a chance. It's only fair."

"Fine," said the witch. "But you saw what happened to the pigeons. She won't last long."

"I'll be right back," said Flora.

"What?" said the witch. "Where's your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Little Mouse back."

Flora ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. She came back to the clearing and started a small camp fire. Carefully, she broke off a piece of the door of the house made from onions and toasted it over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, she took a bite. She quickly devoured the whole piece.

Flora sat down on a nearby log.

"You fail!" cackled the witch. "You were supposed to eat the whole door."

"I haven't finished," explained Flora. "I am just waiting for my food to go down."

When Flora's food had digested, she broke off another piece of the door made from onions. Once more, she toasted her food over the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. She ate it at a leisurely pace then waited for it to digest.

Eventually, after several sittings, Flora was down to the final piece of the door made from onions. Carefully, she toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. She finished her final course. Flora had eaten the entire front door of the house made from onions.

The witch stamped her foot angrily. "You must have tricked me!" she said. "I don't reward cheating!"

"I don't think so!" said a voice. It was the woodcutter. He walked back into the clearing, carrying his axe. "This little girl won fair and square. Now hand over Little Mouse or I will chop your broomstick in half."

The witch looked horrified. She grabbed her broomstick and placed it behind her. Then, huffing, she opened the door of the cage.

Flora hurried over and grabbed Little Mouse, checking that her favourite toy was all right. Fortunately, Little Mouse was unharmed.

Flora thanked the woodcutter, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried on to meet Sonya. It was starting to get dark.

When Flora got to Sonya's house, her ex friend threw her arms around her.

"I was so worried!" cried Sonya. "You are very late."

As Flora described her day, she could tell that Sonya didn't believe her. So she grabbed a napkin from her pocket.

"What's that?" asked Sonya.

Flora unwrapped a doorknob made from toffees. "Pudding!" she said.

Sonya almost fell off her chair.

The End