The Truth.

I have decided to let you all know about this true story. Many of you will pooh, pooh the story some of you might even say that I am a notorious fibber and that I could not write the truth even if I wanted to. It has taken me six months to make up my mind whether to tell you this story or not. Those of you that will believe me outweigh those that say I am telling one fib after the other. That is then no longer my problem so I will write my story for you all to read and perhaps believe me.

It was at the time of the full moon, I heard my name being called softly from a far distance away. Bernard, Bernard, come to me Bernard. The calling was so persuasive that I stopped looking at the stars through my telescope and went looking for whomever it was that was calling me. Listening intently I heard the call again and again. Following the call I went deeper and deeper into the woods. In a clearing sat a most beautiful young maiden. It was she that was calling me.

“Here I am,” I said. “What do you want of me?” “ What I want is quite simple,” she said. “Stop writing about Fairies and Leprechauns, there have been so many good Wizards and Witches lost through your stories, that I have been sent to get you to stop writing. I smiled and said, “How are you going to get me to stop writing? Why I even have Her Majesty Queen Feeana’s permission to write all about the little folk.”  “I can easy stop you writing,” she said. “All I have to do is cast a spell.”

“Look now at your writing hand,” I looked at my hand to see that what had once been a good normal hand was now a shrivelled up claw. Why I could now not even hold a pen. “That is just one way to stop you,” came a laugh from the beautiful young maiden. I could turn you into a pig or a dog or any other animal. Perhaps you would like to be a frog. Plops I was now a frog. I felt terrible. At the same time I was beginning to get angry and that is a sure sign that I would do something silly.

Then the beautiful young maiden turned into a hideous old witch now she showed me a room full of jewels. “These jewels are for you if you stop writing.” she said. I said to her, “you will have to change me back into a man, as a frog I can make no promises” plops I was a man again. “I as a man do not want or need jewels. What shall I do with all of those diamonds and precious stones? I am not a jeweller.”

Then she showed me a room full of money there were banknotes from floor to ceiling also boxes filled with gold coins. “These shall be yours if you give me your word not to write about Witches and Wizards.” I was now getting tired of the woman and her threats and promises. Taking from my pocket a handful of magic dust I threw it over the witch. There was a flash and the woman turned into a large black cat.

I took the cat in my arms and walked back to my home. Here I rubbed some butter into its paws and left it to settle down. Rubbing butter into the cats paws when it is taken to a new house or flat is an old trick and one that I have often used. Next I gave it a bowl with watered milk and some fish that was left over from dinner.

I then went to her Majesty Queen Feeana and told her of my adventure and of the young beautiful woman that offered me all the riches of this world. I then told her how the woman had turned into an ugly old witch and of my throwing magic dust over her. Her Majesty said that she would like to see the cat as it must have been very powerful to show me rooms with jewels and rooms filled with money and gold. Taking my hand Her Majesty Queen Feeana and I showed up in my kitchen where the black cat was licking herself she had eaten all of the fish and drunken all of the watered milk.

On seeing Her Majesty the cat buckled its back and hissed at the Fairy Queen. Her Majesty pointed her magic wand and the cat turned back into an old ugly witch then into the beautiful young maiden that had first called to me. “Why! Said Her Majesty it is the witch Roanna,” “ Tell me why did you tempt this mortal in such a way?” “ He is weakening the Wizards and Witches in such a way with all of his writings about us and the Fairies, that we all got together and I was chosen to be the one to get him to stop writing about us, too many of us have gone as Your Majesty well knows.

“I will turn you back into the being you always were, said her Majesty and her wand waved once and the Witch Roanna stood there before my very eyes. She asked Her Majesty why I had been given Fairy dust it was dangerous in the wrong hands. Her Majesty answered by saying Fairy dust in his hands is safe he does not use it for himself but to help all the creatures of this earth. And yes he will go on writing about the whole of Fairyland. Perhaps one day He will be writing about the good Witches and Wizards. Who knows?

The scene then changed I was at home in my bed. I only got up to write this story and yes it is the truth in every detail.

© Bernard Shaw