THE FANTASCIFIC ZONE

The tears running down her cheeks gave the glitters on her neck a peculiar sparkle with the changing of colors from blue to green. Her bedimpled face and long curly locks, not to mention her dramatic talent, would handily beat the finalists in the Little Miss Philippines contest.

“Henna, you're still brooding?"

There was no answer although the moping Henna wished she had the guts to reply "Isn't it obvious?" Then she could develop a tummy ache from the excessive delight brought about by her mischievous retort. But it was mischief that got her into trouble, compelling the Fairy Governor to confiscate her wand.

"Stop your tears, it was your fault anyway." There was irritation in her godmother's tone but Henna knew it was perfectly normal for godmothers to be irritable to the childishness of little fairies like her. And it was also normal for fairy godmothers to quickly jump the gun on their wards for little misdeeds.

"Godmother," she sobbed louder to solicit mercy from her poker-faced patron, "can you do me a favor? Can you seek an audience with the Fairy Governor on my behalf?"

"I don't know if I can do that," Henna's godmother curtly replied with a smirk.

"My, oh my, I don't want to waste a hundred years of my life in this dump. Besides, I got plenty of things to do."

"Plenty of mischief, you say?"

"Good deeds, Godmother, only good deeds, I promise."

"Well, I'll think about it."

But Henna was the one to do some thinking. She recalled her performance as a little fairy and she considered herself to be decent all the time, not having done an evil deed, at least not by intention. For no little fairy would dare commit evil deeds lest they miss the opportunity of turning into a Fairy Godmother when they grow up. And how she wished to be a dignified godmother someday.

"Now, tell me what really happened." Henna's reverie was disrupted by the voice of the Fairy Governor herself with Henna's godmother floating beside her. "Come on, don't waste my time."

Henna calmly wiped the tears with her golden hair and brought out the familiar mischievous smile to show her two glistening frontal teeth which made her the cutest little fairy in the land. And after a respectful bow, she floated beside the two elders to relate her story.

"I was wandering near the castle yesterday when I heard the sobs of the little prince who seemed to be crying in desperation. As I gathered, he wanted to have his two front teeth back before his seventh birthday celebration. I did not think twice to..."

"Yes, that's what you always do," her godmother butted in, "never thinking twice to court trouble with your rashness."

"Shh, quiet, Monina, let the kid talk her heart out." Henna was encouraged by the Fairy Governor's open display of sympathy and she glanced at her godmother with a wry smile before continuing with her story.

"As I said, since I wanted to do a good deed every day, I approached the little prince and personally asked him about his problem. Mind you, I was discreet, no one was around."

"And then?"

"His problem was indeed about his missing two front teeth. So, I waved my wand and exclaimed the magic spell after carefully explaining to the little prince his part of the deal."

"And what was supposed to be his part?" the Fairy Governor's voice was getting forceful, making Henna a little bit edgy.

"My condition was this. In a day's time, the little prince could get a brand new pair of frontal teeth if he went out to the woods and got in touch, I mean, just touched any animal."

"Hmm, I don't get it." The Fairy Governor turned into a pensive mood as if she really didn't understand the story. But Henna suspected that she was carefully analyzing the data. It is a known fact that she possesses the so-called Solomonic wisdom and there's no problem too difficult for the Fairy Governor.

"I told the little prince that if he could touch an animal in the forest before the day ended, that animal's two front teeth would be his. Of course, he had to do it alone."

"Hmm, I still don't get it. If that was so, why was the king in a bad mood when I dropped by the palace this morning?" Henna cringed a bit to the Fairy Governor's query.

"You see, the little prince jumped up and down with delight. He was very thankful for the chance I gave him. So, he set out alone and sought a hare. I also believe that the hare's teeth would be fine for him." Henna showed her own attractive frontal teeth to drive home her point.

"Hmm, I think so, too. But why was the king angry? You did not answer that one." The Fairy Governor was staring at Henna.

"Since the prince was a small boy, he got tired before reaching the forest. After a long period of rest, he continued the trek and rested again, then continued, then rested..."

"Stop it. I don't want to hear the silly details, okay?" Annoyance was apparent in the Fairy Governor's voice, so like the way godmothers talk.

"Well, it was already dusk when the little prince reached the forest. But since he was determined to earn his keep, he braved the setting darkness and blindly wended his way inside the thickets, a practical place to look for a hare."

"Was he able to find one?"

"There was a movement in the bushes and the little prince was able to grab a tail, although the animal got away. Feeling relieved, the little prince hiked back to the palace but he got so tired and..."

"Cut that crap. When he got home, what happened next?"

"The sun was already rising when he left the forest because he had to spend the rest of the night under a tree. And it was almost noon time when he reached home."

"Did he get his two front teeth?"

"Yes and no."

"What kind of reply is that?" her fairy godmother, almost forgotten out of the story, was trying to get into the scene with her own admonition. But the Fairy Governor halted her with a sharp glance and nodded at Henna to continue.

"The little prince was kind of surprised when the people he met at the doorway of the palace avoided him, there were even some who scooted away."

"Why?" chorused Henna's godmother and the Fairy Governor.

"He realized the bitter truth when he was inside his room and saw it for himself on the mirror."

"Well, what did he see?" It was another animated chorus.

"He realized that he failed to touch a hare. Instead, instead..." Henna started sobbing.

"What animal did he touch then?"

"A wild boar!"

The Fairy Governor smirked in disgust and Henna's godmother scowled. They could imagine the little prince's appearance with two fangs hanging on the sides of his mouth. And who wouldn't run away from a little dracula?

"Was it all my fault? Am I supposed to be punished for the little prince's folly?" Henna was sobbing uncontrollably, her attention was focused on the hundred years of punishment hastily ruled against her.

"Our magic just wouldn't work out by itself. The person we are helping should do his share of the burden by accomplishing his part in the bargain. Isn't it fair, Fairy Governor?" Henna was consoled by the gallant defense put up by her godmother.

"Hmm, yes, Monina, fair enough. The reason why we are called fairies is because we always practice fairness in all our dealings. But the problem now is how to please the king, or should I say the little prince. Tomorrow is his birthday and there will be a grand celebration. How could he face the people with his fangs?"

"That's a problem, yes." Henna's godmother let out a pout and shook her head. "We cannot reverse a fairy's magic spell unless we summon all the fairies in the entire kingdom."

"That would be an impossible thing to do." The Fairy Governor was showing signs of surrender and Henna didn't like it.

There was total silence for a short period of time with the three generations of fairies all in a reflective mood. It was Henna who broke the stillness of the frigid air.

"I think I can do it if you'll give me another chance."

"What will you do?"

"You know that it won't be effective if I will reveal my plan. Just give me back my wand and I promise to turn the celebration tomorrow into a real happy one."

"Henna, that's not the way to talk to the Fairy Governor!"

"Please," Henna was suddenly pleading.

"All right," was all the Fairy Governor could say.

And it came to pass that the prince celebrated a grand seventh birthday with everyone attending, including most of the fairies in the kingdom. The king, the queen and the rest of the royal family were so happy. Of course, the happiest was the little prince who will become king someday.

"How did you do it, Henna?" her godmother sounded too proud although a bit wondering why Henna seemed to be in a bad mood. She had her back to her godmother all day.

"I met with the little prince yesterday morning and offered him another wish. As expected, he wanted a pair of brand new teeth. So, I cast my magic wand on him."

"And what were the conditions this time?"

"Well, he would get the two front teeth of the first fairy that he would touch before the end of the day."

"Hmm, that sounds interesting."

"Interesting indeed especially when he touched me even before I could sheath my wand. So now you see, he owns the cutest two front teeth that all the party guests admired." Henna shyly faced her godmother.

The fairy godmother let out a chuckle but instantly ceased laughing when she realized that Henna is now a little fairy with two fangs hanging by the sides of her tiny mouth.