Kimberly - Our Little Chop

"She's awake!" Wolf cried with glee. "See, Tony, I told you this was better than any smelling salts," he said proudly, moving to set the plate aside.

"Give me that!" Virginia snapped. "I'm starving!"

"That's my little cheesecake! My succulent sweetie." Wolf turned to Tony. "She's been craving meat almost as much as I do since she's been pregnant. She still doesn't understand the delicacy of truly rare meat, but I can forgive her that - seems like everybody here in New York has a thing for cooking stuff. Except the fish. For some reason, they like their fish raw."

"Okay," Virginia said, soaking up the last of the juice on her plate with a piece of homemade bread. "Tell me this is some sort of joke! Please tell me, Dad, that this curse thing is not true!"

"I'm sorry, Virginia honey. Apparently the Peeps go way back with this particular witch. She's the one that helped them re-route the well. Wilfred Peep saved her beloved pet cat when he was just a kid, and she pledged to continue repaying him as long as he lived. His boys helped him bust out of prison and they went straight to the witch to get revenge. All I can think of is maybe we can get to the witch and get her to break the curse."

"How are we going to do that?" Virginia asked. "You just said this witch vowed to help Wilfred. She has no reason to help us."

"Not us, Virginia, you're not going. Wolf and I will take care of this; you need to worry about yourself and the baby right now. Stay here, keep the café open for a couple of days and we'll be back."

"I am worried about the baby and myself. Dad, how do you think I'm going to give birth to a sheep?!? I'm already a little concerned about the possibility of a tail, and now you're telling me this baby could have hooves and wool. I'm coming with you."

Wolf dropped to his knees in front of his bride. "Virginia, my vegetable medley, I need you, I would never survive without you. Please, stay here where you're safe, it will just be a couple of days, I promise. Every morning I wake up with a smile on my face knowing that the woman I love is carrying my cub. If anything should happen to either one of you because of me, I know I'd die. So please, for my sake, promise me you'll stay here and take it easy." He took her hands in his and looked into his eyes, the emotion in him causing his eyes to flash a brilliant wolf green. "Promise me."

Awed by his intensity, reluctantly Virginia nodded her assent.

Tony and Wolf were met in the mirror room by Wendell and a skinny, gnarled old man dressed in rags who refused to look them in the eye. Wolf raced to hug Wendell, who stood a little stiffly, patting Wolf on the back.

He howled in despair, "Wendell, Wendell what am I going to do? My sweet Virginia is at home right now worrying whether her baby will be human, wolf or sheep. Huff puff, It's just too much!"

"Don't you worry old man," Wendell consoled Wolf. "I've had my people on it since we heard about the curse yesterday. I've found this man to guide you to the house of the witch, and we will supply you with a carriage and gold in case you can pay the witch off."

"Oh, bless you!" Wolf cried, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around the king's embarrassed middle. "With the blessing and resources of the king, I'm sure we can break the curse!"

Tony grabbed him by the shirt collar and hauled him off the king. "Wait a minute," he said, pulling Wendell aside. "What's the deal with the old guy as our guide? We won't get far with him - he's about to keel over."

"I'm sorry," Wendell said. "This old hermit is the only one in the kingdom who knows where the witch lives. He didn't want to leave seclusion; he's been in hiding for over fifty years, but at the order of his king he has agreed to help you out. He says he will guide you to a hilltop from which you can see her home, but he will go no further. He is afraid the witch will know he's come and cook him."

"Cook him?" asked Wolf. "Is she a half-wolf too?"

"No, not exactly," said Wendell. "Maybe this will clarify things - Tony, Wolf, I'd like you to meet Hansel, brother of Queen Gretel."

"But everyone thinks you're dead!" exclaimed Wolf. "Where have you been?!?"

"In hiding, just as King Wendell said."

"But why?" Tony asked incredulously. "You were a hero - you could have ruled alongside your sister all these years. What on earth would keep you in hiding like a fugitive?"

"Well," started the old man in a voice like a squeaky hinge, "I’ve been hiding from the witch. As long as she thinks I’m dead, Gretel and I are safe. If she finds out I’m still alive, even after all these years, I know she’ll go after us both. Gretel and I killed her sister when we pushed her in that oven. We were heroes, like you said, and my sister was the talk of the town. Soon she was engaged to marry a prince. We were on top of the world, but there were rumors that the witch's sister was out to get us. I wanted to be sure Gretel was safe, so I went back to the gingerbread house. The witch's sister had moved into the house, and had sworn revenge against my family. I sneaked up and watched her from the window. She was talking to her cat, telling it how she would ruin us. She was going to capture Gretel the night before her wedding and take her place. She planned to cook her and serve her at her own wedding feast!

"I stormed into the cottage. I wanted to kill her, but that cat jumped on me and I lost my balance. The witch opened the cellar door and I toppled in. She kept me trapped in that cellar for weeks. She told me again and again how she'd pass herself off as Gretel and become queen. Everyone would marvel at what a lovely dinner was served at the wedding, because Gretel and I were to be the main course.

"The cat came in through the tiny window of the cellar sometimes. One night I caught the beast. Gretel's wedding was to be in two days, and the witch had been planning to leave for the palace. When she opened the cellar door to drag me out, I showed her the cat; told her I'd kill it if she didn't let me free and abandon her plan. She let me out of the cellar, and I ran off with the cat, knowing she would follow. I ran as far as I could in the opposite direction from the palace where the wedding was to take place. I ran for a whole day and night. I was exhausted, but I kept going until I knew it was too late for the witch to get back to the palace in time to do Gretel any harm. Then I found a farm road and began to follow it. I ran round the bend, and smack into a farm wagon coming around the corner. I was knocked out cold, and the cat ran back to the witch. Young Wilfred Peep, who was driving the wagon, and the witch thought I was dead, so they dumped me in the swamp. I knew that if she ever found out that I was alive, not only myself, but Gretel also would be in danger again, so I went into hiding in the disenchanted forest.

"Young Wendell and I met on one of his hunting expeditions in the forest. He got lost and wandered for days until I found him. I took him in and patched him up, then got him back to his hunting party without being seen. I made him promise to keep my secret, and he has, until now. But the truth is, I'm tired of spending my life in hiding. I hope you can get rid of this witch for good. That's why I'm helping you."

Wolf, Tony and Hansel set off in search of the witch, waving to Wendell and his court as they went. At that moment, Virginia stepped through the mirror. She had thought about it for an hour after Wolf and Tony left her in the cafe, debating every side. In the end all she could think about was that her baby was in danger, and Wolf was in danger, and so was her father for helping them. She had to do something. She couldn't let some crazed old witch destroy her family. Stepping into the mirror room, she went from mirror to mirror looking for one that could help her. Something caught her eye and she turned. It was the truth mirror. Hugging her arms around herself for comfort, she walked closer. In the mirror she saw herself, her hair a bit longer, holding a bundle - her baby - in her arms. Turning to the side so she could see inside the bundle, she saw the edge of the fuzzy blanket, but somehow could not see the baby's face. Slowly it dawned on her - she was not seeing a fuzzy blanket, she was seeing her child - a silent, tiny little lamb was cradled in her arms.

Backing away from the mirror Virginia repeated to herself, "This is not real, this is not true, this is not real." Stumbling, Virginia fell backwards, right into one of the traveling mirrors, and found herself surrounded.

The light was dimmer and the air cool and damp. Trying to focus in on the sights around her, she could make out little eyes in every direction. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she began to make out the forms of tiny men, or rather elves. She had never seen an elf, and she was frightened. She scrambled, trying to get to her feet, get back to the mirror, anything to get away. But one of the elves stepped forward. Reaching out his hand, he gently touched her face.

"It's true," he whispered. "It's really her."

She heard quiet murmuring from the other elves.

Really who? she thought, frozen to the spot.

"The Lady Virginia!" the brave elf cried, and the others called back, stepping cautiously out of their hiding places, "The Lady Virginia!" They all reached out to her, helping her up off the ground and dusting off her clothes.

"How do you know me, and why are you calling me a Lady?" Virginia asked in wonder as they lead her to a seat on a fallen log in the dusky light of the swamp.

"You are the Lady Virginia, of course," the elf said, as if that explained it all. She looked at him with obvious confusion, so he continued, "Everybody knows who you are. You, Sir Wolf and Sir Tony are famous throughout the Nine Kingdoms. Portraits of the three of you are hanging all over, in the royal halls and public houses of every kingdom. You have been immortalized in song, and there is talk that the famous poet Mary Porgey-Goose, grandniece of the great Mother Goose, has begun an epic poem based on your heroic story."

Virginia laughed. "You've got to be kidding! Me, a hero? And Daddy - he's about as heroic as the next janitor. We're about as ordinary as people get."

"Not here," the elf said matter-of-factly. "Not anymore."

"Okay then," Virginia said, warming to the idea of being a heroine, "I have another battle to fight now, against another witch, and I don't even know who she is or where to find her. Can you help me?"

Several of the elves took a step back in fear, but were waved back by the brave lead elf. "Lady Virginia, he said with a deep bow, we are at your service. We are happy to do anything we can to help you rid the land of another witch."