It was the Forest Queen! I looked up and there she was, sitting on a branch and still in her wedding garb.
"Your Majesty, how - how could you have done what you did to Su Lin! I truly believed you had a kind heart!" I exploded.
"What on earth are you babbling about? What did I do to who?" she screamed back.
"Don't pretend! You cast some spell on Su Lin and she's dying...!"
"What? I did no such thing! How dare you accuse me of such untruth! I haven't touched a hair on her head, let alone cast a spell on her!"
It was my turn to be taken aback. "Are you telling the truth? Then who did it if it wasn't you?"
"How should I know? I should turn you into a frog for making wild accusations against me!"
I was truly puzzled. I was so sure she had done something to Su Lin to spite Yunzhi..
"Alright, if you are telling the truth, please come back with me to Yunzhi's shack - you know all about spells and magic, you are the only one who can save her!"
"Really?" she replied coldly. "And why should I save her? It's none of my business."
"Please, Your Majesty," I pleaded.
She was silent for a while, her eyes gazing piercingly at me.
"Alright, alright," she said at last, "I don't know why I should let a silly little cat persuade me to do something I have no intention of doing."
Then before I could even blink, I found myself back at the shack with the Forest Queen walking ahead of me. Yunzhi had carried Su Lin inside the shack and laid her on the bed. Both father and son were in great despair, not knowing what to do.
The Forest Queen went over to the bed and looked Su Lin up and down, then with a quick movement lifted one of her feet. "Aha!" she exclaimed. "I knew it - she has stepped on "The Thorn of Death". Look!" She drew out a small thorn from behind Su Lin's big toe and showed it to us. "It is very lethal and can kill within 2 hours! It's no use bringing the doctor, he won't be able to do anything!"
"Oh my God," cried Yunzhi. "Forest Queen, you've got to save her!"
She looked at Yunzhi and for a moment I thought she was going to refuse. Then she turned and walked briskly to the door. "You!" she said, pointing to me. "Come with me, I need your help to prepare the antidote."
"Me?" I gasped, astounded.
"Yes, you! Don't waste time gaping like a fool! Follow me!"
Again, in a trice, I found myself on the other side of the river, in the mountain where the Forest Queen lives.
"Let me refer to my Book of Antidotes so that I can get the ingredients." she said, thumping through a book as old as the hills. "Hmmm, let me see, aah, here it is - "Antidote for The Thorn of Death" - 2 snakes, 2 lizards, 2 pairs frog eyes, 5 cockroaches, 10 spiders, one pumpkin - boil all ingredients together, add a dash of green moss and stir well for fifteen minutes."
She then disappeared into a tree trunk and when she emerged, she had a big, black cauldron with her with some water inside. With a wave of her hand, she materialised all the ingredients and threw them into the cauldron. The water started boiling and the heat was intense. I backed away into a corner and watched as she mumbled some mumbo jumbo in a high pitched voice.
"Something's wrong," she said as she stirred vigorously. "The water hasn't turned green as it should." She referred to her book again and exclaimed, "My oh my, I missed out the last most important ingredient - a cat's tail!" As she said that, she turned to look at me, a wicked grin on her face.
I gulped. "A - a cat's tail?" I repeated, shivers going up and down my spine.
"Well, you want to save your friend's bride, don't you? Come on, turn round and let me cut off your tail," she said, advancing towards me, her hand clasping a huge knife with a blade that gleamed in the dark light of the forest.
"No, no ... I mean ... you can't be serious ...." I cried weakly, my legs shaking like jelly.
It was at this point that I fell in a dead faint at her feet.
(To be continued)
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| Boiling the antidote for the Thorn of Death |
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