Ning and I were taking a walk near the river one evening. We stopped and sat for a while on the river bank, enjoying the light breeze and musical gurgling of the water.
After a while, we noticed that the sky was turning dark and a cold wind had started to blow.
"Time to go back, Ning," I said, looking at the sky.
"Yeah," replied Ning. "Looks like a storm is brewing."
The wind grew stronger even as we got up to leave and very soon the branches of the trees started swaying vigorously, leaves started flying and dark clouds sped across the sky as though blown by some unseen force.
"Hurry up, Da," yelled Ning as we both struggled down the path leading back to the temple, the wind whipping around our ears. Then, all of a sudden, a powerful gust of wind blew down on us, swirled around Ning and to my horror, swept him away! I watched stunned as Ning vanished over the tree tops, like he had been carried away by an invisible hand!
"Ning, Ning ....!" I shouted in panic. Then as suddenly as it came, the wind stopped blowing and all became still.
"Oh my God," I whispered, trembling from head to foot. Like a cat possessed, I ran from tree to tree shouting Ning's name but it was to no avail. He had completely disappeared!
Tired, I sat down under a tree to catch my breath. Several minutes passed by. Still no Ning. I was so devastated by what had happened that I burst into tears. My best friend was gone, spirited away by something or someone!
It was then that I heard a rustle of leaves above me and a voice spoke.
"My, my, tears! What happened, cat?"
That voice! I recognised it at once! It was the Forest Queen!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty ..." I gasped. "Thank God you're here! Ning's gone, I can't find him anywhere!"
"Really?" she replied. "I've just returned from the North. What do you mean by "gone"?"
I blurted out the whole story to her. She listened, then murmured, "Hmmm. Sounds like WWW was on a rampage again!"
"Who?" I gasped, open mouthed.
"The Wicked Witch of the Winds - haven't you heard of her? I call her WWW for short."
"You know her?" I asked incredulously.
The Forest Queen smiled grimly. "Yes, I know her. She's a cousin of mine, I'm sure that scheming little bitch is behind all this."
"Well, can't you tell her to give Ning back?"
"Sorry, cat. We're not on talking terms."
"But ... but... Your Majesty, you've got to help Ning. Perhaps you know where he is?"
"Oh, she has probably taken him to her hideout in the mountains."
"Can you take me there?"
"Me take you there? Of course not! I told you, we're not on talking terms."
"But I haven't a clue how to get there! You've got to help me," I pleaded.
For a while, she was silent. Then she snapped, "Alright, alright. I'll take you there but that's as far as I go. You'll have to find your own way back."
I had no choice. I nodded and in a flash, I found myself on top of a mountain outside a cave surrounded by trees. I looked around for the Forest Queen but she had gone. Gathering up all the courage I could muster, I crept slowly into WWW's cave.
It was like I had stepped into a different dimension. The cave was huge and filled with a kaleidoscope of colours. Eerie lights glowed from every corner while colourful butterflies floated in a circle, not really knowing where they were going.
Then I saw it - a huge pink bottle in a corner with Ning inside!
Ning had seen me and he yelled, "Da! Get me out of here!"
"Hang in there, Ning," I yelled back. I picked up a stone and threw it at the bottle, hoping to break it but it didn't. Several stones later, the bottle still remained intact.
Then I heard a shrill laugh and a voice screamed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but you can't break that bottle!"
I turned round and saw her - WWW! I had imagined her to be an ugly old witch with a long, crooked nose but she was surprisingly very beautiful and had the most shapely legs! For a moment, I forgot she was a witch and was too dazzled for words.
"You must be Da, Ning's faithful old friend." she continued. "Welcome! I have been expecting you!"
"Please let Ning go!" I entreated.
WWW laughed. "What's the rush? I'm feeling rather bored and you two will keep me amused for some time."
Then she snapped her fingers and to my horror, I found myself trapped inside the same bottle as Ning!
"Now we're going to have some fun," giggled WWW. "See those pink spiders? I'm going to let them into the bottle one by one. They look quite innocent but believe me, one bite from them and pooh! You understand what I'm saying?"
"Help! Help! Let us out!" I screamed as I saw the spiders slowly creep into the bottle.
Then suddenly, a flash of lightning .... and the Forest Queen appeared!
"It's the Forest Queen, she's come to save us," I cried, overwhelmed with relief.
"Well, she had better be quick about it," said Ning as he watched a spider slowly descend towards him.
I saw WWW turn and confront her cousin.
"Well, well, look's who's here," squeaked WWW. "It's been a long time, cousin!"
"I didn't come here to socialise. Let my friends go!" growled the Forest Queen.
WWW laughed. "I see you haven't changed - always so noble and selfless! Do you still remember the old times - you were a great favourite with the older witches - oh, how it made me sick to see the way they pampered you until one day I vowed I would take away from you all the things you loved - and I did - including your sweetheart, the Wizard of Light .... ha! ha! ha! You were so heartbroken you left the Witches' Den and never returned .....!"
I saw the Forest Queen stiffen. She made no reply but moved towards us.
"Don't touch that bottle, or I'll destroy you!" screamed WWW.
Then, as Ning and I watched in terror, a sudden bright light appeared from nowhere and filled the entire cave. From it boomed a deep voice .... "Let them go ... I command you!"
I saw WWW open her mouth to protest, then thought better of it and reluctantly snapped her fingers and we were free!
"Quick, come with me," said the Forest Queen and again, in a flash, we were out of the cave and several seconds later, back near the river. Everything had happened so fast and it was still light on earth. Ning and I were so shaken we had to rest for a while under a tree.
When I at last found my voice, I said to the Forest Queen, "Your Majesty, you saved our lives! We can't thank you enough."
She was sitting by the river, lost in her thoughts.
"Thanks are not necessary, cat," she said curtly. "Just stay out of trouble. WWW won't give up so easily, take my word for it!"
She got up but I wasn't ready to let her go, I was bursting with curiosity.
"Who is the Wizard of Light?" I asked. I saw the Forest Queen's expression change and her eyes became kind of misty.
"Your curiosity will kill you one day, cat," she said softly as she started to float away.
Suddenly, I put two and two together. That bright light and voice ... it was the Wizard of Light and he had actually saved us from WWW. And he had also saved his long lost love, the Forest Queen!
"Wait, wait, Your Majesty," I cried as I ran after her. "If ...if at any time you need someone to talk to or just listen, you know where to find me!"
She paused but remained silent and in a few seconds had melted into thin air.
After a while, we noticed that the sky was turning dark and a cold wind had started to blow.
"Time to go back, Ning," I said, looking at the sky.
"Yeah," replied Ning. "Looks like a storm is brewing."
The wind grew stronger even as we got up to leave and very soon the branches of the trees started swaying vigorously, leaves started flying and dark clouds sped across the sky as though blown by some unseen force.
"Hurry up, Da," yelled Ning as we both struggled down the path leading back to the temple, the wind whipping around our ears. Then, all of a sudden, a powerful gust of wind blew down on us, swirled around Ning and to my horror, swept him away! I watched stunned as Ning vanished over the tree tops, like he had been carried away by an invisible hand!
"Ning, Ning ....!" I shouted in panic. Then as suddenly as it came, the wind stopped blowing and all became still.
"Oh my God," I whispered, trembling from head to foot. Like a cat possessed, I ran from tree to tree shouting Ning's name but it was to no avail. He had completely disappeared!
Tired, I sat down under a tree to catch my breath. Several minutes passed by. Still no Ning. I was so devastated by what had happened that I burst into tears. My best friend was gone, spirited away by something or someone!
It was then that I heard a rustle of leaves above me and a voice spoke.
"My, my, tears! What happened, cat?"
That voice! I recognised it at once! It was the Forest Queen!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty ..." I gasped. "Thank God you're here! Ning's gone, I can't find him anywhere!"
"Really?" she replied. "I've just returned from the North. What do you mean by "gone"?"
I blurted out the whole story to her. She listened, then murmured, "Hmmm. Sounds like WWW was on a rampage again!"
"Who?" I gasped, open mouthed.
"The Wicked Witch of the Winds - haven't you heard of her? I call her WWW for short."
"You know her?" I asked incredulously.
The Forest Queen smiled grimly. "Yes, I know her. She's a cousin of mine, I'm sure that scheming little bitch is behind all this."
"Well, can't you tell her to give Ning back?"
"Sorry, cat. We're not on talking terms."
"But ... but... Your Majesty, you've got to help Ning. Perhaps you know where he is?"
"Oh, she has probably taken him to her hideout in the mountains."
"Can you take me there?"
"Me take you there? Of course not! I told you, we're not on talking terms."
"But I haven't a clue how to get there! You've got to help me," I pleaded.
For a while, she was silent. Then she snapped, "Alright, alright. I'll take you there but that's as far as I go. You'll have to find your own way back."
I had no choice. I nodded and in a flash, I found myself on top of a mountain outside a cave surrounded by trees. I looked around for the Forest Queen but she had gone. Gathering up all the courage I could muster, I crept slowly into WWW's cave.
It was like I had stepped into a different dimension. The cave was huge and filled with a kaleidoscope of colours. Eerie lights glowed from every corner while colourful butterflies floated in a circle, not really knowing where they were going.
Then I saw it - a huge pink bottle in a corner with Ning inside!
Ning had seen me and he yelled, "Da! Get me out of here!"
"Hang in there, Ning," I yelled back. I picked up a stone and threw it at the bottle, hoping to break it but it didn't. Several stones later, the bottle still remained intact.
Then I heard a shrill laugh and a voice screamed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but you can't break that bottle!"
I turned round and saw her - WWW! I had imagined her to be an ugly old witch with a long, crooked nose but she was surprisingly very beautiful and had the most shapely legs! For a moment, I forgot she was a witch and was too dazzled for words.
"You must be Da, Ning's faithful old friend." she continued. "Welcome! I have been expecting you!"
"Please let Ning go!" I entreated.
WWW laughed. "What's the rush? I'm feeling rather bored and you two will keep me amused for some time."
Then she snapped her fingers and to my horror, I found myself trapped inside the same bottle as Ning!
"Now we're going to have some fun," giggled WWW. "See those pink spiders? I'm going to let them into the bottle one by one. They look quite innocent but believe me, one bite from them and pooh! You understand what I'm saying?""Help! Help! Let us out!" I screamed as I saw the spiders slowly creep into the bottle.
Then suddenly, a flash of lightning .... and the Forest Queen appeared!
"It's the Forest Queen, she's come to save us," I cried, overwhelmed with relief.
"Well, she had better be quick about it," said Ning as he watched a spider slowly descend towards him.
I saw WWW turn and confront her cousin.
"Well, well, look's who's here," squeaked WWW. "It's been a long time, cousin!"
"I didn't come here to socialise. Let my friends go!" growled the Forest Queen.
WWW laughed. "I see you haven't changed - always so noble and selfless! Do you still remember the old times - you were a great favourite with the older witches - oh, how it made me sick to see the way they pampered you until one day I vowed I would take away from you all the things you loved - and I did - including your sweetheart, the Wizard of Light .... ha! ha! ha! You were so heartbroken you left the Witches' Den and never returned .....!"
I saw the Forest Queen stiffen. She made no reply but moved towards us.
"Don't touch that bottle, or I'll destroy you!" screamed WWW.
Then, as Ning and I watched in terror, a sudden bright light appeared from nowhere and filled the entire cave. From it boomed a deep voice .... "Let them go ... I command you!"
I saw WWW open her mouth to protest, then thought better of it and reluctantly snapped her fingers and we were free!
"Quick, come with me," said the Forest Queen and again, in a flash, we were out of the cave and several seconds later, back near the river. Everything had happened so fast and it was still light on earth. Ning and I were so shaken we had to rest for a while under a tree.
When I at last found my voice, I said to the Forest Queen, "Your Majesty, you saved our lives! We can't thank you enough."
She was sitting by the river, lost in her thoughts.
"Thanks are not necessary, cat," she said curtly. "Just stay out of trouble. WWW won't give up so easily, take my word for it!"
She got up but I wasn't ready to let her go, I was bursting with curiosity.
"Who is the Wizard of Light?" I asked. I saw the Forest Queen's expression change and her eyes became kind of misty.
"Your curiosity will kill you one day, cat," she said softly as she started to float away.
Suddenly, I put two and two together. That bright light and voice ... it was the Wizard of Light and he had actually saved us from WWW. And he had also saved his long lost love, the Forest Queen!
"Wait, wait, Your Majesty," I cried as I ran after her. "If ...if at any time you need someone to talk to or just listen, you know where to find me!"
She paused but remained silent and in a few seconds had melted into thin air.
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