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After closing the door, her mouth fell open. Small bursts of air escaped her lungs as the room spun in circles. She sank to her knees, falling victim to the panic clawing its way up her throat.
Soon there were strong, smooth arms wrapping around her. Leora’s hushed voice begged her to breathe slower.
Thessa couldn’t, she sat crumpled.
Leora’s arms helped lower her down until she was lying on her back. Through her tears, Thessa could barely make out the thick beams of wood cutting across the ceiling.
“I want to tell you a fairytale my mother would tell me before bed, especially on hard days.”
Thessa’s breath and mind were both ragged; she was unable to speak.
So, Leora shared her story.
“There once was the happiest little witch, skipping through a field full of flowers. She was on her way to the forest for a tea party when a toad leaped in her path.
He asked, ‘If I could grant you one wish, what wish would it be?’
The witchling twirled in her pink ruffled dress, then wished for her woodland friends to come to life, and for a true tea party.
‘Granted,’ croaked the toad.
That’s when she invited the sweet toad to join her, and so, they crossed the small river leading to the forest together. He even taught her how to hop across the lily pads, keeping her shoes clean and dry.
Entering the forest, the witchling was greeted by a creature shaped like a mushroom, wearing a small, yellow hat. Another creature, made of twine, curtsied and offered her a flower crown. There were rabbits tending to the tea, and foxes dusting the tableware with their tails.
As the guest of honor at a true tea party, she was as happy as a little witch could be.When it was time for her to return home for supper, she hugged her woodland friends goodbye, and offered the toad a kiss on the cheek. ‘For the happiest day of my life.’
The toad replied, ‘Anything for you, princess.’
She smiled, feeling like a princess.
Back at home, the little witch told her parents about her tea party over supper, which happened to be the same story her parents listened to her share every night.
You see … a long time ago, when the little witch was even littler, she fell. One rainy afternoon, on her way to the forest she tumbled down the riverbed and crashed into a boulder. She didn’t know it, but that toad watched it happen. He couldn’t help the sleeping girl, but she was breathing, and beautiful. He croaked as loud as he could, trying to signal for help. When no one came, he sat with her for hours, watching her chest rise and fall. He felt horrible and most of all, useless. But, when the sun began to set, a large male with identical white curls as the witchling came and scooped her up.
Guilt and worry consumed the toad, so he followed them, leaping as fast as he could. When she was carried into a house, the toad hopped from windowsill to windowsill until he found her. It was there where her mother wept, and her father prayed. It was there he watched the healers come and go, shaking their heads.
Days like that turned into weeks.
But one day, the toad yawned awake on the witchling’s dewy windowsill … and so did she. He leaped for joy, as did her parents.
But not all was well. She never remembered her fall and she couldn’t store new memories. She woke up each day reliving the day of her fall.
So, every afternoon the little witch would skip through the field of flowers. Amidst the multi-colored blooms, a toad would leap into her path. He’d ask her, ‘If I could grant you one wish, what wish would it be?’ She would twirl in the same pink dress she picked out every day. Side note: my mother said her parents would terrorize the tailors until they made the same exact dress for her every year. Anyways, she’d wish for her woodland friends to come to life, and for a true tea party every time.
‘Granted,’ the toad replied, today and every day. Because while the witchling’s wish was to have a true tea party, it was the toad’s wish for his true love to live happily. So he waited for her every day, making sure of just that.
But what the little witch didn’t know, nor did her parents, was that a long time ago, in a kingdom not so far away, a wicked queencursed a magical princeling. She cursed him to a lifetime as a toad, until true love kissed his lips. The princeling didn’t know he would fall for a girl who woke up each day without a memory of who she was, but he spent the rest of his life as a toad, granting her wishes, and getting kissed on the cheek, so long as she remained happy.”
Thessa whispered, “Only you would have me feeling sorry for a toad trying to kiss a child. At least tell me he got his true kiss eventually?”
Leora laughed. “My mother said they went on to livehappily ever after in the afterlife. Then, she would kiss me goodnight and say, “You must seek happiness every day my little Ora. Sadness will come in waves, some are small and others are larger, but there’s always a break. Just remember what’s inside,” then she’d wiggle her finger on my chest until I giggled before adding, “That’s your heart in there and you must feed it with love.”
“Quite the lesson for a child.”
“Indeed.”
Thessa sighed, unaware of when her pulse and breath had calmed down. “Thank you, Leora, I?—”