| A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood Layleeah the Chia walked to Faerieland. She had just found
the quest item the Light Faerie was looking for. It was a long way from Neopia
Central, where she had strolled and bought a few items, but she managed. She was
impatient to see what the Light Faerie would giver her in exchange for the item!
Layleeah's legs were getting very tired, and
she stopped in the Haunted Woods for a few breaths. But what Layleeah didn't
know was that lurking through the woods was another pet. A pet gone very bad
indeed! Balthazar the Faerie catcher was walking through the woods, searching
for faeries, when suddenly he spotted Layleeah sitting in the woods.
"Why are you here?" asked Balthazar as he approached
his target. He planned to mess with Layleeah's mind a little bit. "Shouldn't
you be at home with your mother?"
"Oh! Hello!" said Layleeah as she looked up
at the nice-looking but evil Lupe. "I'm going to Faerieland. I'm on a quest
for the Light Faerie! I bought her item, and now I will give it to her! But
my legs got soar and I'm exhausted, so I'm just taking a break!"
This dumb pet will be no obstacle for me,
thought Balthazar. I will go to the Light Faerie before she does, catch the
Light Faerie in one of my jars, and then force this Chia to become my slave
and catch faeries for me! Muahaha!
"I have an idea for you," said Balthazar, pretending
to be sweet and gentle. "Why don't you pick a few beautiful… er… branches for
the Light Faerie? After all, she will need wood to get her fire started. And
she needs a fire to cook her food, and then eat it!"
"What a wonderful idea!" said Layleeah. "I think
I'll do that! Thank you!"
Layleeah started to pick small branches from
the ground. The reason why Balthazar had told her to pick branches and not flowers
was because there were no flowers in the Haunted Woods.
"Hmm…" said Layleeah. "I wonder who that Lupe
was!"
Balthazar raced to Faerieland. His paws hurt,
but he knew if he wanted to catch another Faerie in return for just a little
bit of pain, he'd have to make it in time before it was too late! He had already
planned out what he would do. First, he would knock on the Light Faerie's door,
and then say in a squeaky voice: "It's me! Layleeah! I have your item!"
Then the Light Faerie would open her door, just
in time for Balthazar to catch the Light Faerie in one of his glass jars! Oh
how he loved the idea! His nostrils tickled with excitement!
While Balthazar rushed to Faerieland, Layleeah
had just finished picking branches, and was already on her way to the Light
Faerie.
"Uh-oh!" said Layleeah suddenly. "Mommy told
me not to talk to strangers! I'll be in BIG trouble when I get home! Hey, I
have an idea! Maybe I should just walk very slowly so that I don't have to get
there too early! If I do, then Mommy will be mad right away! Besides, the Light
Faerie is patient!"
But that's just what Layleeah thought. Balthazar
knocked on the Light Faerie's door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"Who is it?" asked the Light Faerie.
"It's me, Layleeah!" said Balthazar in a squeaky
voice. "I have your item! Now open up!"
The Light Faerie was convinced this was Layleeah
and ran to the door, excited about her new item. But when she opened the door,
there stood Balthazar, with a jar! The Light Faerie had no time to escape, it
was too late! By the time the Light Faerie knew it, she was in the jar. He put
her in his leather satchel, where other faeries were, sitting in their glass
jars, victims of his ferocious greed!
Layleeah was only at Krawk Island. She was already
tired of going slow, because it hurt her toes very much. Her feet ached. So
she stopped at the Smuggler's Cove, where two Chia-eating smugglers were sitting.
Look! A Chia! My, I can tell that she is nice
and delicious, They both thought at the exact same moment. Probably crisp, just
the way I like it! Now, let us get her attention!
"Hello!" said one of the smugglers. "I'm Hawker!
And this is my brother, Bawker! Is there an item you want?"
"Oh! Hello! I thought I'd just stop by here
for a rest. You see, I'm headed to Faerieland to see the Light Faerie. I just
completed one of her quests!" said Layleeah. "And I can't buy anything. I have
no dubloons!"
"Oh! Well, we'll give you a free item!" said
Hawker.
In exchange for you! thought Hawker and
Bawker at the same time.
"But we've always wanted to go to Faerieland!
May we accompany you?" asked Bawker.
"My, that would be lovely! Of course!" said
Layleeah. And she picked out a free item.
***
Meanwhile, Balthazar was putting on a Light Faerie costume: a pair of yellow
wings and a yellow dress. He sat on a chair, waiting for Layleeah to knock on
the door. Next to him was a pair of handcuffs. Balthazar planned on handcuffing
her at the same time he told her to be his slave. And if she said no, he would
make the handcuffs even tighter, until she finally gave up and agreed!
"So," said Hawker to Layleeah. "Let us take
the boat! Here, brother, you take one of the oars, and I'll take the other!
We'll row together! This little Chia here does not deserve to go through so
much pain!"
We don't wanna wear her out! Thought Bawker.
She has to be nice and tender when we eat her!
So Layleeah, Hawker and Bawker rowed their boat
to Faerieland.
Meanwhile, Balthazar wondered where Layleeah
was. She was taking a VERY long time, and Balthazar was getting VERY impatient
to make Layleeah his slave. But he didn't know Hawker and Bawker were going
to feast on her. He expected to have her all to himself.
"Finally!" said Hawker and Bawker. "We've made
it to Faerieland!"
Layleeah smiled. She had had a very good day
today. Or so she thought…
"Uh-oh!" said Layleeah suddenly as Hawker, Bawker
and Layleeah approached the Light Faerie's home.
"Krawker, Hawker! Would you excuse me for a
second?" asked Layleeah.
"Certainly!" said Krawker and Hawker.
But don't take your time! thought Hawker.
We want our grub as quick as possible!
"Uh-oh!" said Layleeah when she had went to
a small little area where Hawker and Bawker could not hear her. "Mommy told
me not to talk to strangers! I'll be in BIG trouble when I get home! Hey, I
have an idea! Maybe I should just walk very slowly so that I don't have to get
there too early! If I do, then Mommy will be mad right away! Besides, the Light
Faerie is patient!"
So Layleeah walked back to Krawker and Hawker.
They started walking to the Light Faerie's house, the three of them VERY excited!
Layleeah wanted to get a gift. She was already thinking of what the Light Faerie
would give her.
"I'm starting to get IMPATIENT!" screamed Balthazar
in a very angry tone. "What is taking my new slave such a long time?"
"Layleeah, why are you walking so slowly?" asked
Bawker to Layleeah when she started to walk very slowly.
"I've never been to Faerieland before!" lied
Layleeah. "And I want to remember every moment. I want to remember every single
little bit of concrete we walk on!"
"Well, let's hurry!" said Hawker. "Ya' know,
we have work to be done!"
Yes! Work indeed, thought Hawker. Work
eating you!
"Well, c'mon! The Light Faerie is probably very
patient! After all, she has to go through this every single tiresome day! I
don't wanna rush!" said Layleeah.
Suddenly, Hawker and Bawker grabbed Layleeah
by the arms.
"We're gonna eat you raw!" said Hawker and Bawker.
"That's why we must hurry! A fine, tender Chia makes a great dinner! C'mon!"
Layleeah screamed for her life. But she wasn't
the only one screaming!
"WHERE IS THAT STUPID CHIA?" screamed Balthazar.
He had been waiting for hours just to capture her, and she wouldn't even come.
"OH! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HER! I WON'T EVEN LET HER SAY NO! I'LL HANDCUFF
HER TIGHT!"
Suddenly, the door swung open. There they were,
Hawker and Bawker, with Layleeah in their grasp.
"Hey!" said Balthazar. "She's MINE! Let her
go! She's my slave!"
"No she isn't!" exclaimed Hawker and Bawker.
"She's our dinner! A very fine dinner indeed!"
"Let her go!" said Balthazar.
"It's YOU!" cried Layleeah. "You're the Lupe
from the forest! Bu I thought you were nice!"
"That's what they all think!" said Balthazar.
"And I challenge these two smugglers to a fight! Only one team can get the trophy!"
So Hawker, Bawker and Balthazar in his funny Light Faerie costume started to
fight over Layleeah. But Layleeah wouldn't be a trophy for some mean person!
So when Hawker, Bawker and Balthazar fought and weren't keeping a close eye
on Layleeah, she decided to escape. She made a plan. First, when Balthazar wasn't
looking, she would take his satchel and escape. When she got home, she'd pretend
the satchel was the item she had received from the Light Faerie. When she'd
get to her room, she would break each jar and release each Faerie.
"She's OURS!" screamed Hawker and Bawker to
Balthazar. "So HANDS OFF!"
Suddenly, Layleeah made a dashing run to the
leather satchel and put it on her arm. Then she made an exit through the front
door. Hawker, Bawker and Balthazar sighed. They were too exhausted to even think
about possibly running!
***
"So what did the Light Faerie give you?" asked Layleeah's mother when she
came home.
"Well… let's just say the greedy come home empty-handed!"
said Layleeah, and she went to her room.
The End
Lesson to be learned:
Our Neopets are curious and thirsty for knowledge. But don't let them go
too far! They must learn how not to be curious about people who end up dangerous!
We learn not to have too much curiosity, or there will be trouble.
In the case of Hawker, Bawker and Balthazar, there's a lot to be learned!
Like Layleeah says: "The greedy come home empty-handed!" Layleeah, my Chia,
was right in saying this. When you are too confident, you get nothing at all!
Just a good lesson that we should all think about.
Author's Note: I REALLY want to thank The Neopian Times Writers Forum for
helping me! I put my trust in them, and look what's come out of it!
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