One Wish

by pikachu_my

tarebebe, the Faerie Kacheek, walked to school every morning. In the evening, after school, she would walk back home. It was a short distance and she enjoyed the journey very much. Along the way, there was a small field of beautiful flowers. Often, on her way home, tarebebe would stop and admire the lovely blossoms. Once, she even picked a few for her mother. But her mother said, "These are beautiful, bebe darling, but now that you've picked them, they will die in a couple of days. Wouldn't you rather see them fresh and beautiful each day when you pass by them?"

Since then, tarebebe never picked any flowers no matter how much she wanted to. And she often stopped other Kacheeks from picking the flowers.

Soon, there was going to be a farewell party for the older Kacheeks who were living school. All the Kacheeks were invited, and every Kacheek planned to wear her best dress to the party.

"I have a brand new frock made of pink satin with laces and ribbons. My father bought it for me last week. And I will look the prettiest at the party!" said Snow the Red Kacheek excitedly.

"And I have a blue, long flowing dress, which goes all the way down to my ankles. I even have a pair of blue sandals to match it. I believe I will look as pretty as you, Snow," said Ivy the Striped Kacheek."What are you going to wear, tarebebe? Surely you have something as beautiful as ours?"

tarebebe did not know how to tell her friends that she had nothing nice to wear at all. Her only nice dress was an old yellow - checked simple dress given to her by an older cousin who had outgrown. Although it was in good condition, it wasn't new and beautiful.

That evening, as she walked home, tarebebe was sad. She wanted a new dress just like her friends. A brand new dress to wear to the party. Oh, what wouldn't she give to have a new dress, but she knew her mother could not afford it.

Suddenly, she heard a cry for help. She looked around, but could not see anyone. "Here ! I am here ….. look down, little Kacheek!" cried the voice.

tarebebe looked down, and to her surprise, there was a little Faerie lying beneath a tall - stemmed flower. tarebebe went down on her knees for a closer look. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Petals the Earth Faerie The flower here is my home," the Faerie replied.

"Why did you cry for help, Petals?" tarebebe asked.

"I hurt my wings and can't fly up to my flower. Little girl, can you please carry me?" the Faerie said.

"Of course," tarebebe replied and with both her paws, gently lifted the injured Faerie and placed her on the big petals of her flower home.

"Thank you so much, little girl !" Petals said happily.

Then, as tarebebe was about to leave, she said, "Say, aren't you the Kacheek who protects our homes from being picked by others?"

"Well, I do try to tell them not to pick flowers," said tarebebe, surprised.

"What is your name, kind Kacheek?" Petals asked with a sweet smile.

"tarebebe," she replied.

"I have a gift for you, tarebebe, for you have done us Faerie a very good deed. See this coin?" Petals showed tarebebe a shiny gold coin no bigger than a thumbnail. "It's a magic Faerie coin. It will grant you a wish and you may have any wish you like !"

tarebebe took the Faerie coin, thanked Petals, and continued her journey home. She was no longer sad, for with the Faerie coin, she could wish for the most beautiful dress to wear to the party ! Suddenly, she heard another cry. She looked across the road and saw a woman carrying her baby Shoyru who was crying. There was two more hungry - looking Shoyrus clinging to her old and worn skirt. They were standing outside a small and miserable hut, as if waiting for someone. tarebebe stopped to watch. Presently, a tired - looking man came home. The woman and those baby Shoyrus ran to welcome him, the children crying, "papa, papa."

"I am afraid we will not have dinner tonight," the man said. "I have only managed to earn little NPs, and we must keep that to pay little Blaize's doctors," he said as he took the crying Shoyru into his arms.

"He has been sick for so long," said the woman. "I think my heart is going to be broken !"

tarebebe had tears in her eyes as she watched the hungry family enter their hut. She felt the Faerie coin in her pocket. She stood there, thinking for a moment, and said to herself, "I would not be cold and hungry if I did not have a dress. But little Blaize might die if he does not get enough food to eat." She took the coin in her paws, and said out loud, "I wish that little Blaize's family will have so much food in their house that they can have as much dinner as they like today, and every day !"

As soon as she finished speaking, a large food larder appeared in the kitchen of the little hut. It was full of hot, delicious food. The woman and her husband cried out in surprise and delight. They thought a kind Faerie must have seen their suffering and lent a helping hand. They said many thanks and with those baby Shoyrus, helped themselves to the splendid meal.

Meanwhile, tarebebe's Faerie coin had disappeared. She had used her one wish, and there was no more to it. Saying good-bye silently to Blaize and his family, she continued her journey home. On reaching home, tarebebe saw her old yellow - checkered dress hanging by her bedroom door. It has been mended, washed and ironed. It looked as good as new.

"I thought you would like something nice to wear to the school party, tarebebe," her mother said ."So, I tried to make your old dress look the best it can."

"Oh, thank you, mama !" tarebebe cried. "It does look so beautiful."

"There is more," her mother said. "I didn't have enough NPs to spare to buy you a new dress, but look, I bought this yellow ribbon to go with the dress.

tarebebe took the ribbon and held it against her long black hair. It looked very beautiful. "Oh mama, how can I thank you? This is going to be my best - dressed party ever." And it was.

Although her dress wasn't new, it was pretty enough and she had a bright new ribbon on her hair. Most important of all, she had a noble heart, to have given her one wish to a family in need.

The End