A work of Fiction by our Junior Kalamkar, Saanvi Shrivastava.
The Magical Bedsheet
‘Maya, let’s play something! Pleaaasseee!’ Maya’s younger sister shouted. ‘Not now, Bea, let me read my book. You play something on your own,’ Maya said. ‘Pleaassee,’ Bea said. ‘Nooo!’ Maya said. ‘Please,’ ‘No,’ Please,’ ‘No’. ‘Mummmmaaaa,’ they both shouted together. ‘Girls, stop fighting! Maya, play with her for sometime, ok? And Bea, Maya told you to play on your own, didn’t she?’ their mother shouted from the kitchen.
‘Come on, what do you want to play now?’ Maya sighed.
‘Let’s play “Who jumps the highest”,’ Bea replied.
‘Fine, but just three rounds, ok.’
Soon, both the sisters were jumping up and down the floor. ‘Bea, what if the princesses in our bedsheet came out and took us to their land?’ Maya asked Bea. Bea stopped jumping and gasped, ‘Oh Maya, I wish it comes true. It would be so much fun.’
Now, do you know that the sisters had a bedsheet of Disney Princesses. It was so beautiful and…and, what else was it now? Oh yeah, it was also magical! And by magical, I mean that the princesses would come out of it! So, the princesses on the bedsheet were Snow White, Belle, Aurora, Cindrella and Ariel. Now, when Bea wished the princesses would come out of their princess bedsheet, it started glowing. The light that it emitted was a glittery pink and golden. Maya and Bea quickly closed their eyes. A few seconds later, they both opened their eyes. And the sight they both saw made them gasp. There standing in front of them were some Disney princesses – Belle, Snow White, Aurora, Ariel and Cindrella. Bea asked them, ‘Are you real?’ Ariel nodded and said, ‘You can touch us.’
‘How did you come here? By magic?” Maya asked.
‘Umm..you can say by magic, but actually we used your bedsheet to come here,’ Snow White replied.
‘Our bedsheet? Huh?’ Bea gasped.
‘Yes! Do you remember our pictures on your bedsheet? We came out of that. Look at your bedsheet, it doesn’t have any of us in it now, does it?’ Aurora said. Maya glanced at the bedsheet. It was true. There was only a field, the sky and some birds left on the bedsheet. ‘And we have come here to take you to our land,’ said Belle grinning. ‘Your land? Princessland?’ Maya asked, still confused about how anyone could come out of a bedsheet. Bea giggled, ‘Not Princessland silly, its Disneyland! Right?’ she asked Ariel, who was pretending to swim on the floor. Ariel nodded. ‘So what are we waiting for, lets go!’ Cindrella cried.
And suddenly, the same glittery pink and golden light appeared again. All of them closed their eyes. A few moments later, they opened their eyes again. Bea and Maya looked around. All around them, there was only a big garden filled with flowers, squirrels, a few birds, rabbits and a few trees here and there. The sisters looked at each other in amazement. They were not wearing the same clothes that they left in but had now got on beautiful gowns. And by beautiful. I mean so beautiful that I wish you could see it for yourself!
Bea who had left wearing a shirt and a skirt, was now wearing a yellow gown with tiny pink butterflies on it. And she was now wearing yellow ballerinas with the same butterflies on them instead of the blue slippers which she was wearing at home. She was even wearing bracelets, rings and necklace with a pink butterfly and “Princess Bea” engraved on it. Meanwhile, Maya was wearing the same dress and accessories like Bea, the only difference being her gown was orange in color and had little green flowers on them. While Bea had a hairband with yellow dots, Maya was wearing a tiara with orange gems on it.
‘Welcome to Disneyland!’, all the Disney princesses who had come to take Bea and Maya shouted in unison. Bea and Maya smiled. ‘Wait a minute, where exactly in Disneyland are we now?’ Maya asked. ‘We are in my castle,’ Aurora said grinning, ‘ And this is the field of the castle.’
Suddenly, Snow White cried, ‘Look, the Palace Pets are here.’ And she was right! All the Palace Pets like Berry, Pumpkin and Treasure came rushing to the princesses and met Maya and Bea. They soon went back to a part of the humongous field in Aurora’s castle where they had been playing. Bea who was standing next to Snow White asked her, ’Hey, you still haven’t told us why are we here.’ Snow White looked at the other princesses and sighed. ‘Well, you know the Disney princess, Moana? Moana of Motunui. Her movie released two years ago and she became a Disney Princess and came to Disneyland. But a few hours ago, Maui, her friend told us that she was missing. We have been looking for her ever since. But even though there are lots of Disney characters, there are parts in Disneyland which have got nothing to do with the characters. And you both know how gigantic is Disneyland!’ Ariel responded. ‘ We called you so that you could help us look for Moana,’ Auraora added with a worried look. Maya nodded and the asked, ‘But why choose us? There are so many girls in the worlds who love Disney Princesses. So did you bring us here out of all of them?’ The princesses told them that they were brought here as everyone knew Maya and Bea were always kind and helpful.
‘Well, what are we waiting for? Christmas? No, right? Then let’s go! We have got a princess to look for!’ Maya exclaimed. All the princesses smiled. Soon, they were running here and there calling for Moana. Suddenly they heard someone call Aurora.
’Aurora, Aurora..We have something for you, come here quick!’ Everyone turned around and saw Aurora’s fairy friends, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather come flying towards Aurora. And guess what the fairies told them? Guess, guess? Ok, I will tell you. The fairies first greeted the princesses and the girls. ‘Ok, so we came to tell you that we saw Moana,’ Flora squealed, grinning.
‘Where? Where?’ Belle asked looking all around. ‘Actually we just saw her running towards Hundred-Acre Wood, mumbling and muttering something,’ Fauna said. ‘But we could not hear clearly what she was muttering because we were far away,’ Merryweather added. Bea and Maya groaned. ‘Well, what did you hear then?’ Aurora asked glumly.
‘We heard something like fifth free, fifth free,’ Merryweather said.
‘Fifth free??’ Ariel repeated with a puzzled look.
‘Fifth tree, not fifth free,’ Flora said, glaring at Merryweather angrily.
Oh, Fifth tree..Thats it! The fifth tree in Hundred-Acre Woods,’ Snow White said smiling.
Now, you all must be wondering what is this Hundred-Acre Wood, right? Well, I’ll tell you. Hundred-Acre Wood is the wood where Winnie the Pooh and his friends live. So did you folks understand now? Yes? Then, back to the story we go!
Snow White turned to the fairies and said ‘Thanks for all your help! I am sure we will find Moana.’ The fairies soon flew away. ’Now, we know that Moana went to Hundred-Acre Wood,’ Cindrella said. ‘Which by the way is on the opposite side of your castle Aurora,’ groaned Ariel. Everyone sighed and started walking. Soon, they reached Hundred-Acre Wood. But suddenly, the princesses heard a CRASH and an ‘OUCH’! They all turned around and saw that Bea and Maya had collided with Chief Tui, Moana’s father. Chief Tui had been looking for Moana with a basket full of big coconuts when he had bumped into the girls. Fortunately, none of the coconuts hurt anyone, but many sure did break! Everyone helped each other get up. “Oh, help girls! I see you are going somewhere. Have you found Moana yet? I am looking for someone having a tea party because she had mentioned about a tea party,’ Chief Tui said.
Belle gasped. ‘Of course, a tea party! That’s where she was going! Who lives in Hundred-Acre Wood? Winnie the Pooh, of course! Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger everybody! Moana must be knowing them and must have gone for a tea party with them,’ she explained! ‘Hey, but what about the Fifth Tree that Moana was mumbling about?’ Aurora asked.
‘I think I know the answer. Owl, Winnie’s friend, lives in the Fifth Tree in Hundred-Acre Wood. The tea party must be at his house,’ Snow White squealed. They all nodded and rushed to the Wood. Everybody climbed on the Fifth Tree on reaching there and saw Moana, Winnie the Pooh, Owl and the others sitting and drinking honey and munching carrots. Everyone seemed surprised to see the princesses but once they explained about what had been happening from the past few hours, they were all okay. The princesses left Bea and Maya with Winnie and Moana and hurried back to tell everyone. Soon, it got a bit dark and they all dropped Moana back home and went to Aurora’s castle.
‘Oh, today has been an exciting day!’ Bea said, sighing happily. Everyone agreed and sat on the green fields in the castle. ‘But its getting dark and we must go back home. I am sure Mom will be worried about us,’ Maya said with a worried look. ‘Oh, don’t worry, its been only a few twenty minutes in your world,’ Ariel said grinning. And before Maya and Bea could ask them how, the princesses all waved, smiled and the golden and pink light dazzled around them once again. Suddenly, Maya and Bea fell with a loud Thud on the floor. As they were about to get up, moaning and groaning, their mother came rushing into their room. ‘What were you doing? Why didn’t you girls answer when I called you? Why, I must have called you ten times in these last twenty minutes,’ she exclaimed furiously.
Maya checked her watch and saw it was true. She and Bea tried to explain what had happened, but their mother was just not ready to believe it. ‘Gone to Disneyland? Hundred-Acre Wood? Really, what reasons are you girls telling me?’ she said walking out of the room. Bea and Maya sighed. ‘Well, we know it wasn’t a dream. Mum will soon believe us,’ Maya said. They soon cheered up at the thought of it and started talking about other adventures they might have in Disneyland.
Well, the next day, their mother washed the bedsheet and hung it out to dry on the washing line in their frontyard. You will surely see it if you got for a walk in their street. Do go and meet Maya and Bea and ask them about their adventures. They told me all about them and I decided to write them down in a book. And that’s what you are reading right now!!