Abra Cadabra

Before the world counted the days and hours, co-queens, Abra and Cadabra ruled the village of Amity. The people cherished their queens because they were always kind and fair to their subjects. The people of the village enjoyed a peaceful lifestyle for many years. Everyone looked after each other, and when someone was struggling the queens always sought a solution to help. 

 On the day when the air warmed, and the light shone a little brighter, Abra was enjoying the last bits of sunshine by the river. Right as she turned to leave, a small boat caught her eye. It was so small that she assumed it was a toy of one of the villagers. Wanting to return the toy to the child that lost it, she waited for it to travel down-river to her, but as it approached she could tell that it was not a boat but a basket. As the basket neared, a small hand reached out of the basket. Could it be a baby? Her eyes strained to see more. Was that a fluff of wheat-colored hair? It was a baby! Springing to action, Abra launched herself into the water, and she grabbed the basket. Thankfully, the baby was completely fine and sound asleep. She nestled the baby into the crux of her arms. Who could’ve done this to a little baby? Whoever it was, surly was looking for a new home for the baby.  

Abra hurried inside to show Cadabra the amazing blessing that floated into their lives. The phrase had not come into being yet, but it was love at first sight. “We shall call her Mira because she is our little miracle. Their hearts were full, but they knew they must look for Mira’s family.  

As the days grew longer and the sun grew warmer Abra and Cadabra searched for the baby’s family. All of the townspeople were questioned. Nobody knew of a family missing a baby. Mira seemed to be a gift from heaven. She became known to all as Princess Mira of Amity. 

On the days when the air warmed, and the light shone a little brighter, Mira’s moms brought her to the river. They had little picnic, and as the last bits of sun were left, they told her the story of how their little miracle came into their lives.

Mira loved these times, and she dearly loved the days that came after. Abra and Cadabra could scarcely keep her inside. Mira always wanted to be outside with the birds, rabbits, squirrels, and deer. They were her friends. She knew all of the children of the village of course, but her best friends were the animals.  

When Mira was young Abra would worry that her friends were the animals, but Cadabra pointed out that Mira was happy, and happy she was. They would often see her playing near the river with animals, but her most faithful companion was a deer. Even the towns-people knew that Della the Deer was the Princess’ best friend. It was rumored she even spoke to the deer. And so it went for several years, though years were not defined in those days.

 The day came when the sunlight was the shortest. Grey clouds filled the sky. The wind gusted and the water in the river was angry and black. Mira’s animal friends all took shelter. It was her least favorite type of day. With no interesting prospects, she tucked herself into her room. Mira stared longingly through the window, but the rain was already falling. 

Abra and Cadabra saw their sullen daughter and brainstormed an idea. They bundled up and took Mira to play in the rain. It was a delightful afternoon. They splashed in puddles and drew in the mud. They even had a mud fight. Cadabra flung mud at Abra, which gave Mira a fit of giggles. Abra shot off a double fire, one to Cadabra and one to Mira. She hit them both square in the face. Abra flashed a conspiratorial grin at Mira, and they both ganged up on Cadabra. Cadabra was covered head to toe in mud. All three were laughing hysterically. It was one of the best memories ever, but sadly, it turned into one of the worst days ever.

Right when the trio were ready to call it quits, the sky tore open and lit up. Lightning struck. Abra was mid-laugh, trying to push Kadabra’s arm back. The lightning struck where they were touching. The Queens fell. Mira screamed. Gently she knelt by her moms. They were unmoving, nearly lifeless. Mira gently touched the mud-stained cheeks of both of her moms. Both sets of eyes fluttered. “Please don’t leave me!” Mira pleaded. Cadabra’s hand slowly reached up and grabbed Mira’s arm.  

“Our beautiful Miracle,” she whispered. “We love you.”

Abra nodded in agreement, and added,”If you need us, just call us. We will always be with you.” Abras eyes closed, and Cadabra squeezed Mira’s arm one last time. Her hand slid down, as she drew her last breath.

Mira sat in the rain and just cried. Della the Deer came out from undercover and nuzzled her arm. “We'll always look after you.” As Mira looked up from her moms she saw all of her animal friends circled around her.

“We love you, Mira! We will always watch and protect you.” Each animal came up to her one by one. 

The days bled into the other. Mira mostly stayed locked in her room. Her animal friends stayed close by, though they scarcely saw her. “We have to do something to help her,” Della told the loyal friends of Mira. It was decided that Bonnie Bluebird would visit her in her room..

Bonnie flew into Mira’s room and landed on her shoulder. “Mira, we miss you! Please come spend the day with the gang!” Mira scrutinized the bird. She loved her, but her heart was not in it. Mira, not feeling energetic, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers around her, but Bonnie was not deterred. She gently nuzzled her hair.  

“Bonnie, I’m not up for it today,” and Mira pulled the pillow over her head. However, Bonnie was relentless. She hopped on her back, pecked at her pillow, and squawked. She squawked so loud, Mira could not ignore her any longer. Grudgingly, she rolled out of bed. It had been a long time since she had been with the gang.  

Della was the first to greet her when Mira arrived at the edge of the forest by the river. She burrowed her head into her chest. “We’ve missed you so much!” Mira felt herself relax, and for the first time in a long time, she had fun with her friends. They played running games and hide and seek. They climbed into her old treehouse where Squirrel liked to take refuge on stormy days. Mira was really getting too big to play such games, but being around her animal friends made her heart feel light, even if it was just fleeting.

The townspeople of Amity were starting to get anxious. When the Queens perished, the town went into mourning for their beloved leaders. As time passed the people changed. They started looking out for themselves, and not looking out for each other. Without a clear leader, the people started jockeying to take over the town of Amity. Many of the town thought, young as she was, Mira should be the next queen. Others thought, while she was considered “Princess Mira of Amity,” she was not the true heir to the throne. Thus, the land became divided. Mira, in her grief, scarcely thought of what it might mean to be Queen Mira of Amity. A decision had to be made.

One contender was Marco. He was fairly new to the town, but he had grandiose ideas. He believed the town could be a destination for the rich and powerful. He felt it was time for new leadership; however, there were many loyal to Mira. He needed to persuade the villagers he was right man to be King

He needed a plan. He conspired with his friend, Kannon. They needed a way to get rid of the Princess. They needed the Princess to disappear, and Marco needed to be seen as the gallant gentleman who valiantly tried to save the Princess. They decided the best way to execute their plan was to hold a festival in her honor. Everyone in town knew the story of how Mira had come to live with Queens. The festival would highlight that story. It would be called Princess Mira Day. Everyone knew she had been grief stricken when her moms died. Marco knew that if he planned the festival, it would be well-received by the people of Amity, thus he would be seen as big-hearted and gracious. He also knew that the festival could serve as the perfect backdrop to his plan to eliminate the Princess.

Mira knew the festival in her honor was coming up soon. She knew it would be good to make an appearance. She was becoming more aware of how the town was divided. Perhaps it was time to claim her place as queen. Part of her wanted to push it away. She missed her moms. She missed her carefree life, but she knew in heart it was time. She prepared a speech, and she had the tailor make a regal dress. It was the perfect opportunity to announce that she was ready to take over as Queen. She wanted her town to heal from the passing of her moms, and for all of them feel normal again.

In the days leading up to the festival, Della checked in with Mira almost daily. They talked about everything that was on Mira’s mind: what the town needed, what Mira needed, what her moms would’ve thought, and what they both thought of Marco. They both were feeling leary of Marco. On the surface, it seemed kind and generous of him to sponsor the festival, yet something did not feel right. Hence, It was decided that Della, Bonnie, and all of her animal friends would put an ear out to see what Marco was up to.

Bonnie had the easiest time making the rounds. She would linger at open windows, perch herself near the town’s square, and most importantly hang out in Marco’s garden. Marco frequently consulted his good friend Kannon. In the days leading to the festival Marco and Kannon conspired to take Mira out of the picture. “One day Little Miss Princess just appeared. One day Little Miss Princess will just disappear,” declared Kannon. 

“And soon she will just be a long-ago story,” Marco countered with a smile that contained no warmth. “I will then lead the futile search for Little Miss Princess. The people will see me as a caring leader. Then after an appropriate mourning time, I shall declare myself as King.” 

Bonnie hightailed it back to Mira. “Mira, Marco is up to no good. He is planning on having you disappear. You cannot go to the festival!

“Bonnie, I have to go. My people need me. They need to see me as strong and capable,” Mira explained.

“Yes, but if you do go, we may never see you again. Can you risk that?

“I have to risk that, Bonnie! Otherwise, I will be seen as a girl not worthy of being Queen. If I do show, I can demonstrate that, while I am young, I am strong enough to be Queen.” With that, Bonnie reluctantly nodded in agreement. 

 Bonnie called an emergency meeting with all the gang. They decided that on the day of the festival, they would monitor Mira the entire day. That way, if anything were to happen, they would be able to help her. 

Bonnie flew by Marco’s home several times, but she did not hear any more about his plan. Meanwhile, Della met with Mira. She warned her to be cautious and vigilant. The rest of the gang set up viewing platforms so that they all could be on the lookout for any wrongdoing. The only thing they knew for certain was that Marco would be trying to make Mira disappear for good, but they planned to make good on their word to always protect her.

On the day the air warmed and the light shone a little brighter, the town of Amity would be in full gear. The children’s games would be in a field, near the river. In the garden, a temporary stage was erected. This would serve as the place where speeches would be made and music would be played. By the edge of the river, where Abra had found Mira, there would be a new painting commissioned by Marco of the now infamous scene of baby Mira coming down the river. Then next to that would be a picnic area. The day was poised to be a wonderful day.

Before the sun rose, Marcos and Kannon, set their trap. It was so simple it was perfect. The day would go off without a hitch. Just as they set up the finishing touches, the planners of the festival were arriving. Kannon hid himself in a small compartment under the stage. Marco was available to greet the incoming guests. Before long the preparations were done, and the guests began to arrive. Also unseen, the animal gang, got into their places. 

Mira, too, was preparing for the day. The tailor did an amazing job with her dress, and she rehearsed her lines of her speech. She felt confident, and she walked out to the land she cherished. She spent some time watching the children’s games. She spotted Rabbit near there. She went by the river to admire the painting. Squirrel was watching from above. Next, she spent some time in the picnic area. Bonnie and a few of the birds were nearby. Della had felt certain that Mira would be most vulnerable on stage, so she positioned herself behind some shrubs. From that position, she could see out to the audience, and she had side access to the stage.  

The musical groups were finishing up, and the speeches were set to begin. It was almost like a funeral. A few of the townspeople shared their memories of the Princess. Finally it was time for Mira to speak. The crowd was in good spirits, and Mira looked radiant as she took the stage. Kannon knew the moment was close. He eased himself out the hiding area and got himself in position.

“Thank you for coming to this wonderful festival!” Mira beamed. The crowd applauded. “Thank you to all the volunteers that made this happen! Today I would like to say hello, and re-introduce myself. I have been grieving for my moms, but now I am ready to move forward. I know my moms will always be in my heart and they will help guide me as I continue on the path they created. I am ready to take over as your Queen!” The crowd erupted. They were hoping for this to happen. Despite the happy atmosphere, Della scanned the crowd. Nothing seemed amiss. Had Bonnie been wrong about Marco? Below the stage, Kannon grabbed hold of the rope that would collapse the stage. Now was the time. He yanked the rope. The stage collapsed, and the Princess fell three feet to a box below. On the outside, it was rubble. Anyone trying to get to her would have to dig through the rubble. Della was the first to arrive at the rubble. She pawed and pushed, but she could not get through to her. The planners of the festival also ran to the destroyed stage, but it was too late. Kannon escaped with the princess. He shoved the box into the river and watched the Princess float away. Nobody would ever find her. The river could carry her for miles. Even if they did find her, she would be long dead before anyone got to her.  

Mira badly shaken up tried breaking out of the box and calling for help, but there was no help to be had. She could tell that she was floating down the river. This was how she came into this life and this was how she would leave it. Despair enveloped her. What was she going to do? She started to weep. Images of her life flashed before her eyes. Her only comfort was that she would soon be joining her mothers in death. Water quickly started filling the box. She tried breaking down the walls, but she just could not break out. The water filled the box to her neck. Abra’s last words came to her, “If you need us, my darling, just call us”

“Mom” she cried. The water was up to her nose. She had to tilt her head back to speak. Nothing happened, just the water creeping up. Within seconds her head was covered. “Abra Cadabra!” She moaned through the chilly water. That did it. The magic worked. The box sprung open. Mira swam to the top of the river, and sucked in a big gulp of air. She was still in trouble but she was alive and breathing. “Abra Cadabra, help me!” She suddenly had a burst of strength and was able to swim to the edge of the river. Panting she laid there for a minute. She felt a familiar gentle peck on her back. Bonnie was there, then Della nuzzled her side. Then all of her animal friends surrounded her, followed closely by the townspeople. 

“Queen Mira!” they cried, and they safely brought her back to home where she reigned for many years. Every year, on the day when the air warmed and the light shone a little brighter, Amity had a festival. They now called it the Spring Festival, for the day the Princess sprang from the box and became their Queen.