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By Frank Blisset:

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STORY 1

Nyara tethered her pony to an old post and peered into the old garden.

She turned back to her pony and said, "you wait here. I'll only be a moment."

Inside the garden a little chicken chased a big bug, while somewhere in a hedge a starling was practicing the latest songs. Nyara wanted to stay there for the rest of the day, listening to the birds and smelling the perfume of the flowers, but knew that she couldn't linger long.

"CUI, are you there?"

"No - I'm over here little one."

The little weasel bounded over to Nyara, unfolded his wings and leapt atop the split-rail fence.

"Now, little kitten, how may I be of assistance, or how can I help you as it were?"

"Not for me. For my Nana. She needs some herbs. I just can't remember if she needed them for stew or for flu!"

"Hmm - a bit of a conundrum, or a problem as it were." CUI scratched his chin and said, "I know. I can give you herbs that can be used for either flu or stew."

Nyara clapped with joy and said, "That would be great!"

All of the sudden, a horrible buzzing screeched through the sky and little shadows flung themselves through the garden in a spiral, merging into a great, dark figure.

"Stranger, your entrance here was dramatic, or exciting as it were, but a bit too loud I don't mind saying."

"Then I won't stay long. I just need one, little thing."

The stranger pointed to a clump of horseradish. The plants parted, revealing the little chicken.

"Ahh - chickens can hide, but not for long."

A rainbow of sparks jumped from the stranger's hands, surrounding the little chicken. The chicken's feathers turned into rows of spines and her body became covered with scales. Her feet turned to talons, her beak turned big and crooked and she grew a stubby, little tail.

"You didn't recognize me, CUI, did you. I'm Sitani - long gone, and almost forgotten," He turned to that which had been a chicken just a moment before and bellowed, "Cockatrice! Come!"

With a loud buzz, Sitani burst into little shadows, which flew over the trees, with the Cockatrice following behind.

"Come Nyara! There's no time to lose. We must make haste to your Nana's cottage, or get there quickly as it were."

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STORY 2

"But CUI, I hate cleaning the chicken coop," Nyara whined as she took a shovel and bucket from the garden shed.

"Now little kitten, if you enjoyed it then it wouldn't be punishment, would it. You were the one who engaged in a bit of fisticuffs this morning, or got into a fight as it were."

"But Rienne gets to help in the kitchen! It's no fair."

"That's because Rienne hates working in the kitchen. As your counselor, it's my duty to counsel you. To guide you, as it were."

As Nyara came around to the front of the chicken coop, she stopped suddenly and gasped.

"CUI! One of the chickens is sick."

The chicken's feathers were turning into rows of spines and its body covered with scales. Her feet were turning to talons, her beak becoming big and crooked and she grew a stubby, little tail.

Then they noticed the little, grey man sitting in the doorway to the chicken coop.

CUI's fur ruffled and he growled out "Prefri! Leave this place forthwith."

Prefri shrugged "As you wish. Cockatrice - bow for me."

The former chicken, now a beast, coughed up a disgusting mass, allowed Prefri onto her back and took to the sky.

"Hurry Nyara - pack your personal effects, or your belongings as it were, and meet me at the headmaster's office."

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I used the lines with CUI to teach some vocab, and tried to incorporate a little rhyme and alliteration into the prose.

Suggested music would be the old fiddle tune "Cluck Old Hen". MIDI versions can readily be found. With a budget, a musician can be hired to compose variations on this theme for joyous or scary times involving the "Cockatrice".

After story 1, you could have a module of the game that teaches directions (cardinal directions, plus left, right, up, down etc) on the way to her grandmother's house.

-Frank
frankbliss at 30below dot com

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Oops, that [Re: MadMark] threw me. Congrats to the correctly identified Frank.

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