Frasnip

I found it among some old notes tucked away on my computer. Happily it can be restored now.

"Frasnip!" The tiny green unicorn touched his pale horn to the nearby tree.

Green unicorns were far more difficult to see than the great white mares that galumphed through Edler’s dawn. Like the Fairie folk, the tiny unicorns were the stewards of the forest. Size meant nothing to magic. Actually the smaller the creature, the more powerful the magic he possessed. Humanity had a pretty good idea of what the great white unicorns looked like; pearlescent manes flowing away from golden horns; the image of beauty and purity. The great whites could heal any curse with a brush from that horn. They were brave and reckless.

The green race however, had little to do with man. They had woven the image of a beetle around themselves to prevent man from discovering their existence. To man, a green unicorn looked like a misshapen beetle with a long horned snout. Iridescent green shown from their darkened bodies. Most men took no notice of these odd little creatures. Cats were a problem for the green unicorns, but usually the unicorns could defend themselves quite nicely with magic if they knew the cat was there.

The blessed tree raised her leaves up towards the sun in praise and thanksgiving for the infusion of life. Frasnip shambled over to the nearby tree that was suffering from wood borers. This tree would need more help than his alone. The greedy borers would have to be asked to move. He sent out a greeting to the Fairie Folk and waited. In moments, three lovely angelic creatures appeared.

One of them bowed, almost touching her wings on the forest turf and asked, "Yes kind sir?" "How may we be of help?" If man had heard the exchange, his ear would have called it birdsong.

Frasnip explained that the wood borers had gotten too greedy and were killing this tree. He needed the fairies to help him to convince them to lessen the population or the tree would die and they would lose their food source as well as the forest losing a venerated member of it’s clan. The fairies agreed that half of the wood borers needed to find another home, and called a meeting high in the branches above to discuss the matter with the greedy beetles.

Sunlight filtered through the misty morning as Frasnip patiently awaited the meeting to conclude. It took some time to convince the beetles that it would be in their best interests as well as the tree’s if a few of them moved. Frasnip soothed the tortured tree with his horn. He could not reverse the damage all at once, but he could soothe the pain the beetles had inflicted upon this old master. At his coaxing, nutrients flowed once again through gnarled limbs. Leaves that had drooped and lost their green began to fill. The old master had to live. He had the power of the forest in his roots. His roots touched and blessed all the neighboring forest plants. Without his guidance and wisdom the plants would shove into each other, competing for light and moisture. Younger, less experienced trees would die beneath the giants, creating a thick tangle of dead leaves and branches. The death of the youth would endanger the entire forest, making it vulnerable to fire. Fire came often to unruly forests. It was nature’s way of punishing the trees that killed the youth. After a fire, new growth would spring forth, and the youth would own the forest until they too would greedily try to kill off the younglings, as they grew massive.

Finally it was decided after a great deal of wrangling, that all the beetles would leave the tree, since none could decide who could stay. The fairies had convinced the beetles by turning the most hard hearted bullies into grubs again. They had dropped the grubs a hundred feet to the open turf below, not caring if they suffered harm or damage. Many of the now deposed grubs who had been clan leaders were lying dazed upon the ground, helplessly awaiting a hungry robin to find them. The beetles knew if they did not move, and move quickly, the fairies would call the robins. In the next hour, a mass exodus took place. Nearby trees became hosts to small clans who promised to be careful not to take all the nutrients from the trees, but to share. Frasnip, with the fairie folk as helpers, healed the master of the forest, saving the forest from itself.

"Frasnip!" He touched his tiny horn to the bole of the ancient wood and new life flowed into it’s tired and pained limbs. The Elder or Edler was healed.

Author's Note

Review it honestly. I wrote one hot summer afternoon for fun. It had beed deleted, it is now restored.

Reviews

[Donald Meikle]

I've seen those iridescent green things on morning walks. Never knew!

[Samuel Dickens]

Honestly, it's terrific. Very imaginative and expertly written. A great story, and I'll have to remember to read it to my grandaughter, who is just wild about unicorns. A gem, really. Thank you for sharing it! Sam