Roxanne Winning Entry

A scarred Lirionox sat encircled by young pets, all clamoring for the most comfortable seats on the rug. After a tiny Braenon had stretched out and the chaos had dulled, the Lirionox smiled in a mischievous manner. As he straightened, he cleared his throat. A smirk crossed his face. Though, his haughty air faded as he spoke. "So, you younglings want a good story, I hear? Well, I have one," he mused.

His voice became crisp and dramatic. "You all know the Daydream Sprites. Pretty little things with plenty of intelligence. Problem is that they don't use it! I'll tell you a story; a story about a folly sprite girl named Shri."

The little pets smiled, remembering the last fantastic story that Rags told. He started out, eyes glazing as he thought. "Ah, once there was a young sprite. She had only a few days to gather flowers for the annual Sprightly Spring celebration, but she put it off. At the last day, Shri decided to go out and gather some in the meadows. She grabbed a sack of gossamer material and fluttered off."

"Soon, she had picked many roses, lilacs, and daisies, all in varied colors. The sack was almost full. Shri spent a few minutes more, picking the last portion of the sack. Meanwhile, an Imp had been watching her, ready to relay information as soon as she finished. He pressed a button on his crude walkie-talkie. "Go. The lark is leaving." " Rags stretched his back, arching it to the sky.

"At the pavilion, the Imps had placed nests of honey Buzzers, anticipating the Spite's return. Strips of glue had been placed on the ground. A few nets had been hung in the surrounding trees. As Shri made it home, unaware of the plot, she flew merrily and sang of her achievements."

" 'Oh, I've got roses,
And many pretty poses,
And lots of single violets.
Many colors, I pray,
And I've done it all today,' " Rags sang out in a girly voice. Some of the pets giggled, while others tried to hush them. He gave a stern look, then gave in and laughed himself.

"Anyway. When the silly Sprite girl reached the pavilion, she was so happy that she was nearly blind. She was skipping and singing, and soon she had stepped in a glue strip. 'Oh,' she said, frowning. She tugged on her foot, but it held fast. Shri attempted to take to the sky, only to stick her other foot to the ground."

"Soon the Imps had jumped from behind the bushes, throwing the nests of Buzzers. They hit the ground on either side of the Sprite. She exclaimed and dropped her sack of flowers, which the honey Buzzers soon closed in on. They tore the flowers apart and greedily guzzled the nectar. Then the Imps dropped a net over her head and left her there," Rags said, dramatically raising his paws.

"Well, not long after that, the rest of the Sprites came to the area. They found Shri and the destroyed flowers. They saw their flower fields ruined by the Imp's tricks. They freed Shri and scolded her for her foolishness. The Prince and Princess had turned up for the event, only to find a disaster area."

" 'Dearest Shri, what have you done?' the Princess cried, gazing at the ruined festival grounds. Shri looked up and shook her head. She couldn't undo her mistakes. All she could do was be creative. "

'My lady. Perhaps we can celebrate with our pals instead of flowers?' Shri suggested. And that was the last day that the Sprites celebrated Spring with flowers. From then on, they sold their pals and performed battle reenactments with the Imps," Rags concluded. The Lirionox grinned. "Now, it's time for you all to head home." The young pets sighed, but obeyed.