The Wonderful Wood

Back in Celestia

They bowed and left the room and went back out of the tower into the open air. The sun was shining bright. Ethan was feeling hungry. I wondered if he should tell Drizzlemister that he was feeling hungry and decided he would do so.

"I feel hungry!" said Ethan as they walked out of a tall iron gate. "Could we have something to eat?"

"Yes, let's go to the Pixie Pub," said Drizzlemister and hailed a horsecart that was passing by. Then he opened the door of the carriage. Diana, Ethan and Diagon climbed in. Diagon had taken the shape of a squirrel and was on Ethan's shoulder.

Then Drizzelmister got on, and the carriage rumbled on and on. They passed strange looking cottages with different coloured smoke rising from the chimnies. Ethan stared. He had never seen a place quite like the streets the carriage was passing, though. He looked up and thought there were many birds in the sky when to his surprise, the thing that he thought was a bird came down, and he saw that it was a woman in a cloak on a broomstick.

They drove on and on, and Ethan stared out of the window. Strange-looking men and women were walking in the streets. Some had long noses and pointed ears, some were short, while others were tall and broad, "like giants in old stories!" thought Ethan as he gazed at the passersby.

The carriage came to a sudden stop. Ethan looked and saw a signpost. Written in green letters were the words Pixie Pub. Diana, Ethan, Diagon and Drizzelmister got out of the carriage.

 Drizzlemister paid the carriage drive. They entered the pub. Ethan looked around. It was dimly light with small lanterns hung on the walls. Some people were sitting on the benches. They were eating and drinking.

Drizzlemister went to the counter. There was a short lady with pointed ears at the counter. "Can I have the menu?" asked Drzzlmister standing in front of her.

"Here you go," she said, thrusting a tattered menu card at him. Diana and Ethan walked up to the counter. Diagon was on Ethan's shoulder.

"Hey, little chap, come here," she said, snapping her fingers.

But Diagon didn't move. He stood on Ethan's shoulder, almost glaring at the tiny woman at the counter.

"That's odd. Little fellows like him love me!"Steam started coming out of Diagon's nose. "Who are you calling, little fellow?" he asked, jumping on to the desk. The tiny woman backed down.

"He's a dragon, actually," said Ethan, looking at Diagon, who was on the table and then back at the little woman.

"That explains it!" said the tiny woman cheerily. "I'm sorry for mistaking you for a real squirrel. You a master of disguise!"

"Thank you," said Diagon jumping right back onto Ethan's shoulder. Ethan felt surprised to see Diagon get into a rage, but he thought he's say nothing about it.

They looked at the menu, and Drizzlemister ordered a chicken stew, Ethan a chicken pie and Diana some sandwiches. Diagon said he doesn't need anything. 

They sat down and waited for their meal. As they sat, a group of rough-looking people entered the pub. They were all tall, broad and burly men. They went straight to the counter.

Everyone was staring at them. one of them pulled out a sword and said, "give me all the money!" in a loud voice that made the whole pub silent that one could almost hear a pin drop. The little woman snapped her fingers, and the sword turned into a bouquet.

 "Is that for me, thank you, dear," said the woman and took the flowers into her hand, and as soon as the flowers were in her hands, they turned back into a sword, and she thrust it at the thieves who were in front of her. The thief who had moved the blade back away and the others all went out of the pub—muttering angrily under their breath.

"Of course she does. She is a pixie," said Drizzlemister laughing. "Sometimes, I forget how little you know about Celestia. She has pointed ears right, and she is short. She is a pixie."

"Well, are pixies and fairies the same?" asked Ethan, who read about pixies and fairies only in books.

"No, they are not. Fairies and pixies are different!"

"How so?" asked Ethan, unable to think what was the difference between the two.

"Fairies have wings, and pixies don't. Fairies are slightly more magical as well. But you don't want to go and tell that to a pixie. Not if you want to get on their good side. Pixies are very proud of their magical abilities and don't like to be compared."

A tall giant man was coming with a big tray in his hands towards their table. Ethan sighed, relieved. He felt he had never been this hungry in all his life. He waited until his pie cooled down as it was steaming.

Then everyone started eating. Ethan looked at Diagon, who was asleep on his shoulder. he thought if he should wake him up and offer some pie to him and then thought perhaps he should let Diagon sleep.

They ate to their heart's content. No one talked much. Ethan thought that the food tasted amazing. Everything in Celestia tasted so much better than they did at home, thought Ethan as he ate the last bit of pie on his plate.

The man came back carrying the tray and the menu card. Drizzlemister took some notes and coins out of his pocket and put them inside the menu card. The giant man thanked them and bowed, and walked back to the counter.

They got up and prepared to leave the pub. Ethan, Diana and Drixzzlemister thanked the pixie at the counter and walked out of the cab. Ethan suddenly felt very sleepy. The big meal he had had a few minutes ago had made him tired.

Drizzlemister hailed another carriage, and they all got into it. It started off and set off at a steady pace.