ONCE upon a time there lived three elves in a little house near the river bank in a small beautiful village. The eldest’s name was Woolly, the younger one was called Woofy and the youngest one was Wicky. They were so friendly and peaceful that everyone loved them.

They helped everyone in the village. Life was going amazing, but one unfortunate day they went for shopping and were kidnapped on their way back. When they were coming out of the market, someone grabbed them and took them to a far away house that they had never seen before.

They were blindfolded and chained; suddenly, they heard someone laughing and the cloth on their eyes was unfolded. They saw a wicked enchanter whose cold expressions ran a chill down their spine. “Here you are at last. I have been waiting for you for so long.”

He smiled more coldly than ever. He was a great enchanter and made a lot of spells. One of the latest spells could change people from good to bad. The spell was almost complete and only needed the last ingredient to finish it — two white hair from each of the three elves.

The enchanter said, “Will you three elves give me two white hair each? I can make you rich and powerful if you obey me.”

But the elves said scornfully, “Not in your life! Do you think we will give our precious hair to an evil who is creating something so wicked!”

The enchanter grew red with fury and said, “Soldiers, lock them up in the largest dungeon — no food, no water. They will be freed only when they give me their hair.”

The soldiers grabbed the three elves and threw them inside the dungeon. The elves were scared and worried. After some time, Woolly, the eldest, spoke, “We must find a way to escape.”

“But how?” the other two asked.

“We must either search for some way out or dig one to freedom,” he said and they looked around. Suddenly, they spotted light from a narrow opening. Wicky ran impatiently; just then, Woofy stopped him.

“We must escape at night, the others will be wondering where we are,” he said and all three waited impatiently for the night to fall.

When it was night, the elves crawled through the tiny opening and ran back to their village. They woke everyone up and told them how they were kidnapped and also informed the policemen about the enchanter’s evil plan.

The policemen at once captured the enchanter and everyone lived happily ever after.

Opinion

Editorial

X post facto
Updated 19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

Our decision-makers should realise the harm they are causing.
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...
IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...