Unicorn dreams
Lila swam beneath the rippling water, supple as a fish, her purple hair flowing over folded wings. Her purple fingernails sparkled as she broke the surface and took a deep breath. It was time to go. The sun was higher in the sky than she expected and Cook would be cross if she arrived late in the palace kitchen.
On the riverbank, Lila shook a rainbow of water droplets from her wings and squeezed out her hair and threadbare gossamer dress.
A silver-white unicorn stood on the far side of the palace lawn, where a moment ago there had been nothing. On his forehead a golden horn glinted in the early-morning sun. Lila could hardly believe what she was seeing. His mane and tail were the exact same purple as her hair; his hooves the identical sparkling tones of her fingernails. Surely unicorns were silver-white all over? The unicorn returned her gaze with an interested gleam in his eye, until, with a stamp and a snort, he vanished.
Lila sped across the grass, half flying, half running, to the place where the unicorn had been. There were hoof prints, but none came from anywhere or went anywhere. It was amazing! She folded her wings and raced towards the palace, desperate to tell someone about what she had seen. She sped along the gravel walkway, through the stable yard, to the servants’ entrance. There she bumped straight into her best friend, Mip, the shoeshine elf.
“Lila, where’ve you been? Cook’s been banging pots and pans like there’s no tomorrow. You’re late.”
“Guess what I’ve just seen,” said Lila, grabbing Mip’s arm and pulling him behind the door. “A unicorn!”
“You sure?” asked Mip. “You’re not making this up, are you?”
“It had a purple mane and tail the same colour as my hair, hoofs the same colour as my nails and a horn on his head that glowed like fairy gold.”
“Honest?” said Mip. “Do you mean it?”