A potion for Frail

Chloe started the investigation into who had cursed Frail.

– How can we find out who cast the curse? – asked Frail.

– I can talk to our friends and ask if they have ever said anything bad about you, said Chloe.

– Do you think they will tell you the truth?

– I don’t know, but we can try.

The next day at school, Chloe talked to their friends. She explained why she was asking them such questions. Everybody was surprised, and they realized why Frail had been getting bad marks at school.

The piglets wanted to help, and they started talking about it with each other to find out who had done this to Frail. After one hour, the information about the curse got to Frail’s sister, Mild.

She realized that she had done it. At first, she thought that she hadn’t had anything to do with it. But later, she remembered that some time ago she had been jealous of Frail’s better marks at school, and she had been very angry.

She had said: “I wish Frail had a bad memory”. And her emotions had made those words real.

Mild started to cry, and she went to Frail to tell her the truth.

– I really didn’t know that it would become true!

– What would become true? – asked Frail in surprise.

– What I said.

– But what did you say? Frail became nervous.

– I cast the curse on you.

– What? It was you?

– I didn’t want it. I was just jealous.

– But what exactly did you say?

– I said, “I wish Frail had a bad memory.” You had always had good marks at school, and I hadn’t.

Frail felt betrayed.

– But… but why? You are my sister, she sobbed.

– I’m sorry. What can I do to turn it back?

– I don’t know. Persius said that at first we had to find out who it was. Let’s go to him, she finished.

– Wait, wait. I think that Chloe wants to go with us.

– Chloe? Why?

– It looks like Chloe wants to be his student.

– Really? Nice!

The three pigs went to Persius.

– We have solved the riddle! – shouted Chloe.

– Very fast! Congratulations! – said Persius.

– Mild, tell Persius what you did.

Mild lowered her head and said:

– I wanted Frail to have a bad memory.

– You were jealous of her marks, said Persius.

– How did you know?

– I’m a wizard, dear child.

– Persius, why didn’t you see in the crystal ball who it was? – asked Chloe, because she was curious.

– Good question. Some things must stay hidden until someone confesses the truth. That’s why I couldn’t see Mild’s face.

– But why?

– A curse can be lifted only when someone truly regrets it.

– I do! – shouted Mild.

– I believe you. You must stand at the kettle at the full moon and prepare a special potion for Frail, said Persius.

Mild felt scared.

– I don’t know how to do it, she whispered.

– It’s easy. I will tell you everything, and Chloe will willingly help you, won’t you? Persius winked at Chloe.

– Of course I will! – exclaimed Chloe.

– You must bring me glowing mushrooms, which you will find in the Enchanted Forest, golden apples from the trees that grow there, and spider venom from Swamp Market.

– How can we get to the Enchanted Forest? – asked Mild.

– My dragon will bring you there and show you where they grow.

– Okay, but where is the dragon?

– He’s sleeping now. Come here tomorrow at nine a.m., and he will be ready.

– But we have school tomorrow, said Chloe worriedly.

– Don’t worry. I will stop time.

– Will you? Wow, amazing! How will you do it?

– This is my wizard’s secret.

– I wish I could become a sorceress, said Chloe.

– Remember, words have power, said Persius, and he winked at Chloe.

– Does it mean that I can?

– You have already learnt a lot, said Persius mysteriously.

Chloe was so excited that she almost fainted.

– But how can we get the venom of a spider? It’s so scary, asked Mild.

– When the dragon takes you to the Swamp Market, you will give these flies to the spiders, and they will bite the golden apple that you show them. There will be venom in the apple.

– Wow, that’s smart, said Mild.

The piglets were at Persius’s place at nine sharp.

– Get on the dragon, and I will stop time, said Persius.

Everything went according to plan.

The pigs came back, and Persius told them:

– Well done, my girls. And now go to school.

– What? Why?

– It’s still nine a.m. here. I stopped time.

– But we are tired!

– You must do it, sorry. And remember, you can’t tell anybody about the adventure.

– Why? – asked Chloe, a bit disappointed.

– Because then too many pigs will think about it, and the potion may not work.

– Oh, I see, said Chloe. Not only words have power, but thoughts do too.

– Bravo, my dear. Come to me in five days. I have something important to tell you.

– Wow, of course I will, said excited Chloe.

– And what about the potion?

– Mild must do it alone.

– Oh, I see.

– Come to me in three days, after school, my dear, said Persius to Mild.

– Yes, I will, squeaked Mild quietly, and she felt scared.

– But why not tomorrow? I want to help my sister quickly.

– You must do it at the full moon.

– Okay, I understand. Does Frail have to come with me?

– No, it’s not necessary. You will bring her the potion, and she will drink it at home.

Mild came to Persius at the full moon. She was scared. Persius had prepared the ingredients.

– Take them and start making the potion, he said.

Persius told her what to add to the kettle, one by one.

When the potion was ready, Persius said:

– Now repeat after me: I wish Frail got her memory back.

When Mild repeated the words, the potion started to glow in the moonlight.

– Wow! said Mild. I made it!

– Congratulations, dear child. You did your best. You have redeemed your mistake. Now take it home and give it to Frail to drink.

– Thank you for your help, Persius! I am so grateful.

– You’re welcome.

When Mild was going home, the potion was shining like a torch.

Mild was strangely calm, and when she came back home, Frail was waiting at the bench in front of the house.

– Have you got it? – she asked.

– Yes, here you are.

– Oh dear, it’s glowing.

– Let it lighten your mind, said Mild, surprising herself with those words.

– Nice, said Frail, and she quickly drank the potion.

Nothing happened at once, and the girls were a bit worried.

– We should trust Persius, said Mild.

Soon, Frail started getting good marks at school.

– Looks like the potion is working, she said to Mild one day, and they both smiled.

Some time later, Chloe came to Frail.

– Can I get the bottle after the potion? – she asked.

– Why?

– I’m going to Persius, and I will return it to him.

Frail found the bottle and gave it to Chloe.

In the evening, Chloe saw that there were a few drops of the potion at the bottom of the bottle, and she decided to drink them. She was curious about what would happen to her memory.

The next day, when she was going to Persius, she remembered something that she couldn’t normally remember.

Soon after she was born, her mom had whispered in her ear:

– You will be a student of Persius.

Chloe got scared, and she thought that she was having a hallucination.

A few steps further, she remembered herself as an old pig with a kid on her lap. That kid was her mother.

– What’s wrong with me? I couldn’t be my grandmother. Wait a moment! She was a witch, and she healed pigs with herbs. Maybe her ghost wants to tell me that I will be a witch too?

When Persius opened the door, he said:

– Hmm, something has happened.

Chloe’s eyes widened.

– What do you mean?

– I’m talking about what you want to tell me.

Chloe felt confused and thought that Persius knew about the potion. So she took out the bottle and handed it to him.

– I confess that I drank the rest of the potion, just a few drops. I’m sorry. I was curious about its effects on me. I wanted to be your student, Persius, really. Why did you want me to come here?

Persius smiled and said:

– Yes, Chloe. I wanted you to be my student. That’s why I asked you to come.

– When I was coming here, I had a vision of my mom whispering in my ear: You will be Persius’s student. I was an infant then. I couldn’t remember it. What was it?

– Because of the potion, you remembered this – it had really happened. Your mother visited me after you were born, and she heard that prediction.

– Wow, now I understand. I also saw myself as my grandmother, and I had my mom on my lap. What was that?

– You remembered your previous life, Chloe. You were your grandmother.

– What?

– Yes, reincarnation exists, Chloe. And you have a talent for being a sorceress. Your grandmother was a witch, wasn’t she?

– You know everything.

– You have a talent, and you are adventurous. Sorceresses must be a bit crazy. It fits you. You drank the potion, which was risky. Be my student, Chloe.

Chloe almost fainted with excitement.

– Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, Persius!

– This year you will graduate from school, and you can start the vacation. But when I need something, I may send my owl for you.

– Sure, said Chloe. I will come at once.

Until the end of the school year, she couldn’t wait for her apprenticeship.

To be continued…