Cozy and warm in her chocolate bed, Tooh closed her eyes and dreamed… of pumpkin soup. Not any pumpkin soup, no. Her friend Wan’s delicious pumpkin soup.
She could see the huge pot over a dancing fire, just bubbling away. And an army of pumpkins, with their cute little pumpkin faces, marching to the sound of a military band, jumping right in and melting into the golden, spicy, heavenly soup. The sweet aroma traveled through the woods in fragrant strands that reached every corner.
Wan lived just up the hill, and though it was a steep walk, it wasn’t very far. Tooh grabbed a little chocolate egg-filled basket and followed her nose through the forest, with a smile on her lips and Esther by her side. She never let her beloved chicken home alone. The strange pair walked very slowly. Tooh’s legs weren’t strong enough for her big round chocolate-fed body, and Esther was a very old chicken. Eventually, they managed to get up there, only to be greeted by a terrifying sight.
The biggest, baddest wolf they’d ever seen jumped in front of them and swallowed Esther in a beat. Tooh was so scared, she fell backward and rolled down the lane like a bowling ball, only to wake up, heart pounding and drowning in a cold sweat. She sat up and reached to the side of her bed. Esther was right there, sleeping peacefully.
Since falling off with her two only friends, Tooh had nothing but chocolate to eat. Chocolate with chocolate topped with chocolate. All because of that silly day, once upon the longest of times, when a certain Prince Charming had kissed her in the middle of her beauty sleep.
—You’re welcome — said the fairy godmother.
— I didn’t ask for some prince to wake me up from my nap — she replied.
—You call that a nap?! You were asleep for weeks! — said the confused fairy. — You will get married, live happily ever after, and thank me later.
—No way! — yelled Tooh, who always woke up very grumpy. Then, she took a deep breath and looked at the handsome man who’d just kissed her. — I’m sorry, you look very nice but I don’t know you. You shouldn’t go around kissing random people like that.
Prince Charming was embarrassed; the fairy godmother, impatient.
—Child, you’ve got two wishes left. If not a husband, what do you yearn for?
Chocolate. Tooh wanted nothing but chocolate. An endless supply of the finest, smoothest, chocolatiest chocolate.
—Here’s a chicken that lays chocolate eggs. Take good care of her and you’ll have all the chocolate you can dream of. What is your last wish, child?
Tooh couldn’t speak, Esther had already laid an egg, and Tooh’s mouth was full of chocolate. The fairy sighed, shook her head, and gave her the tiniest golden ring
—When you make up your mind, wear this ring on your little finger and I’ll come to you — she said, as she prepared to leave with Charming in a cloud of smoke and outrage. — I’m sure the Tooth Fairy will love you.
Sitting on her bed, Tooh reached for the tiny ring she kept in her bedside table drawer. She’d spend her last wish on Wan’s pumpkin soup in a heartbeat. But after all those years of nothing but chocolate, the ring didn’t fit anymore.
(to be continued)