K paced back and forth in front of the crystal pool. It was gone again. The moon pearl he had to prepare for his teacher was gone again! His teacher, the Red Flame Dragon, was upset the last time he did not deliver a ripe moon pearl to her. While she did turn him into a frog for a few days, she turned him back to normal and ordered him to ripen a new moon pearl. He had one month left to bring the pearl to his teacher, and now it was gone!
K knew this time the human queen was not the thief. And none of the Boggarts or Brownies would try to anger him by taking one of his treasures. Especially not the moon pearl. K had no idea where to look for the pearl, and none of the animals or fairies of the forest had seen the pearl get taken.
The moon rose slowly over the tree tops and a distant voice called out to K.
"Hello K. Nice evening aye?"
"Old Man Waxing. If it is a nice evening, I cannot enjoy it."
"Oh, what bothers you?"
"The moon pearl I left in this crystal pool to ripen has been stolen. I can find no trace of the thief."
"That is very sad, my friend. Perhaps you can ripen another?"
"I cannot. My teacher, the Red Flame Dragon, entrusted me with that pearl. I cannot find another."
"That is too bad, friend."
"Old Man Waxing. You have been in the sky these nights. Surely you've seen the pearl as you cross the skies. Do you know who took it?"
"I'm afraid not, K. Perhaps Old Man Full can help you. You should ask him when he comes around."
K thanked Old Man Waxing and went back to his tree house. He had to wait a few more nights to meet Old Man Full. In the meantime, K searched every burrow, cave, and dwelling in the forest for his moon pearl, to no avail.
When Old Man Full appeared, K was again at the crystal pool pacing anxiously.
"Hello K. Nice evening, isn't it?"
"Old Man Full, it is not a nice evening for me."
"Oh, what seems to be the trouble?"
"The moon pearl I left to ripen in this crystal pool has been stolen and I cannot find the thief."
"That is very sad, K."
"Did you see anyone with the pearl in your travels across the sky?"
"I am afraid not. Perhaps you can ripen another?"
"I cannot!" K shouted. "My teacher has the moon pearls and only gave this one to me."
"I am sorry, friend. Perhaps Old Man Waning can help you. You should ask him when he comes around."
K thanked Old Man Full and returned to his tree house. He was beginning to lose hope of finding the pearl. He began to think of how to tell his teacher he lost the pearl without making her angry enough to turn him into a frog permanently.
By the time Old Man Waning came around, K was desperate and sat at the edge of the crystal pool biting his nails.
"Hello K. You look troubled, little friend. What is wrong?"
"The moon pearl that was sitting in this crystal pool, have you seen it?"
"I have not." Said Old Man Waning.
"You had to have seen it. Old Man Waxing and Old Man Full did not see it. You are the last person who can see it." K pleaded with the moon.
"I am sorry, little friend. I cannot help you. Perhaps you can try to ripen another."
K sank to the ground, drawing circles in the dirt on the bank of the pool. None of the Old Men of the Moon had seen the pearl or its thief. K thought of running away to another land, far away from his teacher. But where would he go? His teacher would use a teleport spell or summon him to her with another spell. There was nowhere he could run.
A few days later, when there was no moon in the sky, K saw a little ball rising above the trees. It was too small to be the moon. K followed the ball, as it moved slowly across the sky. It was his moon pearl, fully ripe and in the hands of the Old Men Moon!
"You greedy Old Men!" K called out to the moons' back. "You stole my moon pearl!"
"We did not K, we have not seen the pearl." The three moons answered over their shoulders.
"I see the pearl hidden on your dark side. Return the pearl to me or I will crack you open like a wheel of Parmesan!"
K picked up a few stones on the edge of the crystal pool and fashioned them into cheese knives. The knives floated in the air over his head, pointing at the moons as they moved through the sky.
"Do not cut us like cheese K." Old Man Full cried.
"We will not taste good. " Shouted Old Man Waxing.
"We will return the pearl. Please do not crack us." Said Old Man Waning.
The moons floated the pearl down into K's hands and hurried across the sky.
"Steal my treasure again and I will turn you into shredded Parmesan!" K called after them.211Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvGQxSpTbf
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