In a village nearby, was an enchanted forest named Utopia. It was a place of magic and
fantasy filled with love and happiness. In this forest dwelled Unicorns and little
woodland creatures. They lived peacefully and happily together. There was one
particular unicorn named Glitter, he was always getting in trouble because he was the
youngest and he would never listen to the elder Unicorns.

He was told not to wander past the forest boundaries, he had an interest in humans,
particularly a little girl. She too was always getting in trouble about wandering into the
woods alone after being told not to. Glitter was frustrated and went to the eldest unicorn
and asked, “ Why can’t I go past the forest boundaries?”

The eldest Unicorn replied, “There are too many unknowns past the boundaries, the
humans hunt the animals for food and for the fun of it, if they feel that the deer isn’t
big enough they just leave it to wither away.”

Glitter just sighed ad walked away. He looked up with tears in eyes and whispered to the
little woodland creatures, “All humans can’t be this cruel can they?”

Well days passed by and Glitter listened to the eldest words of wisdom. But finally one
day his curiosity got the best of him, he wandered a bit closer to the boundaries
watching the little golden hair girl. She heard a noise and looked up towards the woods,
Glitter quickly hid and laughed at her.

He watched her run and lay with the butterflies, and lifting a bunny and cuddling it, she
didn’t try to hurt them or kill them. Glitter thought this proves not all humans are killers
of animals. So he went back to the eldest and told them of what he saw. The eldest
looked up and said.

“Let me explain Glitter, I know how inquisitive you are about the boundaries but you
don’t fully understand, if you are captured, your magic will disappear you will loose
your specialness. One day you will become a great leader of all that you see and you
will be their protectors like we are.”

Glitter replied, “ But I do not understand why humans are so bad.” Tempest one of the
elders replied, “ If you are caught you will be caged for a side-show are killed, unicorns
are not meant to be caged you would die.”

Glitter walked off still so confused, he walked to the stream and laid down and sighed
and whispered, “ I don’t know why I cant just be happy playing and singing like the
others, just to be happy with what the forest gives me.” a tear fell from his eyes as he laid
his head down and fell asleep.

When he awoke he decided he was going to risk seeing the child, the other unicorns tried
to stop him, but his mind was made up...He whispered, “ Go ahead and tell the eldest, by
time they get here I will be gone.” He started walking into the woods for the boundaries,
all of a sudden he heard the girl crying.

He moved slowly towards her silent cries and stopped and listened, “ Why did I wander
so far into the forest, now I am lost, hungry and scared, the animals will probably kill or
eat me.”

Glitter was taken by what he heard he thought to himself, “ has she been told the same
thing I have about the forest as I was about the boundaries how can words be so untrue?”
He started running in circles until he was invisible, the winds began to blow and the trees
began to bow ever so softly, the child looked up. She was getting scared, but she looked
ahead there were her parents at the edge calling for her. All of a sudden she felt as if
something was nudging her, she looked but nothing was there. Glitter was pushing her
so she would head in the right direction.

she saw them and took off running her dad picked her up and hugged and danced with
her the mother cried and hugged her daughter as well. The little girl looked back towards
the forest and smiled and blew a kiss to the wind. He was happy he had helped her, but
so sad because he wanted to ask her many things. He had a rough day, so he laid down
to rest and went to sleep to dream of a way to talk to the little girl without loosing his
powers or being killed.
>
Early the next day he walked through the forest and thought today is the day, “I am going
to talk to her!” But something was wrong there was an uneasiness in the air, he was
feeling scared, He went to look for the eldest Unicorns and the others, but he could not
find them. All of a sudden he heard voices, human voices, Glitter grew more scared, they
Had brought guns into the forest, so he had and watched and listened. “ There is a deer,”
said one of the hunters, “ he will make a good trophy piece.”

“ NO”, said the other hunter, we are here for food!”

Glitter knew he had to try and stop them but how?

They raised their guns to shoot, Glitter jumped form his hiding spot stepped in front of
the deer standing proud before the hunters, but the gun rang off a shot. Glitter took the
bullet instead of the deer. The deer ran to get the eldest Unicorn, but it was too late
Glitter was dead.

They all stood around and watched the eldest Unicorn cry. The little girl ran as she heard
the commotion she fell to her knees and hugged Glitter and cried her tears touched him,
all of a sudden Glitter arose and his horn disappeared and was given a pair of golden
wings, he looked at the girl and nudged her and lifted to the sky and disappeared.

They were all amazed by what happened. The eldest spoke, “ Glitter thought of the deer
instead of himself, his act was that of bravery.”“ With that he was set free to become the
protector he was meant to be.” The eldest looked up with tears n his eyes, the little girl
reached out and handed the eldest a bouquet of flowers and whispered,“ Not all humans
are bad and want to kill animals, I know now Glitter was the one that led me to safety out
of the woods that day, I have always known of you but never told anyone Now Glitter is
gone, I will miss him, he saved my life, and now I cant thank him.”

The eldest replied, “ Glitter knew you loved him, even though he is gone, he will be your
protector as well, because you loved him and believed in him, and most of all because
you kept him secret.” Dreams and fantasy are as much of reality as people believe,
because without dreams we wouldn’t strive to figure things out.

The End

Copyright c) 2000 Shari Leutzinger