Fairyland’s Clocks Go on Strike 

Phew! Finally, everything was perfect. The cake was brown and gooey. Cookies were brown and crunchy. Chocolates were brown and bitter. They were just like how Fairy Princess Sofia liked them. She was turning 13 at midnight, and exactly at 12.02 a.m., Queen Fairy would bestow on her the Black Wand. It meant gaining the power to fly and do magic. Every fairy princess received the wand two minutes after they turned 13.

Sofia was glowing like a white bulb, seeing the preparation to celebrate her induction into the Black Wand Fairy Group. Her glow dimmed when she heard the public announcement, “CLOCKS ON STRIKE. They demand a day to rest from ticking.”

“NO,” Sofia shouted. “That is absurd. Clocks can’t go on strike.”

With no clocks working, no one would know the right time. Exactly at 12.02 a.m., the newly turned 13-year-old fairy princess must have the Black Wand in her hand. Even a half-second late meant doomed to a powerless life – no magic and no flying.     

 “I’ve to do something,” Sofia muttered.

She went to Tower Clock, the leader of clocks, and said, “Please don’t go on the strike. I’ll forever remain a powerless fairy if you don’t tick.”

“We can’t turn back,” Tower Clock said. “We’re already on strike.”

Sofia pleaded with Queen Fairy to help her. The Queen said, “You’ve to convince them by making them feel important. You, however, can’t promise them a rest day.”

Sofia pondered and pondered and pondered, hurrying down the path from the Palace to where Tower Clock stood.

“If you start ticking again, I’ll request the Queen to give you the status of  MVTs, the Most Valuable Thing, of fairyland. And we’ll respect and value time more than anything else,” Sophia said to Tower Clock. 

Tower Clock discussed Maya’s proposal with other clocks. 

After what seemed like 100 years for Maya, Tower Clock said, “If the Queen puts her stamp on your proposal, we’ll start ticking again.”

The Queen happily agreed to do that, as for her, clocks and time were among the most valuable things in life.

So, 11 minutes before 12 midnight, all the clocks began to tick. And at 12.02 a.m., Maya received the Black Wand.

[Published on Mogool Time]