The Silver Sorceress lived in the Glacial Mountains that loomed over Farfalle Kingdom, her heart as cold and penetrating as the frost that smothered the serrated tips of the mountain. On the opposite side lived her sister, the Gold Sorceress, and in contrast she was kind and emitted a warm aura wherever she went.

The Farfalle Kingdom was protected by these two Sorceresses who lived on either side of the valley, and without them the kingdom would be in grave danger. Little did they know that their greatest threat was right in front of their noses, slipping through the crowds in an icy mist, shattering the hearts of men with her enchanting beauty; the Silver Sorceress.

Although the Silver Sorceress had the will to make all the men fall at her knees, there was just one man who was invincible to her crystal charm, and this was the only man the Sorceress desired; Prince Papillion.

Prince Papillion only had eyes for one girl, a girl so plain you would pass her in the crowd without a second glance; a girl so filthy you would mistake her for an animal. This girl was a stable girl, sweeping the barns, changing the hay and shovelling the horse droppings every day and every night.

Prince Papillion loved his horses like siblings he never had, and each night he would sneak into the stable to visit his favourite horse, Moonstone, a sleek white beast speckled with grey and a galloping speed of a gale force wind.

But one night, the stable girl, who goes by the name of Mariposa-

 

“That’s my name!” Mariposa exclaims.

I smile. “Yes, it is your name. I named you after this girl.”

Mariposa scrunches up her face. “You named me after a filthy stable girl?”

“Now, now, Mariposa, I haven’t finished, have I? Mariposa is a beautiful girl, with a heart as pure as honey and hair as black as midnight, much like yours, actually. Let me continue with the story, and you sit there and listen like a good little girl, okay?”

Mariposa nods, her midnight hair blowing in the wind, her honey eyes telling me she is listening intently, so I continue.

 

But one night, the stable girl, who goes by the name of Mariposa, was running a little late with her work, as she was busy daydreaming in the clouds, and had forgotten to finish sweeping the hay until the loud commanding voice of the stable owner, Keith, tugged her back to reality and threatened to cut off her food portions for two days unless she went back to work.

So she spent the night scooping the droppings, grooming the horses by washing, drying, brushing and picking the dirt from underneath their hooves. By the time she was done her body creaked with exhaustion and she fell asleep in a bed of hay in the stall of Moonstone.

Of course, Prince Papillion wasn’t expecting to find a stable girl asleep in his favourite horse’s stall, nor was he expecting to be paralysed with love. He had never seen such sweet beauty, like that of an angel that has fallen from the heavens. Never mind the grubby layer of dirt that stained her rosy cheeks and patched her muddy dress – Prince Papillion was struck by the arrow of love!

This was the first time he saw Mariposa, and he wondered how he could ever have passed her before without noticing her loveliness. He completely forgot about Moonstone, who snorted with envy in the corner of the stall as the Prince approached the sleeping girl, unable to tear his eyes away from Mariposa’s grimy face.

Suddenly, she stirred and woke, and the Prince sprung back, embarrassed that he had been staring at her while she innocently napped. He glanced at Moonstone, and could swear he saw a hint of a smile playing on the horse’s lips.

 

“But horses can’t smile,” Mariposa states, matter of fact.

“And how would you know that, young Missy?” I tease, tossing a daisy head at her.

Mariposa giggles. “I just know, Mama. Horses and other animals don’t smile.”

“Have you ever told a joke to an animal?” I ask. “You’ll find that they might smile or even laugh.”

Mariposa shakes her head, still giggling. “Mama, that’s just silly.”

“I think you’re the silly one.” I begin to tickle her, and she shrieks with laughter, our daisy chains trampled underneath us, the sun streaking our hair with amber and gold.

After a few minutes we collapse onto the cool grass, breathing hard, a light bubbly feeling in our stomachs. We listen to the breeze rustling the leaves, and the melodic tinkle of the wind chimes we hung in the pear tree.

I break the sweet silence by saying, “My little Mariposa, I think I just proved to you that animals can laugh.”