From out beyond her daydream,
She heard her father scream,
'Lara where's that shopping?
And give this house a clean.'
She took the offered basket,
And skipped out of the door.
Then down the lane, which in her mind,
Was a regal ballroom floor.
For sparrows she saw parrots.
The sky was rainbow filled.
The whole world was her playground,
As her dreams they overspilled.
Soon she reached the little town
And found the market square.
She stopped a while to gaze uphill,
At the palace gleaming there.
This palace it was real,
And she hoped to catch a glimpse,
Of the man she dreamed of marrying,
The kingdom's only prince.
She'd planned the wedding countless times.
For her the princess life.
There'd be no more buying vegetables,
When she was a prince's wife.
Then up ahead a scruffy crone,
Who looked up to no good,
Stumbled on a cobblestone,
And dropped her firewood.
The crowd about her parted,
But no one saw, it seemed.
So Lara ran to help her,
And the crone she fairly beamed.
'Oh, child you are an angel,
Go without my thanks you shan’t,
Tell me how I can repay you,
For your wish is mine to grant.'
This praise made Lara quite abashed,
Her cheeks began to burn.
'I only wished to help,' she said,
'I want nothing in return.'
At this the crone was puzzled.
Had she no imagination?
'You could wed that hansom prince you like
And rule over the nation.'
Lara stared back at the crone,
Her nose a crooked beak.
Her teeth were brown, her back was hunched,
Her joints they cracked and creaked.
She did look like a witch, she thought,
So maybe she casts spells,
But dreams are toys for idle times,
You couldn't live them well.
'I have a wish,' she said at last,
'That you are young again,
And freed from all the ailments
That bring to you such pain.'
The crone, her smile, it fell away.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
She stood there in a state of shock,
Forgetting how to speak.
Then the magic happened.
Smoke swirled and cloaked the crone.
When it finally receded,
The crooked hag was gone.
Before her stood a beauty,
Her nose was quite petite.
Her back was straight, her teeth were white,
And she was nimble on her feet.
The maiden clearly happy,
She gave a little bow.
A look of fear then struck her,
'But, what do I do now?'
'You draw on all your wisdom.
The knowledge you have gained.
And apply it to the single task,
Of being young again.'
'You'll sidestep all the traps of life
That youth is prone to spring,
And guide those who are not so wise,
To all that life can bring.'
The two, they surely chatted more,
But here the tale ends.
They bade a very fond farewell,
And walked away as friends.
Lara did the shopping,
And went back to her Father.
The two girls never met again,
But they lived happy ever after.