A Furry Tale

Once upon a time in a small village at the edge of a great forest lived a naughty little girl called Arlene who loved to play tricks on people. One day, however, she went too far and played a trick on the local witch who, in a fit of rage, cast a spell on the girl which turned her skin green and covered her body in thick purple fur. The villages thought she was a monster and drove her out of the village. She wandered alone in the forest until the same witch, regretting her loss of temper but unable to reverse the spell, took her in as an apprentice. Arlene learned some magic, but mostly herbal lore and medical practices and, when she was older, became famous far and wide for her miraculous cures, taking over after the witch died and far surpassing the old woman’s skill. One day she saved the life of a young medical student, who had been bitten by a snake while researching medicinal plants in the forest. They fell in love, got married and set up in practice together, concocting potent cures which they sold far and wide and, apart from the occasional lecture tour, remained in the forest quite happily for the rest of their lives. The end.