"Slanderous Fairy Queen, no witch monkeyed with that boy - tis fairy magicks," cackled the old crone who was bent behind the tree in the park collecting special beetles from the its roots. She struggled to her feet sniffing angrily.
Fairies were always blaming witches for the evil works. When a fairy queen tried to bump off a Princess with sleeping death, the fairies convinced everyone that she was a witch and the story of Snow White was born. The original story before the fairies got a hold of it has survived as Sleeping Beauty, thanks to Charles Perrault. The old crone had made sure of that, she had promised Charles immortality in exchange. Oh, she was a witch of her word, Charles lived a normal man's life, but instead of dying he transformed into a cat. He was the perfect medium too. Looking at monkey boy she saw some possibilities, but the fairy involvement changed all that.
She stepped out of the bushes after the fairy queen had vanished, and the witch was sure that the fairy had truly gone.
"Gaspar, you've got a new monkey?"
"Esmerelda, yes, a woman with a beautiful voice just gave him to me," Gaspar said in disbelief. He felt sorry for Esmeralda, she was an old widow who had to forage in the park for food. There were people worse off than him.
"May I pet him?" she asked softly sliding the Ring of Truth on her finger.
Gaspar ran his hands over Nick, and said, "Sure, I don't see why not. He seems friendly enough. Be good, pet, don't bite," he added sharply to Nick.
witch's gentle withered hand seem to cause static electric shocks in Nick's fur, and he jumped with a start.
"There, there, boy, take it easy. Old Esmerelda's here to help. You know that's the truth, unlike some lies you've been told recently. I'll see what I can do to restore you."
Nick somehow knew she was speaking true, and a dark suspicion formed in his mind about the beautiful kind fairy queen. She was too beautiful, too kind, to be real. He was still a bit suspicious of the old lady too, but he could tell she was sincere about breaking his spell.
"Restore him? You think the kind lady stole him?" the organ grinder asked with true concern.
"Stole? Yes, that might be the right word, but you needn't worry, Gaspar, I imagine you'll not be charged. I think using this monkey to make some money to pay for your time until he can be restored will be fine. So don't you worry about him, just don't even think of selling him," the witch advised.
"Selling him? Why would I sell him?" he asked.
"Just don't. Don't do it, no matter how much they offer. Understand?"
"You have my word then, Esmeralda," Gaspar replied, "No matter how much I'm offered I won't sell my little Frito."
Esmeralda sighed. She could guess that the fairies would be back to tie up loose ends. They could never leave well enough alone. Her nose twitched, a disturbance in the magic fields, fairies were coming.
"Well, remember your promise. I'll be back soon, and everything will be all right then."
"Yes, Esmeralda, I will." He heard her feet rapidly retreating down the concrete sidewalk.
Moments later a sweet female voice asked, "How much for the monkey?"
"Oh, he's not for sale. He's my friend. But he'll dance for you if you put money in his cup," the blind organ grinder said.
"$500?" she asked tentatively. Then when he shook his head she said, "How about $1000?" Another headshake. "$1500?"
"No, ma'am, he's not for sale."
"Mama needs a new pair of shoes. I'll give you $10,000 for him," she said firmly.
"$10,000?" he said with a pause. "No, I'm afraid I couldn't sell Frito for any amount of money."
Nick/Frito was clinging to Gaspar's leg in terror. The strange lady was dressed from head to toe in exotic furs, and he could guess what she wanted with him. He shivered. Who knew Cruella DeVille really existed or at least a reasonable facsimile?
"I must have that monkey. $100,000," she said.
"$100,000," Gaspar snorted, "I may be an old man and blind, but I know when someone is scamming me. You'd give me a worthless piece of paper and take my Frito. Be off with you!"
"I assure you that my money is good. I want that monkey," she said turning and throwing her fox stole over her shoulder and stalking off. She muttered angrily, "I will have that monkey, one way or another."
Plumrose laughed and rolled on the grass. Rosebud flew over her and asked, "What's so funny? The queen sent us to take care of that monkey, and so far we've failed."
"We made her want it too badly," Plumrose laughed, "The old man was sure she was mocking him, and so he didn't sell. But he's going to lose that monkey, because she's obsessed with having that skin."
A fine black veil netting dropped over the two fairies, and the witch quickly shoved them in her basket with the herbs and beetles she had gathered earlier. And headed home for her kitchen after first casting a protective hex sign over the park.
"Where are Rosebud and Plumrose?" demanded the fairy queen.
"They haven't returned, your majesty," answered the first fairy.
"I asked where they are, I can see they haven't returned."
"Yes, highness, uh, well, we don't know. They went to the park as ordered to deal with the monkey, and we can't find them now."
"Can't find them?"
"It's witch magic," the fairy answered its queen.
"Witch magic?" she said angrily raising her eyebrow.
She raised her staff to summon the witch ambassador, but the first fairy leaned forward and whispered, "The witch ambassador is here to see you about a treaty violation."
"Treaty violation? They're the ones violating - oh, wait. Show him in, I'll see what he has to say first."
"Yes, your majesty." The first fairy rolled her eyes, this was going from bad to worse.
"Besmirching witches again, Titania, tch, tch? I thought you had outgrown that," the gaunt old man said hobbling forward.
"Besmirching witches? Whatever are you talking about, Silas?"
"Oh, let's see your fairies make a monkey out of a man, and then you dust his mind so that he thinks a witch did it to him. That's kind of how the Salem Witch trials started."
"Oh, pooh, no real witches were executed there, and you know it."
"There's the matter of the treaty."
"There's the matter of two of my fairies," she snapped back.
"You breached the treaty, Titania, we didn't. It was an act of war, as such witches are free to capture and make fairy dust if they like."
"What!" she shouted. "You've had Rosebud and Plumrose ground into fairy dust for your stupid potions?" her eyes flashed purple with rage.
"I don't know what's befallen your fairies yet. It's possible that we may be able to save one or both of them, or some of the others. The crystals are glowing with the fact that you breached the treaty, and the butterfly nets are coming out. "
"All for some worthless monkey man?"
"All for a fairy's lie," he said acidly.
"Bring in the six fairies that did this, and bring them in chains, and I declare a truce while we negotiate restoration of the treaty."
"I will convey your proposal to parlay to the witch queen," he replied turning his back rudely on Titania.
"Convey? You will order a truce now!"
"Only the horned witch can order the truce."
"Quick alert the fairies! They are in danger," she raised her wand, and said, "And, Silas, I'll speed you on your way. To return, just say "Send me back" and you'll be here instantly."
Silas opened his mouth, but the twinkling lights engulfed him and he found himself transported to the ancient dark stone cave of the Witch Queen.