I stirred at dawn – tense, scared, oblivious of the birds singing outside. I had fallen into a well. The rope I was hanging to was almost as slippery as the grey mossy stones surrounding me: impossible to secure any kind of grip. It was such a relief to set eyes on the Prince stooping over the shaft, sporting his most seductive sexy smirk: he had come to rescue me…

Alas! His smile transformed into a sneer as he surveyed my situation and stared at me with a sly expression on his face, obviously savoring my distress. Desperate, I persisted in requesting his assistance, against all odds, until I saw, in a flash, a snake in his place. I woke up in dismay, unsure of who or what he was and still speculating whether he would condescend to save me…

‘This dream is a warning,’ I thought, ‘a reminder that I must not trust him.’ I perceived at last how, in my fascination, I had entirely disregarded my quest – and even my safety. I had succumbed to his charm, throwing caution to the wind. I was not even absolutely certain that no hints of the special formula had escaped my lips…

Wendy’s steps in the passage! Shooting out of bed, I swiftly unfastened my door and whispered:

‘Hi! How are you? Feeling any better?’

‘Yes. I’ve been sleeping like a log since last afternoon. How come you are up so early?’

‘Well… Troubles… You were going for a walk, weren’t you? Shall I come with you?’

We sneaked out of the castle and headed for the woods. It was this magic hour when Nature gently shakes out its veil of morning dew, looking like a ruffled rose unfolding its petals. There is delightful freshness in the air, an assurance of good things to come; the bird concerts sound like a promise of bliss: anything seems possible at that time of day.

I was feeling more serene. Wendy’s silent presence was soothing my anxiety. When I managed to voice my struggles at last, it soon became obvious that she had guessed almost everything. I was asking for her advice when, all of a sudden, unexpected resonances loomed towards us:

‘Something sweet and something nice, something sweet and something nice…’

‘Stop this silly song!’

‘Super! “Stop this silly song!” Sounds good! Something sweet and something nice…’

We stopped in our tracks and listened – divided between an urge to laugh and sheer distrust: friends or foes? As we braced ourselves, ready for adversity, the sonorities of the ‘silly song’ intensified, rose to a crescendo… and abruptly died out: looking as startled as we must have done, two extremely strange beings had just stepped out in front of us.