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(Page 3 of 5) Quickie The Elf by Rob Queen
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"Perhaps here is a place where someone might understand the language of the letter."
Ophelia gladly landed, for her panicked flying had created in her a terrible thirst. Landing by a small oasis in the hot, dry desert, Ophelia gulped up gallons and gallons of water. Quickie looked around, hoping to find someone who could give him directions.
"Oy, mate!" a voice suddenly called out from behind Quickie.
"Um... hello," Quickie said, unsure of what to make of the creature that hopped toward him. It stood as tall as Santa Claus, wore a fur coat of brown, and had a long, thick tail. Its ears were much like a rabbit's, but its nose stretched longer.
"Nevah seen a kangaroo before, have ya, mate?" the creature asked, shaking Quickie's hand with vigor. "Pleasuh's all mine, then! Welcome to Oztralia!"
"Oztralia?" Quickie asked, unsure if he had heard the kangaroo correctly.
"Roight, sorry about that, mate; my accent may've put ya off a tad. Back in the Americas, they all call this place ‘AUS-tralia.'"
"So this isn't China?" Quickie asked, a little disheartened. He had so hoped that he had finally found the right place so he could pick up the presents he had been sent to find.
"'Fraid not, mate," the kangaroo apologized. "But if China's whatcher lookin' for, then I'd suggest headin' back north."
"But I just came from there!" Quickie said, almost bursting out into tears.
"Truly? Well, twig your ears on this, then. Head north until you find a great stone wall that stretches nearly across an entire continent. When you find this pup, look south, at me. The land that'll be starin' at ya will be China."
"Truly?"
"Truly, mate," the kangaroo said, winking at the Elf.
"Thank you so much!" Quickie said, gathering Ophelia, who had contented herself by munching on the strange plants growing on this oasis. Quickie patted her shaggy grey neck and said, "It sounds like we're almost there, girl."
Ophelia nodded, and soon they were airborne again. This time, they kept a close eye out on the land that zoomed below them. They traveled over seas, islands, jungles, highways, cities, and farms. As they reached some snowy mountains, Quickie began to get nervous.
"Did we go too far north again?" he asked his reindeer in a shaky voice.
As they rose above one more mountain, lo, and behold, there it was! A massive stone wall stretched from sun-up to sun-down, and Quickie hopped up in down in joy. He was so excited, he fell right out of the sleigh, and dropped toward the rocky mountains far below.
Just as he thought his life was over with, a gigantic red bird caught him in her beak and carried him off to the ground below.
"Careful, little one," the enormous bird said in a beautiful, musical voice. "These mountains wouldn't make a comfortable landing."
"Thank you!" Quickie said, in utter awe of this magnificent bird. Though her back shone red as a perfect sunset, the underside of her wings glowed with a mix of reds, oranges and yellows. Her large beak sparkled a pure gold. "What are you?"
"Have you never seen a Phoenix before?" the bird asked.
"No, ma'am, I haven't," Quickie said, as a wide-eyed Ophelia settled to the ground beside him.
"And now you can say you were saved by one!" the Phoenix laughed in her magical voice.
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