Fantasia

By Víctor Fernández Castillejo

Fantasia has a language and descriptions adapted for your little ones and a moral behind each story with which to learn. These tales provide life teachings as in Aesop's Fables.

'' Between the pages of each story, songs and rhymes can be read as in the classic tales of Lewis Carrol and Hans Christian Andersen, thus becoming one of the most important contributions to the modern children's library. '' (Vanessa Kings).

Fantasia is a book made up of six stories with different topics, but with a connection: amazing worlds, magical creatures, surprising animals and intrepid heroes.

Content:

1.- Felizandia
2.- Basaurin, the Magic Tree
3.- The Country of Candies
4.- Pirluit
5.- The Mana Stone (an adaptation of the popular story "The Flower of Lalila.")
6.- Thomas the Chicken

Recommended for children from 7-8 years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Jan 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393181651

Book preview

Thanks

For the reading and correction of the stories:

Elena Fernández Castillejo

Gema Cabanes Antín

Marisa Villanueva Gómez

Ana Hernández Fernández

Mari Carmen Pastor Gracia

Piluca Emo Barberá

Joseba Koldobika Negre Marcaida

Carlos Adrián Ramia

For the layout of the book:

Luis Andrés Holgado

Blas Navarro Mir

Other Aids:

Enrique Timón Arnáiz

For my family, especially, my grandparents

INDEX

FELIZANDIA.................................................................................13

BASAURIN, THE MAGICAL TREE.......................................................39

THE COUNTRY OF CANDIES............................................................73

PIRLUIT........................................................................................97

THE MANA STONE (ADAPTATION OF THE POPULAR STORY "THE FLOWER OF LALILA).....................................................................139

THE CHICKEN THOMAS..........................................................................................163  

FELIZANDIA

O

nce upon a time, exists an extraordinary world called Felizandia with two suns, three moons, four oceans and none star. The world of Felizandia was ruled by the most diverse animals and the most amazing creatures. In its different counties housed enormous forests, rushing rivers, thick jungles, towering mountains and wide caves. In the biggest cave of all, lived a creature that was respected and admired throughout Felizandia: an old dragon, the last of its kind, who was called Cuelli. His name was because of his large neck. He had a body filled with green and blue scales, a hoary moustache which hanged of his snout, a big arrowed tailed and two enormous wings. Cuelli could expel fire by his mouth and nose when he used its gift; the gift which only dragons possessed: the magical breath. He was always accompanied by a faithful friend, a small, white bat of red eyes, and large ears whose name was Albi. Every time that he and Albi wanted to move through the cave galleries, he used his fire to light them and thus be able to move forward without tripping over anything. The cave where Cuelli and Albi lived had clay and coloured glass on the floor, ceiling and walls. The thousands of stalactites and stalagmites from the place looked in white as the snow.

Fall had come to Felizandia and the trees stained their leaves red, brown, orange, or yellow. Some animals prepare to hibernate, flowers were scarce, and extraordinary mushrooms were sprouting on the forest floor. Cuelli and Albi went out every morning with a wicker basket to collect the tasty mushrooms.

One day, as many other times, they went with their wicker basket toward the exit of the cave to enter in the most extensive and closed forest of Felizandia, The Great Forest, and look for mushrooms. The sky was cloudy and threatening to rain. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning that illuminated the valley. Almost at the same time, the sound of the thunder startled the animals from the region. The lightning struck the cave entrance violently and produced a rockfall that plugged it. Cuelli was old and big. He couldn’t move as rapid like years ago and inside the cave, he had no space to fly. Albi, on the contrary, he was small, young, fast, and could fly everywhere without a problem. Luck was unevenly distributed: Cuelli got trapped inside the cave and Albi was able to leave before the detachment occurred.

The old dragon tried to set aside the rocks with his paws, but it was impossible. He had not the same strength as when he was younger. And with the fire of his magical breath happened the same. He could light and roast some meat from time to time, but he couldn't melt iron and rocks as before.

Calm Cuelli! shouted Albi with his acute voice from the outside. I will ask for the helpof our friends from The Great Forest! You will see! We will get you out of there in no time!

Hurry up, my faithful friend. I am very old and here there is little air to breathe. I don’t know, how much I could hold on, confessed Cuelli with a thundering voice.

The words of the dragon frightened the white bat. Albi got out to The Big Forest going hell for leather. On his way, he encountered two friends whom he asked for help: Juancito the cuckoo, and Paponatas the owl. Juancito was small, gaudy, with short wings and legs, bright feathers, and round body. The eyes of Juancito the cuckoo revealed that he was a clever bird. Paponatas the owl, meanwhile had very large eyes, claws with sharp nails, a very fat body, pointed ears, and a curved peak. Prudence was the best of his virtues. 

I need help. Cuelli is trapped in our cave, Albi explained distressed. A thunder has fallen over the mountain causing a rockfall that has plugged the entrance. I was able to get out, but Cuelli didn’t.

"How, cucu, can we, cucu, help you?" asked Juancito the cuckoo, shaking his head quickly from one side to the other.

We need to advise as many animals as possible to remove all the rocks that plugged the cave.

"Uh, Uh! Understood, the owl Paponatas replied. Felizandia is very big. We cannot advise all the animals in all its regions. We will ask for help to all the creatures of The Great Forest. Juancito, go to the north of The Great Forest and warn all the animals that live there. Then fly to the west and do the same. Uh, Uh! Albi goes inside the heart of The Great Forest, and ask for help. Uh, Uh! I will fly south and then head east."

The three of them took the flight to their destinations. They had no time to lose. They flew above trees, lakes, rivers, and mountains. The clouds dispersed and the two suns that gave light to Felizandia shone brightly again. But something was not the same in The Great Forest: the life of Cuelli, the last of the dragons, was in danger. 

Albi reached soon the centre of The Great Forest. He looked for the chief of the bears: Leopoldo. He heard his growls near a tree with a twisted trunk. From one of its thick branches hanged a honeycomb. Leopoldo was under the branch, scratching the honeycomb with his powerful claws, and licking enthusiastically the honey which fell to the ground. The beast’s eyes were dark, his head big, his tongue long, and the hair that covered his body brown. Between gulps and gulps of honey, he sang a song: 

"I am a gluttonous bear,

I can't avoid it.

I always eat a lot,

and one day I will blow up.

Honey, blackberries, fish, and berries

I swallow incessantly.

Honey, blackberries, fish, and berries

they sweeten my palate."

Sorry for my meddling, my friend Leopoldo, said Albi perching on the trunk of a fallen tree. 

"Grr!  Little Albi! he exclaimed still swallowing honey. What a surprise! Glad to see you on my land. Grr! Which is the reason for your visit?"

Cuelli the Dragon is trapped inside our cave. A thunder has fallen over our mountain and provokes a rockfall that has plugged the entrance.

Leopoldo stopped eating honey and his face drew a gesture that mixed seriousness and concern.

"Grr! I will gather all the bears from the region. Tomorrow morning we will be in front at the entrance of your cave to remove the rocks," Leopoldo promised.

"I’ll also take the wolves with me. Grr! They are strong and will be pleased to help the old Cuelli."

Thanks! replied Albi. Now I must leave for more help.

Don't worry; I will take care of everything. Fly calmly. 

The white bat obeyed and his small figure, which went up and down with each flutter, was lost on the horizon.

Leopoldo looked at the honey falling from the honeycomb and sighed. He thought it was a shame to let that delicacy drip, but a friend needed his help and could not fail him. Well thought, the honeycomb was not going to move from there. He smiled and walked towards a small hill. He scaled the top, took a deep breath and, emitted a powerful roar, knowing that bears and wolves would come to his call. Then he stretched out on the grass and let the suns rays warm his thick brown hair.

The next to arrive at his destination was Juancito the cuckoo. In the northern part of The Great Forest, Gustav the king of snakes ruled. He lived with the snakes and vipers of the region in the ruins of a temple dedicated to the reptiles of Felizandia. Ivies and vines covered a good part of the walls that still standing. The floor of the temple was filled with fallen trees and splashed of puddles of rainwater. The mosquitoes were flying in small clouds and the frogs from a nearby pond croaked incessantly.

"Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit!

Sing and jump, sing, and jump.

Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!

In Gustav's Ruins.

Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!

Croack, Croack