The Trailing Edge

               One fine sunny day, a royal herald tacks a royal proclamation, announcing the King’s Ball, on a tree by the forest road. The tree is a sweet Honeysuckle named Cinderella. Cinderella is unhappy. Her evil stepmother and her wicked stepsisters are Ginkgo trees. Cinderella's family likes tormenting her. The evil stepmother and wicked stepsisters bloom pretty but have really really stinky flowers, shedding them all around, hiding Cinderella's lovely honeysuckle fragrance. A Tree Fairy passing by stops and reads the royal proclamation. She chats with Cinderella as tree fairies like doing. Cinderella tells of her tale of woe. The Tree Fairy takes pity and grants a wish. Cinderella wishes to go to the King’s Ball. The Tree Fairy Godmother transforms Cinderella into a human girl - her green leafy canopy into long reddish hair, her branches into slender arms, her trunk into long legs, and, her brown rough bark into a glittery golden gown. A pumpkin growing

                 Antonia Potter, the Wand Duel champion of the Wizards, and Donovan McGreggor, the Jedi Knight champion, bowed to each other in the battle arena. They were the finalists in the Galactic Protection Forces Psi Combat Championships. The Psi Combat Championship was a two rule contest - only extra-powered humans of the Galactic Protection Forces were allowed and Do Not Kill Your Opponent . Contestants interpreted the Do Not Kill rule to permit near lethal wounding with the unwritten proviso that the wound should not hamper the combatant's future military career. Antonia stood at attention, wand in hand and Donovan in en garde pose, light saber glowing and ready. The  en garde  pose inspired Antonia to commence the combat with a saber attack. She whispered Lux Gladio Lumina and a blade of green light grew from the end of her wand. Donovan leaped into the air at her. Antonia twirled to the right to parry. Thrust-parry-twirl, thrust-parry-twirl. With each twirl