The Magic Swing

Not far from Kindly Castle, there was a green park where all the children from Kindly Kingdom went to play.  The park was filled with branchy trees for climbing and places to run.  Best of all, there was a swing set with a magic swing.

The magic swing looked exactly like all the other swings.  The seat hung from chains, just like all the others.  And just like all the others, the magic swing sometimes squeaked like a mouse as children swung back and forth through the air.

But if you close your eyes and say two magic words at just the right time when swinging in the magic swing, something very special happens.

Little Princess Mackenna often played in the park with all the other children.  Sometimes, she ran in circles with other little girls.  Sometimes, she kicked balls far across the grass.  But the magic swing was her favorite, especially when she said the magic words. 

The magic words were regular words, really.  They did not seem so special.   But if Princess Mackenna said them at the right time—just when the swing squeaked—she could close her eyes and fly away through the air.

Princess Mackenna played on the magic swing every time she went to the park.  She sailed back and forth in the magic swing.  She waited for the mousy squeak.  And then she would say the words: “So fun!”

And off she would fly.

Above the leafy green trees and park.  Up into the puffy clouds.  Over Kindly Castle.  Over the fish pond—where she could look down and see polka dotted koi fish swimming about in the water.  High above the river twisting and sparkling across the land.  Above a train pulling rattling railcars into the woods.

Princess Mackenna could fly for as long she kept her eyes shut.

But as soon as she opened her eyes, the magic brought her back to the swing and the park and the warm sun above.  Back and forth she would swing, waiting for another squeak.  Waiting to shut her eyes and fly.

-- Mitchell Hegman