The Golden Thimble: A Variation on Pride & Prejudice
Martin HunnicuttIn autumn, young Lizzy Bennet rescues a fairy injured during battle with a bumblebee. Carrying the fairy home, Lizzy brings the magical creature inside Longbourn and learns that fairies love to play tricks that aggravate adults but make children laugh. The fairy, named Taylor, is soothed by a saucer of cream and biscuits, and then she asks 'Lizzy Elizabeth Bennet' to stitch her wing back together. Lizzy practices sewing tiny stitches and gathers spider webs to use as the thread to prepare. During the full moon, Lizzy repairs the wing, and Taylor flies back to the land of fairies. Lizzy discovers a golden thimble for her finger left beside the window the following morning.
As she grew up and became 'Elizabeth' rather than Lizzy, the young woman held onto her belief in fairies, perhaps because she reads Shakespeare's Midsummers Night's Dream regularly and wears the Golden Thimble every day. When the time for the annual assembly approaches, Elizabeth uses her Golden Thimble to sew beautiful gowns for her sisters. Jane's beauty captures the attention of Charles Bingley, a new gentleman in Meryton, and the couple spends time together. Unfortunately, this means Elizabeth is in company with Bingley's friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy, who always frowns.
One evening, Elizabeth is surprised by a visit from the fairy Taylor, who asks for her help once again. During their conversation, Elizabeth learns that 'Puck', the trickster from Midsummers Night's Dream, is in grave danger of losing his soul to a dreadful beast. Taylor tells 'Lizzy Elizabeth Bennet' that King Oberon sent the fairy to
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