"Welcome back children." Mary Alice said as the children arrived. "Today I have a very special treat for you."
"Is it a new story?" A little girl asked.
"Yes. This one takes place many years ago in a land far far away where there lived some of the most interesting characters."
"Like who?" A boy asked.
"Oh you know, giants, elves, ogres, fairy godmothers, wizards, witches, and many others like that."
She approached the large book and flipped through the pages then stopped at one.
"Now Once upon a time..."
It was a cold winter's night, probably the coldest winter ever. In a small cottage something wonderful was happening. Emiliano and Carmela Suarez were about have a baby. It was going to be their third child, they already had two older daughters named Anita and Nikita who were born three years prior. When Carmela became pregnant again Emiliano had hoped it would be a boy so he would carry out the family name. But has fate would have it his wife gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Carmela despite being exhausted from labor was determined to see her child so she pulled herself out of bed and over to the basket to place a kiss on her baby's head.
"Darling please go back to bed you need your rest." Her husband said.
"Isn't she perfect?" The mother said.
"Yes she is but she needs her rest and so do you."
Emiliano helped his wife back into bed then left to spread their good fortune. Shortly after he left his wife fell asleep. Now unknown to most people, every newborn child had a fairy godmother and it was tradition that on the day of the child's birth their fairy godmother must give them a magical gift. A gold light entered the room. It took the form of a beautiful woman dress in red and gold with long black hair. Her name was La Muerte and she was Frida's chosen fairy godmother.
"Now what gift shall you have?" She wondered as she approached the cradle. She picked up the baby which caused her to start fussing. "Oh no now don't cry. You'll wake your mother."
She thought long and hard, Emiliano and Carmela were kind and good people so it was necessary that their child be given a gift that would suit.
"You're a noisy little thing." She said. "Maybe I should give you the gift of silence."
She giggled at her joke then she thought of the perfect thing.
"Frida Suarez." She said. "I give you the gift of beauty, you will have cheeks and lips as pink as a rose, hair and eyes as blue as a bluebird's wings, and skin as pure and flawless as snow."
She snapped her fingers and gold dust fell onto the baby. She then planted a kiss on Frida's tiny head and tucked her back into the cradle before flying away.
Just as La Muerte had said Frida was a lovely child who lived happily with her loving parents, sisters, and her family cook and nurse mona. The girls spent everyday playing outside. And every night after dinner they sat on the rug playing with their dolls while their father smoked his pipe and their mother did her needlework. Mona who was finished for the night decided to give the house a little music. She was an expert piano player and the Suarez family had an old piano given to them by Emiliano's grandfather. As she played Anita, Nikita, and Frida began to dance around the room.
"Care to dance Senorita?" Emiliano asked Frida.
"I'd love to Senor."
Emiliano scooped up his youngest child and spun her around while Anita and Nikita joined hands and danced. Carmela smiled as she watched her family laugh and dance. When it got late the couple tucked their children into bed.
"Dear Lord we're running low on money." Emiliano said.
"Don't worry Father someday I'll find treasure and you'll be rich." Frida said. "It'll be lots of gold and sliver."
"Well as valuable as those treasures are there's no treasure more wonderful than love. When someone loves you more than life itself it's more precious than any jewel." Carmela said. "But every girl deserves her own special treasure."
With that said she unhooked the necklace she wore. It was a long necklace, threads of silver woven together studded with bits of sliver and tiny pearls.
"Mother it's beautiful." She said putting it on.
"My fairy godmother gave this to me when I was seven years old. You know it was made by fairies which means it has special powers."
"Mother do I have a fairy godmother?"
"Yes of course you do. Everyone does."
"Fairies what nonsense." Emiliano huffed.
"You're father doesn't believe in magic." Carmela joked.
"Well he should." Frida said.
"Okay that's enough stories for tonight." Emiliano kissed Frida's cheek. "Goodnight Frida."
"Goodnight Father."
"Goodnight Frida." Carmela pulled the blanket over her daughter and kissed her forehead. "I love you my precious."
"Goodnight Mother."
There never was a happier family in all the lands. But their joy was not meant to last forever. One day a terrible plague fell over the land, it had stricken many people with a fatal illness that claimed their lives. Among those people were Frida's parents. She never left her parent's sides until they were gone. The three girls mourned for many days. When it was time for them to go live with someone else it was decided that Anita and Nikita would go live with their aunt but Frida had to remain with Mona as her guardian because her aunt feared she might have contracted the illness. So her only family was her cook or so she thought.