Wood Sprites

That Saturday they went into Manhattan to find a present for Elle. They stopped first at FAO Schwarz and wandered through the vast toy store, trying to find something that Elle might want and didn’t already have, and that they could afford.

“This is hopeless,” Jillian kept muttering darkly. “She probably has everything in this store.”

“Live and learn,” their mother said. “The trick to giving a woman a gift is to give her something beautiful that she didn’t think to buy for herself. Flowers and jewelry are often a good fallback. Here.” She stopped in front of a display case of snow globes. “Maybe one of these.”

“They’re pretty,” Louise admitted.

“Here’s one with Princess Ariel.” Jillian pointed to it.

They gazed at the pink globe with Ariel as a human peering upwards. There seemed to be something vaguely wrong about it.

“It’s like she’s trapped,” Louise said.

“Maybe not that one,” their mother said. “Maybe a mermaid Ariel.” Their mother pointed to an Ariel with a big rounded head and huge eyes done by a popular statue maker.

“That’s a little creepy,” Louise said.

Jillian caught Louise’s hand and pointed silently at a snow globe on a nearby shelf. It was of Pittsburgh deep in the forest of Elfhome. It wasn’t accurate — a lot more of the city was shifted than the small wedge of downtown that they showed. The reason for the inconsistency became apparent when Jillian carefully flipped the globe upside down and righted it. The forest became Earth suburbs surrounding downtown Pittsburgh. Another flip and the city was once again surrounded by forest.

“Oh, that is so cool,” Louise whispered.

Unfortunately, their mother noticed their fascination. “You like that one?”

“Elle would hate it,” Jillian said quickly. It would be horrible to have to hand it over to Elle.

Their mother laughed. “I meant for you two.”

“Us?” Louise cried with surprise.

“We didn’t get you anything you wanted for your birthday. This could be a late birthday present. Do you want it?”

“Yes!” they both cried.

Their mother signaled over a clerk. “We’ll be taking two domes. This one here is the first. We think the other one should have a mermaid in it. Can you point out all the ones you have?”

Within a few minutes, a dozen globes were gathered together for them to choose from. One had a stunning crystal mermaid with a delicate silver tail with coral filaments waving in the invisible currents and detailed fish swimming around her.

“It’s so pretty!” Louise said. “She’ll love it.”

“And it’s not that expensive,” Jillian said.

“It feels very grown up to me,” their mother stated, and they had to agree. It seemed like something anyone would like, not just a little girl. “Do you know — has anyone bought one of these in the last few days?”

“This is the only one we had in stock,” the sales clerk said. “It’s been discontinued.”

“It can be exchanged? It’s going to be a gift.”

“Yes, I can give you a gift receipt.”

As the clerk rang up their purchases, their mother said, “After you buy a nice item, you wrap it as elegantly as possible, along with a sophisticated card. So next stop, a card shop.”

* * *

Louise drifted through the Hallmark store, looking at all the bright displays competing for attention. The gift-wrap aisle had animated wrapping paper. Racecars silently roaring down ribbons of asphalt for boys. Galloping unicorns for girls.

Louise paused to finger the unicorns wistfully as they raced in elegant circles, manes and tails blowing on sparkling magical wind. The only thing that Louise held against Elle was that once a week she took horse-riding lessons at a farm in New Jersey. On Elle’s profile on the school’s secure social-network site were pictures of her doing English dressage on a beautiful gray mare with black mane and tail. The mare was prancing, ears forward, neck arched, right front leg and left back leg cocked high in mid-step. It was the most beautiful thing Louise had ever seen, and she wanted with all her being to know what it was like to commune with such an animal.

Jillian came around the corner and shoved a card into Louise’s hands.

“Two cards?” Their mother followed on Jillian’s heels.

“She invited both of us.” Jillian snatched up the unicorn paper. “And we’re only giving her one present. It’s like one of us is going without a gift. If we go with only one card, then it’s like one of us is twiddling our nose at her.”

“The Pondwaters know that you two are at Perelman on a scholarship. They know we’re not at their level. .”

“Yes, Elle’s parents know, but Elle is the one we have to live with, and she’s nine.” Jillian bumped against Louise to get her to back her up.

Louise raised an eyebrow at her twin. Normally Jillian would have been glad for a chance to twiddle her nose at Elle. Jillian was up to something. “It’s just a little more for a second card.

“Do you want us to look like welfare kids?” Jillian added.