Page 48 of Taming the Highland Misfits

Her mother smiled and said: “you know that in the summer all the sheep look very fat?”

Isla nodded. “Yes,” she replied, fascinated.

“The farmers cut all the wool off them in the summer so that they don’t become too hot,” Edina explained. “Then the sheep look skinny and bony, do they not?”

“Yes,” Isla replied, giggling. “They look so silly.”

“Well, after the sheep are sheared the farmers give the wool to spinners,” her mother explained. “And they spin it into these strands you see here.”

Isla picked up the wool and pushed her face into it, inhaling its rich, earthy smell.

“And now I want you to do something for me,” Edina told her. She reached over and took the wool away from Isla.

“What?” Isla asked curiously as she climbed onto the couch beside her mother.

“Hold out your hands like this,” she answered. She held out her arms with her palms facing each other about a foot apart. “Now hold them still.”

Isla did as she had been bidden, but she was still mystified. “What are you doing?” she asked, frowning.

Edina felt a warm glow inside. If there was anything she loved, it was teaching her little daughter new skills. It gave her a rich feeling of satisfaction to see the look on Isla’s face as the work of her hands became a drawing or a piece of simple embroidery.

Soon she would teach her daughter how to knit, then write stories and poetry. She had so many plans for her little princess!

Isla watched, fascinated, as her mother began to loop the wool around her arms until it was about two inches thick, then she cut the end of the strand and pulled the circle of wool away before she twisted into a skein and began the whole process again. Isla’s arms were sore, but she loved being of use to her beloved mother.

While she was working, Edina had begun to tell a story. “I have told you what a unicorn is, Isla, have I not?” she asked, smiling at Isla with her bright blue eyes twinkling.

“Yes, Mother, but I have never seen one,” Isla replied.

“That’s because they are magical,” Edina told her. “Most unicorns are Ladies. Gentlemen unicorns are few and far between.”

“I know,” Isla nodded solemnly. “And their horns are much bigger than the ladies’ ones.”

“That’s right,” Edina agreed. “And they are much taller than the ladies too.”

“Are all unicorns white?” Isla asked curiously.

“Yes,” her mother replied, nodding. “But the Gentlemen unicorns have gold-coloured horns and the Ladies have silver ones. Anyway, let me tell you the story. One day a beautiful Lady unicorn was walking beside a stream when along came a Gentleman unicorn. He was tall and majestic and the most handsome stallion she had ever seen. She felt very shy suddenly, but the Gentleman unicorn came up to her and bowed his head politely.

“Good morning, my Lady,” he said in a very deep voice. “I am Sol. What is your name?”

“My name is Luna,” she replied a bit shyly because her mother had always warned her about talking to strangers.

She did not know it, but the handsome stallion thought she was the most beautiful Lady unicorn he had ever seen. He fell into step beside her, and they walked together, talking about themselves and their families, until they came to the place where the stream ended and the loch began. They both waded into the water and began to splash each other playfully.”

Isla was spellbound as she listened to the tale of the two unicorns, but she thought it sounded suspiciously like one of Agnes McGill’s stories. However, she carried on listening and gradually realised that it was not the same story at all.

“The two unicorns went home together, then they started to meet each other every day, and before long, they fell in love. A little while later they were married and they had a baby girl, and they called her Terra.”

“What a lovely name,” Isla observed, smiling.

“Do you know what it means?” Edina asked.

Isla shook her head. “Tell me.” She scrambled up beside Edina and laid her head on her lap.

“It is the name of the place we live on,” Isla’s mother answered. “The Earth. And ‘Luna’ is the name of the moon. ‘Sol’ is the name of the sun.”

Isla’s eyes were wide with wonder. “That was such a good story!” she breathed.