Coppélia in Wonderland

Part one - The magical forest

I danced jauntily through the woods. Almost floating. Completely silent. Not even my breath could be heard, although it formed little clouds of steam. The trees stretched high above me like barky giants. It was dark. Only sometimes could the moon be seen, glinting through the green foliage above. The trees had just come into leaf, yet they were covered in frost. The silvery moonlight made the ice glisten like stardust. As if the little, twinkling stars in the sky were freezing, and shivering in the wind had sprinkled dust onto the earth. It was enchanting. But it was a magical forest, I reminded myself, as I skipped along in my pretty, frilled, lavender, dress. I looked like a porcelain doll from the 1800's. Like Coppélia, the doll from the ballet. She was so beautiful that she enchanted everybody without ever saying a word. She never did anything. She was dead. Still they loved her. I smiled. That had always been my dream: to be loved by everybody. And that dream would come true tonight. Of that, I was certain.

I stopped. This was the place. I could recognise it, even in darkness; after all, I had been here seven times already. All around me grew several plants whose purple flowers pitcher-shaped appearance nodded slightly in the cold night air. I truly loathed those flowers. They were nowhere pretty enough for the glistening, black berries that also grew on the plant. I picked a handful. Like the forest, they were magical. Some called them great morel or naughty man's cherries. What ghastly names for something so wonderful. I preferred their Latin name. Belladonna. I believed it meant beautiful woman. They made your pupils widen and gave you a doe eyed look that seemed oh so cute. I looked down into my palm. Was it enough? Yes. After all, it shouldn't happen too quickly. I put one of the berries into my mouth and pressed it against my palate with my tongue until a sweet, pleasant flavour flowed out. Delightful!

Suddenly something rustled about in a nearby bush. I wasn't afraid, just curious. I knew nothing would harm me in these woods. A white rabbit jumped out from the shrubbery and just sat there, waiting for me, while its little, pink nose quivered. It wasn't holding a pocket watch or screaming about being late. There was no reason for that; we had all the time in the world. I ate another berry and followed it as it led me deeper into the woods. The rabbit didn't wear any clothes either, yet it reminded me of the rabbit from that fairy-tale. Anne in Wonderland? I shook my head. No. It was Alice in Wonderland, of course. This magical midnight forest was a Wonderland. My Wonderland. And I was sweet, beautiful Coppélia, whom everybody adored, although she had never uttered a word or showed one feeling. I was Coppélia in Wonderland.

The rabbit led me to a glade. The moonlight truly expressed itself here, sparkling in the silverware on the elegantly layered table. All seven were seated around the table. Staring into nothingness with cold, dead eyes. I got rather nervous and ate another berry. The sweet taste calmed me and I stepped into the glade. Their eyes turned towards me and I knew they were glad to see me. How could I ever have thought that those eyed, which gleamed warm as the stars, had been cold and dead? "Coppélia, you've been anticipated." My father smiled gently at me, and my two friends from school beckoned at me: "Coppélia, sit with us! Please, sit with us!" I sat down between Juliet and Clara, and we started chatting and giggling together. The tea was served by another white rabbit, this one wearing clothes. We talked, had fun and drank tea off lovely crockery. It was nice. My mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, Juliet and Clara. I ate another berry. The sweet flavour complemented the aromatic fruit tea perfectly. Another one. I smiled at my mother, but then everything stopped. She had fallen in over the table. "Mommy, really!" I left my seat, annoyed. Her strings had broken. I tied them together so she once again was seated in an elegant position, and walked around to all the others, ensuring that there strings were still intact. They were ghostly pale. Only held up by thin strings tied to the trees, the large giants surrounding us. My vision began blurring. I had to get back to my seat and did so exhausted. What a wonderful tea party!