The narrator discovers an enchanted speed skating oval built of magic pine beetle wood. Upon entering, they find themselves in a warm world with a giant silver ice oval beneath a roof of stars. Beautiful fairy speed skaters skate around the oval in brilliant costumes. After watching for hours, the fairies disappear as suddenly as they appeared, leaving the narrator longing to return to the magical place.

1. The Enchanted Speed Skating Oval

2. Friends:
This little slideshow is the record of a first impression.
First impressions are not always correct.
I love fairy tales.
Peace and goodwill to all!

3. One winter day I headed out to walk downtown along the riverbank.

4. It was a bit too cold to stop for lunch.

5. The mountains were gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

6. I was worried the ducks might be cold. Suddenly---

7. I saw before me, where once was a field of grass,
a beautiful Speed Skating oval

8. It was built of magic pine beetle wood,
and was as majestic as a palace.

9. Entranced, I walked up and stood beneath
the magic pine beetle wood awning.

10. A door was open just a crack. I squeezed through.

11. For a moment I was blinded by bright light.
The air around me was as warm as a summer day.

12. I had entered an enchanted world of the fairies--
a giant silver oval of ice beneath a roof of stars.

13. And round and round the oval skated the fairy speed skaters,
handsome and beautiful and dressed in brilliant costumes.

14. Around and around they skated in a magic ice dance

15. Faster than the wind

16. I hid behind a pointsettia plant and
watched for what seemed like hours.

17. And then... to my great sorrow, they stopped skating

18. And began to disappear

19. In an instant they were gone

20. I humbly departed.

21. Oh what wonders I could tell of this magic place

22. Of its secret rooms of hidden treasure

23. Its precious ornaments

24. And fearsome statue

25. And towering walls of glass

26. As I looked back I saw a fence had sprung up
behind me all around the entrance.

27. And I saw giant nets strung up--
to capture others as they had captured me?

28. There is a darkness in my heart

29. For now the world around me,
though so clean and lovely
and full of life, no longer interests me

30. The Enchanted Speed Skating Oval has bewitched me.
At night I dream of it. And all the day long I hunger to return.

31. I would pay any price to go back to watch
the fairy speed skaters glide around
their oval of ice

32. I am afraid, though, that the price will be very high.

33. End