Harriet was pleased with what she saw in the mirror. Normally a 30-year-old woman, she was now the same age as her 7-year-old daughter Hayley. And she was wearing Hayley's two-piece bathing suit. It was a little large on Harriet, but she was absolutely giddy with her image. "You're one cute girl," she giggled.

Her change was made possible by an enchanted coin she found in the abandoned property of an old Romanian woman. Although it resembled an ordinary dollar coin, a letter with it explained that anyone who pinched it hard and concentrated on a desired change could alter their body in appearance, size or age. To see if it worked, Harriet thought of being her daughter's age again. And it worked like a charm! "Found treasures are the sweetest," she told herself.

Harriet's amazement was interrupted by the sound of a slamming door. "It's Hayley! I can't let her see me like this," Harriet said as she ducked into the bathroom. From her hiding place, she heard Hayley scurry through the house, then leave to the sound of another door slam.

Emerging from the bathroom, Harriet decided it was time to turn back. But the coin wasn't where she thought she left it. She scoured Hayley's room, her own bedroom, the kitchen and the living room. The longer the coin remained missing, the more Harriet's euphoria turned to panic. Then from a window, she saw Hayley eating an ice cream bar. "Where'd you get money for that?" neighbor boy John asked. "I was going to ask my Mom, but I found a dollar coin on my desk. Found treasures are the sweetest," she smiled.


Click here to go back to previous page