Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Stilettio. She lived in a small country village, where everyone was content with the simple life. But Stilettio was not. She spent her days poring over fashion magazines and scrolling through style blogs. Someday, she vowed, she would leave the village and become a world-famous stylist. One night, as Stilettio gazed out her window, she saw a shooting star. Shutting her eyes tightly, she made a wish: “Shooting star, though so far, please grant the wish in my heart.” Sighing, Stilettio opened her eyes again—and shrieked. For standing in front of her was a strange woman, dressed all in white and holding a shoebox. “Do not fear, Stilettio,” the woman smiled. “I am your fairy godmother. I have heard your wish, and I am here to make it come true.”Unable to speak, Stilettio could only stare as the woman opened the shoebox to reveal black stilettos.“These are very special shoes, Stilettio. For as long as you wear them, you are guaranteed success as a stylist.”Finally Stilettio found her voice. “But—will they go with everything?”The fairy godmother laughed. “Indeed. All you need to do is place them on your feet and speak aloud their color and style, and they will become so.”Incredulous, Stilettio slipped each heel on and stood. “Nude D’Orsay heels!” she commanded. And before her very eyes, the shoes transformed. “Gold gladiator sandals! Cognac wedge booties! Burgundy suede platforms!” Stilettio grew more excited with each metamorphosis. Her fairy godmother held up one hand before she could utter another combination. “But Stilettio, I must warn you. There is another power these shoes have. If you believe in your talents, you will not feel the need to stray from the truth. But if you do tell a lie, the shoes—in whichever form they are—will grow one inch. There is no limit to how much they can grow, and only the truth can undo it.” Stilettio nodded. She did believe in herself. Anyway, if the shoes guaranteed success, what would there be to lie about?A few months later, Stilettio was far away from the village in the country and in a city that was the center of fashion. She wore the magic shoes every day, and just as her fairy godmother had promised, things began happening for her. One afternoon, when Stilettio was assisting at a shoot, the editor in charge noticed her. “Excuse me, but I’ve been watching you work, and you seem very talented. How long have you been styling?”Without thinking, Stilettio blurted out, “Five years.” She didn’t want to seem inexperienced. It was only as she felt the shoes grow beneath her that she remembered what the fairy godmother had said. Stilettio held her breath and waited to see if the editor would notice, but she only smiled and offered her card. “Great shoes, by the way.”Over the next few weeks, more lies slipped out of Stilettio: She had worked with this designer, that photographer. She knew all the good vintage places in Paris. With each falsehood, the shoes grew. But a funny thing happened when the heels were about 7 inches high: Everyone loved them. And because they believed that Stilettio was an authority in fashion, shoe designers threw out their old sketches and declared that higher was better. Soon all the women in the city were seen tottering around. Foot injuries skyrocketed. But no one dared to complain, lest they seem démodé. Thanks to the shoes, Stilettio’s dreams had come true. She was too busy concentrating on walking to worry about what would happen when shoe trends changed again. And so, even if it wasn’t ever after, she lived happily in the moment.The End
