Attempts to Capture and Tame a Unicorn: (9) Like Last Week But with a Rope Net

As seen in Return of the Jedi - if Ewoks could pull it off, surely I could at least have a decent shot.

Throughout the period of searching the forest I had been making the net with the vast amount of rope I had bought.  It had been a long and rewarding process calling for all the practical skills I had in me - which have always been lacking, as school reports duly testify.  Creating a grid of squares to form one large net., a rope was then fastened to each corner and these became one rope so that, when pulled upward, the net would envelope and trap the unicorn.  Even if its horn pierced one rope it wouldn’t matter too much.  I just had to tighten it all enough so that its horn wouldn’t reach any more.

Again I arrived early to set up, hiding the ropes as best I could and sprinkling the oats liberally.  I waited and relaxed in my shelter with a Thermos full of coffee (I had considered a weak lemon drink before remembering I have always hated lemon squash).

She appeared mid-afternoon as if hopeful for oats - her nose close to the ground, sniffing tentatively, moving forward carefully.  Quite soon she found what she was after, but her feet also found ropes before her goal and she stepped back.  I watched, scared and intrigued, as a battle seemed to rage in the unicorn’s head.  “Should I step forward and eat, risk it; or should I stay away.”  After an agonising couple of minutes she finally gave in, strode forward purposefully and began to lap up the oats.

I pulled, again surprised by her weight.  Her head, complete with horn, and all four legs slipped easily through the squares.  Pleased with myself, I tied my rope to another tree and stood back to admire my handy work.  The unicorn sat nice and easy in the air, making no attempt to struggle or get free so I took the opportunity to study it for a second or two before making moves to cut her down and get her to the van.

It was at this point that I noticed the smoke.  Just light wisps at first but definitely there and coming from the ropes underneath the unicorn’s belly.  And it got thicker - slowly at first - then rapidly, thicker and thicker - great plumes of it snaking around her midriff and escaping onto the wind until suddenly the ropes of the net gave way and she dropped delicately once more to the ground and walked away leaving me agog with a charred mess dangling above.