It was a misty, rainy night and thunder streaked across the sky. Meanwhile, a raccoon frantically scurried around the forest floor looking for somewhere to hide. He had just attempted to steal from the other animals of the forest, and now they infuriately chased after him. “Where should I go?” he asked himself desperately. Then suddenly, as if it were a miracle, he spotted a magnificent castle right in the forest clearing. “Wow,” the raccoon muttered to himself, surprised at his luck. He scampered up to the castle as quickly as he could. But he noticed that there was a problem—a large moat surrounded the castle. When the raccoon was near enough, he noticed three entwining fish tails near the surface of the water. Then suddenly, with a loud splash, the surface of the moat tore apart, and three beautiful mermaids appeared at once. They all had gleaming red eyes, matching scarlet tails, and bouncy blonde locks. The mermaid in the middle gazed at him suspiciously for a few seconds, and then finally spoke.

“What is your purpose in coming here?” Her voice was gentle, and seemed to echo in a mysterious way.
The raccoon cleared his throat and said importantly, “I seek shelter away from this horrible storm.”
He glanced back, to check if the animals were chasing after him. Sure enough, there was no sign of them. The truth was that the raccoon was a well-known thief around the forest. He also figured that he might be able to steal something from this majestic castle. Then finally, another mermaid spoke up.

“How can we be sure that you mean us no harm?”

“Give it a rest Aqua,” the other mermaid told her twin. “He is just a pathetic raccoon. In what way can he harm us?” The raccoon shot her an irritated glance.
“Alright,” she said, but still looked very uncertain.
“Very well, you may go then,” said the mermaid in the middle.
She snapped her fingers, and a golden bridge materialized out of thin air. It stretched over the moat to make way for the raccoon. He scurried across the magical bridge before the mermaids could change their minds. Finally, he reached the towering door which two knights were guarding. They crossed their swords immediately when they noticed the raccoon.
“Who are you and why have you come?” a knight asked.
“I am the raccoon, and I seek shelter away from this treacherous storm,” he answered back.
The knights glanced at each other, and looked as if they were determining if whether or not to trust the raccoon. Finally, they decided to let him go. They separated their swords to let him through. The castle was a magnificent on the inside as it was on the outside. Torches lined the walls, and the floor was made of marble. There was also a high ceiling which was made of heavy stained glass. And there sat the Wizard King at the very end of the aisle.

“Hello,” he said pleasantly. He was smiling broadly, and was not the slightest bit surprised about his unexpected guest. The king was wise and clever, but people mostly respected him because of his good nature. He was a very skilled wizard and had the ability to do brilliant magic. Therefore, he understood exactly what the raccoon intended to do.
“Greetings, your majesty,” said the raccoon, bowing deeply.
“How may I help you?” the king asked, beaming down upon the raccoon.
“There is a tremendous storm outside, and I was wondering if you would be kind enough to let me stay here until it ends,” said the raccoon.
“Of course you may,” the king said brightly. Then he nodded toward one the knights. “Please escort this raccoon to the guest room.” The knight bowed, and beckoned to the raccoon to follow him. He did, and was led to a wonderful room lined with torches and lit by candles. In the middle of the room, there was a large bed. He jumped onto the bed, and looked up at a huge silver clock that was floating in midair. “Almost twelve o’ clock,” he thought to himself. It was the perfect time to carry out his plan. He quietly opened the door and crept through the hall. It seemed that everyone was asleep. “Perfect,” he thought. Then, he started to gather anything that looked valuable. As he ran towards the door to escape, light flooded the room. The king stood blocking the door, with his arms crossed. There was a satisfied smile etched upon his face. He did not look angry at all. In fact, he was grinning.

“Ah…,” he said quietly. “So we have a little thief here. I kindly request you to return my possessions.”
The raccoon reluctantly handed him back the things he had stolen.

“Thank you,” the king said. “And now, for your punishment…” The raccoon gaped at the king, his eyes bulging.
“P-Punishment?” he stammered.
‘Yes punishment, the king said contently. “However, I assure you that it will not cause you pain. I just want to teach you a lesson.” The raccoon waited, expecting the worst. “Therefore, the king continued, I will curse you with a robber’s mask that will stay upon you as a mark, and your future generation.” A furry black mask appeared around the raccoon’s beady eyes. “I hope this had taught you a lesson,” the king said. “Remember, your bad deeds always leave a mark.”