The clerk gave the placard and a map to the constable. Taking them, the constable set out, Sir Snobbin and us following him.
Suddenly Sir Snobbin took the constable’s shoulder and pointed as he demanded, “Where are you going, Sir? Sweet Apple Acres is that way!”
The constable gave him a level stare and demanded, “Unhoof me, Sir! I am well aware of the location of Sweet Apple Acres! That is not the property described in the Eminent Domain Seizure nor on the map given me by the clerk. I am going to finalize the seizure in those documents.”
We really did not have far to walk before the constable verified an address and affixed the Notice.
Sir Snobbin was fit to be tied! “Sir! You cannot do this! This is MY ESTATE! How can anyone be so stupid?”
The constable quietly showed that he was far less stupid than Sir Snobbin thought. “Part of my job, Sir, is to verify that the final notice matches the documents provided by the court. I noticed that the document was prepared and submitted for service by YOUR realty company. That means that YOU made the error, if there was one!”
Hearing the little altercation from a modest distance, I suggested to the Apples and Coalsmoke, “Let’s leave before he sees us!”
While we were trotting away, AJ showed what being an Element of Harmony is all about. She inquired, “Your friend, up there at your cave, the Litch King, is he called? Don’t get many invites, does he? Does he always look like that? An Alicorn skeleton, I mean?”
Coalsmoke filled in, “Clarence? That really is him. He is even better at glamors than Grumpy. He can look like whatever he wants. Why would you ask?”
Soberly, AJ replied, “'Cause if he don’t go taking anypony during the Harvest Home Feast, I’d like to invite him, too. Seems like a good sort.”
Coalsmoke nodded, “He is, if you don’t go trying to piss him off. I may add, he loved your apple pie and fritters, too.”
I pointed off to the other side of Ponyville. “Look! It is raining! Appears to be right over your apple orchards, AJ!”
She smiled. “It is. Best rain deal Ah made with Cloudsdale in a while. All that they wants is five bushels of fresh apples, come harvest! Ah invited them to the Harvest Home Feast too.”
We parted company. They went back to the farm that was still theirs. Coalsmoke and I went back up to my cave. There was enough daylight remaining to get in a couple of chapters of Daring Do.
Clarence greeted us at the ledge. He was skipping about like a colt! “The Apple family are so nice! They know what and who I am and still invited me to their feast! I am looking forward to trying everything that they make out of apples! Those fritters are so good!”
We read in the Ponyville Prancer about the bumper crop of apples at Sweet Apple Acres. There was an announcement of the date and time for their Harvest Home Feast too.
Going into Ponyville on the appointed day, we had only to follow the signs. This feast was one of the big events in Ponyville.
At the gate of Sweet Apple Acres, we were greeted by AJ in person. “Grumpy! Clarence! So happy that you could make it! Come in and help yourselves! We done made plenty for everypony!”
It was true, too! There were everything from five different kinds of applesauce to baked apples, stuffed apples, pies, fritters and apple filled pastries of several sorts.
The crowd included quite a few from out of town. Pegassi from Cloudsdale. They were not only the ones that brought the rain that washed away the pesticide dust from the apples, they brought friends too.
The story of the saving of Sweet Apple Acres was a huge hit! I actually had ponies wanting my autograph!
While I was busy stuffing my face and sucking down apple cider, AJ and Apple Bloom approached me. AJ wanted to know, “How could Sir Snobbin have made such a blunder?”
I grinned, ear to ear, which since I my face is only a glamor, should have been really disturbing. Except that it just made Apple Bloom giggle.
I told AJ, “It was Non-Equine magic at work. While you were in the office to pay your taxes, he was there squabbling about his. To protest his tax, he needed the exact legal description of HIS property.
“For the Eminent Domain Seizure, he needed the exact legal description of YOUR property. When he gathered up all the papers after he was done, HE mixed up the two legal descriptions, that is all.
“Those things really do look pretty much alike, you know, Duchy whatever, County which, Barony, so and so, township such and such, block that, lot or lots numbers thus and so.
“All of Ponyville and environs has all of that the same except for the block and lot numbers. Easy mistake to make, made easier by a little help from a certain Non-Equine!”
-THE END-