Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson for August 23, 2021

I know what fairy rings are, because I’m of Irish descent and my mom is a superstitious believer in the fair folk.

Mushrooms don’t naturally grow in a perfect circle formation. But I still wouldn’t be worried.

Now, if there was a circle of salt on the ground, that would be dangerous.

I’m disappointed at this for two reasons. 1: It’s not “fairy” instead of “faerie”. 2: It’s not the kind of mushrooms used to grow like the Mario Bros.

Now, now Marigold. You need to trust the fungus.

Also does this strip make anyone hungry for pizza? Especially the Koopa Special.

Yes I do hold fondness for the SMB movie. Have it, Street Fighter, The Wizard and both 90s Mortal Kombat films.

It’s just the fungus among us, Phoebe!

Marigold is a fun gal.

I am with Marigold om this one:Note: elves in this context are faerie kind, not that weird Tolkien’s one (I suspect that he had contract with elves to make people forget what they really are).

“Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.Elves are terrific. They beget terror.The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning.No one ever said elves are nice.Elves are bad.”

Or go near it any how Marigold often over exaggerates. The horror may be that it gives you uneven freckles or messes your hair slightly. Or it could turn you inside out. Either outcome is a possible definition of horror to a unicorn.

Looks like it’s time for us to have some fun, Gus.

If there’s 1 thing that the Super Mario Bros movie taught me, it’s to “trust the fungus”. If there are 2 things it taught me, the other is not to make a terrible live-action movie out of a video game that would clearly be better if fully animated. Right, SONIC?

Nobody knows the truffles I’ve been!

Don’t be afraid of what you hear in folklore. Unless you have met unicorns, goblins, dragons, a lake monster . . .

Now this could be an interesting arc…especially if said fairy ring actually does prove to have some of those rumored magical powers after all…

Considering that fungus can range anywhere from “really gross” to “tasty” to “powerful hallucinogen” to “deadly toxin”, I can’t really argue with Marigold here.

So dangerous. Any time I have mushroom pizza, I cruelly beat it into submission with a hammer, just in case!

Might end up in Tír na nÓg

There’s a fungus amongus.

This is why I don’t eat mushrooms.

I am reminded of the “Spiderwick Chronicles”.

She’s gonna step into it obviously

Words of wisdom, especially when mold is involved.

This is true: there is a fungus that grows 2" a day, that reaches down into the soil to create its own water source, and devours wood. It can destroy a house by the time you know it’s there—termites have nothing on it, and the only way to be sure you killed it all is to burn it. A concrete foundation is the best protection against it.

Even unicorns know better than to mess with mushrooms …

somebody stole my internet dohickey.. right as things were getting good…! grrr

(for me, missing a pho ep is like when a normal person misses a football game…)