Aww... cute.

I just want to give your Piangi a great big hug! He doesn't get enough love, so stories like this take up the slack.

We think of a picnic as shorts, t-shirts, cans of beer and ants, but this story gives us a 19th century feel of opulent elegance. And it's fun how Piangi's opulent, theatrical speech carries over into his wooing of Carlotta - as if he were speaking a language not his own, one greatly influenced by singing operas in French.

IIRC this did well in the contest in which you entered it, too - congratulations!

Oh Jennie, it's lovely! I'm tickled to death by the pro-Carlotta faction as "headed" (as I see it) by Stefanie Bean; but this is a fantastic addition. I love their play over the food/mirror. And Carlotta's distress over what Piangi thinks is the perfect outing is very true to life.

Ooh, this is another great wonderful story. I love your work, the characters are so perfectly perfectly written.

Atmosphere, all your writing has a different mood associated with it and it drags you straight in and envelops you in the world you've created.

There's some great, great description in here too. Particularly little gems like: "a froth of silk" that just puts the image straight into my head.