If you know that unicorn’s are masters of disguise, then I reckon you’ve already passed the first hurdle of trying to find a unicorn.
There are plenty of people that don’t know this most basic unicorn fact, and so might well have been walking past the same unicorn on their way to school, or work, or just on their way down to the shop to get some bread and milk without even knowing it.
There are some unicorns that find this quite amusing, and so will come out and about in their disguised form, flaunting themselves to anyone who happens to come by and chuckling to themselves that they haven’t been recognised.
There are even some cheeky unicorns that choose their disguised form just so that they can get free food. Next time you go to a duck pond armed with some slightly stale bread, just take a close look at the ducks that come along to be sure there isn’t a cheeky unicorn disguising itself amongst them
So, if you already know that unicorns are very good at staying hidden, what tools can you use to help you track them down?
Read on and I’ll share a few tricks and tips when I’m out on my own unicorn finding adventures.
Look for signs of sparkle
Unicorns are born to sparkle. They just can’t help it, and this is something that they don’t have much control over when they're in disguise either.
As you know, glitter will twinkle best when there’s lots of light around, so the best days for discovering sparkly clues will be when the sun’s shining.
If it happens to be a nice sunny day when you’ve planned your unicorn adventure, you might be in luck. As you walk along, just cast your eyes around for anything with a slight twinkle and then have patience whilst you stop and study it.
Things you’re looking out for are ducks with a slight hint of glitter in them. Take a look really closely at the feathers just at the back of their neck to see if they twinkle in the light.
You might also see other small birds, sheep, cows or even fish whilst you’re out and about. With these too, don’t get too close but have a detailed look at them to see if you can spot even the slightest hint of glitter.
Spot a rainbow
Rainbows are sure signs that there’s a unicorn about. Usually they’ll be in disguise, but this could also be one of the rare times that you can spot a unicorn in its natural form.
Although it’s not something that you’ll see every day, so won’t help you on most unicorn spotting missions, there’s actually a much higher chance of seeing a unicorn at the end of a rainbow than finding a pot of gold.
Make sure you keep your eyes peeled if you see one.
Have a picnic
Unicorns love being with people, especially children, but are naturally shy creatures who have kept themselves hidden away since the very-olden-days.
However, if there’s one thing that unicorns find it very hard to resist, it’s a picnic.
Being patient whilst on your unicorn spotting adventures is one of the biggest keys to success, so taking a picnic along if you’re going for a long day out is a great way to pass the time.
Whilst the unicorn probably won’t wander right up to you whilst you’re having your picnic, even if it’s in disguise, it might watch you from afar so make sure you take note of what’s peeking at you from the undergrowth.
Once you’ve finished your picnic you could put a few tasty looking morsels a little way off from where you’re playing. Leave them alone for a while and then, sneaking up quietly and remaining a good distance way, take a peek to see if anything’s had a munch of your tasty treats.
If your food has gone it could well be that you’ve just fed a unicorn. Check for signs of glitter if the coast is clear, but be careful that you don’t disturb a unicorn who might be resting with a full tummy somewhere nearby.
Keep a notebook handy
Finding a unicorn takes a lot of hard work and practice but, with patience and determination, you’ll begin to build up a pattern of clues that will lead you to make your first unicorn discovery.
Every time you go out on an adventure it’s a good idea to take a little notebook and pen with you so that you can jot down your most important observations. This will really help you towards success when planning your next unicorn adventure.
And finally …
It took me a very long time until I saw my first unicorn-in-disguise and it's even harder to see a unicorn in its natural state. However, with lots of practice, I’m now confident that I can spot even the merest hint of a disguised unicorn and am happy to report that, although it is still a challenge to find them, there are plenty of them about.
My top 3 tips to remember when trying to find a unicorn:
- Keep your eyes open for even the merest hint of sparkle
- Look for creatures that don’t belong. For example, a sloth lounging around in your local park has to be a unicorn-in-disguise
- Watch out for rainbows, and not just in the sky. Unicorns love rainbows so look out for rainbow coloured fur and things like that which will give the game away
Happy unicorn spotting!