"An Infestation of Unicorns" is a lighthearted tale that is not laden with social commentary, but Sandy's switch from hero to maiden is worth a second look. Much of the situation of the story is designed to create a need for a maiden where no maiden is allowed to go. Hero after hero has told Abbot Aelian that a maiden is required to draw the unicorns away from the apple trees, and Abbot Aelian has steadfastly insisted that maidens cannot work on monastery grounds. This insistence has a symbolic function: It represents traditional rules that exclude women from certain kinds of work—in this case the work of a hero.

Sandy has a number of adventures on her way to the monastery, and she plainly has appeared to be a man to the people she has helped. Indeed, one woman takes a romantic interest in...