Pip in Jewel Forest Read online

  Thanks fairy much Catherine Coe!

  Welcome to the world of the fashion fairy princesses! Join Pip and friends on their magical adventures in fairyland.

  They can’t wait to explore

  Can you?

  Contents

  Cover

  Half Title Page

  Dedication

  Title Page

  Map

  Jewel Forest

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Fashion Fairy Princess Website

  Sneak Peek of Nutmeg in Jewel Forest

  Fun Facts about Pip

  Back Ads

  Copyright

  Toadstool Town Hall in Jewel Forest hummed with the chatter of fairies as they waited for the meeting to begin. The town hall was an impressive circular building deep in the magical forest. The walls were made entirely of gemstones, which let light flow in from outside, even though there were no windows.

  Pip, Willa, Catkin and Blossom sat next to each other on red-and-white toadstool seats, waiting for someone to appear on the stage in the centre of the hall.

  “I wonder what this is all about,” said Willa as she adjusted her sycamore hairband in her long dark hair. “I hope there isn’t something wrong in the forest!”

  “Maybe it’s something good,” Pip said in her tiny fairy voice. Pip was the smallest of all of her friends, and she had a voice to match.

  “Well, it can’t be a celebration,” added Blossom, who owned the bakery in Jewel Forest, “because I haven’t been asked to bake a special cake!”

  “Oh look, it’s the mayor,” whispered Catkin. She nodded her head at the stage, making her red curly hair bounce about.

  A large yellow frog hopped along one of the aisles and on to the stage. He wore a smart red waistcoat that sparkled with ruby jewels.

  Ribbit, he said into the bellflower microphone on the stage. “Is this microphone working?” Ribbit!

  The audience was a sea of bobbing heads as everyone nodded at the same time.

  “Good. Then I will begin,” said the mayor in his deep, croaky, froggy voice. “Thank you for gathering here today. I have an important announcement that I think you will all find very exciting indeed.”

  “Ooh, I wonder what it will be!” whispered Blossom.

  “I am delighted to tell you all that…” The mayor paused as everyone sat forward on their seats – “Jewel Forest is to host the next Fairy Olympics!”

  Hearing these words, everyone in Toadstool Town Hall cheered. The Fairy Olympics were held every four years – but Jewel Forest had never hosted them before. It was a really big deal.

  “This is BRILLIANT!” cried Willa as she fluttered her wings in excitement.

  “Oh, I can’t wait!” added Catkin, clapping her hands. She turned to Pip. “You were right – it is something good!”

  But although her friends were delighted, Pip wasn’t so sure. The little fairy didn’t really like sports – and she wasn’t very good at them!

  Ribbit! croaked the mayor as he tried to quieten the audience. “Now, creatures of the forest, there’s a great deal of work to do! The Fairy Olympics will take place in just two days’ time, so we’ll need lots of help to get everything ready. And you’ll need to practise for the events, as we’ll have fairies visiting from all over fairyland to compete in our Olympics. We’ll put on a fantastic show for the forest animals and creatures! There will be events designed especially for the forest: Toadstool Trampolining, Branch Gymnastics, River Rafting and Fairy Relay.”

  The mayor grinned and clapped his webbed hands together. “Right, that’s all. Thank you, fairies! I know we’re going to put on an Olympics like no other, and that you’ll do Jewel Forest proud!”

  Everyone began fluttering out of the hall. “You go on without me,” Catkin told her friends. “I want to speak to the mayor about being on the organizing committee.”

  The fairies grinned – if there was one thing Catkin loved to do above all else, it was organize!

  The fairy friends waved goodbye to Catkin as they walked through the grand town hall entrance. Outside were two golden statues: one of a princess fairy and one of a hummingbird, showing the harmony between the fairies and creatures of the forest.

  They emerged into the lush green forest, which sparkled in the afternoon sunshine. The jewels hanging from the trees glistened and the shiny leaves gleamed.

  “I’m so looking forward to the Branch Gymnastics,” said Blossom. “It’s my favourite sport!”

  The three fairies stepped on to the fairy skyway. The skyway was high above the forest ground and made of leafy bridges that connected the tree houses and shops. Shiny gems, dotted between the leaves, meant that it always glittered, even at night!

  “I love Toadstool Trampolining!” said Willa. “I’m a bit rusty, but if I start practising right away, I hope I’ll get the hang of it again quickly.”

  “Oh, and what about the River Rafting?” said Blossom, spinning round to face her friends. “It sounds like so much fun!”

  The friends continued to chatter as they fluttered back home, although Pip was quiet. A niggling thought buzzed about her head: What am I going to do? I really don’t like sports!

  With just two days until the Fairy Olympics, everyone immediately set to work. The whole forest buzzed with excitement about the Olympics, and the fairies and creatures flitted about madly, all helping to prepare for the big day.

  The next morning, Pip bumped into Catkin on her way to Blossom’s bakery. “Oh, hi, Catkin!” She waved at the red-headed fairy flying towards her on the fairy skyway. “How are things going?”

  Catkin held out a piece of reed paper. “There’s so much to do – I’ve got to sort out the seating, the refreshments for the competitors and the medals and podium!” Despite this, Catkin had a big smile across her face. “But I love it – this Fairy Olympics is going to be the best ever!”

  “With you in charge, I’m sure it will be!” said Pip. “Would you like anything from Blossom’s bakery? I’m just going to pick up a ruby-jam tart.”

  “Not right now, thanks – but say hello from me!”

  “Of course!” Pip squeaked in her little voice.

  Pip zoomed through the crowd of fairies on the skyway. Being small meant she could easily weave left and right, up and down, past everyone.

  Back in her pretty tree house, Pip waited for the tea to brew and thought about the Olympics. How will I ever keep up with the bigger, stronger fairies? She poured a cup of steaming beechnut tea and took a sip. Usually, tea and a tart would calm her down, but today they didn’t help at all. Pip worried that the whole forest would laugh at her when they saw how bad she was at sports.

  She put down her mug and sat forward in her acorn seat. “There’s nothing else for it,” she told herself. “I’ll just have to practise!”

  That night, when most of the fairies in Jewel Forest were sleeping soundly in their tree homes, Pip crept quietly through her arched doorway and into the darkening forest.

  She fluttered along the skyway towards the forest floor. Luckily, the sparkling gems along the bridges lit up the way – together with the light from the crescent moon above. Pip heard the flap of jewel moths’ wings and the hoot of owls as she flew quietly past. She’d never been out in the forest by herself at night before, but it didn’t feel scary. In fact, it felt more magical than ever.

  Pi
p headed for the base of the silver-leaf willow, a large, drooping tree with leaves made entirely of silver. It was surrounded by hundreds of white-spotted purple toadstools – perfect for practising Toadstool Trampolining.

  She gently flapped her wings to rise up on to a toadstool. Balancing lightly on the toadstool, she then slowly curled up her wings.

  “OK, now try a little jump,” Pip told herself. She bent her knees, took a breath and leapt up – but as she landed, her feet slipped from the top of the toadstool and she slid down the side and into the moss below.

  “Come on, Pip – get up and try again!” she said to herself as she stood up and dusted down her purple leggings.

  But time and time again, Pip fell off the toadstool. I’m going to make such a fairy-fool of myself! she thought. Pip was fluttering back on to the toadstool for the tenth time when she heard a flap and a flitter. But these weren’t a bat’s wings – they were too quiet for that. Who was there?

  She squinted in the gloom and saw the shape of a fairy appear. Willa! What’s she doing here in the middle of the night?

  “Hello!” Willa called. “Who’s that over there?”

  Pip gave Willa a little wave. “It’s me, Pip,” she said.

  Willa frowned and fluttered nearer. Her big brown eyes were wide with surprise. “Pip – what in fairyland are you doing here at this time?”

  “I’m … I’m…” Pip didn’t know what to say. “I … I couldn’t sleep. What are you doing here?” she said, changing the subject.

  Willa fluttered on to a nearby toadstool and began jumping. Pip stared in amazement – it was as if Willa’s feet were connected to the toadstool with elastic! “I wanted to practise my triple backspins in peace – it’s always so crowded here in the daytime.”

  Pip sat down on her toadstool and, with her face cupped in her hands, watched Willa jump, spin and flip. “You’re FANTASTIC,” she said to her friend. “I wish I was half as good as you.”

  Willa stopped bouncing and looked at Pip. “But if you practise, I’m sure you’ll soon get better at it. It’s not that difficult.” Willa did a pirouette on her toadstool as if to show her. “See!”

  “No, Willa – you don’t understand. I’m really bad at it,” Pip confided. “I can’t even do a simple jump without falling off.” To demonstrate, Pip tried to bounce on the toadstool for the eleventh time and fell straight to the floor.

  “How about I help you?” Willa offered. “I could give you some pointers.”

  But no matter how much Willa tried to help Pip, the little fairy couldn’t get the hang of Toadstool Trampolining. Over and over again she tried. And over and over again, Pip had to pick herself up from the mossy ground.

  “Please don’t worry,” Willa said, when Pip decided it was time she got to bed. “I’m sure there’s something you’re good at – we just have to find out what!”

  Pip was still in bed when she heard a knock on the door the next morning. She rubbed her eyes and blinked at the early dawn light that flooded in through the sapphire windows.

  She climbed out of her palm-leaf hammock and fluttered over to open the door.

  “Oh, hi, Blossom!” Pip greeted her friend in her gentle voice. “You’re up early!”

  “Oh, I’m always up early – to bake! But actually, I’ve given myself the day off today. I’m here to help you!”

  Pip frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Blossom grinned and her green eyes twinkled. “I’ve come to help you learn Branch Gymnastics!”

  Pip’s heart sank to the tips of her fairy toes. “Did Willa tell you about last night?” she asked.

  “Well, er, yes,” replied Blossom. “We all want to do everything we can to help!”

  Pip shook her head. “It’s so embarrassing that I can’t do sports. And however hard I try, I just don’t like them!” She fought back tears, thinking about how terrible she’d been at the Toadstool Trampolining.

  Blossom reached her arms out and gave her friend a hug. “But there’s no harm in having a go, is there?”

  Deep down Pip knew that her friends were just being nice. And maybe they could help her get a bit better. “All right,” she said. “Do you mind waiting while I change into some sports clothes? I can’t do gymnastics in my pyjamas!”

  Soon Pip was wearing a butterfly-print T-shirt with spider-silk black leggings. “Let’s go!” she said cheerily, trying to be upbeat about practising – even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

  Blossom led Pip along the fairy skyway to a tree branch in a quiet corner of Jewel Forest. “I often come to train here,” she told Pip. “No one ever disturbs me, and these topaz trees have really smooth branches – perfect to swing and spin on!”

  Pip looked around at the forest. The light-blue topaz gems glittered on the leaves of the trees, casting a magical light everywhere. It looked so peaceful, and despite it being dawn, Pip couldn’t even hear a bird singing. Not that she didn’t enjoy birdsong – but she needed total concentration if she was ever going to get better at sports!

  “Come and sit next to me, Pip,” called Blossom. She was perched on a short branch near the bottom of the tree with her legs dangling. “We can do some basics together.”

  Pip fluttered down on to the branch next to her friend.

  Blossom let her legs slip off the branch so she hung by her arms. “This is the Dangle Pose,” she said. “That’s how a lot of Branch Gymnastics moves begin.”

  Pip looked down at her own arms. She wasn’t sure they’d be strong enough to hold her – even though she didn’t weigh much.

  “Now, I’ll show you a few moves. Watch me carefully…”

  Pip sat on the branch while Blossom moved her legs back and forth to start swinging. She soon built up enough momentum to swing forward, over the top of the branch and around, then around again, and again. Her wavy blonde hair billowed out in the breeze as she spun faster and faster. Blossom became almost a blur, and Pip wondered how in fairyland she’d ever do that. Surely it would make her really dizzy?

  Blossom suddenly let go of the branch, did a double backwards somersault in the air and landed back on the branch on her feet.

  Pip couldn’t help but clap. “That was incredible! But I’ll never be able to do anything like that…”

  Blossom sat down. “Well, how about we start with a spin? It’s the most basic move in Branch Gymnastics. What do you think?”

  Pip nodded slowly. “OK … I guess it can’t hurt to try.” How hard could it be? Blossom made it look easy, at least.

  Blossom slipped back down to the Dangle Pose and kicked her legs forward to swing herself to and fro. Pip tried to copy her, but instead of swinging smoothly like Blossom, she just sort of … wriggled about. I look more like a caterpillar than a gymnast! Pip thought to herself.

  “Keep going,” Blossom said encouragingly. “Bend your knees, then straighten them out again – that will help you swing.”

  Pip did as Blossom said, but although her legs were moving up and down, her body stayed still. What’s more, her arms were really aching from dangling for so long!

  “You can do it,” said Blossom, but as Pip tried kicking out again, she lost her grip on the branch. She tumbled downwards, and had to quickly unfurl her wings before she hit the ground. She fluttered them out just in time, but rather than flying up towards Blossom, Pip zoomed off, away from the topaz trees.

  “I can’t do it,” Pip called over her shoulder, tears in her eyes. “I’ll never be good at sports. There’s just no point in trying!”

  “Pip, where are you going?” Blossom called after her friend. But Pip had already disappeared among the trees of Jewel Forest.

  I shouldn’t have flown away, thought Pip as she sat on the banks of the River Sapphire. Blossom was only trying to help. She picked up a pearl-pebble and skimmed it across the shimmering water. When they were y
ounger, the fairy friends had often played here, seeing who could skim their pebble the furthest.

  “Pip!” called Blossom. “Are you OK?”

  Pip jumped at the sudden shout.

  Blossom fluttered over until she was standing on the grassy riverbank beside Pip. Even the grass was special in Jewel Forest – it glistened with crystal dewdrops.

  “I’m sorry I made you do gymnastics,” began Blossom.

  Pip looked up at her friend. “Oh, please don’t be sorry, Blossom! You were just being kind and trying to teach me. I’m sorry for flying away!” She fiddled with a pebble she had in her hand. “It’s just that I’m never going to be good at sports – I’m too tiny. And the Fairy Olympics are tomorrow. Everyone’s going to laugh at me!”

  Blossom put an arm around her friend. “No one will laugh at you, Pip. You know the Fairy Olympics are all about taking part – not winning!”

  As Blossom spoke she heard a splashing coming along the river. She glanced up to see a dinghy filled with forest fairies. “Oh look, they must be practising for the River Rafting!” Blossom had a sudden thought. “Hey, Pip, have you ever tried rafting? I bet being small doesn’t make a difference with that!”

  But the idea of being in the river made Pip tremble. “You’re right, Blossom. But do you remember that time when we were much younger, and I fell into the river? We’d been skimming pearl-pebbles near Garnet Gorge, and I reached out too far and toppled off the bank…”

  Blossom gasped. How could she have forgotten that! Pip had been terrified – she hadn’t yet learnt to swim, and the current had tugged at her wings and pulled her under the water. She was lucky that a water vole had heard the commotion, and popped out of his hole nearby. He’d saved her just in time.