Blossom in Jewel Forest Read online

  “Oh, I’m glad. You see, I need your help…” Catkin explained to Pip how she’d found Blossom asleep in the bakery.

  Pip’s eyes widened. “Oh dear! It did seem like Blossom had an awful lot to do, but she said she’d be fine. And Blossom’s always a bit disorganized, so I didn’t worry too much when I saw the chaos in the bakery.” She looked down. “But I feel bad – I should have realized just how hard she’d been working and how tired she was.”

  Catkin shook her head. “Don’t worry – you weren’t to know. Blossom’s always so cheery about everything. And you’re right – Blossom’s bakery often looks messy, even when she’s on top of things!”

  “So how can we help?” Pip asked.

  “Well, she’s obviously worn out, so I wondered if we could leave her to sleep and finish baking all the cakes. If I gather enough of us, I’m sure we can do it.” Catkin looked hopefully at Pip.

  Pip frowned. “But she was making so many cakes, and some were brand new recipes!” The little fairy sipped at her tea and thought for a moment. “Wait. I’ve got an idea! She had a scrapbook in the bakery which had all her cake designs scribbled down – if we can find it, perhaps we can finish all the cakes for her!”

  Catkin hugged her friend. “That would be wonderful!” she said. “Can you come and help right away? We don’t have any time to lose!”

  The two fairies agreed that Pip would go straight to the bakery to find Blossom’s scrapbook while Catkin went to gather more fairies to help them. Without Blossom’s expert baking skills, they certainly needed more than just the two of them to get all the cakes ready in time! I’ll start with Willa, Catkin thought to herself. She’s always good in a crisis. Willa lived next door to Pip in the opal-oak tree. When Catkin arrived at the tree, Willa was tiptoeing along an impossibly narrow branch, her pink wings tucked away and her arms held out either side for balance.

  “Oh, hi, Catkin.” Willa grinned but didn’t move her arms to wave. “I’m practising for the tightrope competition at the fête tomorrow. Look, no wings!” Willa bent her legs and jumped on the branch, landing steadily without even a flutter of her pink wings.

  “Wow, that’s impressive,” said Catkin, hoping that Willa wasn’t too busy to help. “Um, Willa, I have a favour to ask…”

  As soon as she told Willa about Blossom, Willa flew down from the branch and put an arm around Catkin. “Of course!” she cried. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to bake cakes as well as Blossom can, but I’ll certainly try my best!”

  Catkin and Willa went to the Tree Palace next, where Princess Primrose lived with the rest of the forest fairy royalty. It was built into an ancient pink diamond- nut tree – a beautiful place with turrets, towers and drawbridges.

  The two fairies crept into the palace entrance hall, stepping very carefully to avoid waking anyone who was already sleeping. The trunk of the great tree was hollow, which meant that in the daytime sunshine poured inside it, lighting up the inside of the trunk. Catkin thought it always looked incredible, but now, at night, the sparkling moonlight that shone in looked even more magical.

  Catkin tiptoed to the wall and whispered into a forest-fairy-ear-shaped knot in the wood of the entrance hall. Magically, the wall at the knot slid away and transformed into a staircase tunnel. The palace was full of these secret passages, which allowed the fairies to move about the palace quickly and easily. Catkin and Willa stepped inside, and in just a few flutters they arrived outside Primrose’s bedroom.

  “Primrose, are you awake?” Catkin called gently, listening with her ear pressed against the grand oak door.

  “Yes, come in!” Primrose said in a much louder voice.

  Willa pushed the door open and the two fairies entered. Primrose’s bedroom was a huge circular room with gorgeous leaf-shaped windows. Inside, Primrose was at her dressing table beside her younger sister, Nutmeg. They were painting each other’s nails.

  “Hello!” called Nutmeg excitedly. “Primrose is painting my nails lime green to match my fancy-dress outfit tomorrow!”

  “Hello, Willa, Catkin,” Primrose welcomed them. “Is everything all right?”

  Primrose blew on her nails as Catkin explained what had happened at the bakery.

  “Poor Blossom…” Primrose jumped up. “Of course I’ll help!”

  “Me, too!” joined in Nutmeg.

  “Are you sure?” Catkin asked, looking at the pink cuckoo clock on the wall. “Isn’t it your bedtime soon?”

  Nutmeg’s freckly smile broke into a wide grin. “I’m too excited about the fête to sleep! It’s OK to come too, isn’t it, Primrose?”

  Her older sister smiled and nodded. “Just this once!”

  Soon, Catkin, Willa, Primrose and Nutmeg were tiptoeing silently into the bakery. Blossom still slept soundly at the counter.

  Primrose put her hand to her mouth and her hazel eyes widened. “Oh dear,” she whispered. “I see what you mean about there being lots to do!”

  Catkin found a duckling-feather blanket and laid it over the sleeping Blossom. Willa carefully lifted her head out of the batter and gently placed it on an ivy-cushion.

  Pip’s head popped up over the counter – being one of the smallest fairies in Jewel Forest, she could only just see over it if she stood on the tips of her toes. She waved at the fairies and held up Blossom’s scrapbook. “I’ve found it,” she mouthed. Pip cleared the table of cake boxes and the fairies gathered round as she laid the scrapbook down and opened the first page. Together, they looked over Blossom’s designs, trying to take everything in.

  “Willa, can you put the moonbutter cakes into the oven?” Catkin asked in a soft voice. “And Nutmeg, could you mix together the glow-beam cake ingredients? I think I saw them in a bowl but they need to be blended together.” The fairies nodded and began to start work.

  “Shall I make the honey and walnut tart?” Primrose mouthed.

  “And I can ice the sunshine cake,” whispered Pip.

  “Yes, please,” replied Catkin. “I’ll do the starberry muffins. They’re my favourite – Blossom once let me help her make them, so I’m hoping I can remember how…”

  It wasn’t long before the bakery was filled with scrumptious smells once more, and the fairies fluttered around, working as hard and as quickly as possible to prepare Blossom’s creations. Catkin was soon pouring the starberry mixture into muffin tins. “Done!” she said to herself. “Now they’re ready for the oven.” After carefully placing the tins inside the oven, she closed the door quietly and crossed her fingers. Catkin really hoped these cakes were going to be up to Blossom’s high standards. She didn’t want to let her – or the fête-goers – down!

  Thankfully, the forest birds hadn’t yet begun their dawn chorus when the fairies tiptoed out of the bakery. Catkin pulled the door closed carefully and smiled as she looked through the window at all the goodies. She couldn’t quite believe they’d done it, but the friends had managed to finish every single cake, ready for the fête.

  The fairies flew back to their homes to catch up on a little sleep before the fête began. As Catkin drifted off to sleep in her palm-leaf hammock underneath the stars, she wondered what Blossom would think when she woke up!

  Blossom slept soundly until dawn, when the tweeting of the birds outside began to stir her from slumber. She opened her eyes, wondering where she was for a moment, and looked down at the duckling-feather blanket covering her. She’d been asleep? Oh, no! A wave of sickness rushed over her. Had she accidentally drifted off and left all the cakes half finished?

  She leapt up, her heart beating like a drum. She had to blink her green eyes several times before she could believe what she saw. The worktops and tables were filled with stands of magnificent cakes and bulging cake boxes, glowing in the early morning light that shone through the bakery windows.

  She clapped a hand to her mouth. How in fairyland has this happened? she th
ought, so shocked she had to hold on to the counter to steady herself. Was it forest fairy magic?

  Blossom rushed closer to the cakes and opened one of the boxes that had been tied with moth-silk. Inside were moonbutter cupcakes, perfectly risen and glistening with the sparkly buttercream. Next to the box, on a three-tiered cake stand, were the starberry muffins, and behind those was a box containing the most delicious-looking honey and walnut tart. Then something on the table caught her eye – the bright, magical rays that burst from the edible jewels on the double-layer sunshine cake. It looked even better than she’d imagined!

  Blossom jumped as the door opened suddenly, and Catkin popped her head in.

  “Good morning, Blossom, did you sleep well?” Catkin looked around the bakery, a sparkle in her hazel eyes. Blossom guessed she was excited about the fête today – just as she was, now that her cakes were miraculously finished in time!

  “Well, yes, thank you, I did.” Blossom beamed, thinking how rested and happy she now felt. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it again. Should she mention the magic that had happened in the bakery? Everyone in the forest believed in magic, but she’d never known anything this powerful to happen before – it was a miracle. Blossom didn’t want to sound silly in front of sensible Catkin. She might think she was crazy! But she couldn’t keep something this big a secret – and Catkin was one of her very best friends. “Um, Catkin?”

  “Yes, Blossom?” Catkin grinned.

  “The thing is,” Blossom began, “I didn’t do all this… I must have fallen asleep last night, and I was still halfway through making lots of the cakes. But when I woke up this morning, there they were, all ready, as if I’d been baking all night.”

  “Really? How strange.” Catkin suddenly felt hot, and guessed her usually pale cheeks had flushed as red as her hair. She hoped Blossom hadn’t noticed.

  “Do you believe that forest fairy magic could have done something like this?” Blossom continued. “I just can’t think of any other explanation.”

  “Well, fairy magic is very strong – especially here in Jewel Forest,” Catkin replied, and tried to change the subject. “Would you like a hand taking the cakes down to the fête?”

  But Blossom didn’t answer. She was staring at Catkin’s petal-patchwork skirt.

  “Catkin, is that flour on your skirt?”

  Catkin looked down and quickly brushed it away.

  “Er … well…” Catkin began, wondering what in fairyland she should say. She looked out of the window for inspiration and spotted some tree squirrels scampering past.

  “Oh, look – there’s a group of tree squirrels outside on the skyway. Let’s ask if they can help us carry some things!”

  “Good idea!” Blossom replied, and Catkin let out a sigh of relief.

  Soon, the two fairies and the tree squirrels were balancing all the cake stands and boxes as they walked carefully along the walkway towards the fête.

  “These cakes smell wonderful!” said Blossom’s tree squirrel friend, Sycamore. “I’m going to have to try every single one of them. You won’t notice if a box goes missing on the way, will you Blossom… ?”

  Blossom grinned at Sycamore. “Hey, don’t be cheeky!” The tree squirrels were known for their playful nature, but the fairies always kept them in check. “I’ve counted every single box, and I don’t want any disappearing!”

  Sycamore pulled a pretend disappointed face, then beamed. “Ah, you know I’m only kidding, Blossom! Your cakes are just so irresistible!”

  Blossom stared in amazement as she flew along the last section of fairy skyway and saw the fête spread out below her. From her bird’s-eye view, she could see garlands in all the colours of the rainbow hanging on every branch, bush and toadstool. Fairies fluttered about between jewel-covered stalls that sparkled in the sunshine, all offering different types of entertainment. For refreshments, as well as Blossom’s cake stall, there was a stall run by the ladybirds from the Cavern Café, offering different types of forest tea, a toadstool hut with honey-floss lollipops, and a jewel-burst popcorn stand. There were stalls where fairies and other creatures could have their nails manicured and painted, a jewellery stand selling shimmering gems – some of which Blossom had never even seen before – and a forest fashion stall with home-made clothes straight from the leaf. She hoped she’d get a chance to check it out later!

  But for now, Blossom had to prepare her own stall, ready for when the fête opened in just a few moments. She shook her head as she began setting out the cake stands and boxes, still wondering how in fairyland the cakes had all got finished. She opened the lids for everyone to see the tempting goodies inside, and set the amazing sunshine cake at the centre of the table. She adored baking more than anything else, but displaying her creations was the next best thing – they always looked so pretty, even if she did say so herself !

  She heard a loud, booming dong – the signal of the fête being opened – and looked up to see Primrose and Nutmeg smiling at her over the cakes. Her first customers!

  “Your cakes look fantastic!” said Primrose. “Can we buy two slices of glow-beam cake, please?”

  Blossom nodded. “Of course!” She cut two slices, popped them into a cake box and tied it with spider-silk string.

  Primrose opened the box immediately and took a bite of the melt-in-the-mouth cake. It was delicious! Meanwhile Nutmeg passed Blossom a handful of fairy-dust in payment.

  As she took the dust, Blossom peered closer at Nutmeg. Did she have a dusting of star sprinkles in her hair? “Nutmeg, what’s that in your hair?” she asked.

  Primrose swung round to her sister in horror. “Oh, er, you know Nutmeg, she’s always messy from her adventures in the forest! Look, Nutmeg, there’s the Cavern Café stall – and I’m gasping for a drink. Come on, let’s go!” She pulled Nutmeg’s hand and they flew away quickly, waving goodbye to Blossom.

  Blossom stared at the two fairies flying towards the other side of the fête. Was that moonbutter she could see on the back of Primrose’s pink shirt?

  But she didn’t have time to wonder about it because a long queue had already formed at her cake stall, with many hungry customers desperate to try the delicious-looking cakes. It wasn’t just fairies – tree squirrels, hummingbirds, butterflies and bunnies rubbed their hands, legs or paws in glee when they saw the beautiful creations on offer.

  Blossom, refreshed from her good night’s sleep, worked very hard. Her cakes were selling so quickly that soon there were just two starberry muffins left – and it was only lunchtime! They were snapped up by a pair of purple-speckled toads. I can’t believe I’ve sold out already, thought Blossom, looking at the empty cake stands with just a few crumbs remaining.

  She began piling up the stands and clearing away the boxes when she heard the tightrope competition being announced.

  “Oh, I must go and watch Willa!” Blossom said to herself. She quickly wrote a note on an unused cake box with her beeswax pen and propped it up at the front of her stall: “Sorry, all the cakes are now sold. Thank you for your custom, and happy fête day!” Then she skipped away towards the competition, her pale green wings fluttering with excitement.

  In one corner of the fête, in an orange-burst orchard, tightropes were strung up between apple trees. Fairies flew about, eager for the competition to begin. Blossom spotted Primrose and Nutmeg waiting to watch Willa, and she flew over to them.

  “So how does the competition work?” Blossom asked Primrose.

  The princess explained that the winner would be the first to cross their tightrope without falling off. “But if you use your wings, you’re disqualified, and if you fall off, you have to start again!”

  Blossom thought it sounded like fun, but when the tree squirrel referee announced the start of the game, she saw just how hard it was! Some of the fairies struggled to balance on the thin silk tightrope, and quickly fell on to the
spongy moss floor below.

  Willa, however, looked like an expert. She tiptoed across the tightrope as if she was walking along the ground, without so much as a wobble. She had almost reached the other side already, and Blossom held her breath as her friend got close. Come on, Willa, you can do it!

  Willa took one last step and touched the opposite tree, and the tree squirrel shouted out, “Game over – Willa is the winner!”

  Willa bowed as everyone turned to look at her and applaud, and the tree squirrel presented her with a willow-twig hula-hoop as a prize. Her face lit up as she came to join her friends. “Now I can practise something new!” she told them, delighted.

  The four fairies flew over to the tea stall. Blossom chose a cherry and wildflower tea, and Willa sipped at a poppy-seed and amber brew. Nutmeg had a sunshine-soak and Primrose had a glitterberry bramble. They all agreed how tasty they were!

  “Oh look, there’s the tug-of-war!” Blossom noticed suddenly. “Shall we ask to join in?”

  Nutmeg and Primrose shook their heads. “We’re going to get some honey-floss lollies. But we’ll see you later!”

  Willa and Blossom waved to their friends and fluttered over to the tug-of-war. Several fairies stood around the thick moth-silk rope, which was laid out on sandy ground next to a large opal-oak tree. The fairies were divided into two groups – Blossom guessed they were deciding on teams. One of the fairies, with dark cropped hair cut around her pointy ears, called out, “We need one more fairy to even up the teams. Would anyone like to volunteer?”

  Blossom stuck her arm straight up in the air. “Yes, please!” Then she looked at Willa guiltily. “Sorry! Would you mind, Willa – or did you want to have a go?”

  Willa shook her head and laughed. “I’m exhausted after the tightrope competition. You go for it!”