Fern in Star Valley Read online

  Fern squeezed her sisters. “Oh, I know – I’m not angry with you really. I understand how tempting it was, and I’m sorry if I made you feel left out.”

  Buttercup handed Willow and Fern two petal handkerchiefs to dry their tear-stained faces. “Please don’t cry,” she said gently. “None of us are angry – we understand you just wanted to join in.”

  “But what shall we do about the party?” said Fern, turning to the fairy princesses. “Perhaps I could use my last wish to turn it back to what it was?”

  Rosa was shaking her head. “You can’t do that – you don’t want to use up your last wish so soon!”

  “But look at the campsite,” said Fern. “You’ve come here for a sleepover, and now it’s more in need of a makeover!” She gave a little smile, trying to put on a brave face.

  Bluebell rushed over to Fern. “That’s it!” she cried. “We’ll give the campsite a makeover!”

  The fairy princesses loved makeovers almost as much as they loved sleepovers.

  “Oh yes, what a brilliant idea,” said Violet, already fluttering upwards, ready to help.

  “But do you think we can get it all sorted in time?” Fern said. “There’s so much to do!”

  “I’m not sure,” said Rosa, looking around again at the damage. “But we’ll try our very best.”

  The sun was beginning to set. If the fairies were to save the sleepover, they’d have to work extremely fast.

  “I can start by collecting some more wood for the fire,” suggested Bluebell.

  “Oh, thank you, Bluebell,” Fern replied. “You can find it in Evergrow Woods, just the other side of the stream.”

  “Shall I show Bluebell the way?” River offered.

  “That’s a good idea,” Fern said.

  The young fairy jumped up and took Bluebell’s hand. “It’s over here,” she said in her small voice, fluttering up and pulling Bluebell with her. She was clearly keen to make amends. Bluebell waved at her friends as they flew off towards the woods.

  “OK, what’s next?” asked Fern.

  “Well, I’ll clean the teepees,” said Rosa, running over to sweep up the spilled feathers.

  Meanwhile, Buttercup was fumbling in her overnight bag.

  “Whatever are you doing?” asked Violet.

  “I always keep some spare cupcakes with me,” Buttercup said. “For emergencies!”

  Violet gave her friend a big hug. “Buttercup, you’re brilliant!”

  “But I need to add the starlight topping. Can I use your kitchen?” asked Buttercup, holding up a bag of icing sugar.

  Fern grinned. “Of course!” she said.

  “I can help you,” Willow said shyly. “If you’d like me to?”

  Buttercup nodded. “Of course!”

  Willow led Buttercup off towards their woven-grass house.

  “Shall we make more drinks?” said Violet. “What were they?”

  “My favourite – clover cordial,” Fern replied.

  “Ooh, mine too!” Violet said, and began picking up the empty walnut cups and searching the grass for clover.

  The fairies all worked very hard to transform the campsite, but by the time the sun had disappeared below the horizon and darkness had fallen, there was still a lot to do. Buttercup’s cakes were iced but the topping hadn’t set yet; Rosa had swept up the feathers but the flower bunting was still half-finished; and although Bluebell and River had been whizzing back and forth to Evergrow Woods, the bonfire was only half the size it was before. Fern knew it wouldn’t last very long. Although it was no longer ruined, the campsite looked rather miserable compared with earlier.

  The fairies were so busy rushing about that they didn’t hear the noise right away. But then it came again.

  Braaeee, braaee!

  It was Rosa who spotted it first. “Fern, look!” she whispered.

  There, behind one of the teepees, was a unicorn! But why had it returned? Was it lost? The five unicorns they’d ridden earlier had flown off as soon as they’d returned the fairies to the campsite. Fern had no idea what this one was doing back here.

  She tiptoed up to the beautiful white animal, half-expecting the unicorn to sweep her up on to its back. But instead of extending one of its great wings, the unicorn gently bent down its head. Its golden horn was buzzing with sparkling magic, like tiny bees around a hive.

  “I think it wants you to have some magic,” Buttercup said gently.

  Sure enough, the magic sparkles began spiralling off the horn and floating into Fern’s hands. Fern gasped at the magic cupped in her palms. It twinkled like diamonds in the moonlight and felt tingly on her skin.

  Fern looked from the unicorn to her birthday campsite. Would the magic really work? There was only one way to find out…

  The fairy princesses held their breath as Fern threw the magic up in the air. They watched the sparkles sprinkle over the campsite like gentle summer rain, covering the teepees, blankets, cushions and bonfire like a glittery carpet.

  Violet had never seen magic this strong, not even from the fairy king and queen! Perhaps it’s because it came straight from a unicorn, she wondered.

  Gradually the sparkles died down, and the unicorn nudged its nose at Fern’s hand as if to say goodbye. The magnificent animal stretched out its wings and flew upwards, silhouetted by the moon.

  “Thank you,” Fern whispered to the unicorn, and then turned back to the campsite once again.

  She was so shocked that she had to blink three times to believe it. The transformation was more than Fern could have ever dreamed of! The flower bunting was complete, hanging not just from the teepees but from all the trees nearby, and there were moon-shaped lanterns dangling from the trees too. In the centre of the campsite, the bonfire was piled so high that it was taller than River!

  “Look!” Fern said, taking in the spread of moonbutter cakes on a shiny, clean picnic blanket. “They’ve got their starlight-sparkle icing – and twinkle cherries too. They’re my favourite topping!”

  Violet picked up one of several pink cups that stood on a bamboo tray. “Oh, my fairyness! Look – I think these are sunshine-burst milkshakes…” She took a sip. “Yes – with extra fizz!” She passed the tray around and then picked up a flower-shaped glass bowl. “And there must be millions of fairy-bean jelly sweets here. Yum!” she said, popping a purple one into her mouth.

  Bluebell was crouching on a blanket. “Hey, come and see this!” she cried. “It’s a gorgeous nail varnish set – and the colours all glow in the dark!”

  But Rosa was distracted by something pretty hanging from the top of a teepee pole. She hooked it off and ran over. “Ribbons!” she said, stroking them. “And I think they’re made of unicorn hair!”

  Fern reached out to touch the soft, shiny golden ribbons. “We can use them to plait each other’s hair!”

  Soon, the five friends were sitting in a circle on the checked picnic blankets, eating cupcakes and drinking milkshakes. But it wasn’t just the five of them. Curled up on either side of Fern were Willow and River. They munched the moonbutter cakes, grinning. Fern had asked her little sisters to join them, as it wouldn’t have felt right to celebrate her birthday without them. Although she had no idea how they still had room left in their tummies to eat!

  “We almost forgot!” Rosa suddenly cried out. “The birthday poem!”

  Bluebell pulled the poem out of her denim shorts pocket. “Fern, this is especially for you. Ready? One, two, three…”

  The four fashion fairies all stood up and read the poem together:

  “Fern, our fabulous fairy friend,

  You’re kind and loving to no end.

  We are so happy to celebrate with you,

  And we hope that all your wishes come true!

  Fern, we wish you a wonderful birthday,

  So here’s a fairyland hip-h
ip-hooray!”

  “That was brilliant!” said Fern, clapping her hands. “Can I keep it?”

  “Of course,” said Bluebell, and she passed the poem to Fern, glad that she’d decorated the paper with flowers and stars.

  “I’ve got something for you all too,” Fern said. “Just a little present to say thank you for coming.” She reached into her pocket and held out her upturned hand to her friends. In her palm were four beautiful shiny wooden rings, each covered in a delicate silver pattern. “They’re made of beech wood,” she said, “and decorated with silver moth-silk.”

  “Oh, thank you!” cried the fairy princesses all together. What a lovely gift! They reached out and each took a ring, sliding them easily on to their fingers.

  “So now the sleepover’s well and truly started, can I plait your hair?” Violet asked Fern. “I can do a special birthday style with the unicorn hair ribbons.”

  “Yes, please!” Fern replied, taking out the red poppies she’d clipped in the side. “And maybe if I sleep in the plaits, I’ll have curly hair like yours tomorrow!”

  Meanwhile, Bluebell was looking through the tiny pots of glow-in-the-dark nail varnish. “Buttercup, if I paint your nails, will you do mine afterwards?”

  “Of course!” the blonde fairy replied. She fluttered over beside Bluebell and examined all the colours. “I’ll have the sunshine-yellow, please,” she said.

  Bluebell grinned and winked at her friend. “I could have guessed that!” she said.

  The fairy friends chatted happily as they enjoyed the fun-filled sleepover. Fern even taught them a Star Valley fairy song, which they sang at the tops of their voices around the campfire.

  Then Willow and River suddenly shrieked out: “Look at the fire – it’s dancing!”

  The fairies turned and stared at the bonfire, and couldn’t quite believe their eyes. The flames danced around, creating shapes in the air. First there was a butterfly, then a flower, then a fiery fairy.

  “It’s so magical!” exclaimed Violet, as the friends all gasped at the enchanted bonfire’s display.

  “This has been the most amazing birthday party ever – thank you again for coming, and for my gorgeous presents,” Fern said, touching her necklace. Now the earring wishes had been used, the stars on them had dimmed, although they were still beautifully golden. But the pendant on the necklace still shone brightly. “I’m going to make my last wish!” she declared, holding on to the pendant and beaming. “I wish… that we’ll all be best friends for ever!”

  The fairy princesses returned Fern’s smile. They couldn’t think of a better wish than that!

  The sleepover was so wonderful that the fairies didn’t want it to end. But the bonfire began to dim, and the friends yawned as they watched the shooting stars and glow-worms that lit up the Star Valley night sky. Soon, they couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they all crawled into one of the teepees, each snuggling into an orchid-leaf sleeping bag. If they had to go to bed, there didn’t seem a better place to fall asleep in all of fairyland.

  Fern smiled as she heard the faint sound of braeeing in the distance. She couldn’t help but believe that the unicorns were wishing them all goodnight.

  “Goodnight, and happy birthday!” the fairy princesses called to Fern.

  “Goodnight, sleep tight!” Fern replied. She was very full and content, and she just knew that she’d dream of unicorns.

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