Natalie the Christmas Stocking Fairy

  I’m fed up with Christmas and tinsel galore.

  This sweet festive fuss is a drag and a bore.

  The fairies have fooled me and made me look bad.

  But this year I’ll make them feel silly and sad!

  This Christmas no stockings will fill up with toys.

  No cookies or candy for good girls and boys.

  I have a plan that will take all hopes away

  And leave stockings empty this dark Christmas Day.

  Find the hidden letters in the stars throughout this book. Unscramble all 8 letters to spell a special Christmas word!

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map

  Poem

  The Magic Christmas Pie

  Butter and Bother

  The Christmas Workshop

  The Magical Mirror

  On the Road to the Ice Castle

  Finders Keepers

  The Enchanted Stocking

  Snowflakes and Stockings

  Tree Tricks

  Tug-of-War

  Stocking Swap

  A Sweet Surprise

  The Charmed Candy Cane

  Back to Fairyland

  A Chilly Search

  Bogmallows and Bad Tempers

  A Charmed Rescue

  Stockings and Sleigh Bells

  Teaser

  Copyright

  Butter and Bother

  “I love making pies at Christmastime,” said Rachel Walker, sifting flour and salt into a heavy mixing bowl.

  “Me, too,” said her best friend, Kirsty Tate, opening a jar of cinnamon and taking a deep sniff. “The ingredients have such a Christmassy, spicy smell!”

  She put the lid back on the jar and the girls smiled happily at each other. It was the day before Christmas Eve, and they were staying in a cozy holiday cottage in the country with their families.

  “Woof!” said Rachel’s dog.

  “You’re looking forward to Christmas, too, aren’t you, Buttons?” said Kirsty, leaning down to pet his shaggy head.

  “What does the recipe say next?” asked Rachel, as Kirsty washed her hands.

  Kirsty turned the page of the cookbook that was propped up on the kitchen counter.

  “Rub the butter in with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine crumbs,” she read.

  Rachel opened the fridge and then frowned.

  “Kirsty, did you already take the butter out of the fridge?”

  “No,” said Kirsty in surprise.

  “That’s funny,” said Rachel. “I was sure we had some.”

  “Maybe we put it somewhere else,” Kirsty suggested. “Let’s look around.”

  They searched high and low, but the butter was nowhere to be found.

  “We’ll just have to go to the store again,” said Rachel.

  “But we’re miles from anywhere,” Kirsty said with a groan. “And it’s almost closing time.”

  Just then, Mr. Tate walked into the kitchen, looking puzzled.

  “Hello, girls,” he said. “I just found this carton of butter on Buttons’s bed. Don’t you need this to make the pies?”

  “Yes!” exclaimed Kirsty, giving him a delighted hug. “Thanks, Dad!”

  “Greedy dog,” said Mr. Tate with a chuckle, patting Buttons’s head as he left the kitchen.

  “That’s odd,” said Rachel, looking down at Buttons. “He doesn’t even like butter.”

  Rachel rubbed the butter into the flour and then added a little water. Soon she had a ball of golden dough. She wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill.

  “Should we add the secret ingredient to the pie filling now?” Kirsty suggested.

  Rachel nodded eagerly.

  “It’s an old family secret,” she said with a smile. “Our own kind of magic!”

  The girls giggled happily. They knew more than most people about magic. They were secretly friends with the fairies and had had many adventures in Fairyland.

  Kirsty picked up the jar of cinnamon and tried to unscrew the lid.

  “Oh!” she said in surprise. “It’s stuck! I must have tightened it too much when I put it back on earlier.”

  Rachel tried to open the jar, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Let’s ask my dad,” she said. “He’s really strong.”

  They hurried to the living room. Their parents were playing cards and listening to carols on the radio.

  “Dad, can you undo this?” asked Rachel, holding out the spice jar. “We think Kirsty tightened it too much earlier.”

  Mr. Walker had to use all his strength to open the jar. At last, it popped open and he handed it back to Rachel.

  “You must be stronger than you look, Kirsty!” he said with a laugh.

  The girls hurried back to the kitchen, eager to add the secret ingredient. But when they reached the doorway, they stopped in amazement.

  “What happened?” Kirsty cried.

  All the drawers and cupboards were open and there was flour all over the kitchen. The dough was sitting on the kitchen counter, and it was covered in dirty fingerprints!

  Suddenly, Rachel saw the top of a green head poking up from behind the kitchen counter.

  “Look!” she exclaimed. “It’s a goblin!”

  Kirsty gasped. “What is he doing here?”

  The Christmas Workshop

  The goblin squawked in alarm. He flung open the back door and rushed out into the snow.

  “Woof!” said Buttons, racing after him.

  “Come on!” shouted Kirsty.

  The girls followed Buttons out the back door, just in time to see his tail disappearing around the side of the cottage. When they reached the front yard, they found Buttons standing by the gate, barking loudly.

  “Look, Kirsty,” said Rachel. “Goblin footprints!”

  A trail of long-toed footprints led out of the yard and into the bushes across the street.

  “I wonder what a goblin is doing here the day before Christmas Eve,” said Kirsty.

  “I’m sure he’s up to no good,” said Rachel. “Maybe Jack Frost sent him. What should we do?”

  “I think we have to go to Fairyland right now,” said Kirsty in a determined voice. “Jack Frost and his goblins have tried to ruin Christmas before. If they’re planning something again, we should tell the Christmas Fairies about it.”

  Rachel nodded in agreement, and the girls ran back into the cottage. Buttons was barking at their heels. He knew that something was wrong.

  “Shh, Buttons,” said Rachel. “It’s all right. Go lie down.”

  As Buttons flopped down on his bed, Rachel and Kirsty hurried upstairs to the little room they were sharing. They closed the door and then opened their lockets. The lockets were presents from the queen of Fairyland, and were filled with fairy dust.

  “This will take us straight to Fairyland,” said Kirsty. “Then we have to find the Christmas Fairies as quickly as we can. I’m sure Jack Frost is up to something!”

  They each took a pinch of fairy dust and sprinkled it over their heads. Instantly, the sparkles whirled around them, sweeping them off their feet. They felt themselves shrinking inside the cloud of fairy dust.

  “We’re on our way to Fairyland!” cried Kirsty in excitement.

  Soon the girls were flying above one of the magical Fairyland forests. As they landed among the snow-topped fir trees, they saw Crystal the Snow Fairy flying toward them.

  “Hello!” she exclaimed with a beaming smile. “It’s wonderful to see you. What brings you to Fairyland?”

  Rachel quickly tried to explain. “We saw a goblin sneaking around our cottage,” she said. “We think that Jack Frost mi
ght be trying to ruin Christmas again.”

  “We need to warn all the Christmas Fairies!” Kirsty added breathlessly.

  “This is serious,” said Crystal, looking worried. “I’ll take you to them.”

  She led the way through the forest until they reached a clearing. A little wooden door was set into a grassy bank, and it was standing open as if it were waiting for them.

  “This is the Christmas Workshop,” said Crystal. “You’ll find the Christmas Fairies inside. Good luck!”

  “Thank you!” said Rachel and Kirsty together.

  Crystal fluttered away, and the girls stepped through the door.

  The low workshop ceiling was twinkling with little lights that looked like stars. The smell of berries and spices filled the air. A fire was crackling in the hearth, and a snug armchair was placed close to the fireplace. Above the mantel was a large mirror, which was topped with a sprig of holly. Several stockings were hanging, and a beautiful Christmas tree stood in the corner, dotted with tiny flickering candles. Colorful balloons hung above everything.

  “It’s beautiful,” whispered Kirsty, gazing around.

  “Rachel! Kirsty!” exclaimed a tinkling voice behind them. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here!”

  The Magical Mirror

  “It’s Cheryl the Christmas Tree Fairy,” said Rachel happily.

  Cheryl fluttered toward them, holding out her hand. Behind her, they could see Holly the Christmas Fairy, Stella the Star Fairy, and Paige the Christmas Play Fairy. They were standing around a large table beside a tearful fairy. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a shimmering golden dress with orange tulle underneath. Her gold necklace gleamed in the candlelight.

  “Is something wrong?” asked Kirsty, hugging Cheryl.

  Cheryl looked across at the pretty fairy. The table was covered with torn paper chains and badly wrapped presents. No one looked very happy.

  “Let me introduce you,” she said, leading them over to the long table. “This is Natalie the Christmas Stocking Fairy.”

  Natalie smiled at them through her tears.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Rachel put her arm around the little fairy’s shoulders.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “This is where we prepare for Christmas,” Natalie said. “Usually it’s a really happy time. We sing carols, wrap gifts, and make decorations. But this year is different. The decorations keep breaking, the wrapping paper tears — we’ve even lost our box of ribbons. Everything has been going wrong!”

  “Can we do anything to help?” asked Kirsty.

  Natalie picked up a little box from the table. It was white, with a gold clasp and a green holly wreath carved on the top.

  “This is the box where I keep my three magic items,” she said. “Every year, I open it just before Christmas. My magic makes sure all the holiday preparations go well!”

  She opened the box, and it started to play “Jingle Bells.” As the music tinkled around the workshop, Kirsty and Rachel peered into the box.

  “It’s empty,” said Kirsty in surprise.

  “Yes,” Natalie replied. “When I opened the box this morning, my magic items were gone.”

  She waved her wand toward the mirror above the mantelpiece. Tiny silver snowflakes flew from her wand and scattered over the glassy surface of the mirror. When they faded, the mirror showed Jack Frost standing in the middle of the workshop. He was carrying a large sack on his back.

  Rachel cried out in alarm and turned around, looking for him. Natalie shook her head.

  “This is a magical mirror,” she said. “It’s showing us what happened here last night. Jack Frost broke in while we were all asleep.”

  The girls watched in horror as Jack Frost tiptoed around the workshop. When he saw Natalie’s little white box, a horrible grin spread over his face. He lowered the sack to the floor.

  “Ha!” he whispered, rubbing his bony hands together. “What do we have here?”

  He opened the box, and the tinkling sound of “Jingle Bells” filled the air. Jack Frost looked inside, laughed, and then shook the contents of the box into his sack. He threw the box back onto the table.

  “This will stop their fun once and for all,” he muttered. “I’ve never had a visit from Santa, so why should anyone else have one?”

  He scurried out of the workshop and the picture faded. Kirsty and Rachel exchanged a worried glance.

  “We thought he must be up to something,” said Kirsty. “We saw a goblin this morning!”

  She quickly described seeing the goblin at the holiday cottage, and the other fairies looked alarmed.

  “Jack Frost could have hidden Natalie’s magic items anywhere,” said Paige. “Where could they be — and how are we going to find them before Christmas Day?”

  On the Road to the Ice Castle

  “We should tell the king and queen,” said Stella. “Maybe they can use their magic to see where Jack Frost has hidden Natalie’s items.”

  “That will take too long,” said Natalie. “I have to start looking now. There’s not a moment to lose!”

  “I have an idea,” said Rachel. “Kirsty and I will stay here with Natalie and start searching. That way, the rest of you can go and tell the king and queen what’s happened, and we won’t waste any time.”

  Natalie turned to her with sparkling eyes.

  “Would you really do that for me?” she asked.

  “Of course,” said Kirsty with a smile. “True friends always help each other out.”

  “It’s a good idea,” said Paige.

  “We’ll go to the palace right now,” Holly added. “Good luck!”

  The Christmas Fairies waved good-bye and fluttered out of the workshop.

  “Now we have to decide where to start looking for the magic items,” said Rachel.

  “What are the magic items?” Kirsty asked.

  “The enchanted stocking makes sure that all stockings are ready for Christmas Eve,” said Natalie. “The magic Christmas pie makes sure that all Christmas treats are delicious, and the charmed candy cane makes sure that stocking gifts are perfect. But without them, no one will have a wonderful Christmas in the human or the fairy world.”

  “That must be why we had so much trouble making the pies,” Kirsty exclaimed.

  “If you were Jack Frost, where would you hide the magic items?” asked Rachel.

  The girls thought carefully.

  “I think we should go to the Ice Castle,” said Kirsty. “If we can sneak inside, we might be able to find out where Jack Frost has hidden the things he took, even if they’re not actually in the castle.”

  “Do you really think we should?” asked Natalie. “It could be dangerous. If Jack Frost finds us, he might imprison us.”

  “We’ve been there before and escaped,” said Kirsty bravely. “Besides, we’re not going to let Jack Frost ruin Christmas for everyone!”

  “Kirsty’s right,” said Rachel. “We’ll be safe as long as we stick together.”

  Once out of the workshop, they weaved their way through the trees to the edge of the forest. At last, they found themselves on the road to the Ice Castle.

  They flew as fast as they could, keeping their eyes on the glittering castle in the distance. They were going along so quickly that they almost flew into two goblins who were arguing in the middle of the road.

  “Look out!” cried Kirsty just in time.

  They zipped sideways and hid behind a clump of grass at the edge of the road, panting.

  “That was close!” whispered Rachel.

  “Girls,” said Natalie in a low voice. “Look at what that goblin has in his hand!”

  The girls peeked through the thick fronds of grass to see the smaller goblin hold up a tiny, delicious-looking pie and sniff it.

  “That’s the magic Christmas pie!” said Natalie. “I’d recognize it anywhere!”

  The goblins were arguing about what wa
s inside the golden pastry.

  “It’s obviously nettle jam,” the small goblin was saying. “That’s why it smells so tangy.”

  “Don’t be silly, it’s minced seaweed!” the second one snapped.

  “I can smell the nettles!” shouted the first.

  “Well, I can smell the sea!” squawked the second.

  “Nettles!”

  “Seaweed!”

  “Nettles!”

  “Seaweed!”

  “Nettles!”

  Suddenly, Natalie flew out from behind the grass and hovered in front of the goblins.

  “Stop!” she exclaimed.

  Finders Keepers

  “That’s my magic Christmas pie,” said Natalie. “Please give it back to me right now!”

  The small goblin stuck out his tongue.

  “Go away, you pesky fairy,” he said. “This is mine.”

  Kirsty and Rachel flew out to join Natalie.

  “It’s not yours,” said Kirsty. “You shouldn’t take things that don’t belong to you.”

  “We found it in the Ice Castle,” said the small goblin.

  “Finders keepers, losers weepers,” added the other goblin. “We’re going to make a whole tray of Christmas pies for Jack Frost.”

  Suddenly, Rachel noticed that the end of the small goblin’s nose was speckled with flour.

  “You were in our holiday cottage today, weren’t you?” she exclaimed. “What were you doing there?”