Sunny the Yellow Fairy Read online

  Cold winds blow and thick ice forms,

  I conjure up this fairy storm.

  To seven corners of the human world

  the Rainbow Fairies will be hurled!

  I curse every part of Fairyland,

  with a frosty wave of my icy hand.

  For now and always, from this day,

  Fairyland will be cold and gray!

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map

  Poem

  A Very Big Bee

  The Magic Hive

  Bee Friends

  Forgetful Fairy

  Well Done, Queenie

  Fairy Repairs

  Teaser

  Also Available

  Copyright

  “Over here, Kirsty!” called Rachel Walker. Kirsty Tate ran across one of the emerald-green fields that covered this part of Rainspell Island. Buttercups and daisies dotted the grass.

  “Don’t go too far!” Kirsty’s mom called. She and Kirsty’s dad were climbing over a fence at the edge of the field.

  Kirsty caught up with her friend.

  “What did you find, Rachel? Is it another Rainbow Fairy?” she asked hopefully.

  “I don’t know.” Rachel was standing on the bank of a rippling stream. “I thought I heard something.”

  Kirsty’s face lit up. “Maybe there’s a fairy in the stream?”

  Rachel nodded. She knelt down on the soft grass and put her ear close to the water.

  Kirsty crouched down, too, and listened really hard.

  The sun glittered on the water as it splashed over big, shiny pebbles. Tiny rainbows flashed and sparkled — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

  And then the girls heard a tiny bubbling voice. “Follow me. . . .” it gurgled. “Follow me. . . .”

  “Oh!” Rachel gasped. “Did you hear that?”

  “Yes,” said Kirsty, her eyes wide. “It must be a magic stream!”

  Rachel felt her heart beat fast.

  “Maybe the stream will lead us to the Yellow Fairy,” she said.

  Rachel and Kirsty had a special secret. They had promised the King and Queen of Fairyland they would find the lost Rainbow Fairies. Jack Frost’s spell had hidden the Rainbow Fairies on Rainspell Island. Fairyland would be cold and gray until all seven fairies had been found and returned to their home.

  Silver fish darted in and out of the bright green weeds at the bottom of the stream. “Follow us, follow us. . . .” they whispered in tinkling voices.

  Rachel and Kirsty smiled at each other. Titania, the Fairy Queen, had said that the magic would find them!

  Kirsty’s parents came up behind the girls and stopped to admire the stream, too. “Which way now?” asked Mr. Tate. “You two seem to know where you’re going.”

  “Let’s go this way,” Kirsty said, pointing along the bank.

  A brilliant bluebird flew up from its perch on a twig. Butterflies as bright as jewels fluttered among the cattails.

  “Everything on Rainspell Island is so beautiful,” said Kirsty’s mom. “I’m glad we still have five days of vacation left!”

  Yes, Rachel thought, and five Rainbow Fairies still to find: Sunny, Fern, Sky, Inky, and Heather! Ruby the Red Fairy and Amber the Orange Fairy were already safe in the pot at the end of the rainbow, thanks to Rachel and Kirsty.

  The girls ran on ahead of Mr. and Mrs. Tate. As they followed the bubbling stream, the sun went behind a big, dark cloud.

  A chilly breeze ruffled Kirsty’s hair. She noticed that some of the leaves on the trees were turning brown, even though it wasn’t autumn. Strange weather like that could only mean one thing. “It looks like Jack Frost’s goblins are still around,” she warned Rachel. Whenever the goblins were nearby, everything turned frosty and cold.

  Rachel shivered. “Horrible creatures! They’ll do anything to stop the Rainbow Fairies from getting back to Fairyland.”

  The two friends stared anxiously up at the sky. But just then, the sun came out again, warming their shoulders. The girls smiled with relief and continued to follow the bubbling water.

  The stream wound through a field covered with green clover. A herd of black-and-white cows was grazing at the water’s edge. They looked up with their huge, brown eyes.

  “Aren’t they cute?” Kirsty asked.

  Suddenly, the cows tossed their heads and ran off toward the other end of the field.

  Rachel and Kirsty looked at each other in surprise. What was going on?

  Then they heard a loud buzzing noise.

  A small shape came whizzing through the air, straight toward them! Rachel jumped. “It’s a bee!” she gasped.

  “Run!” Kirsty cried. “The cows had the right idea!” Rachel tore through the meadow with Kirsty right next to her, their feet pounding the grass.

  “Keep running, girls,” called Mr. Tate, catching up with them. “That bee seems like it’s following us!”

  Rachel glanced back over her shoulder. The bee was huge, bigger than any bee she’d ever seen.

  “In here, quick!” Mrs. Tate called from the side of the field. She pulled open a wooden gate.

  They all ran through it, then stopped to catch their breath. Hopefully, they’d lost that bee — for good!

  “I wonder who lives here,” Kirsty panted. They were standing in a beautiful yard. A path led up to a little cottage with yellow roses around the door.

  Just then, a very strange creature came out from behind some trees. It looked like an alien from outer space!

  “Oh!” Rachel and Kirsty gasped.

  The creature lifted its gloved hands and removed its white helmet to reveal . . . an old woman! She smiled at them.

  “Sorry if I scared you,” she said. “I do look a little strange in my beekeeper’s suit.”

  Rachel sighed in relief. It wasn’t an alien after all!

  “I’m Mrs. Merry,” the old lady went on.

  “Hello,” Rachel said. “I’m Rachel. This is my friend Kirsty.”

  “And this is my mom and dad,” Kirsty added.

  Mr. and Mrs. Tate greeted Mrs. Merry. Then Mr. Tate ducked as the huge bee zoomed past his ear. “Watch out!” he said. “It’s back!”

  “Oh, it’s that hiveless queen again,” said Mrs. Merry. She flapped her hand at the bee. “Go on, shoo!”

  Rachel watched it swoop over a low hedge and disappear.

  “That bee chased us all the way here. Why would she do that?” Kirsty asked.

  “I don’t think she was chasing you, my dear,” said Mrs. Merry. “She was just heading this way because she’s looking for a hive of her own. But all of my hives already have queens.”

  “Well, thank goodness she’s gone now!” said Mrs. Tate.

  “Since you’re here, would you like to try some of my honey?” Mrs. Merry asked. Her blue eyes sparkled happily.

  “Oh, yes, please,” said Rachel.

  The others nodded, and they followed Mrs. Merry across the lawn to a table covered with rows of jars.

  Each jar was filled with rich golden honey. Rays of sunlight danced over the jars, making the honey glow.

  “Here you are,” said Mrs. Merry, spooning some honey onto a pretty yellow plate.

  “Thank you,” Rachel said politely. She dipped her finger into the little pool of honey and popped it into her mouth. The honey was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted — sweet and smooth.

  Then she felt it begin to tingle on her tongue. She looked over at Kirsty. “It tast
es all fizzy!” she whispered.

  Kirsty dipped her finger into the honey, too. “And look!” she said.

  Rachel saw that the honey was twinkling with thousands of tiny, gold sparkles. She grabbed Kirsty’s arm. “Do you think this means —”

  “Yes,” said Kirsty. Her eyes were shining. “Another Rainbow Fairy must be nearby!”

  “We have to find out where this honey came from!” Rachel said excitedly.

  “Yes,” Kirsty agreed. “Mom? Can we stay here a bit longer, please?”

  “As long as it’s OK with Mrs. Merry,” Kirsty’s mom replied.

  Mrs. Merry beamed. “Of course they can stay,” she said kindly.

  Mr. and Mrs. Tate decided to continue their walk. “Make sure you come back to Dolphin Cottage by lunchtime,” Kirsty’s mom said. “And be careful!”

  “We will,” Kirsty promised.

  “Come along then, girls.” Mrs. Merry set off across the smooth, green lawn.

  Rachel and Kirsty followed her to some old and twisted apple trees. Six wooden hives stood underneath.

  Kirsty stared at the row of hives. “Which one did the honey we tasted come from?” she asked.

  Mrs. Merry looked pleased. “Did you enjoy it? The honey from that hive tastes especially good at the moment.”

  Rachel and Kirsty grinned at each other.

  “I think we might know why,” Rachel whispered to Kirsty.

  “Yes,” Kirsty agreed. “It could be fairy honey!”

  “That’s the one,” Mrs. Merry said proudly, pointing to the very back of the yard. One hive stood there all alone, beneath the tallest apple tree.

  As they walked toward the hive, the girls could hear a sleepy buzzing sound. “The bees in this hive are very peaceful nowadays,” said Mrs. Merry. “I’ve never known them to be so happy.”

  “Can we get a bit closer?” Rachel asked eagerly. She couldn’t wait to find out if the hive held a magical secret!

  Mrs. Merry looked thoughtful. “I think it’s safe, with the bees so quiet,” she decided. “But you had better wear a hood like mine, just in case.”

  She went into a nearby shed and brought out two beekeepers’ hoods. “Here you are.”

  Rachel and Kirsty pulled the hoods over their heads. It was a bit dark and stuffy inside, but they could see through the netting just fine.

  They moved closer to the hive. The soft buzzing sounded almost like music.

  “We need to open it and take a look,” Kirsty whispered to Rachel.

  Rachel nodded.

  But they couldn’t start searching for the Yellow Fairy with Mrs. Merry there. Ruby had warned them that no grown-ups should see the fairies.

  Suddenly, Kirsty had an idea. “Mrs. Merry, could I have a drink of water, please?” she asked.

  “Of course you can, dear,” Mrs. Merry said. “I’ll be right back.” She went off toward the cottage.

  The girls waited until Mrs. Merry disappeared inside.

  “Quick!” Kirsty spun around. “Let’s open the hive.”

  Rachel grasped one end of the lid. Kirsty took hold of the other end. They pulled hard, and the lid slowly came loose with a squeaky sound. Strings of golden honey stretched down from it.

  “Watch out. It’s very sticky,” Rachel said.

  The girls bent down and laid the heavy wooden top carefully on the ground. Kirsty wiped her fingers on the grass.

  “Look!” Rachel whispered as she stood up.

  Kirsty turned to see, and gasped.

  A shower of sparkling gold dust shot up out of the hive. It hung in a soft cloud, shimmering and dancing in the sunlight. Fairy dust!

  Rachel leaned over and peered down into the hive. A tiny girl was sitting cross-legged on a piece of honeycomb, in the middle of a golden sea of honey. A bee lay with its head in her lap while she combed its silky hair. Several other bees were waiting their turn, buzzing gently.

  “Oh, Kirsty,” Rachel whispered. “We’ve found another Rainbow Fairy!”

  Rachel and Kirsty took off their hoods and stared down into the hive with excitement.

  The fairy had bright yellow hair. She wore a necklace of golden raindrops and lots of sparkly golden bracelets. Her T-shirt and shorts were the color of buttercups. Her delicate wings sparkled with a thousand shimmering rainbows.

  “Oh, thank you for finding me!” the fairy said in a tinkling voice. “I’m Sunny the Yellow Fairy.”

  Rachel and Kirsty introduced themselves. “We’ve met two of your sisters already — Ruby and Amber,” Kirsty added.

  Sunny beamed happily.

  “You’ve found Ruby and Amber?” She stood up, gently pushing the bee away.

  “Yes. They’re safe in the pot at the end of the rainbow,” Rachel said.

  Sunny clapped her tiny hands. “I can’t wait to see them again.” Suddenly, she looked worried. “Have you seen any of Jack Frost’s goblins near here?” she asked.

  “No, not here,” Kirsty said. “But there were some by the pot yesterday.”

  “We hid behind a bush until they went away,” Rachel explained.

  “Goblins are scary,” Sunny said in a trembling voice. “I’ve been safe from them here in the hive, with my bee friends.”

  Rachel felt very sorry for Sunny. “It’s all right. King Oberon sent one of his frog footmen to look after you and your sisters.” Sunny cheered up. “I’ve been really worried about finding my sisters. Jack Frost’s magic is so cold and strong.”

  “It won’t be long now,” Kirsty said. “We are going to find Fern, Sky, Inky, and Heather, too, aren’t we, Rachel?”

  “Yes. We promised,” Rachel agreed.

  “Oh, thank you!” Sunny said. She threw out her arms and gave a shake of her sparkling wings.

  Fairy dust rose into the air and drifted down around Rachel and Kirsty. Where it landed, bright yellow butterflies appeared, with tiny fluttering wings.

  A large bee crawled out of one of the waxy openings in the honeycomb next to Sunny.

  “This is my new friend, Queenie,” said Sunny. She put her arms around the bee’s neck and kissed the top of her furry head.

  Queenie buzzed softly.

  “She says hello,” said Sunny.

  “Hello, Queenie,” Kirsty and Rachel said together.

  Sunny picked up her tiny comb and began to comb Queenie’s shiny hair. Another bee buzzed angrily.

  “Don’t worry, Petal, I’ll comb your hair next,” Sunny said.

  Rachel and Kirsty looked at each other in dismay.

  “What if Sunny wants to stay with Queenie and the other bees?” Kirsty whispered.

  “Sunny, you have to come with us!” Rachel burst out. “Or Fairyland will never get its colors back! It will take all seven of the Rainbow sisters to undo Jack Frost’s spell.”

  “Yes, you’re right! We have to break Jack Frost’s spell!” Sunny cried. She jumped to her feet and picked up her wand.

  Suddenly, an icy wind swept by. Something crunched under Kirsty’s feet. There was a small patch of frost on the grass. Rachel shivered as something cold brushed against her cheek.

  “A snowflake in summer? What’s happening?” she cried.

  “Jack Frost’s goblins must be nearby,” Kirsty said worriedly.

  Sunny’s tiny teeth chattered with cold. “Oh, no! If they find me, they will stop me from getting back to Fairyland!”

  Kirsty looked at Rachel in alarm. “Quick, we have to go!”

  Rachel leaned down and lifted the fairy out of the beehive.

  Sunny’s golden hair dripped with honey.

  “Oh, my, you’re really sticky!” Rachel said.

  Just then, Kirsty spotted Mrs. Merry coming out of her cottage.

  “I forgot I ask
ed for a drink,” Kirsty said. “What are we going to do about Sunny?”

  Rachel thought for a moment, then dropped the fairy into the pocket of her shorts.

  Sunny gave a cry of dismay. “Hey! It’s dark in here!” she complained.

  “Sorry,” Rachel whispered. “I’ll get you out again in a minute, I promise.”

  Suddenly, Kirsty noticed the open hive. “We have to put the top back on before Mrs. Merry sees it!” she said.

  She bent down and grabbed the lid. Rachel helped lift it and they quickly put it into place, just as Mrs. Merry came through the trees.

  “Here’s your drink, dear,” said Mrs. Merry, holding out a glass to Kirsty. She had taken off her strange suit, and was carrying a shopping basket in her other hand.

  “Thank you very much,” Kirsty said, taking the glass.

  “Now, you girls stay as long as you like,” said Mrs. Merry. “I must run out and buy some fish for my cat. It’s time for his lunch!”

  Rachel watched Mrs. Merry walk toward the garden gate. Then she slipped her hand into her pocket. “You can come out now,” she said to Sunny, gently lifting her out.

  The fairy was covered with gray fuzz from Rachel’s pocket. “Achoo!” Sunny sneezed and brushed angrily at the bits of sticky fuzz clinging to her wings. “I’m all clogged up!” she wailed. “I won’t be able to fly.”

  “We can help clean you up,” Rachel said. “But we’ll have to be quick, in case the goblins find us.”

  Kirsty looked around and pointed to a stone birdbath filled with clear water. “Over there!”

  “Just what we need,” Rachel agreed. She carried Sunny over to the birdbath.

  Sunny fluttered onto the edge of the bath, put down her wand, and dived in.

  Splash!