Mia the Bridesmaid Fairy

  Contents

  The Shiny Penny

  Wedding Plans

  A Visitor From Fairyland

  Goblin Mischief

  The Wishing Well

  Coin Confusion

  The Golden Bells

  A Charming Challenge

  Luck of the Leprechaun

  Hide-and-Seek

  Treetop Trouble

  Something Blue

  The Silver Veil

  Shooting Star

  A Fake Feast

  Eclipse of the Moon

  A Visit from Jack Frost?

  Wedding Bells

  “Isn’t it exciting that we’re going to be Esther’s bridesmaids?” Rachel Walker said happily.

  “Yes — I can hardly wait for next Saturday!” replied Kirsty Tate, smiling at her best friend. “And it’ll be twice as much fun with you here!”

  The girls were in Kenbury, the pretty little village where Kirsty’s cousin Esther had grown up. The sun was shining brightly and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was perfect wedding weather!

  Esther, Mrs. Tate, and Aunt Isabel, Esther’s mom, were in the nearby wedding dress store, but the girls had popped outside to look at the pretty church where Esther was going to get married.

  “Oh, Kirsty, look!” cried Rachel. “There must be a wedding today!”

  People were arriving in their best clothes, carrying cameras and little boxes of confetti.

  “And there’s the pastor!” Kirsty added in excitement.

  A lady in a long robe was standing near the church gate.

  “Hello, girls,” she said, smiling. “Are you here for the wedding?”

  “Not today,” said Kirsty, smiling back at her. “My cousin Esther is getting married here next Saturday, and we’re her bridesmaids.”

  “We just got to see her wedding dress,” added Rachel.

  She pointed at a little store across the street. Above the window hung an old-fashioned sign:

  Rachel and Kirsty caught each other’s eyes and grinned. They knew all about magic, because they shared an amazing secret. They were good friends with the fairies! They often helped them defeat mean Jack Frost and his naughty goblins.

  A cream-colored car pulled up in front of the church, and a chauffeur jumped out and opened the back door. Inside, the girls could see a woman wearing a beautiful white dress.

  “It’s the bride!” Rachel exclaimed.

  “See you next week, girls.” The pastor smiled. “I’ve got a wedding to perform!”

  Rachel and Kirsty said good-bye and walked back to the wedding store.

  “I love the dress in the window!” said Kirsty.

  “Me, too,” Rachel agreed.

  Under an archway of roses, an exquisite wedding dress was surrounded by bouquets of real flowers.

  “Bella’s such an amazing dressmaker!” Kirsty said with a happy sigh.

  Just then, Aunt Isabel popped her head out of the store’s front door.

  “Girls, come back inside,” she said with a beaming smile. “Bella is ready for you to try on your dresses.”

  Rachel and Kirsty hurried to the room at the back of the store. Bella held up two amazing dresses, and the girls’ eyes widened.

  “Oh, they’re beautiful!” Rachel whispered.

  The two best friends quickly got changed, giggling with excitement. Then they stood in front of the long mirror.

  “Oh, girls, you look fabulous!” cried Aunt Isabel.

  “Just like princesses!” Esther added.

  The dresses were pale blue, and they shimmered and sparkled with hundreds of tiny silver beads. Soft frills made the gowns swirl around the girls’ legs, and the sleeves were made from fine blue silk. They fluttered when the girls moved their arms.

  “They’re just like fairy wings!” Kirsty whispered to Rachel.

  Bella checked to make sure the dresses fit properly, and made some small alterations.

  “Thank you, girls,” she said eventually. “You can get changed now.”

  “Our dresses are just gorgeous,” sighed Rachel, smiling at Bella. “We love the one in the window, too. Is it waiting to be picked up?”

  “No,” said Bella. “It’s a copy of one of my favorites, which I made a long time ago. I just couldn’t bear to part with it, so I made another!”

  “Wow, you must have made hundreds of dresses,” said Aunt Isabel. “And I bet you know everything there is to know about weddings!”

  “I’ve learned an awful lot,” agreed Bella. “I love all the old traditions, and bridesmaids are one of the oldest traditions of all! It’s their job to help things go smoothly for the bride.”

  Rachel and Kirsty exchanged happy looks.

  “What other wedding traditions are there?” Rachel asked.

  “Do you know what a bride is supposed to carry up the aisle to bring her luck?” asked Bella. “‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a penny in her shoe.’ ”

  “There’s nothing wrong with a little extra luck,” said Esther, who had been trying on tiaras in front of the mirror. “Girls, will you be in charge of finding me these four ‘somethings,’ and a penny?”

  “We’d love to!” Rachel said eagerly.

  “Oh look, Rachel!” Kirsty exclaimed. “Let’s start over there!”

  At the front of the store, along the window, was a low table filled with wedding accessories.

  The girls dashed over to it, while Mrs. Tate, Esther, and Aunt Isabel stayed at the back of the store.

  “Look at these little bride and groom figures,” said Kirsty. “They must go on the top of wedding cakes!”

  “And here’s a little bridesmaid figure!” cried Rachel in delight. “Oh, Kirsty, I can’t wait to be a bridesmaid!”

  “Me neither,” Kirsty agreed.

  “How about if Esther borrows the pretty dragonfly pin your mom’s wearing for her something old?” Rachel suggested.

  “That’s perfect!” agreed Kirsty. “It’s been in the family for years, so it’s definitely old enough! Now we just have to think of something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”

  “And the penny for her shoe,” Rachel reminded her. “Oh, Kirsty, look!”

  She gave her best friend a nudge that made her squeak in surprise. The bridesmaid figure on the table had started to glow!

  The sound of chimes echoed through the air. Glittering fairy dust floated down, and shining silver confetti appeared where it landed. In place of the bridesmaid figure stood a tiny fairy, smiling up at the girls. Her dark pink dress had a full skirt with a pale pink bow, and a red rose glowed in her golden hair.

  “Hello, girls,” she said in a tiny voice. “I’m Mia the Bridesmaid Fairy!”

  “Hi, Mia!” the girls replied excitedly. They moved closer to Mia so she couldn’t be seen by the others.

  “Is something wrong in Fairyland?” Rachel asked anxiously. The fairies often needed the girls’ help when Jack Frost was causing trouble.

  Mia gave them a warm smile. “Everything’s fine. King Oberon and Queen Titania just asked me to sprinkle some extra good-luck fairy dust on your dresses so all the preparations for the wedding go well,” she explained. “It’s my job to make sure bridesmaids are happy, and that they make the wedding special!”

  Before Kirsty and Rachel could reply, the church bells began to chime. Through the window the girls could see the wedding party outside, posing for a photograph.

  Suddenly, a dark cloud covered the sun, and a gust of wind blew the bride’s bouquet out of her hands! It tumbled toward a muddy puddle, and the bridesmaids ran after it.

  “The bouquet will be ruined!” Kirsty gasped.

  “And the bridesmaids will get mud on th
eir pretty dresses!” Rachel exclaimed.

  Just then, Mia sent a jet of sparkling magic from her wand. A magical breeze pushed the bouquet away from the puddle, and caused it to land safely on the grass. Rachel and Kirsty smiled in relief, but Mia shook her head and looked worried.

  “That’s funny,” she said, frowning. “A tiny bit of magic like that shouldn’t tire me out, but I feel weaker. I wonder if something is wrong with the three wedding charms — those are what give me my magic powers.”

  “You do look a little pale,” Kirsty noticed.

  “Girls, will you come to Fairyland with me?” asked Mia. “I need to find out what the problem is before I do any more magic.”

  “Of course we will!” said Rachel at once.

  Kirsty hurried to the back of the store.

  “Mom, is it all right if we go now?” she asked.

  “OK,” said Mrs. Tate. “We’ll see you back at Aunt Isabel’s house in half an hour.”

  Quickly, Kirsty and Rachel ran out of the store and down a cobblestone alley, with Mia hiding in Rachel’s pocket. When they were out of sight, Mia waved her wand.

  Immediately, a glittering stream of fairy dust burst from the wand’s tip. It swirled around the girls, and they felt themselves shrinking to fairy-size! Beautiful wings appeared on their backs.

  “We’re fairies again!” Rachel cried in delight, fluttering in the air.

  Mia waved her wand once more, and glittering sparks spun around them like a whirlwind. Soon, they had been whisked away in a flurry of fairy dust.

  When the magical sparkles faded, the girls were flying over Fairyland. Below, they could see red-and-white toadstool houses and the Fairyland Palace.

  “Let’s go straight to the Wedding Workshop, to see if we can find any clues about why I feel weak,” Mia said. “It’s inside the palace, so we can visit the king and queen after that.”

  “What happens in the Wedding Workshop?” asked Rachel.

  “My fairy helpers make magical flower garlands and enchanted confetti, plus all sorts of other things that help weddings go smoothly,” Mia explained. “It’s also where we keep the three wedding charms. As long as they’re in the workshop, my magic remains powerful.” She led the girls into the palace and fluttered down in front of two white doors. “This is the best place to find out what’s wrong with my magic, because — oh no!”

  Mia pushed the doors open. The girls saw long tables scattered with ribbons, strings of pearls, and silks and satins in all colors of the rainbow. But there wasn’t a fairy to be seen. The workshop was deserted!

  “I don’t understand!” cried Mia, looking around in shock. “The workshop never closes!”

  “Let’s go see the king and queen,” Kirsty suggested. “I’m sure that they’ll know what’s going on.”

  Rachel, Kirsty, and Mia flitted quickly to the palace throne room. Inside, several anxious-looking fairies surrounded the king and queen. Rachel and Kirsty curtsied.

  “Hello, Your Majesties,” Rachel said politely.

  “We’re very glad to see you, girls,” said Queen Titania in her silvery voice. “These are the other fairies who work with Mia in the workshop.”

  Each fairy curtsied to the girls, but they all looked miserable!

  “Why is the workshop closed, Your Majesties?” asked Mia.

  “Everything the fairies try to make falls apart,” said King Oberon sadly.

  “Yesterday was a fairy wedding party,” Queen Titania explained to Rachel and Kirsty. “We have one every year to thank the fairies in the Wedding Workshop for all their hard work. I’ll show you what happened.”

  She led them to the Seeing Pool in the palace gardens and waved her wand over the glassy surface. The water swirled like a whirlpool. When it settled, a picture appeared.

  Lots of fairies, goblins, elves, and pixies were dancing inside the palace ballroom. A string quartet of frog musicians played wonderful music.

  “Look, there’s Jack Frost!” cried Rachel.

  Tall, icy Jack Frost was standing alone in the corner of the ballroom. His arms were folded, and he had a sulky expression on his face. He beckoned to some of his goblins and led them into the dining hall. Inside, tall cakes towered over platters of cream puffs, cupcakes, ice cream cones, and colorful Jell-O. There were melt-in-your-mouth pastries, chocolate fountains, and even a swan ice sculpture with candy in the hollow of its back.

  “This will teach them not to ask me to dance!” snarled Jack Frost. “Eat up!”

  With a cheer of greedy delight, the goblins hurled themselves at the feast. The tall cakes splattered to the floor, while Jell-O and ice cream whizzed through the air. Some of the goblins even jumped into a chocolate fountain!

  “Jack Frost!” cried a voice.

  The king and queen stood in the doorway, looking angry.

  “You were a welcome guest in our palace, but now you have spoiled the feast for everyone!” said the queen.

  “When I attend a party, I expect all the attention!” bellowed Jack Frost.

  In the picture, Mia appeared behind the king and queen. “This is a wedding party!” she cried. “The fairies from the Wedding Workshop are the guests of honor, not you!”

  “Be quiet, you silly fairy!” Jack Frost snapped.

  “You and your goblins need to learn that greediness and bad manners don’t pay,” said King Oberon sternly. “Go home. You are not welcome at the rest of the celebration.”

  Enraged, Jack Frost pointed a thin, icy finger at Mia.

  “You’ll regret this!” he hissed.

  With that, the image faded from the Seeing Pool.

  “While Mia was on her way to visit Rachel and Kirsty earlier today, Jack Frost ambushed the Wedding Workshop. He stole the wedding charms and sent his goblins to hide them in the human world,” said Queen Titania gravely.

  Mia’s eyes filled with tiny, sparkling tears.

  “All of them?” she asked in a trembling voice.

  The queen nodded and put her arm around the little fairy, whose wings were drooping miserably.

  “What exactly are the wedding charms?” asked Kirsty.

  “They are three magical items that help recharge Mia’s magic powers,” the queen explained. “They also make weddings go smoothly. The shiny penny ensures that the married couple will prosper all their lives.”

  “The golden bells are a good luck charm,” added the king. “And the silver veil brings happiness.”

  “But without the charms, Mia’s powers will weaken and disappear,” the queen finished.

  “Oh no!” Rachel gasped, clasping Mia’s hand.

  “This could ruin every wedding in the human world!” Mia cried.

  “Mia, do you think you can find the charms before it’s too late?” asked the queen.

  “I’ll do everything I can,” said Mia, sounding determined.

  “We’ll help!” the girls chimed in eagerly.

  The queen smiled. “I was hoping you would say that!”

  “How will we know where to start looking?” asked Rachel.

  “I have a special connection to the charms,” explained Mia. “The closer I am to them, the stronger my magic feels. That should help us to find them.”

  “Let’s start looking right away,” said Kirsty. “There’s no time to lose!”

  Queen Titania smiled at the girls gratefully and waved her wand. “Good luck!” she said.

  “Thank you — good-bye!” called Rachel and Kirsty together.

  Mia and the girls disappeared in a glittering whirl of fairy dust.

  A moment later, they found themselves back in the alley in Kenbury.

  “Will you tell us more about each charm so we can work out a plan?” Rachel asked Mia eagerly.

  “Well,” Mia began, “the shiny penny is the least powerful of the charms. Its magic is usually used to help couples prosper, but in the wrong hands it could be used to steal money.”

  “And greedy goblin hands are definitely the wrong hands!” said Ki
rsty with a sigh.

  Suddenly, Mia gave a cry of excitement. She rose above them, flitting left and right.

  “I can sense that the shiny penny has been here!” she gasped. “If we hurry, we can follow the goblins!”

  Quickly, Mia flew off and the girls followed her. Soon they were flitting over pretty purple flowers in a large field. Mia pointed at a small village up ahead.

  “The shiny penny is there somewhere,” she declared. “I’m sure of it.”

  As they fluttered toward the village, Rachel gave a surprised cry.

  “I came here on vacation once!” she said excitedly. “This village is famous because it has the oldest wishing well in the country!”

  Kirsty gasped, understanding her best friend at once. “In the human world, people throw coins into wishing wells,” she explained to Mia.

  “Maybe the goblins have seen humans making wishes, and now they’re trying to use the shiny penny to wish for more money!” Rachel added eagerly.

  Sure enough, they soon spotted a group of goblins standing around the wishing well, arguing loudly. The girls landed close by and hid behind a tree trunk.

  “You fool!” they heard one goblin snap. “Why did you throw it in there?”

  “I wished for all the money in the world, but nothing happened!” wailed another, who had a large wart on his nose.

  “The shiny penny would never respond to a greedy wish like that!” whispered Mia indignantly.

  “So now we have NO money and NO shiny penny!” roared a third goblin, poking the warty one in the chest with his long finger. “Do you want to explain that to Jack Frost, pea-brain?”

  “You have to get it back,” the first goblin declared.

  “Not me!” squealed the warty one. “I’m scared of the dark!”

  “Tough luck,” said another goblin. “You should have thought of that before!”

  He grabbed the warty goblin’s ankles and dangled him upside down over the well.