Have you ever had something you wanted more than anything else in the world? Well, if you have, then you know exactly how Dane felt. More than anything in the world he wanted to ride dirt bikes. His Dad had a big General Store called Mac’s and Dane was expected to work there every day after school. Dane saved up every penny he earned to buy parts so that one day he could have a dirt bike built for him exactly like the one he always dreams about.
Little by little he bought the parts until one day he had them all crossed off his list. His Dad loaded up the supply truck and took all of the pieces over to Travis’ Garage. Travis said that he could work on it but that it would take at least 3 weeks for him to put the whole bike together. Three weeks seemed like a long time, but Dane knew it was worth the wait.
At the end of the appointed time, the bike was ready. It was even better than he dreamed. He couldn’t wait to take it out back in the field and try it out. Every day now, after school he would help in the store until it closed at five and then race the bike until dinner at six. He started out taking it slow, getting a feel for the bike. Then once he got the hang of it, he started going over small jumps, and building ramps until he could go over the biggest ramp without losing control of the bike.
One afternoon when Dane was in the store Mrs. Emma came rushing in. “Help! You have to help me! Little Joy was playing in our rowboat when it drifted off the shore. The waves carried her over to the other side. Joy got out, but can’t get back over. The waves are so violent right now that they smashed the boat into the shore and broke it into pieces. Scott has been trying to row out to get her, but the wind has picked up and the current is so strong that he can’t make it across.”
Dane’s Dad jumped up and started talking to the other men in the store trying to think of a way to get across to Joy. But none of their ideas seemed like they were going to work.
Dane walked over to his Dad. “I can help her,” he said.
“How can you help, Son?” his Dad asked.
“Well, if you guys can quick build me a ramp on the shore, I know I could jump across the river on my bike. I know it is far, but Dad I’ve jumped farther than that out in the field.”
“I don’t know, Dane. It seems kind of dangerous to me.”
“Trust me Dad. I know I can do it,” pleaded Dane.
The other men started talking right away saying things like ‘I have a bunch of scrap wood in my garage,’ and ‘I have my toolbox in my trunk’ and so on. It was finally decided that they would let Dane try.
Working together they had a ramp built in less than 15 minutes. Dane watched them so that he would be able to build one on the other side to get back. Jeffrey Wyatt had a lumber yard along the shore and he told Dane to use any of the wood he had for a ramp. When they finished, Dane fastened his helmet and climbed on his bike. He could hear Joy crying on the other side of the river and knew he had to do this right, the first time. He’d only have one chance. His Dad walked over and squeezed his shoulder.
“Please be careful, Son. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I will Dad. I know I can do this. Honest I can!”
Dane rode over to the end of the ramp, and counted to ten to calm his nerves. Most of the town was outside watching. Mrs. Emma and a bunch of the other Moms were standing in a circle holding hands. Dane could tell they were praying.
“Well, here goes,” thought Dane. He started off in second gear and quickly had to shift up so that he could go fast enough to hit the ramp in just the right way. At the top, he felt himself floating through the air. He tried to look down to see if he was going to land on land or water but he couldn’t tell. Then all of a sudden he felt the bike hit the ground. He had to hold on tight to the handlebars to keep from bouncing off. Immediately he slowed the bike down and went over to comfort Joy.
“It’s ok, Joy. I am here to help you. Don’t worry. I will get you back to your Mommy.”
Joy stopped crying and held on tight to Dane’s shirt. “Right now I need you to help me, o.k.? We need to make a ramp that we can ride over to get us to your Mommy and Daddy. I need you to be my little helper.”
“O.k.,” said Joy softly.
Together with the wood from the lumberyard and pieces of wood from the boat, they lined up the boards one after the other. It took a lot longer building it on this side, but they did a mighty fine job. Dane walked on it checking to make sure they didn’t forget anything. Giving it his final approval, he got on the bike. He gave Joy the helmet and told her how to grab both sides of his shirt into tiny fists and to hold on no matter what.
He drove to the end of the ramp and told Joy they were going to count to ten and then go. Together they counted.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”
And they were off. Dane hit the ramp the exact same way he had hit it the first time and felt Joy’s little arms get tighter around him.
Finally, they hit solid ground. Dane let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Mrs. Emma came running over, crying. “You saved my baby! You saved my baby!”
Dane’s Dad walked over and gave him a big hug. “I am mighty proud of you, Son. You did a very brave thing back there. Good job.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
Dane looked around and saw all of the townspeople clapping and cheering. “That’s my boy!” his Dad shouted.
“Uh, Dad. I am glad that you are so proud of me because I have been meaning to talk to you about something. How would you feel about your son having a career in motorcross?”
“Well, as long as you aren’t jumping over rivers, it sounds just fine to me, Son. Just fine indeed.”
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Fairy Tale Wedding
Have you ever met someone that made your heart melt? Someone that you just can’t stop thinking about? Someone that makes you smile every time you mention their name? I have. And I want you to meet her. Her name is Sonja and she is the most beautiful fairy that ever lived. Do you see her over there on that daisy? Isn’t she dreamy? I am going to marry her some day. Well, if she says “Yes” and her Dad says “Yes.” That is the tricky part. You see Sonja has been my girl for some time now, but she isn’t just any girl. Her Dad is the chief Fairy over all of Fallen Forest. I have been afraid to ask him if I could marry his daughter.
This here is my best friend Chip. He keeps telling me to go for it. He says that I will never know until I ask. I know he is right. I try to go in and talk to her Dad, Mostra Moss, but then I chicken out and wind up talking about the weather, or some other silly thing.
I called him today and asked if I could come over and talk to him about something. This is my chance. I need to just do it. Wish me luck.
“Knock, Knock.”
“Come in, dear boy. Come in.”
“Hello, Mr. Moss. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. You know that your daughter and I have been good friends for over a year now and I like her, and she likes me, and we really like each other, and I know you like your daughter and I think you like me. And, well, I was wondering if perhaps you might agree to let me, or well, to let her, I mean to let us get married, sometime?”
“I thought you would never ask, Boy. Of course you can marry my daughter!”
“Really! Wow! Thank you! I am so excited, I am going to tell her now.
Thank you sir!”
I ran out of the house right over to where Sonja was hanging up clothes on the wash line and gave her a great big hug. “Your Dad said ‘Yes’ Sonja! He said we could get married!” I swept her up in my arms and swung her around and around. Sonja was so happy she was giggling.
“When should we get married?” I asked.
“Let’s get married next weekend!” she yelled. “I don’t want to wait another minute.”
So we began planning for the big event. Now, the daughter of the chief must get married in the Enchanted Gardens. She must get married at midnight with 10 fireflies holding the back of her gown. She must have fresh rose petals lining the path and pure white baby’s breath flowers in her hair. While Sonja and her Mom were busy sewing strands of gossamer together for the dress, Chip and I were cleaning up Enchanted Gardens. There were a few weeds that needed to be pulled and an occasional piece of trash that had blown in. Everything had to be perfect. One night, two days before the wedding, Chip mentioned that his Dad had made a special candle for them to burn at the wedding. He brought it for me to smell and see if I liked it. We took it to the Garden and lit it while we lay watching the stars. It smelled fantastic-like a mixture of early morning dew and a hint of lilacs. It was just the thing for the wedding. After a while we drifted off to sleep. Next thing I know, I woke up to the horrible smell of smoke and looked around to see Enchanted Gardens on fire. “Oh No! What are we going to do?”, I thought. I woke up Chip and we began to help the other fairies that were there dump buckets of water on the fire. However, the fire was big and our buckets were small. So by the time the fire was finally out, most of Enchanted Gardens was gone.
The chief came to inspect the damage. “There will be no wedding here until the gardens grow back.” he proclaimed.
“What? Oh, Dear! What are we going to do now?” I yelled out to Chip.
Sonja began to cry. I flew over to her and put my arms around her. “Don’t worry, Sweetheart. I’ll think of something.”
All night and the rest of the day I thought. And I thought and I thought, but I couldn’t come up a solution. It was the fairy law that all daughters of the chief got married in Enchanted Gardens. But that wasn’t possible now, and it wouldn’t be possible for many months. The whole Garden had to start over.
As Chip and I were laying on our favorite mushroom, I called it My Thinking Spot, I began to think that if there was just a way that I could get all of the fairies together maybe we could come up with an answer.
“How can I get a message to all of the fairies at once?” I asked Chip.
“You could fly up to the top of the tree and yell.”
So I flew up to the tallest tree in Fallen Forest and yelled. But even the group of girls in the next field over playing Dandelion Ball couldn’t hear me.
“Any more ideas?” I asked Chip again.
“Well, maybe you could put a note on everyone’s door.”
“Chip, do you know how many fairies live in our forest? My Dad says it is over a thousand. That would take me days or even weeks.”
“You know,” said Chip suddenly, “My Dad has this magic powder that he makes out of butterfly dust that makes messages in the air. The only thing is that you need a big fan or something to blow it up to the sky.”
Just then an airplane flew overheard and gave me a great idea.
“Chip, tell your Dad to make me the biggest batch of that magic powder he has ever made and have it ready for me in an hour.”
“If he is making a big batch, you better give him two hours.” Chip said chuckling.
“Alright. I will meet you here at 2:00 then.”
“Hey, Wedding boy, what are you up to?”
“You’ll see. I’ll show you at 2.”
While Chip and his Dad were making the powder, I flew to the airport to look in the window at the flight schedule. Sure enough there was an airplane planning to take off at 2:15. I knew I would have to hurry, but I could do it.
Right at 2, Chip showed up with the powder. “Strap it to my back,” I yelled.
“I don’t know what you are up to, but you have that crazy look in your eyes.”
“Hurry! You will see in just a minute.”
So Chip strapped the bottle to my back and I flew off toward the airport. It was a bit difficult flying with that heavy bottle on my back, but I knew I had to do it. I just kept thinking about Sonja and how sad she had been when her Dad said there would be no wedding.
I flew to the airplane and held on just as it was about to take off. Chip and I would sometimes ride on the planes when we were younger and more daring. It was such a rush feeling the wind through our wings. Even the best fairy can’t fly that fast. But this was no time for fun and games. I worked my way toward the jet engine on the side and slowly slid the bottle off of my back. I knew that I would have to work quickly to scratch the message in the powder before the wind carried it away. Very carefully I let the gossamer powder out of the bottle and hurriedly wrote this message into it:
“Calling all fairies. I desperately need your help. Bring all the plants and flowers you can to Enchanted Garden tomorrow night.”
“I hope this works,” I thought the whole way back to Fallen Forest.
As I got to the ground, I looked up into the sky and sure enough. There was my message like a white streak across the bright blue sky.
I went to bed thinking that this was my last chance. All day I wondered if my plan would work. I sent Sonja a message that said, “Get ready for the wedding. Maybe a miracle will happen.”
Once nighttime fell, I heard the faint sound of singing as hundreds of fairy wings fluttered to the ground. One by one the fairies came to the Garden each with something to give. Some had ferns or ivy, some had star gazer lilies, or tulips, and some just brought strands of ribbons and bows. I flew to get the chief for a final approval. If he said it was good, the wedding might still be on.
I held my breath as he walked through and looked. Finally, he came back to me. “The Garden looks even better than before. The wedding is on!” he declared.
A cheer rang out from among the fairies but none as loud as mine.
There under the light of the smiling moon, with the glow of the fireflies and the scent of Chip’s candle and all of the other blossoming flowers Sonja and I were married. It was the most magnificent wedding you could ever imagine. Not because of the flowers, but because my Sonja was the Bride.
In case you are wondering, fairies still write messages to each other in the sky. Anytime they need help, or something big and exciting happens, they let each other know. To you, it just looks like a white line in the sky. Your eyes are much too big to see.
So the next time you look up into the sky and see a white line behind an airplane, remember that there really are fairies and they might be closer than you think.
This here is my best friend Chip. He keeps telling me to go for it. He says that I will never know until I ask. I know he is right. I try to go in and talk to her Dad, Mostra Moss, but then I chicken out and wind up talking about the weather, or some other silly thing.
I called him today and asked if I could come over and talk to him about something. This is my chance. I need to just do it. Wish me luck.
“Knock, Knock.”
“Come in, dear boy. Come in.”
“Hello, Mr. Moss. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. You know that your daughter and I have been good friends for over a year now and I like her, and she likes me, and we really like each other, and I know you like your daughter and I think you like me. And, well, I was wondering if perhaps you might agree to let me, or well, to let her, I mean to let us get married, sometime?”
“I thought you would never ask, Boy. Of course you can marry my daughter!”
“Really! Wow! Thank you! I am so excited, I am going to tell her now.
Thank you sir!”
I ran out of the house right over to where Sonja was hanging up clothes on the wash line and gave her a great big hug. “Your Dad said ‘Yes’ Sonja! He said we could get married!” I swept her up in my arms and swung her around and around. Sonja was so happy she was giggling.
“When should we get married?” I asked.
“Let’s get married next weekend!” she yelled. “I don’t want to wait another minute.”
So we began planning for the big event. Now, the daughter of the chief must get married in the Enchanted Gardens. She must get married at midnight with 10 fireflies holding the back of her gown. She must have fresh rose petals lining the path and pure white baby’s breath flowers in her hair. While Sonja and her Mom were busy sewing strands of gossamer together for the dress, Chip and I were cleaning up Enchanted Gardens. There were a few weeds that needed to be pulled and an occasional piece of trash that had blown in. Everything had to be perfect. One night, two days before the wedding, Chip mentioned that his Dad had made a special candle for them to burn at the wedding. He brought it for me to smell and see if I liked it. We took it to the Garden and lit it while we lay watching the stars. It smelled fantastic-like a mixture of early morning dew and a hint of lilacs. It was just the thing for the wedding. After a while we drifted off to sleep. Next thing I know, I woke up to the horrible smell of smoke and looked around to see Enchanted Gardens on fire. “Oh No! What are we going to do?”, I thought. I woke up Chip and we began to help the other fairies that were there dump buckets of water on the fire. However, the fire was big and our buckets were small. So by the time the fire was finally out, most of Enchanted Gardens was gone.
The chief came to inspect the damage. “There will be no wedding here until the gardens grow back.” he proclaimed.
“What? Oh, Dear! What are we going to do now?” I yelled out to Chip.
Sonja began to cry. I flew over to her and put my arms around her. “Don’t worry, Sweetheart. I’ll think of something.”
All night and the rest of the day I thought. And I thought and I thought, but I couldn’t come up a solution. It was the fairy law that all daughters of the chief got married in Enchanted Gardens. But that wasn’t possible now, and it wouldn’t be possible for many months. The whole Garden had to start over.
As Chip and I were laying on our favorite mushroom, I called it My Thinking Spot, I began to think that if there was just a way that I could get all of the fairies together maybe we could come up with an answer.
“How can I get a message to all of the fairies at once?” I asked Chip.
“You could fly up to the top of the tree and yell.”
So I flew up to the tallest tree in Fallen Forest and yelled. But even the group of girls in the next field over playing Dandelion Ball couldn’t hear me.
“Any more ideas?” I asked Chip again.
“Well, maybe you could put a note on everyone’s door.”
“Chip, do you know how many fairies live in our forest? My Dad says it is over a thousand. That would take me days or even weeks.”
“You know,” said Chip suddenly, “My Dad has this magic powder that he makes out of butterfly dust that makes messages in the air. The only thing is that you need a big fan or something to blow it up to the sky.”
Just then an airplane flew overheard and gave me a great idea.
“Chip, tell your Dad to make me the biggest batch of that magic powder he has ever made and have it ready for me in an hour.”
“If he is making a big batch, you better give him two hours.” Chip said chuckling.
“Alright. I will meet you here at 2:00 then.”
“Hey, Wedding boy, what are you up to?”
“You’ll see. I’ll show you at 2.”
While Chip and his Dad were making the powder, I flew to the airport to look in the window at the flight schedule. Sure enough there was an airplane planning to take off at 2:15. I knew I would have to hurry, but I could do it.
Right at 2, Chip showed up with the powder. “Strap it to my back,” I yelled.
“I don’t know what you are up to, but you have that crazy look in your eyes.”
“Hurry! You will see in just a minute.”
So Chip strapped the bottle to my back and I flew off toward the airport. It was a bit difficult flying with that heavy bottle on my back, but I knew I had to do it. I just kept thinking about Sonja and how sad she had been when her Dad said there would be no wedding.
I flew to the airplane and held on just as it was about to take off. Chip and I would sometimes ride on the planes when we were younger and more daring. It was such a rush feeling the wind through our wings. Even the best fairy can’t fly that fast. But this was no time for fun and games. I worked my way toward the jet engine on the side and slowly slid the bottle off of my back. I knew that I would have to work quickly to scratch the message in the powder before the wind carried it away. Very carefully I let the gossamer powder out of the bottle and hurriedly wrote this message into it:
“Calling all fairies. I desperately need your help. Bring all the plants and flowers you can to Enchanted Garden tomorrow night.”
“I hope this works,” I thought the whole way back to Fallen Forest.
As I got to the ground, I looked up into the sky and sure enough. There was my message like a white streak across the bright blue sky.
I went to bed thinking that this was my last chance. All day I wondered if my plan would work. I sent Sonja a message that said, “Get ready for the wedding. Maybe a miracle will happen.”
Once nighttime fell, I heard the faint sound of singing as hundreds of fairy wings fluttered to the ground. One by one the fairies came to the Garden each with something to give. Some had ferns or ivy, some had star gazer lilies, or tulips, and some just brought strands of ribbons and bows. I flew to get the chief for a final approval. If he said it was good, the wedding might still be on.
I held my breath as he walked through and looked. Finally, he came back to me. “The Garden looks even better than before. The wedding is on!” he declared.
A cheer rang out from among the fairies but none as loud as mine.
There under the light of the smiling moon, with the glow of the fireflies and the scent of Chip’s candle and all of the other blossoming flowers Sonja and I were married. It was the most magnificent wedding you could ever imagine. Not because of the flowers, but because my Sonja was the Bride.
In case you are wondering, fairies still write messages to each other in the sky. Anytime they need help, or something big and exciting happens, they let each other know. To you, it just looks like a white line in the sky. Your eyes are much too big to see.
So the next time you look up into the sky and see a white line behind an airplane, remember that there really are fairies and they might be closer than you think.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Henche's Rock Collection
Henche was a little boy who loved to collect rocks. He had dozens of them stored in an old wooden box his Dad had given him. His family didn't have much, but everyday Henche would walk along the sea and look for new rocks for his collection. One dark, blustery night, a violent storm erupted blowing things all over his yard. On his way to the sea the next morning, Henche saw a rock unlike any rock he had ever seen before. The rock wasn't very big, yet the color was amazing. It was clear on the outside, but when you looked deep into it you could see sparks of every color. Hence knew it had to go into his collection, but first he wanted to show it to his best friend, Tino. Tino lived in a grand house full of wonderful things. When he saw the rock, he said, "Henche, my Dad told me about a rock like this. It is called a diamond, and used to belong to the queen. There are papers about it all around town. Somebody stole it."
"A diamond?" remarked Hence astonished. "I wonder if this is it."
"Keep it until you find out if there is a reward," cautioned Tino.
"I can't keep it if it is not mine."
"Of course you can. No one knows you have it except me and I am not telling anyone."
As Henche walked away, Tino called out, "Henche, YOU found it. Don't give it back unless you know you will get something for it."
Henche thought about that all the way home, and at night as he was trying to fall asleep. When he woke up in the morning, he knew what he had to do. He asked his Dad to give him a ride into town for the day. Once he got there, he looked around for the papers and sure enough, there was a picture of his rock, or at least what looked like his rock. He had to find out if it was the Queen's missing diamond.
Henche decided to find his Dad and tell him what was going on. His Dad agreed that they needed to check it out. They got in the car and drove and drove until they reached the capital city where they asked for an appointment to see the Queen. After waiting most of the day, they were finally let in.
"And what brings you here today?" the Queen asked Henche kindly.
"I think I found your missing rock, er, I mean, diamond."
Carefully, Henche pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to the Queen. The Queen examined it closely even taking it over to the window to see it better. After some time she walked back to Henche smiling and asked him how he found this rock. Henche told her all about his rock collection, the big storm, and the long trip here to find her.
The Queen sat for awhile quietly and then stood up and handed the rock back to Henche. "This rock is very beautiful and should stay in your collection. You found it, so it is now yours. It is a gift from me to you."
"But, Your Majesty, I don't understand. Isn't this your diamond?"
"Whether it is or not doesn't matter because it is your rock now, my Dear. Take it and go."
Henche was confused. Was it just a pretty rock or the Queen's precious diamond? He looked at his Dad uncertain of what to do next. His Dad smiled and motioned for him to come along. Henche turned to go, slowly shuffling his feet to the door. The Queen shook his hand and thanked him for coming all this way.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will never forget this day, " said Henche.
"And neither shall I," replied the Queen. "Neither shall I."
"A diamond?" remarked Hence astonished. "I wonder if this is it."
"Keep it until you find out if there is a reward," cautioned Tino.
"I can't keep it if it is not mine."
"Of course you can. No one knows you have it except me and I am not telling anyone."
As Henche walked away, Tino called out, "Henche, YOU found it. Don't give it back unless you know you will get something for it."
Henche thought about that all the way home, and at night as he was trying to fall asleep. When he woke up in the morning, he knew what he had to do. He asked his Dad to give him a ride into town for the day. Once he got there, he looked around for the papers and sure enough, there was a picture of his rock, or at least what looked like his rock. He had to find out if it was the Queen's missing diamond.
Henche decided to find his Dad and tell him what was going on. His Dad agreed that they needed to check it out. They got in the car and drove and drove until they reached the capital city where they asked for an appointment to see the Queen. After waiting most of the day, they were finally let in.
"And what brings you here today?" the Queen asked Henche kindly.
"I think I found your missing rock, er, I mean, diamond."
Carefully, Henche pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to the Queen. The Queen examined it closely even taking it over to the window to see it better. After some time she walked back to Henche smiling and asked him how he found this rock. Henche told her all about his rock collection, the big storm, and the long trip here to find her.
The Queen sat for awhile quietly and then stood up and handed the rock back to Henche. "This rock is very beautiful and should stay in your collection. You found it, so it is now yours. It is a gift from me to you."
"But, Your Majesty, I don't understand. Isn't this your diamond?"
"Whether it is or not doesn't matter because it is your rock now, my Dear. Take it and go."
Henche was confused. Was it just a pretty rock or the Queen's precious diamond? He looked at his Dad uncertain of what to do next. His Dad smiled and motioned for him to come along. Henche turned to go, slowly shuffling his feet to the door. The Queen shook his hand and thanked him for coming all this way.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will never forget this day, " said Henche.
"And neither shall I," replied the Queen. "Neither shall I."
Saturday, October 18, 2008
PRINCESS LILLABELLE AND THE DRAGON
Once upon a time in a faraway land lived a beautiful young princess named Lillabelle. She lived in a castle at the front of the forest. One day, the phone rang. It was her honey, Prince Crumbcake. He wanted to know if the Princess could come over to see him. “Why, sure, sweetie. I would love to come see you,” she exclaimed. The princess checked her hair in the mirror, and then set out. As she got closer to the woods, Princess Lillabelle heard a very, loud “GREEEEEEEEEEEER!” It was the big, ugly green dragon. “AAAAAAAAA!” yelled the Princess, and ran all the way back to the castle.
“Beep,beep,beep,beep.” She called up Prince Crumbcake. “Honey, I cannot come and see you today. The big, ugly, green dragon came out and went ‘GREEEER’ and scared me and I ran all the way back.”
“Hmmm,” thought Prince Crumbcake. “Dearie, I have an idea. Maybe the dragon is just having a bad day. Why don’t you try it again. This time have a big smile on your face. That will make the dragon feel better.”
“O.K.” said the Princess. “I will try that.” The princess went back to the mirror and fixed her hair, put on her happiest smile, and set out.
As she got closer to the dragon, she looked right at him, gave him a big smile, and even waved at him. “GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!” went the dragon. ”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!,” yelled Princess Lillabelle all the way back to the castle.
“Beep, beep, beep, beep.” She called up Prince Crumbcake. “Honey, I cannot come and see you today. The dragon did ‘GREER’ again and I went ‘AAAA’ and here I am back at the castle.”
“Hmm,” thought Prince Crumbcake. “O.K. Sugarplum. I have another idea. Why don’t you wait until the dragon falls asleep and then sneak by him.”
“Lovekins, you are so smart. I will try that.”
So the Princess watched from her window until the dragon fell asleep. With the quietest of steps she walked outside. As she got closer to the dragon she held her breath. Her eyes were on the dragon to make sure he didn’t wake up. “CRACK!” The Princess accidentally stepped on a large branch and broke it in half. The dragon’s eyes popped right open. When he saw the Princess he “GREEEEEEEEEEEERed” as loud as he could, sending Lillabelle back to the castle.
This time when she called Prince Crumbcake she was crying. “Beep, beep, beep, beep.” She had a hard time getting her words out through her sobs.
“O.k. my Sweetpea. I will come over and take care of this dragon myself.”
So Prince Crumbcake grabbed his sword and his spear and started out from the end of the forest to find the dragon. It took him awhile, but he finally came to the front of the forest. He could see that the dragons’ back was to him. He was sitting watching the castle to see if the Princess came back. The Prince went up behind him. “Hey! Why have you been scaring my girl?” he yelled. The big, ugly, green dragon jumped. “You scared me,” he said in a little voice. “I scared you? You have been scaring my Princess all day. What is going on?”
The dragon started to cry great, big, crocodile tears. “I’m sorry. I am just in a really, bad mood today. You see, I am so lonely. I have no one to play with, or hang out with. When I start thinking about that it makes me sad and crabby.”
“Hmmm,” thought the Prince. “I have an idea. Come with me.” They walked toward the castle, and “Knock, knocked” on the door. When the Princess opened the door and saw the dragon, she got scared again. The fearsome Prince told her not to worry. They were going to help the dragon.
Together they began to walk toward the end of the forest. As they got closer they could hear noises getting louder and louder. Before long, they were at a clearing where you could see dragons. Bunches and bunches of dragons. The big, ugly, green dragon saw them and began to jump up and down clapping his hands.
“This would be a great place for you to find a buddy,” said the Prince.
“Thank you. Oh, thank you!” exclaimed the dragon, excitedly. He gave the Prince a hug. Then he took the Princesses’ hand and kissed it. “I promise that I will never scare you again.” With that he ran off to meet all of his new friends.
Now that the dragon was gone the Prince and Princess could see each other anytime they wanted. And after they got to know each other real well, and realized that they were perfect for each other, they got married. And they lived happily ever after in the castle at the front of the forest.
“Beep,beep,beep,beep.” She called up Prince Crumbcake. “Honey, I cannot come and see you today. The big, ugly, green dragon came out and went ‘GREEEER’ and scared me and I ran all the way back.”
“Hmmm,” thought Prince Crumbcake. “Dearie, I have an idea. Maybe the dragon is just having a bad day. Why don’t you try it again. This time have a big smile on your face. That will make the dragon feel better.”
“O.K.” said the Princess. “I will try that.” The princess went back to the mirror and fixed her hair, put on her happiest smile, and set out.
As she got closer to the dragon, she looked right at him, gave him a big smile, and even waved at him. “GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!” went the dragon. ”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!,” yelled Princess Lillabelle all the way back to the castle.
“Beep, beep, beep, beep.” She called up Prince Crumbcake. “Honey, I cannot come and see you today. The dragon did ‘GREER’ again and I went ‘AAAA’ and here I am back at the castle.”
“Hmm,” thought Prince Crumbcake. “O.K. Sugarplum. I have another idea. Why don’t you wait until the dragon falls asleep and then sneak by him.”
“Lovekins, you are so smart. I will try that.”
So the Princess watched from her window until the dragon fell asleep. With the quietest of steps she walked outside. As she got closer to the dragon she held her breath. Her eyes were on the dragon to make sure he didn’t wake up. “CRACK!” The Princess accidentally stepped on a large branch and broke it in half. The dragon’s eyes popped right open. When he saw the Princess he “GREEEEEEEEEEEERed” as loud as he could, sending Lillabelle back to the castle.
This time when she called Prince Crumbcake she was crying. “Beep, beep, beep, beep.” She had a hard time getting her words out through her sobs.
“O.k. my Sweetpea. I will come over and take care of this dragon myself.”
So Prince Crumbcake grabbed his sword and his spear and started out from the end of the forest to find the dragon. It took him awhile, but he finally came to the front of the forest. He could see that the dragons’ back was to him. He was sitting watching the castle to see if the Princess came back. The Prince went up behind him. “Hey! Why have you been scaring my girl?” he yelled. The big, ugly, green dragon jumped. “You scared me,” he said in a little voice. “I scared you? You have been scaring my Princess all day. What is going on?”
The dragon started to cry great, big, crocodile tears. “I’m sorry. I am just in a really, bad mood today. You see, I am so lonely. I have no one to play with, or hang out with. When I start thinking about that it makes me sad and crabby.”
“Hmmm,” thought the Prince. “I have an idea. Come with me.” They walked toward the castle, and “Knock, knocked” on the door. When the Princess opened the door and saw the dragon, she got scared again. The fearsome Prince told her not to worry. They were going to help the dragon.
Together they began to walk toward the end of the forest. As they got closer they could hear noises getting louder and louder. Before long, they were at a clearing where you could see dragons. Bunches and bunches of dragons. The big, ugly, green dragon saw them and began to jump up and down clapping his hands.
“This would be a great place for you to find a buddy,” said the Prince.
“Thank you. Oh, thank you!” exclaimed the dragon, excitedly. He gave the Prince a hug. Then he took the Princesses’ hand and kissed it. “I promise that I will never scare you again.” With that he ran off to meet all of his new friends.
Now that the dragon was gone the Prince and Princess could see each other anytime they wanted. And after they got to know each other real well, and realized that they were perfect for each other, they got married. And they lived happily ever after in the castle at the front of the forest.
What do you do with a crying rooster?
What do you do with a crying rooster?
Oh, good! You’re here. I could really use your help. In all my years of farming, I’ve never come across a problem like this before. Let me show you around and explain it all to you.
A couple of days ago I needed a rooster, so I went right into Roosters-R-Us and bought the first rooster I saw off of the clearance shelf, and brought it home. That’s when it all started.
See over here - that’s my pigpen. Would ya look at my pigs? They’re all asleep.
See inside the cow barn? The cows are snoozing the day away. Now how do you get milk out of a sleeping cow?
And look in the chicken coop here. Yep, you guessed it! All of the hens are sleeping too. Why, I haven’t had an egg in two days!
Now where is that rooster? Oh, here she is on her post. This is Rootie. Ever since I brought her home she’s been crying. Sometimes it’s just a little boo-hoo, and other times it’s a loud ba-ha-ha. I can’t figure it out.
Rootie won’t cock-a-doodle-doo when she’s crying, and the animals won’t wake up until they hear her cock-a-doodle-doo. I need you to help me figure out why she is so sad.
What?
You think that I should talk to her?
Well, O.K..
“Rootie, hi.. I am Farmer Cliff and on behalf of all of the animals, I want to welcome you to our farm.”
Through sniffles, Rootie whispers, “Thanks.”
“Uh, I was wondering if you could tell me why you’ve been crying?”
“Do you really want to know?” asked Rootie in a soft voice.
“Oh,yes!” exclaimed Farmer Cliff.
“It’s my throat. It really hurts.” Whispered Rootie.
“It hurts? You must have a sore throat! Come with me.”
I scooped Rootie up and ran to the house. “Mellie,Mellie, Rootie has a sore throat. What can we do?”
“A rooster with a sore throat?” asked Mellie. “Well, I’ll be! I am not sure what we should do. Here, lay her down on the bed while I get some hot tea.”
Mellie took care of Rootie like she was her own daughter. She gave her some lemon tea, some chicken soup, a cough drop and made her gargle some salt water.
Suddenly, Rootie stopped crying. Mellie and I stood looking at her. A small smile crept across Rootie’s face and it got bigger and bigger until she actually started laughing. She got out of bed and started dancing around the room.
“Yee-haw!! I feel great! I feel wonderful! I feel like I could doodle all day.” Rootie ran out of the house right up to her post, and started cock-a doodle-dooing. One by one the animals all woke up. The pigs started eating, the cows started making milk, and the hens started laying eggs. Boy, does Rootie feel good now. Really good. Some days I think she feels too good. She sits on her post all day, every day, cock-a-doodle-dooing. Now, if only we could get her to stop.
By Rachel Erickson
Oh, good! You’re here. I could really use your help. In all my years of farming, I’ve never come across a problem like this before. Let me show you around and explain it all to you.
A couple of days ago I needed a rooster, so I went right into Roosters-R-Us and bought the first rooster I saw off of the clearance shelf, and brought it home. That’s when it all started.
See over here - that’s my pigpen. Would ya look at my pigs? They’re all asleep.
See inside the cow barn? The cows are snoozing the day away. Now how do you get milk out of a sleeping cow?
And look in the chicken coop here. Yep, you guessed it! All of the hens are sleeping too. Why, I haven’t had an egg in two days!
Now where is that rooster? Oh, here she is on her post. This is Rootie. Ever since I brought her home she’s been crying. Sometimes it’s just a little boo-hoo, and other times it’s a loud ba-ha-ha. I can’t figure it out.
Rootie won’t cock-a-doodle-doo when she’s crying, and the animals won’t wake up until they hear her cock-a-doodle-doo. I need you to help me figure out why she is so sad.
What?
You think that I should talk to her?
Well, O.K..
“Rootie, hi.. I am Farmer Cliff and on behalf of all of the animals, I want to welcome you to our farm.”
Through sniffles, Rootie whispers, “Thanks.”
“Uh, I was wondering if you could tell me why you’ve been crying?”
“Do you really want to know?” asked Rootie in a soft voice.
“Oh,yes!” exclaimed Farmer Cliff.
“It’s my throat. It really hurts.” Whispered Rootie.
“It hurts? You must have a sore throat! Come with me.”
I scooped Rootie up and ran to the house. “Mellie,Mellie, Rootie has a sore throat. What can we do?”
“A rooster with a sore throat?” asked Mellie. “Well, I’ll be! I am not sure what we should do. Here, lay her down on the bed while I get some hot tea.”
Mellie took care of Rootie like she was her own daughter. She gave her some lemon tea, some chicken soup, a cough drop and made her gargle some salt water.
Suddenly, Rootie stopped crying. Mellie and I stood looking at her. A small smile crept across Rootie’s face and it got bigger and bigger until she actually started laughing. She got out of bed and started dancing around the room.
“Yee-haw!! I feel great! I feel wonderful! I feel like I could doodle all day.” Rootie ran out of the house right up to her post, and started cock-a doodle-dooing. One by one the animals all woke up. The pigs started eating, the cows started making milk, and the hens started laying eggs. Boy, does Rootie feel good now. Really good. Some days I think she feels too good. She sits on her post all day, every day, cock-a-doodle-dooing. Now, if only we could get her to stop.
By Rachel Erickson
The Princess and Her Birthday Lesson
The Princess and Her Birthday Lesson
The sun was streaming through the windows and the birds were singing as the Princess woke up. “What a wonderful day for a birthday,” she thought. “I want to have all of my friends over to celebrate.”
One by one her friends started to arrive. As they were sitting around talking, the Princess looked out the window and saw…him. Eric. The Princess had been watching Eric for weeks and thought he was dreamy. “Why don’t you go out and talk to him?” her friends asked. “Oh, I could never talk to him. I wouldn’t know what to say or what to do,” replied the Princess.
“Oh, we can help you out,” said the friends. Then punk rocker came up to her and said, “Princess, if you would just dye your hair pink like mine, play the guitar, and sing, then he will notice you and like you.”
“No, what you need to do is learn how to bake and make him a hundred cakes, “said baker. “Then he will notice you and like you.”
“Not at all,” said cheer leader. “You just need to learn some good cheers and shout them nice and loud. Then he will notice you and like you.”
“I think he would notice you if you learned how to paint and painted portraits of yourself all around the garden,” said painter.
“Well, if you learned how to dance and danced all around him, he would notice you for sure,” said ballet dancer. “I am sure he would like you if you knew how to dance.”
The Princess looked so unhappy. “But I can’t do any of those things,” she sighed sadly.
Then the Little One walked up and climbed onto the Princess’ lap. “Princess,” she said. “You don’t need to be anything except what you are.”
“What do you mean?” asked the Princess.
“All you need to do is be yourself. You are a wonderful friend and he will like you just the way you are.”
“Thank you, Little One. I will go talk to him right now.”
And with that the Princess hurried out to the garden to talk to Eric. One by one the friends went to the window to watch. They each realized that maybe the Little One was right and all you had to be was yourself.
The sun was streaming through the windows and the birds were singing as the Princess woke up. “What a wonderful day for a birthday,” she thought. “I want to have all of my friends over to celebrate.”
One by one her friends started to arrive. As they were sitting around talking, the Princess looked out the window and saw…him. Eric. The Princess had been watching Eric for weeks and thought he was dreamy. “Why don’t you go out and talk to him?” her friends asked. “Oh, I could never talk to him. I wouldn’t know what to say or what to do,” replied the Princess.
“Oh, we can help you out,” said the friends. Then punk rocker came up to her and said, “Princess, if you would just dye your hair pink like mine, play the guitar, and sing, then he will notice you and like you.”
“No, what you need to do is learn how to bake and make him a hundred cakes, “said baker. “Then he will notice you and like you.”
“Not at all,” said cheer leader. “You just need to learn some good cheers and shout them nice and loud. Then he will notice you and like you.”
“I think he would notice you if you learned how to paint and painted portraits of yourself all around the garden,” said painter.
“Well, if you learned how to dance and danced all around him, he would notice you for sure,” said ballet dancer. “I am sure he would like you if you knew how to dance.”
The Princess looked so unhappy. “But I can’t do any of those things,” she sighed sadly.
Then the Little One walked up and climbed onto the Princess’ lap. “Princess,” she said. “You don’t need to be anything except what you are.”
“What do you mean?” asked the Princess.
“All you need to do is be yourself. You are a wonderful friend and he will like you just the way you are.”
“Thank you, Little One. I will go talk to him right now.”
And with that the Princess hurried out to the garden to talk to Eric. One by one the friends went to the window to watch. They each realized that maybe the Little One was right and all you had to be was yourself.
Rena and Cora - A fairy tale of two sisters
Once there were two fairies that were sisters, and as it turned out, the very best of friends too. They did everything together. On clear, sunny days when the clouds made big, puffy shapes against the sky, they would fly over the daisy fields and have races with the butterflies. On dark, dreamy days where you never see the sun and the sky looks like a continuous gray blanket, they would lie under the Russula mushrooms and tell each other stories of what they would be when they grew up.
Rena, who was older, wanted to be a writer so her stories were always full of much adventure. Cora, wanted to help people. She wasn’t sure exactly how, but she knew she would figure it out when the time came.
On one particular dreamy day, Rena and Cora were sitting around the tall oak trees waiting for the rain to stop dripping when the sun pushed its’ way out from behind a cloud. With their heads together, they stared up towards the heavens. Suddenly Rena noticed a rainbow soft and hazy place itself like a giant eyebrow across the sky.
“Cora,” let’s see if we can fly up and touch that rainbow.”
“What?” laughed Cora. “It is way too far.”
“We are good flyers, “ coaxed Rena. “We could do it. Come on, please?”
“Oh, alright,” shrugged Cora. “I guess we can try.”
Together they took off flying higher and higher. Higher than they have ever been before. While they we flying they heard a loud “Caw! Caw!” Looking back they saw a large, black crow flying close behind them.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” shrieked Cora. “Watch out!”
There was nowhere to go to hide. The girls didn’t know what to do. Quickly they started flying back down, but the Crow followed them. Faster and faster they flew until they felt they could fly no more.
In a flash, the Crow snapped his beak and broke off one of Cora’s wings. She suddenly started to spin out of control toward the ground.
“No, Cora!” yelled Rena as she tried to fly under Cora to catch her. But she was spinning too fast and hit the ground hard landing in a pile of grass clippings. Rena rushed up to her side afraid of what she might find. Cora lay very still.
“Cora” Rena whispered. “Cora, Cora. Are you O.K.? Wake up. Say something.”
Rena lay her head on Cora’s chest and began to cry. Sometime later, Rena felt a hand in her hair and looked up to see Cora opening her eyes.
“Oh, Cora! You are alive! Oh, I am so happy!! You’re alive! You’re alive!” She began kissing Cora’s cheeks.
“Rena, I don’t think I can move.”
“Stay here. I will go for help.”
Rena flew home to get her Mom and Dad who scooped up Cora and rushed her to the hospital. Cora spent many days there. The whole time Rena sat by her side.
“I am so sorry, Cora. This whole thing is all my fault. You didn’t want to fly up that high. I should never have made you do it. I am so, so sorry.”
“Rena, it’s O.K. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know this would happen.”
The doctor came in and said that Cora would make a full recovery but would never be able to fly again seeing as she only had one wing. Finally the day came when she was able to come home. She was very sore and tired and spent a lot of time in bed getting better.
Every day she got stronger and stronger until she was able to run around outside with Rena just like she used to. The other fairies would come over often to ask Rena to fly with them. Cora always told her to go. Rena felt bad flying off with her friends and leaving Cora behind. How she wished there was a way Cora could fly again. Her friends suggested she go to Lucia, the wise, old butterfly that lived in the Abandoned Garden.
So one day, Rena flew over there and told Lucia her dream for Cora to fly again. Lucia sat for a long time thinking about the problem. Then a slow smile spread across her face and she said. “Go home, dear one and very soon your wish will come true.”
Rena went home and waited and waited. Then one day, they got the sad news that Lucia had died. On her table she had left a note for Cora. The note read:
“For helping others and the joy that brings,
I leave for you my magic wings.”
“Magic wings?” thought Cora. She looked down and there were Lucia’s big, beautiful wings. Very gently her Mother attached them to her back. Cora was a little nervous at first since it had been so long since she had flown.
She jumped up to try them out. Flapping the wings a few times, she flew a little before landing back on the ground. The next time she went up further and really flew. These wings were amazing! Because they were so big, they glided through the air with barely any effort. Cora found that she could go farther than before without getting as tired.
Over the next few weeks Cora used the wings to fly everywhere. She heard that there was a little girl in Tulip Valley that was very sick. No one could get the medicine to her in time –except for Cora. When baby blue bird fell out of her nest, Cora caught her before she hit the ground. And when Junior Grasshopper wasn’t going to make it to his wedding on time, Cora picked him up and flew him there with time to spare. These really were magic wings. They let her fly again, and help people. “This is what I was created to do,” she thought.
As for Rena, she decided to use her love for her sister and her love for writing to create books for the little fairies of their land. Now the adventures she writes about are Cora’s. She calls them The Great Adventures of Cora and her Magic Wings. Maybe someday she will fly by to help you. So watch. And if you happen to see something out of the corner of your eye and then when you look, it is gone, just imagine that it was probably Cora.
Rena, who was older, wanted to be a writer so her stories were always full of much adventure. Cora, wanted to help people. She wasn’t sure exactly how, but she knew she would figure it out when the time came.
On one particular dreamy day, Rena and Cora were sitting around the tall oak trees waiting for the rain to stop dripping when the sun pushed its’ way out from behind a cloud. With their heads together, they stared up towards the heavens. Suddenly Rena noticed a rainbow soft and hazy place itself like a giant eyebrow across the sky.
“Cora,” let’s see if we can fly up and touch that rainbow.”
“What?” laughed Cora. “It is way too far.”
“We are good flyers, “ coaxed Rena. “We could do it. Come on, please?”
“Oh, alright,” shrugged Cora. “I guess we can try.”
Together they took off flying higher and higher. Higher than they have ever been before. While they we flying they heard a loud “Caw! Caw!” Looking back they saw a large, black crow flying close behind them.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” shrieked Cora. “Watch out!”
There was nowhere to go to hide. The girls didn’t know what to do. Quickly they started flying back down, but the Crow followed them. Faster and faster they flew until they felt they could fly no more.
In a flash, the Crow snapped his beak and broke off one of Cora’s wings. She suddenly started to spin out of control toward the ground.
“No, Cora!” yelled Rena as she tried to fly under Cora to catch her. But she was spinning too fast and hit the ground hard landing in a pile of grass clippings. Rena rushed up to her side afraid of what she might find. Cora lay very still.
“Cora” Rena whispered. “Cora, Cora. Are you O.K.? Wake up. Say something.”
Rena lay her head on Cora’s chest and began to cry. Sometime later, Rena felt a hand in her hair and looked up to see Cora opening her eyes.
“Oh, Cora! You are alive! Oh, I am so happy!! You’re alive! You’re alive!” She began kissing Cora’s cheeks.
“Rena, I don’t think I can move.”
“Stay here. I will go for help.”
Rena flew home to get her Mom and Dad who scooped up Cora and rushed her to the hospital. Cora spent many days there. The whole time Rena sat by her side.
“I am so sorry, Cora. This whole thing is all my fault. You didn’t want to fly up that high. I should never have made you do it. I am so, so sorry.”
“Rena, it’s O.K. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know this would happen.”
The doctor came in and said that Cora would make a full recovery but would never be able to fly again seeing as she only had one wing. Finally the day came when she was able to come home. She was very sore and tired and spent a lot of time in bed getting better.
Every day she got stronger and stronger until she was able to run around outside with Rena just like she used to. The other fairies would come over often to ask Rena to fly with them. Cora always told her to go. Rena felt bad flying off with her friends and leaving Cora behind. How she wished there was a way Cora could fly again. Her friends suggested she go to Lucia, the wise, old butterfly that lived in the Abandoned Garden.
So one day, Rena flew over there and told Lucia her dream for Cora to fly again. Lucia sat for a long time thinking about the problem. Then a slow smile spread across her face and she said. “Go home, dear one and very soon your wish will come true.”
Rena went home and waited and waited. Then one day, they got the sad news that Lucia had died. On her table she had left a note for Cora. The note read:
“For helping others and the joy that brings,
I leave for you my magic wings.”
“Magic wings?” thought Cora. She looked down and there were Lucia’s big, beautiful wings. Very gently her Mother attached them to her back. Cora was a little nervous at first since it had been so long since she had flown.
She jumped up to try them out. Flapping the wings a few times, she flew a little before landing back on the ground. The next time she went up further and really flew. These wings were amazing! Because they were so big, they glided through the air with barely any effort. Cora found that she could go farther than before without getting as tired.
Over the next few weeks Cora used the wings to fly everywhere. She heard that there was a little girl in Tulip Valley that was very sick. No one could get the medicine to her in time –except for Cora. When baby blue bird fell out of her nest, Cora caught her before she hit the ground. And when Junior Grasshopper wasn’t going to make it to his wedding on time, Cora picked him up and flew him there with time to spare. These really were magic wings. They let her fly again, and help people. “This is what I was created to do,” she thought.
As for Rena, she decided to use her love for her sister and her love for writing to create books for the little fairies of their land. Now the adventures she writes about are Cora’s. She calls them The Great Adventures of Cora and her Magic Wings. Maybe someday she will fly by to help you. So watch. And if you happen to see something out of the corner of your eye and then when you look, it is gone, just imagine that it was probably Cora.
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