Mia the Bridesmaid Fairy

by Daisy Meadows

  “Eeek! Let me go!” shrieked the goblin.

  But another goblin seized the second one’s ankles and dangled him into the well, too. The warty one dropped down even lower.

  “NO!” he wailed, his voice echoing.

  One by one, each goblin grabbed the ankles of the goblin in front, making a bony, green chain out of their own bodies.

  “You’re squeezing my ankles too hard!” yelled one.

  “Being upside down makes me dizzy!” another complained. “I feel sick!”

  “Stop complaining and get on with it!” bellowed the goblin at the top of the well, who had to hold on to them all.

  With groans and moans, they slowly lowered the warty goblin down near the very bottom of the well.

  “We have to find the shiny penny before they do,” Kirsty whispered urgently. “But how?”

  “I’ve got an idea!” Rachel said suddenly, her eyes gleaming. “Mia, can you use your magic to make some fake shiny pennies?”

  “Yes,” said Mia. “My magic powers are stronger because the real penny is so close. But how will that help?”

  “If we can confuse the goblins with the fake coins, we’ll have a better chance of getting our hands on the real shiny penny!” Rachel explained.

  “That’s a great plan!” cried Mia in excitement. “And I can use my fairy magic to make the coins disappear as soon as the goblins touch them. Come on!”

  Mia and the girls flitted toward the dark well. Rachel’s heart began to thump. Could they trick the goblins — without getting caught?

  “Fairies!” shrieked one goblin, as Mia and the girls entered the well. “Don’t let them find the coin!”

  The goblin chain still hadn’t reached the water at the bottom of the well. But the second goblin let go of the warty one’s ankles, and he fell the rest of the way down, howling loudly. He landed in the water with a loud splash.

  “Quick, find it!” shouted the other goblins, who were still dangling down the side of the well.

  Mia and the girls hovered just above the water. Then Mia waved her wand and created a fake penny.

  “Got it!” she called loudly, holding it up to show the goblins.

  Mia fluttered away from the goblin, clutching the fake coin. The other goblins yelled instructions as loud as they could.

  “After her!”

  “Stop her!”

  “Faster!”

  Confused by all the shouting, the goblin chased Mia around and around the inside of the well, while Kirsty and Rachel dived underwater. None of the goblins were watching them. Their plan was working!

  The bottom of the well was covered in coins, but one had a beautiful bronze glow. The girls were sure that it was the real shiny penny, and they carefully picked it up.

  Meanwhile, the goblin finally caught up with Mia and snatched the fake penny out of her hand. But as soon as his clammy fingers touched the coin, it disappeared! The other goblins gave howls of rage.

  Just then, Rachel and Kirsty rose out of the water and nodded at Mia. She flicked her wand and a fake coin appeared in Rachel’s hands, while Kirsty hid the real shiny penny behind her back.

  “She’s got it!” yelled one of the goblins, pointing at Rachel.

  All the goblins’ eyes turned toward Rachel. They didn’t pay any attention to Kirsty as she flew swiftly out of the well, carrying the real shiny penny. Rachel pretended that the fake coin was too heavy for her.

  “Help!” she called to Mia. “I’m not strong enough!”

  “I’m coming!” Mia cried.

  “Get her!” the goblins yelled.

  The warty goblin flung himself toward Rachel, but she flew out of his reach just in time! She flapped upward, pretending to pant with the effort.

  “NO!” screamed the other goblins. “She’s getting away!”

  “Come down and help me, then!” snapped the warty goblin, jumping up and down and trying to catch Rachel.

  The goblin at the top of the well swung the goblin chain, and all five dangling goblins let go at once. They launched themselves at Rachel in a jumble of arms and legs. Then the goblin at the top of the well jumped down too, aiming for Rachel and her coin!

  Rachel flung herself against the side of the well and dropped the fake coin. All the goblins splash-landed in a green, tangled heap at the bottom of the well.

  “Find that coin!” spluttered the warty goblin from the bottom of the pile.

  Giggling, Mia and Rachel fluttered up and out of the well.

  “Those pesky fairies are getting away!” shrieked another goblin.

  “Never mind them!” yelled a third, scrambling around in the water. “Find the shiny penny!”

  Kirsty was waiting at the top of the well, holding the real penny and grinning.

  “It worked like a charm!” Rachel laughed.

  “Thank you so much for helping me,” said Mia. “I feel stronger already!”

  With a touch of her wand, she returned the coin to its Fairyland size. Then she put it into a little silk pouch that she tucked in a pocket of her dress. The shouts of the goblins below echoed around the well.

  “Let’s go!” Mia advised. “It won’t be long before they realize they’ve been tricked!”

  Sure enough, as the girls flew away, they heard a chorus of enraged shrieks.

  “I think they just found the last fake coin — and it vanished!” Kirsty giggled.

  Back in Kenbury, near Aunt Isabel’s house, Mia returned the girls to their normal size.

  “I’m going to take the shiny penny back to its home in the Wedding Workshop!” she said happily. “Thank you so much, girls. I’m sure I’ll see you again very soon. We still have a difficult task ahead — we need to find the other two charms!”

  Rachel and Kirsty nodded and waved good-bye.

  “I’m so glad that we found the shiny penny!” Rachel grinned.

  “Me, too,” Kirsty replied. “I just hope that we can find the other charms before Saturday!”

  “Don’t worry, we won’t let Jack Frost spoil Esther’s wedding,” said Rachel, nodding firmly. “We’ve got Mia to help us, and we’ve got each other. We can help save the day!”

  “I can’t believe how many things there are to think about for just one wedding,” Kirsty said, peering into a display case in the jewelry store. “I’m not surprised that Mia needs help in the Wedding Workshop!”

  That morning, Esther and her mom had taken the girls to Bickwood, the nearby town. Esther needed some jewelry to wear when she left for her honeymoon.

  “These necklaces are so pretty,” said Rachel.

  “They look as delicate as if they had been made by fairies!” Kirsty replied.

  “Maybe Esther could use the necklace she buys today as the something new?” Rachel suggested.

  “But it’s for her honeymoon, not for the wedding.” Kirsty sighed. Then her eyes brightened. “But Esther’s wedding dress has been made especially for her! That could be the something new!”

  “Perfect!” Rachel exclaimed. “Now we just have to find something borrowed and something blue!”

  They stopped next to a table where some pretty jewelry boxes and pouches were displayed.

  “I bet India the Moonstone Fairy would love this store,” Kirsty said quietly to Rachel, remembering the adventures they had shared with the Jewel Fairies. “And — oh!”

  A purple, velvet jewelry pouch had fallen off the table and landed on the floor in front of them. Rachel picked it up.

  “Kirsty, look!” she exclaimed. Two gold initials were sewn on the pouch — R and K … for Rachel and Kirsty?

  Kirsty’s eyes shone. “Do you think it might be magic?”

  Rachel nodded excitedly and opened the pouch. Mia flew out in a flurry of fairy dust!

  “Hello, girls!” she whispered, fluttering over to hide on Kirsty’s shoulder.

  The girls quickly moved to a quiet part of the store, where no one could overhear them.

  “Mia!” whispered Kirsty in delight. “Ho
w are you?”

  “Not great,” Mia admitted. “Things are going wrong at weddings everywhere!”

  “At least the poor bridesmaids have you to help them,” said Rachel.

  “Yes, and I’m feeling stronger now that the shiny penny is safe, even though my magic is still not as powerful as usual,” said Mia. “But girls, I think the goblins have taken the golden bells to a Caribbean island!”

  “How can you be sure?” asked Rachel.

  “The island is popular for beach weddings,” Mia explained. “That’s where some of the unluckiest things have been happening so far, and the golden bells control luck. Will you come and help me look for them?”

  “Of course!” replied Rachel eagerly.

  Kirsty hurried over to her cousin and aunt.

  “Aunt Isabel, can we go off by ourselves for a while?” she asked. “We want to look for something that will make Esther’s wedding extra special.”

  “Yes, all right, dear,” Aunt Isabel said, smiling. “But don’t be long.”

  Kirsty and Rachel hurried outside and dashed up an alleyway. As they did, Mia waved her wand and sprinkled fairy dust over them. Immediately, the girls shrank to fairy-size and fluttered their wings in delight. However many wonderful adventures they shared with their fairy friends, it was always thrilling to be able to fly!

  “We must get to the island as quickly as we can,” said Mia.

  She flicked her wand again, and a puffy white cloud drifted toward them. By the time it reached them, it had transformed into a gleaming white carriage, pulled by four white cloud horses!

  Mia and the girls climbed into the carriage, and the horses whisked them through the blue sky. Rachel and Kirsty snuggled back in their seats. They could feel the cloud shape itself around them as Mia told them the story of the golden bells.

  “Many years ago, King Oberon rescued a leprechaun from some goblins who were playing tricks on him,” Mia said. “He was lost and tired, so the king gave him good food and a warm bed. Before the leprechaun left, he gave the king two of the lucky gold bells from his hat to thank him.”

  “What a nice present!” said Kirsty, her eyes shining.

  “The king wanted everyone to share in the leprechaun’s gift,” Mia went on. “So he gave the bells to me, to bring luck to all weddings.”

  “Kirsty, we have to find the golden bells!” said Rachel. “We can’t let Jack Frost and his goblins use all that luck for themselves!”

  They felt the carriage sinking lower in the sky. After a gentle bump, the door opened and they tumbled out onto the white sand of a Caribbean beach. With a wave of Mia’s wand, the cloud horses whinnied and pulled the carriage off into the air again. As they went, they seemed to lose their shape. Soon, they were just ordinary clouds again.

  Mia was looking pale. “I’m feeling a little weak,” she said. “That used up more magic than I thought it would.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Kirsty, squeezing her hand. “We’ll find the golden bells soon and recharge your magic.”

  The girls brushed the fine sand off their clothes and gazed around in delight. Tall palm trees waved in a warm breeze, and sunlight glittered on the foaming waves.

  “This is the most amazing beach I’ve ever seen!” Kirsty smiled in awe.

  “Maybe the luck of the golden bells will help us find them right away,” said Rachel. “Then we’ll have time to explore!”

  But Mia’s wings drooped sadly. “The luck only works for whoever last touched the golden bells,” she said. “And of course, that was the goblins.”

  Kirsty and Rachel exchanged determined looks.

  “Don’t worry, Mia,” said Rachel, putting her arm around the little fairy’s shoulders. “We’ll get the golden bells back from those pesky goblins!”

  “Luck might be on our side after all!” said Kirsty, pointing farther down the beach.

  A group of goblins was playing beach volleyball, running around in brightly patterned shorts. One was wearing flippers on his feet, and another had swimming goggles around his head. Suntan lotion was smeared all over their noses and cheeks.

  Suddenly, the goblin in flippers tripped over his feet and missed the ball.

  “Ten points to us!” shouted a goblin in a flowery swimming cap.

  “No, it isn’t!” snapped the goblin wearing flippers.

  Looking furious, the first goblin pushed him over.

  “I’ll get you for that!” the one in flippers shrieked with rage.

  He flung himself at the other goblin and they rolled around on the sand, yelling and fighting. The other goblins piled on top of them.

  Rachel shook her head in amazement. “They must really enjoy arguing, because they even do it on vacation!” she exclaimed.

  Then she gasped and pointed down the beach. On a long ribbon, dangling from a nearby palm tree, were the golden bells!

  The girls and Mia immediately fluttered toward the palm tree, staying low to the ground and out of sight. Lizards and hermit crabs scurried out of their way.

  “Over here!” whispered Rachel, ducking behind a large fallen coconut under the tree.

  Kirsty and Mia joined her and glanced over at the goblins. The argument was over and they had started to play volleyball again. In the meantime, the girls were almost directly underneath the golden bells!

  “I could just fly up and get them!” said Mia eagerly.

  “Wait — what if the goblins see you?” Kirsty wondered aloud.

  But Mia rose off the ground, and Kirsty and Rachel held their breath. Mia’s fingers had almost reached the golden bells when … THUMP! A volleyball banged against the tree, flinging the golden bells into the air. With a chiming sound, they landed in the arms of a goblin wearing shorts that were patterned with blue daisies. Rachel and Kirsty flew up to join Mia, and the goblin spotted them.

  “Fairies!” he shouted.

  “They can’t do anything!” sneered another, who was wearing bright orange water wings. “Luck is on our side!”

  Oh no, they know about the luck! Rachel thought, groaning.

  “Let’s go and play somewhere else,” said the blue-daisy goblin.

  “Wait!” cried Rachel desperately. “Can’t you see that you’re ruining weddings everywhere?”

  “Can’t you see that we don’t care?” jeered the goblin.

  “I think it’s better if they don’t see anything at all!” said another in a mocking, singsong voice. He picked up a handful of sand and threw it at the girls and Mia!

  “Close your eyes!” Mia cried.

  Rachel and Kirsty squeezed their eyes shut as the sand rained down on them. They could hear snickering and footsteps. But when they opened their eyes again, the goblins were nowhere to be seen.

  “They must have run away!” Kirsty said, annoyed.

  “It’s the luck of the golden bells working against us,” said Mia sadly. “But we have to find them … and fast!”

  Mia and the girls fluttered over trees, peered into caves, and flew around rocks and bushes, keeping their eyes peeled for a glint of goblin green or a flash of gold. But the longer they looked, the paler Mia became.

  “I feel really tired,” she said with a sigh. “It took a lot of magical energy to bring us here, and we’ve been searching for a long time. I’ll have to go back to Fairyland and use the shiny penny to recharge my magic.”

  “Wait!” said Rachel, holding up her hand. “Can you hear something?”

  They all paused and listened. Kirsty nodded eagerly.

  “It sounds like … goblins!” she said.

  Kirsty, Rachel, and Mia flew around a cluster of tall palm trees.

  “Look!” Rachel gasped in excitement.

  They could see a large pool at the base of a frothing waterfall. And swinging across the pool on ropes, yelling, squealing, and screeching, was a gaggle of goblins!

  “Oh, those terrible goblins!” Mia exclaimed. “They’re making such a scene.”

  “Whoopee!” yelled two goblins, cannonball
ing into the pool.

  Fish swam out of the way and flamingos scattered in confusion as the goblins’ screeches echoed around the clearing.

  “Geronimo!” hollered another goblin.

  He somersaulted under the waterfall, splashing water onto the banks. A flock of parrots rose into the air, squawking angrily.

  There seemed to be goblins everywhere! But where were the golden bells?

  “Let’s fly around the pool and see if Mia can sense which direction the bells were taken,” said Kirsty.

  They started to flutter around the pool, holding Mia’s hands to help her along.

  Suddenly, she gave a gasp.

  “I felt a prickle of magic all down my back!” she exclaimed.

  “The golden bells must be in that direction!” said Rachel, pointing.

  The three friends fluttered away from the pool, and soon Mia let go of the girls’ hands.

  “I’m feeling stronger already,” she said. “We’re getting closer!”

  After flying for a few more minutes, they reached a clearing and Kirsty gave a cry. There was a glint of gold amidst the green! The golden bells were hanging from their ribbon on a high branch, but …

  “Oh no!” Rachel whispered.

  Two goblin guards were there, too, clutching the branch tightly. They were so pale green that they were almost white!

  “You have more room than me!” whimpered the first goblin, who had swimming goggles around his head.

  “I don’t have any room at all!” The other goblin trembled, still wearing his flowery swimming cap.

  “It was your silly idea to draw straws to decide who would guard the golden bells,” the goggled goblin said.

  “But why did you have to hide them in the tallest tree?” The other one gulped, looking down and then covering his eyes.