Silvery tears sprang to Angelica’s eyes. “There must be a thousand snow-white feathers in here,” she exclaimed. “Which one is mine?”
The room looked terrible. Soft white feathers floated around the room like a swirling snowstorm. A pair of goblins jumped up and down on the bed. They swung pillows at the goblins on the floor. Another hung from the light fixture, knocking other goblins over with his enormous green feet.
Angelica fluttered to the nightstand, then signaled for Kirsty and Rachel to tiptoe along the wall and duck down beside her.
“What do we do now?” Angelica asked. Finding one special feather among all this mayhem would be impossible!
The goblin with the pointy ears didn’t seem too happy about all the extra feathers, either.
“Oh no!” he shouted. “You’ve messed up my hiding place.”
One of the other goblins chuckled. “What’s Jack Frost going to say?” he taunted. “Bet he won’t be so proud of you now!”
The pointy-eared goblin poked him in the chest.
“That’s not true!” he yelled. “I stashed it in the bottom pillow in the corner. How was I supposed to know that all of you would come in and mix everything up? You’d better help me look for it or we’ll all be in trouble.”
The anxious goblin began to pick up pillows one by one, turning them upside down and shaking the cases until feathers settled all over the carpet. His friends reluctantly joined in.
“Not in this one,” the pointy-eared goblin muttered, “or in this one, or this one.”
Rachel shook her head at the foolish goblins. “Now there are even more feathers flying around the room,” she said.
“We’d better start looking, too,” said Kirsty, picking up a pillowcase and peeking inside. “What else can we do?”
Angelica’s little voice began to tremble. “What about all these goblins?” she asked nervously.
“If we stay in the corner we should be all right,” said Rachel gently. “Most of them are too busy fighting to notice us.”
The friends started searching. Kirsty and Rachel sifted through handfuls of feathers, hoping to spot one that stood out from the rest. Angelica danced around like a golden sunbeam, her beautiful curls bobbing as she flew. They looked and looked until their eyes got tired, but the enchanted snow-white feather was nowhere to be seen.
On the other side of the bedroom, the goblin with the pointy ears had already given up.
“This is a waste of time,” he grumbled. “I can’t believe you all lost the feather!”
“Don’t blame me!” bellowed the goblin next to him, hitting him on the nose with a half-stuffed pillow.
The pointy-eared goblin grabbed the pillow and hit his rival on the bottom. It was such a perfect shot that the goblins on the bed stopped to applaud.
“Fight! Fight!” they whooped, their eyes gleaming.
The pair didn’t need telling twice. They were soon thumping each other with such force that a new flurry of feathers tumbled to the floor.
Angelica squealed with delight. “There it is!”
One snow-white plume shimmered as it fell silently to the ground. A haze of silver fairy dust twinkled all around it, glittering like crystals.
Kirsty and Rachel scrambled to catch the feather, but the pointy-eared goblin got there first.
“I’ll take that!” he roared, seizing the precious object in his big green hands.
“Be careful!” wailed Rachel, as the goblin’s fingers closed around Angelica’s treasured possession. “The snow-white feather is very delicate!”
Kirsty stepped forward to support her friend, adding, “And it doesn’t belong to you!”
“You again?” grunted the goblin. “You’ll never get this feather!”
The smug goblin lifted his arms up above the girls’ heads so they couldn’t reach the feather. Angelica flitted after it, then perched precariously on his thumb.
“Please let it go,” she begged, desperately trying to unpeel the goblin’s fingers.
The pointy-eared goblin tried to sneer at the fairy, but his expression didn’t come out quite right. The other pillow fighters nudged one another. The goblin’s face was beginning to relax into a calm smile.
“That’s the magic of the snow-white feather,” Angelica explained gently. “It makes everyone kind and gentle — even grumpy goblins!”
Kirsty and Rachel’s eyes lit up. No wonder this magic object was so precious!
The little fairy tapped the goblin’s hand with her wand.
“Excuse me,” she said quietly. “May I have my feather back, please?”
The goblin nodded his head and politely bowed to Angelica. Rachel had to stifle a giggle.
“I’ve never seen such good goblin behavior,” she whispered to Kirsty.
Her best friend beamed. Jack Frost would not be impressed at all! The goblin graciously opened his palm. Angelica gave the snow-white feather the slightest touch with the tip of her golden wand. In an instant it had shrunk back down to fairy-size.
“That’s better,” she cooed, holding the tiny plume between her finger and thumb.
The delighted fairy twirled back to her friends, her cheeks flushed with pleasure.
“That was a surprise.” Kirsty grinned.
The pointy-eared goblin’s eyes were as wide as saucers. He was still standing with his hand outstretched, wondering where his feather had gone! As soon as the magic object was out of his grasp, his troublesome goblin streak returned.
“Did I just do what I think I did?” he wailed.
The other goblins grabbed him by the arm and hurried him toward the door.
“Yes, you did!” grumbled the first goblin, shaking his head in disappointment.
“What did you go and do that for?” snapped the other one. “Jack Frost will be hopping mad when he hears you’ve been helping the fairies.”
The pointy-eared goblin’s face crumpled.
“Helping fairies?” he howled. “I’ve never been so ashamed!”
The rest of the goblins dropped their pillows and made a run for it. They wanted to get back to the Ice Castle before Jack Frost heard the bad news! They shoved their way past the girls, slamming the door behind them.
“Phew!” Rachel breathed a sigh of relief when the coast was clear. “That’s one way to scare off a goblin!”
Angelica burst into a peal of fairy giggles. “Thank you so much, girls.” She beamed. “His face did look pretty funny.”
Before Angelica took the snow-white feather back to Fairyland, she had one last job to do. She waved her wand with a little flourish.
“How pretty!” Kirsty sighed as a stream of twinkly fairy dust swirled around the room. When the sparkles had settled, all the pillows were plumped up and back on the beds again. There wasn’t a stray feather in sight!
Kirsty and Rachel waved good-bye to Angelica, then made their way back to Greenacre’s common room.
“It’s even better than we could have hoped,” gushed Rachel, peeking inside.
Now that the snow-white feather was out of goblin hands, the home’s residents had stopped arguing. Instead they were gathered around the tree, listening to the Brownies singing their favorite carols. Mrs. Pepper and their Brownie leader stood by the fire, their faces bright and smiling.
Kirsty and Rachel took their places in the group and joined in with the singing.
Everyone was having a magical time! The fun had only just begun, too. As the last chorus trailed off, the excited Brownies made their way toward the tree.
“Come on, Kirsty,” exclaimed Rachel. “Let’s hand out those presents!”
“So what have you put on your Christmas list, Billy?” asked Kirsty, perching on the end of a hospital bed.
A little boy in dinosaur pajamas clapped his hands with excitement.
“A Tyrannosaurus rex!” he announced. “A really big one!”
Rachel’s eyes twinkled. “Have you been good this year?”
Billy nodded proudly. It wa
s Christmas Eve and Rachel’s Brownie troop had come to visit the patients at Tippington Children’s Hospital. The corridors looked cozy and bright, covered from floor to ceiling in paper decorations and twinkling lights. Doctors wandered up and down in Santa hats, checking charts and handing out medicine. Garlands of tinsel sparkled around the nurses’ stations and festive tunes echoed down the wards.
“I can’t wait to see the children’s faces when they see what we’ve brought!” Rachel said.
Rachel pulled out a little pencil and notebook from her uniform pocket, then wrote down Billy’s name. The Brownie troop had used the money raised at the Winter Fair to buy toys for the boys and girls who were too sick to go home for the holidays. Now the Brownies needed to make sure that each patient got something that they would enjoy. The hospital playroom was stacked with trains, cars, teddy bears, and tea sets. Each toy had been carefully wrapped in bright paper and tied with curly ribbon.
“Do you remember the plastic dinosaur with the green tail?” asked Kirsty. “That would be a perfect present for Billy!”
Rachel crossed the toy dino off her list, then slipped the notebook back in her pocket.
Kirsty wandered over to say hello to a small girl whose leg was in a plaster cast. “I’m Kirsty, what’s your name?”
“I’m Emily,” replied the girl in a shy voice. “I broke my leg ice-skating.”
Kirsty gave Emily’s hand a friendly squeeze. “You poor thing,” she said. “Maybe Santa will bring you something extra-special this year!”
The little patient’s eyes suddenly glistened with tears. “How is he going to know where to deliver the presents?” she asked. “I didn’t think I’d be here on Christmas morning.”
“Santa never gets things wrong,” replied Rachel. “He’s got a special list.”
“I hope so.” Emily sighed, sinking back on her pillow. “I don’t know what I’d do if Santa forgot about me.”
Rachel tried to look cheerful, but inside, her heart gave a little flutter. She wondered what would happen if they didn’t find Angelica’s enchanted name scroll before bedtime.
Kirsty looked worried, too. There were only hours to go before Santa Claus would be leaving his workshop at the North Pole. Although Angelica had two of her magic objects back, Jack Frost was still hiding the fairy’s precious scroll. The scroll contained the names of all the children who had been good. If Angelica didn’t give the scroll to Santa, he wouldn’t know where to deliver his presents.
“What did you wish for?” asked Kirsty, taking a quick peek out the hospital window. The sky was already dark. Snowflakes fell silently over the town.
Emily’s eyes shone hopefully. “I’d love a fairy doll,” she gushed.
Just then, a nurse in navy slacks wheeled a food cart into the ward. On her shirt a Christmas-tree brooch flashed merrily next to a name badge that read SALLY.
“Dinnertime!” called Nurse Sally. “Who would like a sandwich and a slice of chocolate Yule log?”
While the Brownie leader and the rest of the troop helped pass around the trays of food, Kirsty led Rachel a little way up the corridor.
“We can’t let Emily and the others down,” she whispered. “We have to find the enchanted name scroll. It’s almost time for Santa to load up his sleigh.”
Rachel nodded. “I’d hoped it would have turned up by now. I don’t even know where to start looking.”
Just then, three hospital aides in white coats tumbled out of a side room. They marched toward Rachel and Kirsty, their eyes fixed on the floor. Bash! The clumsy trio knocked right into Nurse Sally’s food cart. The nurse gasped as the cart careened down the corridor.
“Careful!” Rachel frowned, running over to help.
The friends caught the food cart just in time, but the workers didn’t even bother to apologize.
“What are you three doing here anyway?” demanded Nurse Sally, putting her hands on her hips. “I didn’t call for any helpers!”
The strange workers muttered something under their breath. Then the tallest one broke into an awkward run, pushing past Rachel as he bolted for the door.
Rachel shivered. “That was Jack Frost,” she gasped. “He’s here!”
“Are you sure it was Jack Frost?” whispered Kirsty.
“I’m positive,” insisted Rachel. “He was freezing cold. I bet he’s brought a couple of goblins with him, too!”
Kirsty wheeled the cart back into the middle of the ward. As soon as Nurse Sally and the Brownies were busy again giving out the children’s dinners, the girls snuck out of the room. If Jack Frost was lurking in the Tippington Children’s Hospital, they needed to find him fast! The girls tiptoed past the nurses’ station and then pushed through the ward’s double doors.
“There he is!” exclaimed Kirsty.
Now that they were out of the grown-ups’ sight, Jack Frost and his goblins didn’t even bother to try and disguise themselves. Their big clumpy feet clattered down the corridor, making a terrible noise. The threesome bumped and jostled all the way, eyeing each other with grumpy faces.
“Come on!” yelled Jack Frost, tugging the nearest goblin by the shirt. “Santa won’t wait much longer!”
Jack Frost dug a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a golden roll of parchment tied with a red velvet ribbon.
Kirsty and Rachel both gasped in surprise. It had to be Angelica’s enchanted name scroll! Before the girls could get any closer, a doctor strolled down the corridor. Quick as a flash, Jack Frost ducked into an empty side room.
“Where’d he go?” wondered one of the goblins, wrinkling his long nose.
The other goblin scratched his head. “Don’t ask me!”
The doctor stared at the strange pair. Just when it seemed like he was going to say something, an icy hand reached out of the side room and dragged the goblins inside. The door slammed shut behind them.
The doctor shrugged, then smiled at Kirsty and Rachel. As soon as he had passed, the girls rushed up to the closed door and peered through the window set into it. Inside they could see Jack Frost and his goblins huddled in a corner. All three were talking in urgent voices, pointing and glaring at the enchanted scroll.
“They’re definitely up to no good.” Rachel frowned. “We can’t let them do anything to ruin Santa’s list!”
As she spoke, the string of twinkle lights on the wall above her seemed to flare even brighter.
“We’re going to have to go in there,” said Kirsty, pushing against the door.
Rachel caught her friend’s arm. There was no doubt about it — the lights were blinking faster now, too!
“I wonder,” she said in a hushed voice. “Could Angelica be close by?”
The girls held hands — both hoping to see some fairy magic. A glittering swoosh of gold burst out from the lights, sending sparkles spiraling in all directions. Angelica the Angel Fairy fluttered into view, a tiny trail of fairy dust cascading behind her. Her cheeks had flushed the color of pink rosebuds.
“Kirsty! Rachel!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t think I’d get here in time!”
The friends said a quick hello, thrilled to be together again.
“The scroll is in there …” whispered Rachel urgently, keeping her voice as low as she could.
“… in Jack Frost’s hands!” finished Kirsty.
Angelica gasped. “As soon as I heard that Jack Frost was on his way to the human world, I decided to follow him,” she announced in a brave voice. “What is he doing in a children’s hospital?”
A noisy shout rang out from the side room.
“This piece of paper is useless,” bellowed Jack Frost, “just like you goblins!”
“Watch out!” Kirsty gasped, pulling Rachel back from the door.
The door swung back on its hinges with a deafening thud. Angelica darted up into the twinkle lights just as Jack Frost came thundering into view. Kirsty and Rachel pressed themselves against the wall.
The two goblins ran into the corridor, too. They cra
ned their heads left and right, but the pair didn’t think to look behind them!
“Get me a pen, NOW!” shouted Jack Frost. “My name needs to be scrawled on that list in the biggest letters Santa’s ever seen!”
As soon as Jack Frost and his goblins had crashed back down the corridor, Rachel stood up on her tiptoes.
“Angelica,” she called gently. “It’s safe to come out now.”
The little fairy flitted out of her hiding spot.
“We need to get closer to Jack Frost,” she decided. “It sounds like he’s about to do something very selfish.”
Rachel felt a little frightened at the thought of eavesdropping on Jack Frost — what would happen if they got caught?
“It’s not going to be easy,” Kirsty said. “These long corridors don’t have many hiding places when you’re our size.”
Angelica pointed to her wand. “How would you like to be fairies again?” she asked.
Both girls shared a delighted smile.
“Oh, yes, please,” replied Rachel. “That would make things much easier!”
Angelica twirled her wand in a circle, sending a cloud of fairy dust dancing in all directions. The friends watched as the sprinkles began to settle in their hair. Rachel took a deep breath. The fairy dust smelled of everything she loved about the holidays — pine trees, gingerbread, and candy canes all rolled into one!
“I can feel myself shrinking!” declared Kirsty as a glistening pair of wings magically appeared on her back. The delicate pink wings were so pale she could almost see through them.
Rachel shrugged her shoulders and felt her own wings begin to open and close gently. “Isn’t it wonderful?” she said.
Angelica the Angel Fairy Page 3