“What are you waiting for?” she said. “Let’s go.”
sixteen
Off they flew.
It was a long way to Queen Titania’s castle.
Goldie’s mood, very bleak when she started the flight, lightened as she traveled. She couldn’t help herself: She loved flying in the fresh evening air. And she had never traveled on a broomstick! The beating of her wings and the wind in her hair gave her new energy. I will not be defeated, she thought as she soared through the night.
The sight of the full moon rising—a bright beacon in the sky—made her think of moonrise on Sheepskerry, and of her sisters waiting for her at home. What would my sisters do?
Sensible Clara would take off the green makeup and warts, change into comfy pajamas, and go right to bed, the thought of the party far behind her. Well, that’s out, thought Golden.
Rosy would forgive Claudine and Amanda, imagining that the Townley sisters must be very unhappy themselves, if they could do such an unkind thing to someone else. Then she would go to the party and applaud when someone else won the prize. That’s really out, Goldie thought.
Sylva would fly into the fancy-dress party with Squeakie squeaking in her arms, and announce to Queen Titania that there were some very mean fairies on the mainland. Then she’d enjoy herself quite happily, as a witch. That’s not me, either, thought Goldie.
A lovely length of grapevine caught her eye as she flew. She swooped down to pick it up from the ground where it had fallen.
Goldie heard someone flying nearby. It was Fawn, and she looked absolutely stricken.
Her pretty face was pale as moonlight, and her eyes were huge.
Fawn offered Goldie a bouquet of wild white roses and baby’s breath. “I picked these for you in the park.”
Goldie took them without a word.
“I’m sorry, Goldie. I didn’t know. None of us knew you’d dress like that.”
Goldie did not believe that for a second. “You didn’t know that Claudine was going to trick me?”
“We didn’t! We didn’t!” cried Fawn. “I mean, we knew that she would make you choose last—but we only went along with it because you’re so inventive! I feel ashamed now, but then I just thought it would give us a little help. I didn’t know Claudine told you to be a witch! Nobody knew that!”
“Except maybe Amanda,” said Golden.
Fawn nodded her head in dismay. “Yes,” she said. “Except maybe Amanda.” She looked into Goldie’s green face. “What are you going to do, Golden?” she asked. “Are you really going to go to the fancy-dress party like that? I suppose if you tell Queen Titania what the Townley sisters did to you—”
“I will do no such thing,” said Goldie, and she scooped up some dark purple leaves from the path below. She had a plan in the back of her mind, though she wasn’t quite sure what it was. “Claudine and Amanda played a trick on me. Now I will play a trick on them.”
“Oh, don’t, Goldie! Please don’t make this any worse than it already is.”
Goldie just smiled. “Don’t worry, Fawn,” she said. She plucked a handful of Queen Anne’s lace from the roadside. “My trick will be perfectly fair. And it may even teach those fairies a lesson. You wait and see.”
seventeen
Golden’s keen eye spotted a few more things to pick up as she flew to the castle. If she had not been so excited about her plan, she would have spent a little more time being amazed at the castle when they arrived there. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen—even Queen Mab’s palace on Sheepskerry was nothing compared to this! The castle was made of stone, not twigs and leaves, and it was as high as a boulder. Turrets and towers rose from its walls. A drawbridge was let down as the fairies entered. Trumpeter swans paddled in the moat. And the place was lit from top to bottom with firefly lanterns on the outside and beeswax candles on the inside. What a marvel!
“Shall we wait together till we’re called into the ballroom, Goldie?” asked Fawn Deere. She was very loyal under the circumstances. For what fairy princess would want to enter a party with a witch?
“No, Fawn, I’m fine,” said Goldie. “I’m just going to make a stop in the fairy powder room and fix my face.”
Fawn kissed Goldie on the cheek. “You’re very brave, Golden Bell.”
“Not so very brave—but I do have some excellent ideas,” said Goldie, and she flew off down the long hall to find the fairy powder room. She hoped it would be empty.
It was.
Golden looked at her reflection in the mirror. “I was a fantastic witch,” she said to herself. “But now I’m going to be—”
“Oh, Goldie! What are you going to be?” Avery burst through the door. “It’s too late to change your costume!”
“Avery! What are you doing here?”
“I told Queen Titania I would work at the party,” said Avery, “because I wanted to be here with you!”
Goldie rushed over and hugged her dear new friend. “I’m so glad you’re here, Avery,” she said. “You can hold my hand as I make myself into a princess!”
“But how will you do that when you’re a witch?” asked Avery.
Golden was pulling the warts off her nose. “Ouch!” she exclaimed. Then she grinned. “Not every princess has to be a pink princess,” she said. “I’m going to this fancy-dress party as the Princess of the Night.” She scrubbed the green face paint off, and her rosy cheeks shone with excitement. “Just you watch me!”
Then she emptied her pockets. Out fell the vine leaves, the delicate Queen Anne’s lace, and some gorgeous dark feathers. She flipped her cape inside out and threaded the ruby leaves through the purple lace. She twisted the baby’s breath around the vine leaves to make a crown. She shook the cobwebs off her wings. They seemed to sparkle all on their own.
“The striped stockings, Goldie!” cried Avery. “They have to go!”
Goldie whipped them off. Then she looked at her scuffed slippers. She tied Fawn’s white roses on them; the evening dew made them shine.
“Is that it?” asked Goldie. “Am I ready to go?”
“You’ve forgotten to get rid of your witch’s hair!” cried Avery, laughing. “Even a princess of the night brushes her hair!”
Goldie shook her head and started to untangle the mess she’d made of her long, golden hair. She combed out the snarls and brushed her hair till it shone. Then Avery placed the crown on her head.
“Now,” said Avery, “you are beautiful. Stay still for one minute and I’ll sketch a portrait!” Avery took a pencil and a tiny sketchpad from her pocket and with a few swift lines she drew a lovely likeness of her new friend.
“Oh!” cried Goldie. “It’s beautiful!”
Just then the queen’s trumpeter swans sounded their fanfare.
“It’s time for the costume judging!” said Avery. “Hurry! This is it!”
Goldie gave Avery a quick hug; then the two fairies flew back toward the Great Hall. All the other fairies were gathered behind a curtain, waiting to be called by Queen Titania. One by one they flew into the hall to meet with the queen.
Goldie drew the curtain aside just a little so she could see what was going on. Amanda Townley was breathtakingly beautiful in a knee-length ballerina skirt and a diamond tiara. Claudine was even more elegant in a glorious ball gown with a deep-rose-colored bow. Fawn and the other fairies were gorgeous too, even if it was a little hard to tell them apart.
“I don’t mind who wins or loses now,” said Goldie to herself. “I’m just proud to have done my best.” She lifted her chin and waited for her name to be called. Her wings were quivering, but even Goldie couldn’t tell whether they trembled from excitement or fear.
eighteen
Goldie heard the voice of the queen’s lady-in-waiting. “Fawn Deere is the last fairy to compete in the fancy-dress party,” she said, checking her list, “as Amanda Townley has informed me that Golden Bell will not be—”
Goldie burst out of her hiding place. “Here I am!” she cried, this t
ime with her eyes wide open. “Golden Crystal Bell, Princess of the Night, flying for Sheepskerry Island and Queen Mab!”
Gone was the hideous witch the fairies were expecting. Before them flew a glorious princess in deepest shades of midnight, with a cape festooned with autumn leaves and a coronet of pure white baby’s breath.
Goldie fluttered before Queen Titania’s throne. “Golden Bell of Sheepskerry,” said the queen in her deep voice. “Is this your idea of a princess?”
“It is, Your Majesty.” Goldie rubbed her nose with her sleeve, hoping she’d taken off all the green makeup. “I am a dark princess, and a good princess.”
“That is quite an original idea,” said Queen Titania. She leaned close to Goldie. “You may not know this, but I was a princess of the night myself. A dark princess. And a good princess. Like you.” Then she added in a whisper, “Ask Queen Mab about it. We grew up together, you know.”
Goldie beamed.
“Fairies,” said Queen Titania, “who will our costume winner be tonight?”
Avery was the first to cheer. “Goldie!” she cried. “It should be Golden Bell!”
The fairy princesses were quiet for a moment. Then Fawn Deere’s applause joined Avery’s. Soon all the fairies were cheering. “Hooray! Hooray for Goldie!”
“Stop it!” cried Claudine Townley.
“Stop it at once!” shouted Amanda. But no one paid them any attention.
“Gold-ie!” the fairies cried. “Gold-ie! GOLD-IE! GOLD-IE!” All the fairies—with the exception of two—were calling Goldie’s name.
Goldie curtsied low before Queen Titania (and she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that Queen Titania did not have so much as a stitch of pink in her sumptuous gown). The fairies continued their cheers.
“Golden Bell of Sheepskerry,” said Queen Titania, “the fairies have declared you the clear winner. And not even a queen would disagree with them.”
Queen Titania’s enchanted black cat brought in the prize—a golden medal on a ribbon of purple velvet, which matched Goldie’s outfit perfectly.
“I like your mussel shells,” said Queen Titania in a whisper. Then she declared, “This is for you, Golden Bell, and for all of Sheepskerry. Take it with my blessing.” She turned to the other fairies. “And now, fairy princesses, it is time to celebrate all your achievements at our fancy-dress party.”
“May the festivities commence!” cried the queen’s lady-in-waiting.
The party lasted deep into the night, and Golden was the belle of the ball.
nineteen
Dawn came far too soon the next morning, but Goldie didn’t really mind. She had packed up her bags the night before. She was eager to go home. Avery had promised she’d meet her at the dock to say good-bye. How long ago it seemed that she’d first arrived on the mainland! And how much had happened!
Silently she flew down to the big wooden door of the Townleys’ fairy town house. Her bags did not seem so heavy now. “Good-bye, Claudine and Amanda,” she said. “You gave me a rough ride.”
She was just about to slip outside when she saw an envelope on the front table. It was addressed, in very clear writing, to Golden Crystal Bell.
Inside was a letter, which she took her time to read.
Dear Golden,
We’re sorry we were so mean to you this weekend. And that we Claudine tricked you into dressing as a witch for the fancy-dress party. We won’t do it again. Come back soon (and tell us how you made that leafy cape!).
Your friends, maybe?
Amanda and Claudine
“Humph,” said Goldie. “I wonder if they mean it.” She picked up the letter and tucked it in her shoe bag. “I’ll just have to come back to see if they do.”
Goldie’s sparrow carriage was waiting for her as she left the town house. The chipper little sparrow took her straight down to the dock.
“I guess Avery slept in today, not that I blame her.” Goldie sighed. “I will miss her so much when I get back home.” The glimmer of an idea shone in the back of her mind, but she didn’t quite know what she was thinking. Then she heard the squawk of her sparrow carriage driver.
“We’re here already!”
The ferry dock was silent and empty when Goldie arrived. But she was right on time. She could just see Merryweather’s nose poking out of the water as the faithful gray seal paddled toward the shore.
Suddenly she heard a rush of wings.
“You made it, Avery!” cried Goldie.
“Of course I did!” said Avery.
“How will we ever get along without each other?” said Goldie. “I wish you could come to Sheepskerry. Then we could see each other every day!”
“Oh, I wish I could!” said Avery.
Merryweather gave three short barks. Suddenly Goldie realized exactly what her idea was.
“But . . . you could go with me, Avery,” she said. “You could come to the island. You would love it on Sheepskerry. And you wouldn’t have to be a serving fairy there.”
Avery’s face lit up for a second. But then the light dimmed. “How could I leave Caraway Cooke? And my duties in the town house?”
“Caraway’s sister could work in the kitchen.”
“It’s true,” said Avery. “She’s asked for that a million times.”
“Then let her take your place. Oh, you can be a Sheepskerry fairy! And you could live with us. Or . . . ”
Suddenly, Golden remembered Faith’s voice: How I would love a little companionship, now that winter is drawing near.
“Faith Learned will take care of you! Her sisters are all gone.”
In an instant, the two fairies had settled everything. While Merryweather played in the bay, Avery sent a homing-pigeon message to Caraway Cooke. She drew a special message to let Caraway know where she was going and asked her to send along her things. She promised she would write (or draw) a note every week.
“And now,” said Goldie, “there’s only one thing left to do.”
“What’s that?” asked Avery.
“To say: Let’s be best friends.”
“Yes!” cried Avery, and she threw her arms around Goldie. “Let’s be best friends.”
Merryweather barked again. The tide was turning.
“Time to go!” said Goldie. She jumped aboard. “Coming?”
“Coming,” said Avery.
As the sun rose and Merryweather paddled toward the distant shore, Goldie held Avery’s hand. “What a lot we will have to tell my sisters!” she said. Then she turned and looked behind her. The towering buildings were getting smaller and smaller. “Good-bye, mainland,” she said. “Thanks for my very first—solo!—adventure. I’ll be back again. Pretty soon.”
Fairy Secrets
Squeak’s Words
Doh-ca!: Me too!
Ma-bo-bo: I love you.
How to Make a Fairy Princess Cape like Goldie’s
This is a perfect project for a rainy day. You’ll need a grown-up to help!
What you’ll need:
• A large piece of cloth from a Magical Costume Trunk. If you do not have a Magical Costume Trunk, then you’ll need to buy a piece of fabric from a fabric store, or perhaps you have something at home that you could use.
• A long piece of ribbon to tie your cape, maybe one yard long.
• Fabric glue, or a sewing machine (or a needle and thread, if you’re the Stitch sisters).
• Decorations—feathers, felt flowers, ribbons, glitter glue, or anything you like.
How to make the cape:
Cut the piece of fabric so that it makes the kind of cape you’d like to wear. It can be a square or a rectangle, or a semicircle. Whatever you like best.
Place the ribbon along the top of the fabric, about 1/2” below the fabric’s edge.
Squeeze a thick line of fabric glue along the edge of the fabric, below the ribbon.
Fold the edge of the fabric over the ribbon to create a hem, being careful not to touch the ribbon with the glue.
&nb
sp; Let the glue dry. (If you sew the hem, there’s no drying time!)
Decorate the outside of the cape with the decorations. And if your cape is reversible, decorate the inside, too.
Tie it loosely around your neck, and twirl!
Fairy Bell Sisters’ Farewell Song
Excerpt from Clara and the Magical Charms
The Fairy Bell Sisters
Book 4
The five Bell sisters—and their friend Poppy Flower—were making their way back from fairy school, which had let out early today, as the snow was falling fast and thick. They darted between snowflakes as they flew.
“Gnomes are lots of fun,” said Goldie, “even if too many of them wear those awful pointy hats.”
“I like their hats!” said Rosy.
“Tutu!” said Squeak.
“Me three!” said Sylva. “And I don’t mind what they wear as long as they’re not too good at sports. Because I want to beat them all at the Valentine’s Games.”
That’s another thing the fairies love about February: the Valentine’s Games. I won’t tell you about them now, as Rosy will tell us about them in a moment or two, if you can be patient.
“The only way you’d beat all the gnomes in your very first year of competition,” said Goldie, “is if you used magic, which unfortunately we don’t have much of yet.”
“Not true!” said Sylva. “I’ve been training! Besides, I’ll have lots of magic soon.”
“Not too soon, I hope,” said Rosy. “We still have some growing up to do before we get our magical powers.” Rosy gave Sylva a hug on the wing. “But I’m sure when you do you’ll be as magical as Tink herself.”
That made Sylva smile. And though none of her sisters saw it, Rosy’s words made Clara smile, too. She wasn’t ready to tell her sisters—yet—but she knew her magical powers were growing. She had been practicing her fairy charms since her last birthday, and she could already make a bell ring without touching it. (She was a Bell sister, after all!) Just last week, she’d taught herself how to make a rose bloom in the snow. Right now, she was working on her sparkle charm. That was a tricky one.
Golden at the Fancy-Dress Party Page 4