by Lily Small
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Table of Contents
About the Author
Copyright Page
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With special thanks to Thea Bennett
CHAPTER ONE
A Very Exciting Morning
The sun had just come out to play above Misty Wood. Golden light danced all over the fresh green leaves of the trees and warmed the beautiful flowers in the valleys and meadows. Everything was bursting with color.
In a cozy den under the Hawthorn Hedgerows, sparkling sunbeams nudged the mossy bed of Paddy the Pollen Puppy. Paddy was curled up in a furry ball, but he wasn’t asleep. He’d been awake for ages. Today was his birthday, and he’d woken up early because he was so excited!
Paddy gazed around the den at his mom; his dad; and his sister, Pippa. Their floppy ears were lying over their front legs, and their eyes were shut tight.
“Uhhh … hmmm,” snored Paddy’s dad, his fluffy tail twitching.
“Hmmm … uhhh,” snored his mom, her silky ears quivering.
Paddy sighed. “I wish they’d wake up,” he said to himself.
He got up and padded in a circle on his cushion of moss. Around and around and around. Soon he felt dizzy, so he flopped down again. He wriggled onto his back and waved his white paws in the air. Then he rolled over and opened his glittery yellow wings. He longed to fly across the den and pounce on his mom’s back, or give his sister’s tail a playful tug. But he knew he shouldn’t. They would be grumpy if he woke them up early.
Like all the other fairy animals in Misty Wood, Pollen Puppies had an important job to do. They had to flick pollen around the meadows with their tails so that the flowers could grow. It was very busy work, so they needed plenty of sleep.
Paddy decided to think about his birthday party while he waited for everyone to wake up.
It’s going to be the best party EVER, he thought. There’ll be hazelnut cake and elderflower juice and sticky chestnut buns, and we’ll collect bubbles from Moonshine Pond and blow them all over the wood!
His tail began to wag at the very idea.
But, first of all, I’ll have to open my presents. Paddy grinned, showing his velvety pink tongue. I wonder what Mom and Dad got for me this year.…
He looked around the den. His present must be hidden somewhere. His mom, dad, and sister were all sleeping on comfy moss cushions just like his. Maybe they’d slipped his present underneath one of them? But no—then it would get squashed. It must be hidden somewhere else.
Paddy stretched his wings and hopped off his cushion. He checked the beautiful cobweb that hung above the entrance to the den. It had already been decorated with sparkling dewdrops by the Cobweb Kittens. But apart from the dewdrops glistening like jewels in the sun, the cobweb was empty. There was still no sign of Paddy’s present.
“It must be here somewhere,” Paddy muttered.
He put his shiny pink nose in the air and sniffed. But he couldn’t smell anything apart from the sweet scent of flowers drifting down from the hedgerows.
He peered under the four red-and-white toadstools that the family sat on to eat their meals.
Nothing.
He nudged the pile of berries that he and Pippa played catch with.
Nothing there, either.
He peeped into the corner of the den where his dad liked to sit and chew sticks.
No. Not a thing!
Disappointed, Paddy wandered back over to his cushion. As he clambered onto it, he looked up. And there, wedged into the bush above his mom and dad and Pippa, was a very strange shape. Paddy stared at it. He was sure it hadn’t been there before. His tail started wagging again.
It must be his present!
The mystery shape wasn’t too big, and it wasn’t too small. It wasn’t exactly round, but it wasn’t square, either. Paddy started panting with excitement, trying to work out what it could be. Maybe it was a soft, grassy brush to keep his fur and wings tidy. Or maybe it was a daisy-chain collar to wear on special occasions—like birthday parties. Or, best of all, maybe it was a bone—a big, fat, juicy bone that he could sit and chew on for weeks!
Paddy was so excited he wanted to jump up and down. He was so excited he wanted to bounce all around. He was so excited he wanted to spread his shimmering wings and buzz about like a Misty Wood bee. He just couldn’t lie on his bed a moment longer. Paddy did a forward roll off his cushion and landed near his mom and dad. Maybe if he got a little bit closer to the shape, he’d be able to sniff it … and then he might be able to guess what it was.
But the shape was hard to reach. It was sitting in the arch of a hawthorn branch that curved right over his mom and dad’s bed. If he was going to get any closer to it, he’d have to climb up the branch, just a little bit.…
Paddy placed one paw on the bottom of the branch. Then he hooked another paw a little higher.
CREEEEEAAAAK went the branch.
Oh no! thought Paddy.
But his mom and dad stayed asleep.
Paddy placed one of his front paws even higher still.
CREEEEEAAAAK went the branch.
Oh no! thought Paddy.
But his mom and dad still stayed asleep.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Paddy climbed even higher. Soon he’d be able to sniff the mysterious shape and find out what it was.
CREEEEEAAAAK went the branch.
Oh no! thought Paddy.
CRACK went the branch as it gave way.
Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! thought Paddy as his paws slipped. He was so shocked he didn’t even have time to flap his wings. Instead, he tumbled down and landed with a bump—right on top of his mom and dad!
CHAPTER TWO
Aaahhh-choo!
“Paddy!” his mom and dad cried as they leaped out of bed, their fur standing on end.
“Oops!” yelped Paddy. “Sorry, Mom! Sorry, Dad!”
Paddy’s dad had been so startled that he’d jumped onto Pippa’s mossy bed.
“Help! The sky’s fallen on top of me!” Pippa cried, waving her silky paws in the air.
“Don’t worry, Pippa,” her mom said. “It’s only Dad.”
“But why has Dad fallen on top of me?” Pippa asked sleepily.
Paddy’s dad scampered back to his own cushion. “Because Paddy fell on top of me,” he said. “What were you doing, Paddy? You’ve woken all of us up!”
Paddy covered his eyes with his paws. “I didn’t mean to,” he whimpered. “I just saw the shape up in the bush and I … I … thought it might be … might be … my…”
Paddy had given everyone such a shock that he didn’t even dare mention his birthday. He peeped between his paws, hoping they weren’t too upset.
“Ah, of course!” His mom smiled. “You thought it was your present! Happy birthday, Paddy!”
Paddy’s dad smoothed down his brown-and-cream fur and patted Paddy’s head. “Don’t worry, Paddy. It was time to get up anyway. Happy birthday!”
Pippa’s eyes were wide open now, and she bounded down from her cushion to give Paddy a lick. “It’s your birthday!” she woofed. �
�I don’t mind being woken up for that!” Pippa fluttered her yellow wings and clapped her paws together. “Happy birthday, Paddy!”
Paddy grinned. He wasn’t in trouble after all! He glanced up at the strange shape again. “So … is that my present?” he panted eagerly.
His mom laughed. “No, it isn’t. It’s a bluebird’s nest! And it’s a good job you didn’t manage to climb all the way up there, because it’s full of eggs that are almost ready to hatch. Now, why don’t we have some birthday breakfast?”
While their mom prepared some poppy-seed bread with homemade blackberry jam, Pippa and Paddy fetched their wooden plates. They scrambled up onto their toadstools, and soon they were digging in.
“As soon as you’ve finished, you have to go and do your special job,” Paddy’s mom said.
“But it’s my birthday!” replied Paddy. “Can’t I just have fun today?”
His mom smiled. “Pollen Puppies always have fun, no matter what they’re doing.”
“Hmm, yes, that’s true,” said Paddy, thumping his tail in agreement.
“And you have to go,” said his dad, “because we need to get your party ready for when you come back.”
“Oooh!” Paddy’s tail began to wag even harder. “In that case, we’ll go right now!”
Paddy and Pippa skipped out of their den into the bright sunshine. They opened their glistening wings and flitted up over the hedges.
It was a beautiful summer’s day. Little clouds were drifting across the sky like wisps of cotton candy. Paddy twitched his shiny pink nose and smiled. He could smell the sweet scent of hawthorn blossoms and dusky pink roses.
Down below, one of their neighbors, Heidi the Holly Hamster, was nibbling the leaves of a holly bush into shape. She had to start early, so they’d be ready for Christmas.
“Good morning, Heidi!” Paddy woofed. “It’s my birthday!”
Heidi waved her tiny paw at him. “I know! Happy birthday, Paddy! See you at your party!”
Paddy and Pippa went on their way. They flew over fairy mushroom rings and a sea of nodding dandelion clocks, then floated down into Honeydew Meadow. The flowers were in full bloom—golden buttercups and purple foxgloves, fiery red poppies and soft, creamy lilies. They looked wonderful, and they were all laden with pollen. All they needed now was a flick from a Pollen Puppy’s tail so that new flowers would grow!
When Paddy came in to land, a crowd of puppies gathered around him at once.
“Happy birthday!” they chorused. Then they turned up their noses and gave a happy, doggy howl. “Wahhooooooow!”
Paddy wanted to jump for joy.
The puppies set to work, bouncing through the meadow, wagging their tails. Paddy was so excited, his tail batted to and fro in a blur. His mom was right—his special job was fun! And it was more fun than ever on his birthday!
Flick … flick … flick …
Flickflickflick.
Flickety-flickflickflick …
Paddy had never wagged his tail so fast in his life!
And then he heard a noise.
“Aaahhh-choo!” sneezed his friend Petey, one of the other Pollen Puppies.
“Aaahhh … CHOO!” sneezed Polly, a pretty puppy with silky gray ears.
“AAAHHH … CHOO! AAAHHH … CHOO! AAAHHH … CHOO!”
Paddy looked around the meadow. His tail had flicked up clouds and clouds of pollen. All the other Pollen Puppies had stopped. Their sparkly wings were flat. Pippa was wiping her eyes with her paws. Others were spluttering and sneezing. Some were rubbing their little button noses, trying to stop them from tickling.
“Paddy!” cried Petey. “You’re working so fast that you’ve flicked ten times too much pollen! Aaahhh … choo!”
“Ooouuu!” howled Paddy in dismay. He looked back at his furry tail, which was still waving to and fro. “What do you think I should do?”
“We know you’re excited about your birthday,” a spotted puppy named Pepper said. “So maybe you should use up some of your energy. Why don’t you go flick pollen in Golden Meadow? Maybe by the time you’ve flown all the way there, your tail won’t be wagging so hard.”
“Oh yes,” woofed Paddy. He shook his wings and did a little jig. “That’s a great idea! Look out, Golden Meadow—the Birthday Pollen Puppy is coming your way!”
CHAPTER THREE
Happy Birthday to Me!
Paddy launched himself into the air. He waved good-bye to his friends in Honeydew Meadow and set off through the Heart of Misty Wood. Paddy wanted to take the long way. It was lovely and cool among the trees. Paddy swooped around the towering tree trunks, practicing his flying skills.
“Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meeeee!” he sang.
He zoomed up high to wag his tail at a woodpecker, who was peck-peck-pecking up in a tree. Then he flitted down to do a somersault over a rotting log.
He had just started humming his birthday tune again when he spotted a lovely big pile of leaves sitting under a beech tree. They looked so inviting! Paddy flew higher and hovered for a moment. “This will be fun!” he giggled to himself.
He pointed his shiny pink nose at the pile and began diving down. His wings whirred as they got faster and faster and faster.…
“Happy birthday, dear Paddy!” he warbled at the top of his voice as he skidded into the leaves at top speed. “Happy birthday to MEEEEEE!”
The leaves flew everywhere. Paddy rolled around in them, kicking his paws wildly. There were brown leaves, red leaves, yellow leaves, gold leaves. There were big leaves, small leaves, fat leaves, thin leaves.
“Oh, this is so much fun. I’m having the best birthday ever!” Paddy exclaimed as he flicked the leaves with his tail.
But then, suddenly, he heard a loud voice.
“HEY!”
Paddy jumped.
“HEY!” the voice called again, s ounding very angry.
Paddy looked around.
“Yes, YOU!”
Paddy brushed the leaves from his fur with his paws. Then he plucked one leaf from between his wings. “Who is it?” he squeaked, feeling a teeny bit scared.
“It’s Hattie the Hedgerow Hedgehog,” said the voice. “And you’ve just spoiled my hard work!”
Oh, dear.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!
All at once, Paddy understood why there had been such a big pile of leaves sitting in the middle of the wood. The Hedgerow Hedgehogs had their own special job, just like all the other fairy animals in Misty Wood. They used their prickles to pick up leaves and keep the woods neat. Paddy clapped his paw to his mouth as Hattie fluttered out from behind the beech tree.
“I’m sorry,” Paddy whimpered. “I didn’t think the pile belonged to anyone.”
Hattie landed on the ground in front of Paddy. Her prickles were fluffed out in all directions, so she looked like a big spiky ball. She sighed. “What’s your name, little Pollen Puppy?”
“I’m Paddy. And I’m really, truly sorry,” whispered Paddy. He bent his head so that his ears drooped over his eyes. He even managed to stop wagging his tail, just to show how sorry he was.
“It took me all morning to get those cleaned up,” Hattie said, looking sadly at the leaves. “And when I saw you messing them up—and singing a song while you did it—I thought you were ruining my work on purpose.” She rustled her rusty-brown wings and sniffed. “But you do look very sorry, I must say. What was that song you were singing?”
“Happy birthday,” Paddy mumbled, “to—to me.”
Hattie folded away her wings. “To you, eh?”
Paddy nodded his silky head. “Yes. You see, I was so excited about my birthday, and when I saw your leaves I just thought they would be wonderful to play in,” he explained. “I didn’t mean to ruin anything, I really didn’t. In fact, I’m on my way to do my own special job. Even though it’s my birthday.”
“I see.” Hattie rubbed her chin with her delicate paw. Then she sighed. “Well, never mind. There aren’t too many leaves at this ti
me of year. I don’t suppose it will take me long to tidy them up.”
“Oh, but I can help you!” Paddy barked. He allowed his tail to give a little wag. “I have so much energy because it’s my birthday, I have to use some of it up before I get to Golden Meadow. Otherwise I’ll flick too much pollen and make all the other Pollen Puppies sneeze again!”
Hattie looked surprised. “That’s nice of you.” She smiled. “And it would be fun to have someone to work with today. I’m all on my own in this part of the wood.”
“Really?” said Paddy. “Come on, then, let’s get started.”
Paddy watched as Hattie fluffed out her prickles. Then she curled herself into a ball and rolled along the ground so that her prickles picked up the leaves. She looked so funny covered in leaves that Paddy started to laugh.
“You look more like a hedge than a hedgehog!” He giggled.
Hattie grinned. “That’s how I’m supposed to look!” she told him, shaking the leaves into a pile.
“Come on, now. You try!”
Paddy rolled through the leaves, then peered around to look at his back. It hadn’t worked. Not a single leaf had stuck to his soft fur.
“Oh, dear,” he said. “I suppose I’ll have to find another way to help you.”
“Try collecting them in your mouth instead,” Hattie suggested.
So Paddy scampered off and picked up a mouthful of leaves. They felt so tickly against his tongue he had to try really hard not to laugh. He dropped the leaves on top of Hattie’s and then went back for some more. He couldn’t collect as many leaves in his mouth as Hattie could with her prickles, so he had to run to and fro, to and fro, his ears and wings flapping. It was hard work! But at last all of the leaves were in a neat pile again.
Hattie wiped her forehead with her paw. “Phew,” she said. “We did it. Thank you, Paddy!”
“That’s all right.” Paddy grinned. “Now, I really must get to Golden Meadow. But you’ll come to my birthday party later, won’t you? It’s at Hawthorn Hedgerows.”
“I’d love to!” said Hattie. “How exciting—a new friend and a birthday party, all in one day!”
CHAPTER FOUR