Lily and the Fancy-dress Party

by Margaret McNamara

  The sight of the full moon rising – just a tiny sliver 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 make-up and warts, change into comfy pyjamas and go right to bed, the thought of the party far behind her. Well, that’s out, thought Lily.

  Rosie 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, Lily thought.

  Silver 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 Lily.

  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.

  Lily 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 Lily a bouquet of wild white roses. “I picked these for you in the park.”

  Lily took them without a word.

  “I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t know. None of us knew you’d dress like that.”

  Lily 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 Lily.

  Fawn nodded her head in dismay. “Yes,” she said. “Except maybe Amanda.” She looked into Lily’s green face. “What are you going to do, Lily?” 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 Lily, and she scooped up some dark purple leaves from the path below. She had a plan in the back of her mind, although 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, Lily! Please don’t make this any worse than it already is.”

  Lily just smiled. “Don’t worry, Fawn,” she said. She plucked a handful of lacy white flowers from the roadside. “My trick will be perfectly fair. And it may even teach those fairies a lesson. You wait and see.”

  Lily’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. Royal 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 until we’re called into the ballroom, Lily?” 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 Lily. “I’m just going to make a stop in the little fairies’ room and re-do my face.”

  Fawn kissed Lily on the cheek. “You’re very brave, Lily Bell.”

  “Not so very brave – but I do have some excellent ideas,” said Lily and she flew off down the long hall to find the little fairies’ room. She hoped it would be empty.

  It was.

  Lily looked at her reflection in the mirror. “I was a fantastic witch,” she said to herself. “But now I’m going to be—”

  “Oh, Lily! 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!”

  Lily 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.

  Lily 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 lacy white flowers and some gorgeous dark feathers. She flipped her cape inside out and threaded the ruby leaves through the purple lace. She twisted the white roses 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 tights, Lily!” cried Avery. “They have to go!”

  Lily 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 Lily. “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!”

  Lily 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 until 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 Lily. “It’s beautiful!”

  Just then the queen’s swans sounded their fanfare.

  “It’s time for the costume judging!” said Avery. “Hurry! This is it!”

  Lily gave Avery a quick hug; then the two fairies flew back towards 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.

  Lily 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-coloured 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 Lily 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 Lily couldn’t tell whether they trembled from excitement or fear.

  Lily 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 Lily Bell will not be—”

  Lily burst out of her hiding place. “Here I am!” she cried, this time with her eyes wide open. “Lily 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 white roses.

  Lily fluttered before Queen Titania’s throne. “Lily Bell of Sheepskerry,” said the queen in her deep voice. “Is this your idea of a princess?”

  “It is, Your Majesty.” Lily rubbed her nose with her sleeve, hoping she’d taken off all the green make-up. “I am a dark princess and a good princess.”

  “That
is quite an original idea,” said Queen Titania. She leaned close to Lily. “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.”

  Lily beamed.

  “Fairies,” said Queen Titania, “who will our costume winner be tonight?”

  Avery was the first to cheer. “Lily!” she cried. “It should be Lily 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 Lily!”

  “Stop it!” cried Claudine Townley.

  “Stop it at once!” shouted Amanda. But no one paid them any attention.

  “Li-ly!” the fairies cried. “Li-ly! LI-LY! LI-LY!” All the fairies – with the exception of two – were calling Lily’s name.

  Lily 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.

  “Lily 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 Lily’s outfit perfectly.

  “I like your mussel shells,” said Queen Titania in a whisper. Then she declared, “This is for you, Lily 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 Lily was the belle of the ball.

  Dawn came far too soon the next morning, but Lily 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 goodbye. How long ago it seemed since 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. “Goodbye, 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 Lily Crystal Bell.

  Inside was a letter, which she took her time to read.

  Dear Lily,

  We’re sorry we were so mean to you this weekend. And that 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 Lily. “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.”

  Lily’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.” Lily 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 Lily arrived. But she was right on time. She could just see Merryweather’s nose poking out of the water as the faithful grey seal paddled towards the shore.

  Suddenly she heard a rush of wings.

  “You made it, Avery!” cried Lily.

  “Of course I did!” said Avery.

  “How will we ever get along without each other?” said Lily. “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 Lily realised 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, Lily 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 Lily, “there’s only one thing left to do.”

  “What’s that?” asked Avery.

  “To say: let’s be best friends.”

  “Yes!” cried Avery, and threw her arms around Lily. “Let’s be best friends.”

  Merryweather barked again. The tide was turning.

  “Time to go!” said Lily. She jumped aboard. “Coming?”

  “Coming,” said Avery.

  As the sun rose and Merryweather paddled towards the distant shore, Lily held Avery’s hand. “What a lot we will have to tell my sisters!” she said. Then she turned and looked behind her. “Goodbye, mainland,” she said. “Thanks for my very first – solo! – adventure. I’ll be back again. Pretty soon.”

  FAIRY SECRETS

  Squeak’s Words

  Yo-ca! – Me too!

  Ma-bo-bo – I love you.

  How to make a Fairy Princess Cape

  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 shop or perhaps you have something at home that you could use.

  A long piece of ribbon to tie your cape approx. 1.5 metres 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 2 centimetres 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.

  Let the glue dry. (If you sew the hem instead, there’s no drying time!)

  Decorate the outside of the cape with the decorations. And if your cape is reversible, decorate the inside too.

  Have you read Silver, Rosie and Clara’s adventures? Click here to order now:

  Copyright

  First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2013

  HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,

  77-85 Fulham Palace Road,

  Hammersmith, London, W6 8JB.

  www.harpercollins.co.uk

  Copyright © Margaret McNamara 2013

  Illustrations copyright © Erica-Jane Waters 2014; jacket copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2014

  Margaret McNamara assert
s the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

  Source ISBN: 9780007520701

  Ebook Edition © August 2013 ISBN: 9780007523245

  Version: 2014-05-30

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