by Kiki Thorpe
Copyright © 2013 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, New York, a Penguin Random House Company, and in Canada by Penguin Canada Books Inc., in conjunction with Disney Enterprises, Inc. Random House and the colophon are registered trademarks and A STEPPING STONE BOOK and the colophon are trademarks of Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thorpe, Kiki.
A dandelion wish/written by Kiki Thorpe; illustrated by Jana Christy.
pages cm.—(Disney fairies) (The Never girls; 3)
“A Stepping Stone book.”
Summary: “Mia and her friends have discovered a magical passageway to Never Land! But when her little sister Gabby goes to Never Land alone, the passageway closes up, with a fairy stuck on the mainland side, too.”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-7364-2796-8 (pbk.)—ISBN 978-0-7364-8139-7 (lib. bdg.)
[1. Fairies—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. 3. Lost children—Fiction.]
I. Christy, Jana, illustrator. II. Title.
PZ7.T3974Dan 2013
[Fic]—dc23 2012041353
eBook ISBN: 978-0-385-38355-4
randomhouse.com/kids/disney
v3.1
For Axel and Udo
—K.T.
For John and Janee
—J.C.
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Map of Never Land
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
From the Mist sneak peek
About the Author
Far away from the world we know, on the distant seas of dreams, lies an island called Never Land. It is a place full of magic, where mermaids sing, fairies play, and children never grow up. Adventures happen every day, and anything is possible.
There are two ways to reach Never Land. One is to find the island yourself. The other is for it to find you. Finding Never Land on your own takes a lot of luck and a pinch of fairy dust. Even then, you will only find the island if it wants to be found.
Every once in a while, Never Land drifts close to our world … so close a fairy’s laugh slips through. And every once in an even longer while, Never Land opens its doors to a special few. Believing in magic and fairies from the bottom of your heart can make the extraordinary happen. If you suddenly hear tiny bells or feel a sea breeze where there is no sea, pay careful attention. Never Land may be close by. You could find yourself there in the blink of an eye.
Mia Vasquez awoke Saturday morning with a fluttery feeling in her chest. A feeling that something great awaited her that day.
She rubbed her eyes, trying to recall what it was. Then she remembered: Never Land.
The two words sent her leaping from her bed. She ran to the window and looked out at the backyard. White clouds chased each other across the blue sky. The grass was tall and the flowers bloomed in their beds. But it was the high wooden fence that held Mia’s attention.
The day before, Mia, her little sister, Gabby, and her friends Kate and Lainey had discovered that by crawling through a loose board in the fence, they could reach the magical island of Never Land. No one knew how the passage between the two worlds had come to be—not even the fairies whose magic had brought the girls to Never Land in the first place. But to Mia it was a dream come true. To think she could visit the fairy world anytime she wanted, just by going through the fence in her own backyard!
Mia dressed quickly in a polka-dotted skirt and her favorite pink T-shirt. Her long, curly black hair fell over her shoulders. She considered a pretty pair of sandals, then pulled on her sneakers instead. Sneakers were better for adventures—and there were always adventures to be had in Never Land.
When she was dressed, Mia hurried downstairs to the kitchen. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and slid into a chair next to her little sister. Gabby was wearing a pink tutu and a pair of costume fairy wings—her everyday outfit. She was drawing a picture of a fairy with crayons.
The girls’ mother was standing at the kitchen counter, drinking a cup of coffee. “That’s a nice drawing, Gabby,” she said. “What’s the fairy’s name?”
“That’s Tinker Bell,” Gabby said. “She lives in Pixie Hollow.”
Mrs. Vasquez smiled. “Where is that?”
“It’s on the other side of the— Ow! Mia!” Gabby exclaimed as Mia kicked her under the table. When she caught Gabby’s eye, Mia frowned and shook her head. Their parents didn’t know about Never Land, and Mia didn’t want them to find out. She had a feeling that if they did, the girls’ adventuring would be over.
Out the kitchen window, Mia could see her father working in the yard. She hoped he would be done soon. Otherwise, they couldn’t sneak through the fence.
“Is Papi going to be doing yard work for long?” Mia asked her mother casually. “Kate and Lainey are coming over. We were going to, um … play outside.”
“Your friends can’t come over today, Mia,” her mother said. “I’m going out to do some errands, and I need you to look after Gabby.”
“What? But I already told them they could come!” Mia cried.
“You’ll have to call them and tell them they can’t,” her mother replied.
And not go to Never Land? Mia couldn’t bear the thought. “Can’t they come over anyway?” she asked. “We can all watch Gabby together.”
“No, Mia,” said her mom. “If you get busy playing with your friends, you’ll forget to keep an eye on Gabby.”
“I wouldn’t!” Mia said. She thought of the first time they’d found themselves in Never Land, pulled there on a fairy’s blink. Hadn’t she and her friends taken good care of Gabby then? But, of course, she couldn’t point this out to her mother.
“Kate and Lainey can come over another time,” Mrs. Vasquez said.
“It’s not fair!” Mia complained. “Papi’s here. Why can’t he watch Gabby?”
“Papi is busy today. Mia, please don’t sulk. It’s just one day. You’re old enough to be responsible.”
“Who cares about being responsible?” Mia grumbled under her breath. She watched, arms folded, as her mother picked up her purse and left.
When she was gone, Mia called Kate and Lainey and told them they couldn’t come over. Then she returned to the table, plopped herself down in a chair, and glared at her sister.
Gabby didn’t seem to notice. “Do you want to play a game?”
“No,” Mia snapped.
“Do you want to color?” asked Gabby.
Mia’s frown deepened. “No. Why don’t you go watch TV or something?”
“I’m not supposed to watch TV unless Mami says it’s okay,” Gabby pointed out.
“Well, I’m in charge today, and I say it’s okay,” Mia replied.
At once, Gabby hopped up from the table. She ran into the living room. A moment later, Mia heard the TV turn on.
With nothing better to do, Mia followed her into the living room. She flopped down on the sofa. On the television screen, a bunch of cartoon monsters were singing a silly song.
Mia sighed. She couldn’t think of anything more frustrating than to be stuck watching a lame kiddie show when she could be spending time with real fairies.
She looked out the living room window at the high wooden fence. Never Land lay just on the other side. She could reach it in less than thirty seco
nds.
Well, why shouldn’t I? Mia thought. I could just pop over and see what’s going on in Pixie Hollow. I’ll be back before anyone even knows I’m gone.
Mia glanced at her sister. Gabby was caught up in her cartoon. She’ll be fine for a few minutes, Mia thought.
Quietly, she slipped off the couch and let herself out the back door.
She didn’t see her father, but she could hear him whistling. He was working somewhere around the side of the house. Now was her chance.
The loose board was on the fence that separated the yard from their neighbor’s. Mia had to spend a few moments nudging the boards until she found the right one. The board swung sideways on its nail, creating a gap just big enough for her to squeeze through.
As Mia knelt down, she felt a warm breeze on her face. She could smell jasmine and sun-warmed moss—the sweet scent of Pixie Hollow. She took a deep breath, then crawled through the opening, pulling the board back into place behind her.
She came out from a hollow tree into a sun-dappled forest. To her left was a wildflower-filled meadow. To her right, Havendish Stream burbled between its banks. And just beyond the stream lay Pixie Hollow. Mia could see fairies darting through the air as they flew to and from the giant Home Tree.
Mia heard a commotion downstream. She followed the sound around a bend, to a small wooden bridge. Dozens of fairies swarmed around the bridge. They carried rope and bits of wood and buckets full of sand.
Mia saw Tinker Bell flying past. “Hi, Tink. What’s going on?” she asked.
“The footbridge is out,” Tink replied. Now Mia saw that part of the bridge had collapsed into the stream. “We think Bingo must have smashed it when he was chasing fairies.”
“Oh no!” Bingo was Mia’s cat. The day before, he’d slipped through the fence into Never Land and caused trouble. “Can you fix it?”
“Yes, but it will take a lot of work,” Tink said happily. “I’d better get back.” She waved to Mia and flew off. Tink was always happiest when she had something to fix.
The fairies at the bridge all seemed busy, so Mia decided to go to the Home Tree. Perhaps she could find someone to talk to there.
In the pebbled courtyard, Mia saw sweeping-talent fairies tidying up. They waved to Mia, but kept on with their jobs. It was the same in the kitchen. When Mia peered through the tiny doorway, the cooking- and baking-talent fairies barely looked up.
“Busy day in Pixie Hollow,” said the baking fairy Dulcie as she rolled out pie dough. “Lots of hungry fairies to feed.”
Mia was disappointed. She’d hoped she might come upon a tea party or a game of fairy tag. But everyone in Pixie Hollow was hard at work. Mia wondered if she should help—after all, it was her cat that had caused the mess. But she knew she shouldn’t leave Gabby alone for too long. Time worked differently in Never Land, and Mia couldn’t be sure if a minute or an hour had gone by since she had left.
As Mia started back, she passed a tiny house made from a gourd that sat on one of the Home Tree’s lowest branches. She tapped on the little wooden door with her finger.
The garden fairy Rosetta opened the door. She was dressed in a glorious ruffled gown made from a pink carnation. “Mia!” Rosetta exclaimed. “I was hoping someone might drop by. I’m glad it’s you!”
“Are you going to a party?” Mia asked hopefully, eyeing Rosetta’s fancy dress.
Rosetta sighed sadly. “No parties today—not even a picnic. Everyone is too busy cleaning up after … well, you know, what happened with Bingo.”
“Why aren’t you busy, too?” asked Mia.
“Well, Bingo made a great mess of almost everything, but he left all the flowers alone. There’s not much for a garden fairy to do. So I’ve been trying on dresses. Sometimes I do that when I’m feeling bored,” Rosetta admitted. “But now I’m out of dresses—I’ve tried on everything!”
Suddenly, Mia had an idea. It was such a good idea that she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before. “Why don’t you come to my house? I have lots of dresses that would fit you perfectly,” she said, thinking of her doll clothes.
“You mean, go through the fig tree to the mainland? I don’t know.” Rosetta suddenly looked nervous. “Some fairies say it’s dangerous.”
Mia laughed. “It’s not dangerous. I just came through it! Rosetta, you have to come. I have a pink velvet dress that would look beautiful on you. Oh! And one made of blue lace. And a green one with a little matching bag…”
As Mia described the dresses, Rosetta’s blue eyes widened. At last, she burst out, “I’d love to see them all!”
“Come on. Let’s go right now,” said Mia.
With Rosetta flying beside her, Mia led the way back to the hollow tree. She was thrilled. This was the perfect answer to her problem. She could look after Gabby and still have fun!
But when they got to the tree, Rosetta hesitated. “Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked.
“You can ride in my pocket, if it makes you feel better,” Mia said.
Rosetta flew into Mia’s pocket. Then Mia crawled into the hollow tree, and back to her own world.
As Mia came back through the fence into her yard, she could still hear her father whistling from somewhere around the side of the house. Good, Mia thought. That meant she’d only been gone for a few moments.
Quickly, Mia crossed the yard and went in the back door to the house. “I’ll be in my room, Gabby,” she said as she passed the living room.
Gabby looked up from the TV. “What’s that?” she asked, eyeing the lump in Mia’s pocket.
“Nothing. Mind your own business,” Mia said, hurrying up the stairs to her room.
In the hallway, Bingo was prowling. When he saw Mia, he wrapped himself around her legs and purred. Inside Mia’s pocket, Rosetta tensed.
“Go away, Bingo.” Mia nudged the cat gently with her foot. She slipped past him into her room, quickly shutting the door behind her. On the other side, Bingo yowled in protest.
“It’s okay,” Mia said to Rosetta. “You can come out now.”
Rosetta wriggled out of the pocket. “Phew!” She fluffed her long red hair. Then her eyes widened, and she gave a little gasp. “Oh my!”
Mia glanced around, seeing her room through Rosetta’s eyes. Instantly, she regretted not making her bed that morning. And all those clothes on the floor—why hadn’t she noticed them until now?
Mia hastily scooped up socks and T-shirts, throwing them in the hamper, and yanked the purple coverlet up over her bed. But when Mia glanced back at Rosetta, she realized the fairy wasn’t looking at the mess. She was staring, transfixed, at the corner of the room, where a large dollhouse stood.
Rosetta flew over and landed in the dollhouse’s living room. She examined the little sofa, the miniature grandfather clock, and the postage-stamp pictures on the walls. Her fairy glow cast a warm light over the small room, making it look as if the dollhouse lamps were lit.
Moving from room to room, Rosetta explored the rest of the dollhouse. She touched the tiny china teacups in the dining room. She opened the oven door in the kitchen. She even stretched out on the canopy bed in the guest bedroom.
Mia’s breath caught in delight. She had always liked playing with her dollhouse, but it had never been more than a pretty toy. The moment the fairy stepped inside, though, the house came to life.
“Who lives here?” Rosetta asked.
“No one,” Mia replied. “It’s … just for fun.”
“Just for fun?” Rosetta cried in surprise. “But it’s a perfect home for a fairy!”
Mia grinned, imagining a fairy living in her dollhouse.
At that moment, the door to Mia’s room burst open. Gabby stood in the doorway. “I knew it!” she crowed, spying Rosetta. “I knew you had a fairy here!”
“Gabby!” cried Mia. “You’re supposed to knock!”
Gabby ignored her. She barged into the room. “What are you guys playing? Can I play, too? Will you come to my room, Rosetta? I want t
o show you my toys and my books and my stuffed animals. Can you come right now? Can you?”
Mia grabbed hold of her sister by one wing and spun her around. “Out!” she exclaimed. “Get out of my room!”
“Let go, Mia!” Gabby shouted.
“It’s all right, Mia,” Rosetta said. She flew out of the dollhouse, which became just an ordinary toy once again.
“No, it’s not,” Mia said. “It’s my room, and I didn’t invite Gabby in. She’s intruding.” Mia knew she was being mean, but she couldn’t stop herself. Gabby was the reason she was stuck at home and not in Never Land. Even though Mia knew it wasn’t Gabby’s fault, she couldn’t help being mad at her.
As the sisters glared at each other, a blur of brown fur streaked into the room through the open door.
“Bingo!” the girls shrieked. They dove for the cat at the same time. Their heads collided with a loud smack. Bingo shot past them, headed right for Rosetta.
The fairy screamed and darted into the air. Bingo leaped onto Mia’s dresser. He stood on his hind legs, batting the air as he tried to reach the fairy.
Gabby jumped up to grab him, but she wasn’t quite tall enough. Instead, she knocked Mia’s jewelry box off the dresser. The box crashed to the floor, and the hinges broke. All the trinkets inside scattered.
“Gabby!” Mia wailed. “Bingo!” She didn’t know who to yell at first. She snatched the cat off her dresser and tucked him under her arm. Then she clamped her other hand down on Gabby’s shoulder, steering her toward the door. “Both of you—out!”
“I want to stay!” Gabby said, digging in her heels.
“No. You mess up everything,” Mia said. She pushed Gabby and Bingo into the hall and locked the door behind them.
“Fine! Then I’ll do something fun in my room. And you’re not invited!” Gabby shouted through the door.
“Fine with me!” Mia shouted back.
Gabby stomped away. A second later, Mia heard her bedroom door slam.