her, snowy and silent. Twink spun in midair, scanning it wildly. ‘Mum, Dad!’ she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. ‘Teena! Where are you?’
But there was nothing, not even a bird.
After a while Twink stopped shouting, and hovered forlornly. Oh, it was hopeless! That note had probably been written days ago. She’d just have to wait, even though the ache to see her family again felt like agony.
Her spirits heavy, Twink turned to go back inside . . . and then she saw something out of the corner of her eye.
‘Oh!’ she gasped in delight. There was a hawk flying across the frozen stream, with a group of fairies riding on its back! The fairies hadn’t spotted her yet, and their wings looked weary and defeated.
‘Mum, Dad!’ she screamed. She flew towards the hawk as fast as she could, her pink hair whistling behind her. ‘I’m here!’ she shouted. ‘I’m here!’
The fairies looked up. It was her parents and Teena! And Bimi and her parents were alongside them! Her heart singing, Twink put on an extra burst of speed. Her parents leapt off the hawk’s back and flew towards her, calling her name.
And then all at once she was there with them, scooped up in their arms. ‘Mum, Dad!’ she sobbed. ‘I’m so glad to see you!’
‘Oh, Twink, you’re safe!’ cried her mother.
‘Don’t ever go missing again, Twinkster,’ whispered her father raggedly. ‘I don’t think we could take the strain!’
That night the tree stump rang with laughter as the fairies sat up talking, overjoyed at being reunited. Twink sat nestled between her parents, munching a slice of her mum’s delicious honey cake – which Mum had insisted on baking the moment they got inside! – and feeling happier than she’d ever been.
Bimi had got Twink’s message, as it turned out. ‘I was so relieved!’ she said, her blue eyes wide with the memory. ‘None of us knew what had happened to you. I tried and tried to respond, but I suppose you didn’t hear me.’
Twink shook her head. ‘I thought you hadn’t heard me ,’ she said sheepishly.
Bimi explained that she’d returned to her own home the day after Twink had disappeared – but her parents had brought her straight back to Twink’s when she told them about the message.
‘We knew it was important the moment Bimi told us,’ said Twink’s mother, giving Bimi a warm smile. ‘So we asked her and her parents to come with us while we looked for you, in case you contacted her again with more details.’
‘We didn’t realise that you were so far away,’ added Twink’s father. ‘We’ve been searching nearby neighbourhoods and villages for days, casting every spell we could think of to try and find you!’
‘I’m glad I didn’t know,’ said Twink’s mum with a shudder. ‘Fifty miles! I would have been even more worried than I already was.’
Twink’s cheeks grew hot. ‘I – I’m sorry, Mum,’ she said guiltily. ‘I should have listened to you about the tree.’
‘Never mind, Twinkster,’ said her dad, ruffling her hair. ‘Maybe you disobeyed, but we’re proud of you for trying to do the right thing. You and Bimi are both pretty amazing girls, you know!’ Bimi and Twink grinned across the room at each other in relief.
‘But Twink, tell us about being in the human house!’ said Teena, her violet eyes wide. ‘Weren’t you scared?’
‘At first,’ said Twink. As her family and friends listened, Twink shared her adventures, and told about her friendship with Lindsay – and attempted to describe Christmas, though it was difficult to put into words the magic she had felt.
‘Why, it sounds lovely,’ said Mrs Bluebell in surprise. ‘Who would have thought that the humans would have such a tradition?’
‘Maybe they’re not so different from us after all,’ said Twink’s mother thoughtfully.
Twink’s story of Santa Claus was met with even more astonishment. ‘What a powerful spirit!’ exclaimed Bimi’s father. ‘I can’t
But there was nothing, not even a bird.
After a while Twink stopped shouting, and hovered forlornly. Oh, it was hopeless! That note had probably been written days ago. She’d just have to wait, even though the ache to see her family again felt like agony.
Her spirits heavy, Twink turned to go back inside . . . and then she saw something out of the corner of her eye.
‘Oh!’ she gasped in delight. There was a hawk flying across the frozen stream, with a group of fairies riding on its back! The fairies hadn’t spotted her yet, and their wings looked weary and defeated.
‘Mum, Dad!’ she screamed. She flew towards the hawk as fast as she could, her pink hair whistling behind her. ‘I’m here!’ she shouted. ‘I’m here!’
The fairies looked up. It was her parents and Teena! And Bimi and her parents were alongside them! Her heart singing, Twink put on an extra burst of speed. Her parents leapt off the hawk’s back and flew towards her, calling her name.
And then all at once she was there with them, scooped up in their arms. ‘Mum, Dad!’ she sobbed. ‘I’m so glad to see you!’
‘Oh, Twink, you’re safe!’ cried her mother.
‘Don’t ever go missing again, Twinkster,’ whispered her father raggedly. ‘I don’t think we could take the strain!’
That night the tree stump rang with laughter as the fairies sat up talking, overjoyed at being reunited. Twink sat nestled between her parents, munching a slice of her mum’s delicious honey cake – which Mum had insisted on baking the moment they got inside! – and feeling happier than she’d ever been.
Bimi had got Twink’s message, as it turned out. ‘I was so relieved!’ she said, her blue eyes wide with the memory. ‘None of us knew what had happened to you. I tried and tried to respond, but I suppose you didn’t hear me.’
Twink shook her head. ‘I thought you hadn’t heard me ,’ she said sheepishly.
Bimi explained that she’d returned to her own home the day after Twink had disappeared – but her parents had brought her straight back to Twink’s when she told them about the message.
‘We knew it was important the moment Bimi told us,’ said Twink’s mother, giving Bimi a warm smile. ‘So we asked her and her parents to come with us while we looked for you, in case you contacted her again with more details.’
‘We didn’t realise that you were so far away,’ added Twink’s father. ‘We’ve been searching nearby neighbourhoods and villages for days, casting every spell we could think of to try and find you!’
‘I’m glad I didn’t know,’ said Twink’s mum with a shudder. ‘Fifty miles! I would have been even more worried than I already was.’
Twink’s cheeks grew hot. ‘I – I’m sorry, Mum,’ she said guiltily. ‘I should have listened to you about the tree.’
‘Never mind, Twinkster,’ said her dad, ruffling her hair. ‘Maybe you disobeyed, but we’re proud of you for trying to do the right thing. You and Bimi are both pretty amazing girls, you know!’ Bimi and Twink grinned across the room at each other in relief.
‘But Twink, tell us about being in the human house!’ said Teena, her violet eyes wide. ‘Weren’t you scared?’
‘At first,’ said Twink. As her family and friends listened, Twink shared her adventures, and told about her friendship with Lindsay – and attempted to describe Christmas, though it was difficult to put into words the magic she had felt.
‘Why, it sounds lovely,’ said Mrs Bluebell in surprise. ‘Who would have thought that the humans would have such a tradition?’
‘Maybe they’re not so different from us after all,’ said Twink’s mother thoughtfully.
Twink’s story of Santa Claus was met with even more astonishment. ‘What a powerful spirit!’ exclaimed Bimi’s father. ‘I can’t
Similar Books
