Vu chittered that it was time for something much more important than a break.
Daisy shielded her eyes and looked up. The sun was directly overhead.
‘You’re right,’ said Daisy. ‘It’s time for lunch.’
Vu chittered happily as they headed back to where they lived with Daisy’s family in the base of a tall gum tree.
Daisy landed in the leaf litter outside the kitchen door. A buzz of excited voices floated through the window. She flung open the door and hurried in, almost bumping into her sister Maggie who was pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor, wringing her hands and babbling incoherently.
‘Oh, Daisy!’ cried Maggie, grabbing her by the shoulders. ‘It’s so exciting . . . and nerve-wracking. I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ Her face took on a greenish tinge. ‘Actually, I think I might faint.’
‘Sit down for a moment,’ said Nen, leaving the salad she had been preparing and steering her eldest daughter towards the kitchen table.
‘What’s going on?’ Daisy asked. She checked Vu’s bowl to make sure he had some hackberry leaves, then joined her dad and sister at the table.
‘Maggie’s been chosen to be a contestant in the Songbird Festival,’ said Nen.
‘By Queen Jasmine herself,’ added Efa in his proud, fatherly tone. He handed Daisy a message scroll.
It was an official notice from the Fairy Messenger Service. Daisy unrolled the paperbark and read:
Daisy grinned as she looked from the invitation to her sister and back again. A personal invitation from the queen! How exciting for Maggie.
She studied the scroll again. ‘What’s a duet?’ she asked.
‘It’s where two voices sing together,’ explained Efa.
‘That should be a snap for Maggie,’ said Daisy. ‘She’s always singing with the magpies.’
‘But I’ve never sung for an audience,’ groaned Maggie. ‘The whole forest has been invited to watch and I only have tomorrow to prepare.’ She buried her face in her hands.
‘Cheer up, feather brain,’ said Daisy, putting her arm around Maggie’s shoulder and resting her head against her sister’s. ‘I’ll help you practise. With your natural talent and my organisational skills you’re sure to win.’
For Gary, Lucy, Riley and Abbey. Thanks for making every day an adventure.
And for Deb, the real Aunt Acacia. JW-S
For Anne, Sue and Nancy – with thanks – your wings would be wonderous! KM
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First published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2014
Text copyright © Jodie Wells-Slowgrove 2014
Illustrations copyright © Kerry Millard 2014
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ISBN: 978-1-74253-726-9
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THE BEGINNING
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Daisy's New Wings Page 5