Clara and the Magical Charms
Page 4
sixteen
Clara had never been as happy as she was at the farewell banquet that night. She felt as healthy as she had ever felt in her life—lighter, and more full of life. Queen Mab took care of all the arrangements for the banquet this time, and the feast was sumptuous. There was a roaring fire in the hearth, and all the gnomes and fairies were dressed in their coziest winter sweaters. Everyone was delighted to be there, and the faces of the Fairy Bell sisters were suffused with joy. Tink sent Clara a get-well card that appeared in the middle of the feast by magic.
“Look!” said Rosy. “The postmark is Neverland!”
Inside there was a very special message:
I know you’ll already be better when you get this, Clara. Queen Mab was right about you!
Hugs and kisses, Tink
Everything would have been perfect, except that Rowan was nowhere to be seen. His friends Cam and Hamish told Clara he’d get there after supper. “He’s working on a wee project,” said Cam. “He’ll be along presently.”
When supper was finished, the insect orchestra played a fanfare, and Queen Mab flew up to the palace stage.
“These have been some wonderful Valentine’s Games,” said Queen Mab. “Fairies and gnomes competed together in our annual contest. Sylva Bell broke a record in Fairy Flight.” She looked at Sylva, and Sylva beamed. “And another record was set in Tossing the Branch, thanks to Alasdair Gnome.” Alasdair flexed his muscles and flashed a grin at Iris Flower. “And as to the dramatic ending to the Games, and Clara Bell’s magnificent rescue”—Clara wished Rowan were there with her—“we will speak of that in a moment.
“Now,” said Queen Mab, “Lady Courtney will help me award the prizes to the top three winners. But before we do, let me say this to our gnomish friends: It is a great honor to have had you here on Sheepskerry. You all showed most impressive skills. We look forward to welcoming you back to next year’s Valentine’s Games!”
A great roar went up from the crowd.
Lady Courtney hovered next to Queen Mab. “May I begin?” she asked.
“Please do,” said the queen.
“In third place,” Lady Courtney announced, “is Ethelrood Gnome, with seventy-four points!” The fairies fluttered their wings, and the gnomes cheered loud and long.
“He’s awfully nice,” said Avery.
“Alasdair’s taller,” said Goldie.
“Ethelrood Gnome,” said Queen Mab. “You have acquitted yourself honorably and well. Please come forward and accept your prize.”
The Stitch sisters had made the prizes for the Games again this year. They had crafted a gorgeous brocade vest for third place, the color of a bronze bell. Ethelrood donned the vest with pride. “I dedicate my win to . . . Avery Pastel!” said Ethelrood.
Cheers and hoots came from the gnomes. Avery flew up to Ethelrood, who was smiling broadly. “Nice work, Ethelrood,” she said, with a shy smile.
“You can call me Roody,” said Ethelrood, with a grin. “And thanks for thinking I’m cute. I think you’re cute, too.”
“In second place,” said Lady Courtney, “is Sylva Bell, with eighty-five points!”
The cheers began again. Sylva flew up to the stage.
“Here is your prizewinner’s cape for second place,” she said. And she handed Sylva a forest-green cape shot with silver thread. “An extraordinary achievement for your very first competition.”
“Thank you, Queen Mab!” she said. “And I bet you know who I dedicate my Games to: my big sister Clara!” said Sylva.
Clara beamed with pride.
“And in first place,” said Lady Courtney in her loud, clear voice, “with ninety-six points . . .”
Iris Flower sighed aloud.
“Gnomes and fairies, please stand for Alasdair Gnome!”
“Hooray for Alasdair!” they cried. “Hooray for Alasdair Gnome!”
Alasdair mounted the podium. “Thank you, thank you,” he said. Then he asked, “Where’s my wee brother, Rowan? Where’s Rowan Gnome?”
“Hey, Rowan,” said Hamish. “Get up front!”
Rowan was all the way at the back of the banqueting hall. His friends pushed him forward.
“There you are, Rowan,” said Alasdair. “I wanted you to be here to hear me say . . . I dedicate my first-place win to my brother, Rowan. The bravest gnome in all the land!”
A huge cheer went up from the crowd. The Fairy Bell sisters cheered loudest of all.
Clara flew over to talk to Rowan.
“I’m sorry you gave up your chance of winning for me, Rowan,” she said. “You could have beaten Alasdair, you know.”
“That’s water under the bridge—or under the dolphin,” said Rowan, and he grinned. “Maybe next year.”
Queen Mab cleared her throat, and the crowd was quiet. “Which leads me to my final announcement,” she said. “All of you know of the daring and selfless rescue Clara Bell performed during the Round-the-Island Swim. What many of you do not know is that Clara Bell has come into her magical powers.”
There was a murmur of “ooh”s and “aah”s and some “I told you so”s throughout the crowd.
“Clara has powers that I did not realize she would have this early,” said Queen Mab. “She achieved something remarkable out on Sheepskerry Bay. It took some life from her, but she restored that life to herself. Rowan Gnome was a hero, too, for getting Clara back to Sheepskerry and safety. Rowan, please come up and take a bow.”
The crowd cheered again, and Cam and Andy whistled.
“And Clara Dawn Bell, please come take your place next to me. You are now a truly magical fairy.”
seventeen
At first, some fairies thought Clara had not come into her magical powers that night. For Clara’s dress did not transform into a golden gown; her hair did not spin into curls; her arms and throat did not shine with jewels. But those who know Sheepskerry, and the fairies who live there, realized that Clara was indeed an enchanted fairy, even if she didn’t change on the outside. As she flew up to the stage to take her place next to Rowan, her wings were strong, her path was steady, her eyes sparkled, her smile beamed, and there was a glow about her that comes from magic alone.
Rowan and Clara danced the first dance of the Farewell Banquet together. And they danced all the other dances of the evening together, too.
At the end of that beautiful night, as the tide was turning, the gnomes boarded their boats and said good-bye to the Sheepskerry fairies. As Alasdair flirted (he was asking all the fairies for their snail mail addresses) and Ethelrood chatted with Avery, Rowan walked with Clara under the moonlight on Sheepskerry Dock.
“I have something for you,” he said. “It’s why I was late to the banquet.”
Clara looked at what Rowan held out to her.
“It’s . . . it’s a valentine,” he said.
Indeed it was a valentine of sorts, but it wasn’t made of shiny paper or delicate lace. It was made of stone.
“This is the stone I found on Sunrise Hill,” said Rowan. “It’s in the shape of—”
Clara took it from him gently. “It’s in the shape of a heart,” she said.
“I painted it myself,” said Rowan, blushing. “Fairies like pink. At least that’s what Hamish and Cam told me.”
Clara smiled at the splash of pink on the stone heart. Rowan was a better swimmer than he was a painter.
“Look at the back,” said Rowan.
Clara turned it over. Carved into the stone were two little words:
YOU ROCK
“Get it?” said Rowan. “It’s a rock and—”
“I get it,” said Clara. “And Rowan?” She smiled. “You rock, too.”
eighteen
“Here’s another one for you, Clara!” said Sylva.
The next morning, the Fairy Bell sisters were opening their valentines over a breakfast of mint tea, crumpets, farmer’s cheese, and grapefruit marmalade. They always exchanged their family valentines before heading over to Lady’s Slipper Field
to give out cards and gifts to others. Clara opened the pretty pink envelope and took out a handmade card from Sylva.
“Don’t you love it?” asked Sylva.
“I do,” said Clara. She read it aloud:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Be careful with magic
Whatever you do!
With lots of hugs on Valentine’s Day
from your little sister Sylva.
“Oh, Clara will be careful with her magic,” said Rosy. “But you are growing up, aren’t you, Clara?”
“It’s fine if you grow up,” said Goldie. “But you’d better not move away from us for a long, long time. Who would help me with my fractions?”
“And who would I have to share my secrets with?” said Rosy.
“And who’d keep me from getting in too much trouble?” said Sylva.
“Squeak!” said Squeak.
They all looked at Clara. “You’re not going to leave us, are you, Clara?” asked Sylva.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” said Clara, “nobody’s going anywhere until these breakfast dishes are done.” She grinned. “Sylva, you clear the plates. I’ll wash them and Goldie can dry.”
“Or they can air-dry,” said Goldie.
“And Rosy, you’ll get Squeakie into her snowsuit, won’t you?”
“I certainly will,” said Rosy.
The sisters bustled about, and soon all their work was done. They put on boots and hats and gathered up their valentines to deliver to their fairy friends. Of course Sylva could only find one of her mittens. “I have an extra pair upstairs,” said Clara. “I’ll be right back.”
Clara flew upstairs and quickly found a pair of warm mittens to fit Sylva. Before she went downstairs again, she opened up the top drawer of her dresser. In it was the very special valentine Rowan had given her, wrapped in an old brown scarf. She took it out carefully. The pink paint was already flaking off, but nothing would change the shape of the heart-shaped rock, or what Rowan had written in stone.
“Clara! What are you doing up there?” called Goldie from downstairs. “We can’t wait forever.”
Clara smiled. “But maybe I will,” she said as she put Rowan’s heart back where it belonged. “Coming!” she called to her sisters.
She flew down the stairs, linked arms with Rosy, and opened the door to the dazzling day.
Fairy Secrets
Squeak’s Words
A-blay!: Hooray!
Coomada!: Love it!
Jojo!: Hurry!
No lolo: Don’t be sad.
Tutu!: Me too!
Squeak!: Oops! or Uh-oh! or Yay! or sometimes, Yikes!
How to Make Stone Valentines
These directions can be used by fairies, gnomes, or children.
Look in your backyard or in a garden or a park or even a beach for stones.
Stones that are oval, round, or heart-shaped work best.
Try to find stones with a flat surface, as they are easiest to paint.
Take the stones home and scrub them in the sink. Make sure you ask a grown-up to help with this part as stones can be dirty and grimy and not everyone likes to have dirt and grime in their sinks. Once the stones are clean, let them dry completely. Be as patient as you can.
You can draw your designs on a piece of paper while you’re waiting for your stones to dry. Or, if you’re like Rowan, you can skip the drawing and just go straight to painting.
Find some fairy paint or, if you can’t find that, use acrylic or tempera paint to decorate your stones. Acrylic is shinier, but tempera washes off easily. (So if you like to change your mind a lot, use tempera.)
You can decorate your stones with patterns or stripes. You can cover your stone with just one color. Or you can write messages on your stones. Here are Valentine’s messages that could fit on a stone:
XOXO
BE MINE
U R CUTE
LUV U
Sometimes fairies write messages and leave them for children to find. Be on the lookout for fairy stones—someday there may be a message waiting for you.
Fairy Bell Sisters’ Song
Excerpt from Sylva and the Lost Treasure
The Fairy Bell Sisters
Book 5
Sylva was just about to head sadly back to the Bell fairy house with her one broken button and the cracked teacup when they caught sight of Queen Mab’s attendant. Lady Courtney was flying slowly out of the palace, with something very large in her arms.
“Heigh-ho, here’s Lady Courtney,” said Sylva.
“She’ll probably tell us we’re not allowed to touch anything,” said Poppy.
“Or that we need to curtsy before we approach the jumble pile.” They both giggled.
“I think she needs help,” said Sylva. “That’s a huge crate she’s carrying.”
The two fairies flew over to Lady Courtney, who was indeed struggling under the weight of a large crate, which looked very old.
“Sylva, Poppy, good afternoon to you,” said Lady Courtney.
“May we help you, Lady Courtney?” asked Sylva, using her best manners. “That looks awfully heavy.”
“It is heavy,” said Lady Courtney. She set the box down with a rattling thump. “Whew! These wings aren’t getting any younger.”
“Probably a whole box of broken plates and cups,” whispered Sylva.
“Plus some dirty old pieces of string,” Poppy whispered back. She and Poppy giggled again.
“Are you two the only fairies here?” asked Lady Courtney. “I think you’re in luck.”
Sylva and Poppy flew over to the crate. It had a latch on the front and opened quite easily. Inside was not a jumble of old rubbish that no one would want. Inside was something so marvelous that Sylva and Poppy could hardly believe it.
About the Author and Illustrator
Photo by Betsy Morrell
MARGARET McNAMARA is the Christopher Award–winning author of more than two dozen books for young readers, including the Robin Hill School series. The Fairy Bell Sisters series is inspired not only by her love of the classic sisterhood novel Little Women but by her own experiences growing up with older sisters (and a baby brother). Margaret and her family live in New York City, but they spend part of their summer on an island in Maine very much like Sheepskerry Island.
JULIA DENOS has illustrated several children’s books, including Just Being Audrey, Grandma’s Gloves, Dotty, and I Had a Favorite Dress. She received her BFA in illustration from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. The oldest of five sisters (and a baby brother), Julia lives in Massachusetts. You can visit her online at www.juliadenos.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors and artists.
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Credits
Cover art © 2014 by Julia Denos
Cover design by Erin Fitzsimmons
Copyright
Balzer + Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
CLARA AND THE MAGICAL CHARMS. Text copyright © 2014 by Margaret McNamara. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Julia Denos. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, 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 e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McNamara, Margaret.
Clara and the magical charms / Margaret McNamara ; illustrations by Julia Denos. — First edition.
pages cm. — (The fairy bell sisters) ; [#4]
Summary: “Clara Bell needs to use her powers whe
n she and Rowan, a gnome visiting Sheepskerry Island for the Valentine’s Games, are faced with very serious trouble” — Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-06-222811-6 (hardcover bdg. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-06-222810-9 (pbk bdg. : alk. paper)
EPub Edition November 2013 ISBN 9780062228123
[1. Fairies—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. 3. Gnomes—Fiction. 4. Contests—Fiction. 5. Sisters—Fiction. 6. Valentine’s Day—Fiction.] I. Denos, Julia, illustrator. II. Title.
PZ7.M47879343Ckr 2014 2013012324
[Fic]—dc23 CIP
AC
13 14 15 16 17 CG/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
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