She cast an anxious glance at the Everblossom. Would they have enough supplies to deliver spring to the mainland by the time the flower opened?
Tink hurried back down to help. Time was of the essence. Every second counted. So did every seed. And so did every fairy.
By dawn, the fairies were exhausted but hopeful. Never in the entire history of Pixie Hollow had so much work been completed so quickly.
The Minister of Spring clapped his hands. “Form up, everyone! Look sharp, now!”
Garden fairies gathered up baskets of seeds and buckets of berry paint. Animal fairies saddled up birds. Flower bulbs and ladybugs piled into their containers.
Tink looked up and saw Queen Clarion arriving just as the light from the rising sun began to illuminate the Everblossom.
Magically, the petals of the Everblossom opened and lit Springtime Square with a soft golden glow.
The fairies cheered as the queen landed and looked around the square with pride.
Her eyes missed nothing, and when they fell on Tinker Bell’s face, she stretched out her hand. “You did it, Tinker Bell! You saved spring!”
“No,” Tinker Bell insisted. “We all did it.”
Tinker Bell’s friends rushed to hug her.
“Queen Clarion,” Silvermist begged sweetly. “Can’t Tink come with us to the mainland?”
“She’s done so much for everyone,” Fawn added.
Tinker Bell shook her head. “No. Really. It’s okay. I don’t need to go.”
Rosetta fluttered her lashes in confusion. “But, buttercup, it’s what you wanted.”
“It’s okay,” Tink repeated. “My work is here. And I still have a lot of work to do.”
“Not here, you don’t!” countered a loud and bossy voice.
Fairy Mary came elbowing through the crowd with a very serious look on her face.
Tink gulped. How had she managed to get herself in trouble again?
Fairy Mary turned her head and whistled.
At her signal, Clank and Bobble led Cheese and the wagon into the middle of the square. Sitting in the back was the beautiful music box.
Tinker Bell’s mouth fell open in surprise.
Someone had finished cleaning the box, and it sparkled like a jewel.
Bobble’s eyes goggled happily. “Surprise, Miss Bell!” he shouted.
“We found your tiny dancer,” Clank said with a grin.
Fairy Mary came to stand beside Tink. “I actually ran across this myself many seasons ago. I didn’t have a clue what it was, or how to fix it. But you did, Tinker Bell. You are quite a rare talent.”
Tink beamed, feeling embarrassed and pleased at the same time.
“I’d imagine there’s someone out there who’s missing this,” Fairy Mary added.
Tinker Bell looked up. “What do you mean?”
Queen Clarion and Fairy Mary exchanged a sly look.
“I think perhaps a certain tinker fairy has a job to do after all … on the mainland!” Fairy Mary said in her usual bossy tone.
Tinker Bell’s heart filled with joy. “You mean …”
The queen nodded.
Tinker Bell was so happy she wanted to dart into the air and turn somersaults. The mainland! She, Tinker Bell, was going to the mainland to help deliver spring. Her wings trembled with emotion. What an honor!
Her friends cheered, but suddenly Tinker Bell felt a stab of worry. She turned to the queen. “Thank you, Your Highness! But … how will I find who it belongs to?”
“You’ll know,” Queen Clarion assured Tink, just as she had assured her on the day she had arrived. “Now go!” Her voice was kind, but Tinker Bell recognized that she—and everyone else—had just been given a command.
Springtime Square erupted as the fairies snapped into action.
Tinker Bell bowed to the queen and hurried to do as she was ordered.
But then she stopped. There was one last thing she had to do. She threw her arms around Fairy Mary and gave her a huge hug.
“Good heavens!” Fairy Mary exclaimed, half pleased and half shocked.
“Thank you,” Tinker Bell said. She turned and started to fly away again, but Terence ran up and stopped her.
“Tink! I have something to help you on the mainland.” He put a tiny leaf package in her hand.
“Oh, Terence. That’s so sweet.”
“Good luck, Tink,” he said.
At that moment, Tink’s friends swept her into the air. It was time to go. Time to fly. There was not a moment to lose.
Tink watched Clank and Bobble struggle to lift the music box.
Queen Clarion knew just what to do. She flew by and playfully sprinkled Bobble, Clank, and the music box with some extra pixie dust.
VOOOM!
Up into the air they flew, carrying the music box—and thrilled to be joining the nature fairies and Tinker Bell on this great adventure. They knew that this was going to be a special spring indeed.
On the mainland, in the city of London, Kensington Gardens wore the last days of winter like a shabby old coat.
But it wouldn’t have to endure the cold much longer. Up in the sky, a magical procession was approaching.
Light fairies, animal fairies, garden fairies, water fairies, flower fairies, painting fairies, planting fairies, and—for the first time ever—tinker fairies flew overhead in sparkling clouds and singing clusters.
The Minister of Spring pointed over the London rooftops. “Fairies to the north! Fairies to the south! To the east and west!”
Fairies fanned out in every direction, doing what they did best.
Tinker Bell swiftly followed a group down into Kensington Gardens and watched as her fellow fairies performed tiny miracles. A light fairy directed the sun’s rays and melted away the last bit of frost that was still clinging to a frozen branch.
A water fairy used pixie dust to clean up the cloudy water of a pond.
Animal fairies gently woke sleeping squirrels.
Tinker Bell flew up high so that she could watch. The garden fairies hurried well-behaved rows of marching flower bulbs into their beds. The bulbs planted themselves and waited while the water fairies sprinkled them with rain.
Trees bloomed.
Baby birds took to the air.
Rainbows shot across the sky in every direction.
The grubby gray winter coat was gone now, replaced with the gorgeous garments of spring. Kensington Gardens seemed to explode with life and color like a kaleidoscope.
Tink was mesmerized by all she saw. It was more beautiful than she had ever imagined.
Just then, she heard a whistle and saw Clank and Bobble waving at her, reminding her that she had a job to do.
She tried to take the music box from them, but it was too heavy to carry by herself. Tink remembered that she had Terence’s gift in her pocket.
She opened the little package and smiled. Extra pixie dust!
Tinker Bell sprinkled some dust on the music box and held the box by the dancer’s hand.
By twilight, Tinker Bell was exhausted. She hadn’t found the owner of the music box.
Queen Clarion had said Tink would know whose it was. But how?
Suddenly, as Tink flew past a window, the music box began to glow.
She fluttered back and hovered just outside the window. The music box glowed even more brightly. This had to be it.
Tinker Bell gently set the music box down on the windowsill and peered through the glass. “Wow!” she whispered. There were toys and lovely, shiny things everywhere.
A door inside the house opened. Someone was coming. Quick as lightning, Tinker Bell placed the music box on the windowsill. Then she tapped on the glass and ducked behind a nearby chimney, where she could watch without being seen.
A little girl ran to the window and opened it. When she saw the music box, her eyes lit up.
She lifted the box happily, as if it were a long-lost friend. Then the little girl pulled out a small key on a chain around her neck. She pu
t the key into the music box and turned it.
Tink moved closer to the window, eager to see what the little girl was doing.
Wonder of wonders, once the key was turned, the music box began to play all on its own.
The little girl cradled the box in her arms and listened as if it were the most beautiful sound in the world.
Tinker Bell watched with satisfaction and giggled. The little girl heard the laugh and looked up. Tinker Bell quickly darted back out of sight, her heart pounding. Eventually, the little girl turned away.
“Mummy!” she cried. “Guess what? Guess what?”
“Yes, Wendy, what is it?” a voice answered.
Tinker Bell smiled at a job well done. She opened her wings and took to the air, soaring into the golden sunset where Iridessa, Fawn, Silvermist, and Rosetta were waiting.
Their work here was done.
It was time to go home.
Queen Clarion stood on the balcony of her royal apartment, her eyes glued to the beautiful sky over Pixie Hollow. Once again, her thoughts were of the mainland.
She could picture the way Kensington Gardens looked in its new spring colors. The way the fairies were gathering in the sky from every corner of London, preparing to return to Pixie Hollow.
The queen heard the jingling laughter as the fairies flew past Big Ben, along the Thames River, and over Tower Bridge.
Queen Clarion had waited all night, not sleeping a wink—and she wouldn’t rest until every fairy had safely returned. Her butterfly friend had come to keep her company again and sat on her shoulder.
She spoke playfully to him to keep herself from worrying. “A fairy’s work is much more than at first it might appear. Suppose your broken clock ticks, though it hasn’t in a year.”
Over the sea the fairies flew. Some touched down briefly on the water, and their jingling laughter echoed across the waves.
Queen Clarion clasped her hands together. So many obstacles. So many dangers.
Finally, the fairies who were playing in the surf were taken up by the wind and carried through the clouds.
Queen Clarion let out her breath and smiled. The fairies were blowing toward the shining Second Star to the Right!
All would be well now.
They were almost home.
The butterfly flew from Queen Clarion’s shoulder and fluttered in happy circles, as if he, too, had heard something special.
The queen whispered now, not wanting her voice to drown out the faint sound of laughter. “Perchance you find a toy you lost, or jingling bells you hear. It all means that one very special fairy might be near!”
Up in the distant sky, Queen Clarion saw something appear over the horizon and twinkle. Then she heard a laugh.
The laugh was so infectious, and the twinkle so bright, it could only be one fairy.
Queen Clarion smiled. Here came Tinker Bell, the first fairy over the horizon, leading all the others back to Pixie Hollow.
Where will she lead them next? Queen Clarion wondered, with a laugh of her own. She didn’t know. But she was certain that with Tinker Bell around, Pixie Hollow would never be the same.
Tinker Bell Junior Novel Page 7
