Berry shrugged. “These round fruit chews are just so pretty,” she said with a heavy sigh. She held up the colorful strand again and admired the rainbow pattern she had made. “I just had to make a necklace with them!” She carefully knotted the end of the string. Then she put on a special caramel clasp that Melli, her Caramel Fairy friend, had made for her. Berry placed the finished necklace around her neck. She proudly spread her pink wings as she showed off her newest creation.
“Berry, Heart Day is coming up,” Raina said gently. After she put the cap on the syrup bottle, she looked up at her friend. “Everyone in Sugar Valley is busy making candy hearts. And you’re stringing round chews! You don’t want to disappoint Princess Lolli, do you?”
Berry dragged her foot along the ground. There was a layer of powdered sugar that had fallen during the evening. It was a cold winter’s day in Sugar Valley. The cool winds were blowing, and there was a chill in the air. “Sweet strawberries!” Berry exclaimed. “I would never want to upset Princess Lolli!”
Princess Lolli was the ruling fairy princess of Candy Kingdom. She was a caring and gentle fairy, and always treated the fairies very well. All the fairies loved her and wanted to please her. The sweet princess’s favorite shape was a heart, so every fairy in the kingdom made special candy hearts from flavors found all over Sugar Valley. There were chocolate, gummy, mint, caramel, and fruit heart candies for Princess Lolli and all the fairies to enjoy. Heart Day was a happy day, filled with good cheer—and delicious candy.
“I still have time to make something for Princess Lolli,” Berry said. “Last year she loved my red fruit hearts, remember? I put a fruit surprise in each one and sprinkled them with red sugar.”
Raina nodded. “Yes, and you spent weeks making those. Don’t forget that Heart Day is next week.”
“I will start on something today,” Berry declared.
At that moment another Fruit Fairy flew up to the friends. Berry had just met her the other day. Her name was Fruli, and she was new to Sugar Valley. She had long blond hair, and today she was wearing the most beautiful dress Berry had ever seen. There were tiny purple and pink candies sewn along the collar and cuffs that sparkled in the sun. Over her dress was a soft cape made of pink-and-white cotton candy. The fairy soared down next to them with her pale pink wings.
“Hi,” Raina said. “You must be new here.”
“This is Fruli,” Berry said, introducing Raina to the newest Fruit Fairy. “She’s from Meringue Island.”
“Welcome to Sugar Valley,” Raina said. “I’ve never been to Meringue Island, but I’ve read about the place. There’s a story in the Fairy Code Book about the majestic Meringue Mountains. I’ve heard the island is beautiful and is the center of fashion.” She smiled at Berry. “Berry loves fashion too.”
Berry blushed. “Raina loves to read,” she quickly explained. “She’s memorized the Fairy Code Book.”
Raina laughed. “Well, I do like to read. What about you, Fruli?”
“Yes, I like to read,” she said very softly. She looked down at her white boots. Her response was so quiet that Berry and Raina could barely hear her.
“I love your cape,” Raina said tentatively, eyeing the fabric and design. “Is that from Meringue Island?”
Fruli nodded. “Yes,” she said. She didn’t raise her eyes from the ground. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”
Again, her voice was so low and soft, Berry and Raina could barely hear her.
“I just came to collect a couple of fruit chews for Princess Lolli,” Fruli said.
“Well, you came to the right place,” she added, smiling. She gave Berry a little push forward. She wondered why her friend was being so quiet around this new fairy. Usually, Berry was very outgoing and not shy at all. “Berry grows the best fruit chews on this side of the Frosted Mountains,” Raina said. She put her arm around her friend.
“Raina,” Berry mumbled, feeling embarrassed. She smoothed her dress with her hands and noticed a big cherry syrup stain on the front.
Oh no, Berry thought. What a big mess! Fruli has the nicest clothes. And look at me!
“These chews?” Fruli asked, pointing.
“Yes,” Berry said. “Please take anything you want.”
Fruli took a few candies and put them in a white chocolate weave bag. “Thank you,” she said.
Before Berry or Raina could say a word, she flew off.
“She was so shy!” Raina exclaimed.
“Did you see her clothes?” Berry asked. “She has the nicest outfits. I have got to get moving on making a new dress for Heart Day.”
“Berry—” Raina started to say.
“I know,” Berry said, holding up her hand. “I will make the heart candies, but I also need to find something new to wear to Candy Castle for Heart Day.”
Berry sat in front of two large pieces of fruit-dyed fabric. Bright pinks and reds were swirled around the material in large circles. Berry had been saving the material for something special, and a new outfit for Heart Day was the perfect occasion!
For a week she had tried drawing designs for a new dress. Normally, designing a dress was fun and exciting for her. But this time nothing seemed right. To make things a little more sour, none of her friends understood her passion for fashion. Raina kept asking about heart candies, and her other friends did not seem interested in her dress designs. Berry sighed as she picked up the chalk to sketch out the dress form.
“I wish I could go to Meringue Island,” she mumbled to herself. Even though the material in her hand was silky smooth, she was still feeling unsure. If only she could fly to the small, exclusive Meringue Island, she could buy a bunch of stylish new outfits. Meringue Island was known for high fashion and tons of cool accessories. Fruli probably thought all the fairies in Sugar Valley dressed terribly. Berry looked down at her red shiny dress. She used to love this one, but after seeing Fruli’s dresses, she felt sloppy and very plain.
Berry didn’t want to think about the beautiful dress that Fruli would be wearing on Heart Day. Thinking of what Fruli would wear made her face scrunch up like she had eaten a sour lemon ball.
I’ll show her that Sugar Valley fairies know fashion and accessories too! Berry thought. She smoothed out the fabric and took out her scissors.
Her new dress was going to be the nicest one she’d ever made!
With thin caramel thread, Berry skillfully sewed up the dress. For extra sparkle, she added some of her new fruit chews around the collar. She stood back and admired the dress. A smile spread across her face.
“Straight from the runways of Meringue Island,” she said, pretending to be an announcer. “We are proud to carry the designs of Berry the Fruit Fairy!”
Berry slipped into the dress and spun around. Giggling, she felt so happy and glamorous. All her hard work had paid off.
Looking up at the sky, Berry noted the sun getting closer to the Frosted Mountains. Once the sun hit the top, Sun Dip would begin. At the end of the day her fairy friends gathered on the shores of Red Licorice Lake. They shared stories and snacked on candy. Usually, Berry was the last fairy to arrive.
Maybe today I’ll surprise them, she thought. I can be the first one there!
She checked herself in the mirror and then flew out over the valley to Red Licorice Lake.
As she flew over Sugar Valley, Berry wished she had candy hearts for Princess Lolli. If the candies were finished, she’d have all the time in the world to make accessories for her new outfit. Berry smiled to herself. After all, accessories were the key to fashion! Maybe she could add a shawl, or maybe even a cape? She had read all the fashion magazines and flipped through this season’s catalogs. She could come up with something fabulous!
Seeing the tall spirals of Candy Castle off in the distance made Berry’s heart sink. She realized she couldn’t go to Heart Day empty-handed! She desperately needed a heart-shaped candy for the fairy princess. She had spent her time making her dress. Now she’d have to scramble to make the heart cand
ies.
Just then something red caught her eye. Down by the shores of Chocolate River there was something red and shiny glistening in the sun. Curious, Berry flew down to check out what was there. As she got closer, she saw that there was a small vine growing in the brown sugar sand.
“How odd,” Berry said. Usually, there were some chocolate flowers growing there, but this vine looked different. She peered down closely at the plant. Berry couldn’t believe her eyes! On the vine were tiny red hearts!
“Licking lollipops!” she cried out.
She reached down and plucked one of the hearts off the tiny vine.
Berry couldn’t believe her luck. She was just wishing for candy hearts, and then they appeared!
These must be magic hearts, she thought.
Holding the heart in her hand, Berry examined the tiny candy. The rosy red color made her believe that these were cherry flavored. A bonus that cherry was one of Princess Lolli’s favorite flavors! Carefully, Berry picked the hearts off the vine and placed them in her basket. Now she had something for Heart Day—and had time to finish her outfit!
After her basket was full, Berry flew over to Red Licorice Lake. It was the perfect day for her to be early for Sun Dip. She had lots to share with her friends today. She had news of her latest dress design, and magic heart candies for Princess Lolli. Maybe today wasn’t so sour after all! Sweet wild cherry magic hearts just saved the day.
HELEN PERELMAN enjoys candy from all parts of Sugar Valley, but jelly beans, red licorice, and gummy fish are her favorites. She worked in a children’s bookstore and was a children’s book editor . . . but, sadly, she never worked in a candy store. She now writes full time in New York City, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. Visit her online at www.helenperelman.com.
Jacket designed by Karina Granda
Jacket illustration copyright © 2010 by Erica-Jane Waters
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First Aladdin hardcover edition January 2013
Text copyright © 2010 by Helen Perelman
Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Erica-Jane Waters
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Designed by Karina Granda
The text of this book was set in Berthold Baskerville Book.
Library of Congress Control Number 2009046522
ISBN 978-1-4424-5923-6 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4169-9457-2 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4424-0963-7 (eBook)
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