by Lily Small
Hailey peeped around the tree trunk nervously, wondering who it could be.
Boris, one of the Bark Badgers, was hunched on the frosty ground. He was frowning at his paw.
“What’s wrong, Boris?” Hailey asked. The Bark Badgers carved beautiful patterns into tree trunks with their strong claws. They were usually very kind and helpful. Hailey had never seen one looking so grumpy before.
“I’m supposed to be carving wintry patterns into the bark of the trees around here,” Boris replied. “I wanted everything to be perfect for the parade, so I flew up onto a branch to reach farther up the trunk. But the branch was slippery with frost and I fell down.” He held up his paw and Hailey saw that it was sore and swollen. “Now my paw’s so painful that I can’t do my job,” he sighed.
“Poor you,” Hailey said. She wondered what she could do to help him.
“I should have been more careful!” Boris said glumly. “Now when the parade comes past here, the fairy animals won’t be thinking happy, Christmassy thoughts. They’ll be thinking, look at those plain old trees!”
Suddenly, they heard some loud barking and looked around, startled. A group of Pollen Puppies came scampering along, their ears flopping and their tongues hanging out with excitement. “Hey! Aren’t you coming to the Christmas Parade?” the puppies woofed, wagging their tails and scattering specks of golden pollen all around.
“Is it time?” Hailey asked them anxiously.
“Nearly,” one of the puppies woofed. “And we don’t want to be late!”
“Neither do I!” Hailey gulped as the playful pups went bounding away. Her mind started whirring. She couldn’t leave poor Boris looking so unhappy. Maybe she could help him and make it back home in time for the start of the parade.…
“Let me help,” Hailey said. “My spines are nearly as sharp as a badger’s claws. If you tell me what to do, perhaps I can carve the tree trunks for you.”
Boris’s face broke into a cheery smile. “That would be wonderful!” he exclaimed.
Hailey flew up and pressed her prickles against the first tree. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said. “Tell me what to do.”
“Go up a bit,” called Boris.
Hailey fluttered upward. She felt her spines cutting through the tree’s bark. “I think it’s working!” she cried excitedly.
“Now right a bit,” Boris said, beaming.
Hailey flew right.
“Left, then down,” called Boris.
Hailey followed all of Boris’s instructions.
“That’s it,” he said at last. “The first tree’s finished. Let’s see if it worked.”
Hailey turned to look at the tree trunk. “Oh!” she gasped. “How pretty!” Her spines had carved a pattern of beautiful lacy snowflakes cascading from the sky.
“Next tree!” declared Boris. “Quick!”
Hailey worked at top speed, and soon she’d carved snowflake patterns into all of Boris’s trees. “I’d better go home now,” she said as she turned to admire the last carved trunk.
“Hold on, there’s just one more thing to do,” said Boris, holding up a piece of smooth bark that had been gnawed into a diamond shape. Hurriedly, Hailey pressed her spines against it and moved in the directions Boris told her.
“There,” he said. “All done.” He held up the bark to show Hailey and she saw that she’d carved a beautiful star.
“Lovely!” she exclaimed.
“It’s for you,” Boris said. “To thank you for all your help.” He hung it right in the middle of her glowing leaf garland.
“Thank you!” cried Hailey. “And now I must fly! Bye, Boris.”
She made up her mind to go straight home. “If I stop and pick up any more leaves, I won’t have time to get ready for the parade,” she said to herself.
Her red-and-silver wings fluttered furiously as she sped along. She raced past a tree hung with balls of white-berried mistletoe. It reminded her of the decorations her mom was making, and she flapped her wings harder.
Just as she was approaching Dandelion Dell, she spotted some leaves scattered messily on the ground beneath a large oak tree.
“Oh, dear!” Hailey squeaked. The parade would be coming this way, and everyone would see them. I’ll pick them up quickly, she thought, then I’ll rush straight home. I should still be on time.
Hurriedly, she flew down, then curled up tight and began to roll this way and that, gathering the leaves. As soon as she started doing her job she stopped worrying about being late and started singing her wintry song again:
I love winter when the wild wind blows,
Scattering the leaves all around, all around,
Even though it chills my nose and toes,
When I roll on the frosty ground.
“How can you sing at a time like this?” a voice called from a branch in the tree high above her.
Hailey stopped singing and uncurled quickly. “A time like what?” she replied, fluttering upward.
“A time as terrible and horrible and awful as this!” the voice wailed.
CHAPTER FIVE
Acorn Disaster!
Hailey flew closer. A beautiful silver Stardust Squirrel with cute tufty ears was crouched miserably on a branch, a broken basket beside her.
“Are you all right?” Hailey asked anxiously.
“No,” huffed the squirrel. “I am actually all wrong!”
“Oh, dear.” Hailey scratched her head with a tiny pink paw. “What’s the matter?”
The squirrel sighed and twitched her bushy tail, sending a puff of glittery stardust into the air. “Are you sure you want to know?” she said, looking at Hailey and tilting her head to one side.
Hailey nodded.
“It’s a very sad story. It’s so sad it might even make you cry.”
“Oh, er, that’s all right,” said Hailey bravely.
“Okay then.” The squirrel clasped her front paws together. “Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful Stardust Squirrel called Sabrina—that’s me,” she added.
Hailey nodded and smiled.
“And one day—today, actually—Sabrina’s mommy sent her out to fetch some acorns to decorate the delicious cake that she’s making for the Christmas Parade. So Sabrina did as she was told, because as well as being beautiful she’s a very good little Stardust Squirrel. She filled her basket right to the brim. But then disaster struck!” Sabrina stared at her basket sadly. “Her basket broke and the acorns went all over the ground.” Sabrina looked at Hailey. “Isn’t that just the saddest story you’ve ever heard?”
Hailey nodded solemnly. “Yes, it is a very sad story,” she said. “But maybe I can help you give it a happy ending.”
Sabrina’s eyes lit up. “How?”
Hailey fluttered over and examined the basket. It was woven from stems of dried grass, but some of them had broken and there was a hole in the bottom.
“Let’s try putting some leaves over the hole,” suggested Hailey. “That might do the trick.” She shook some leaves from her prickles, then carefully pressed a few on the bottom of the basket.
“Ooh, that looks a lot better,” Sabrina said, twitching her tail excitedly. “You can’t see the hole at all now.”
Hailey and Sabrina flew down to the ground. There were acorns scattered all over the grass, and they scampered around, picking them up and dropping them into the basket.
“Here goes,” she said, lifting it.
For a moment it looked as though the repair was strong enough, but then the acorns and leaves fell through the hole and rolled across the grass again.
“Oh no!” Sabrina groaned. “Now my story is going to have an even sadder ending than it did before!”
“Don’t worry, I know how we can definitely make it happy,” Hailey said.
Sabrina frowned at her. “How?”
“I’ll collect them with my prickles. I’m sure they’ll pick up acorns just as well as they pick up leaves from the ground.”
Sabrina looked doubtful.
“There’s an awful lot of them.”
“Well, I’ve got an awful lot of prickles!” Hailey giggled. She curled into a ball and began to roll. Soon all the acorns were stuck to her prickles, along with the rest of the fallen leaves.
“Come on, let’s get these to your mom,” Hailey said. “We’ll have to hurry. The parade will be starting soon, and we mustn’t miss it.”
“Thank you!” Sabrina cried. “Now my story will have a very happy ending indeed!”
They flew at top speed through the trees, dodging between the branches. “There!” said Sabrina at last as a large nest came into view. It was made of sticks, dried grass, and leaves, and it was wedged into the fork where two branches joined the trunk of a tall beech tree. They landed on a large branch.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll just put the acorns here,” said Hailey. “I’ve got to go home to get ready.”
“That will be great,” Sabrina replied. “I can easily roll them into our nest from here.”
Hailey shook her prickles. A few of the acorns came tumbling off, but most of them stayed put.
“Hang on, I’ll get them off,” said Sabrina. Grabbing an acorn, she pulled with all her might. “I’m not hurting you, am I, Hailey?”
Hailey could feel the tug on her spines but it wasn’t sore. “No, it’s okay, pull as hard as you can!”
Sabrina pulled and pulled and then, finally … pop!… the acorn came away from Hailey’s spine.
“Hurray,” cheered Hailey and Sabrina together.
“Now I know I’m strong enough to get them off,” said Sabrina proudly. “I’ll be as quick as I can, so you’re not late for the parade.” One by one, Sabrina yanked the acorns from Hailey’s spines. “That’s all of them!” she panted at last. “And a good thing, too. I’m puffed out!”
“Phew!” Hailey sighed with relief. “Now I must fly home as fast as my wings can take me!”
“Just a minute,” Sabrina said as Hailey was about to flutter into the air. Sabrina flew above Hailey and flicked her tail. Twinkling silver stardust showered down on Hailey. “That’s to say thank you for helping me,” Sabrina said with a smile.
“Wow!” Hailey gasped, twisting her head to look at her spines. They were twinkling like stars. “Thanks, Sabrina. That looks amazing!” Hailey flew up into the air. “See you at the parade,” she called as she sped off through the trees. “If I get there in time…” she whispered to herself.
CHAPTER SIX
An Unexpected Guest
Hailey flew faster than she’d ever flown before. Misty Wood raced by in a blur, but at last she saw Hawthorn Hedgerows.
Zooming toward the ground, she saw all the Hedgerow Hedgehogs outside her burrow. They were dressed in beautiful garlands made of berries, acorns, and golden leaves, ready for the Christmas Parade.
Hailey’s mom and dad were among them, decked out in bright holly berries and mistletoe. They were looking around the crowd anxiously. Their eyes lit up in relief when they saw Hailey swishing through the air toward them.
“Where have you been?’ Hailey’s mom asked as she landed.
“Sorry,” Hailey panted. “I had to help some friends and it made me late. Do I still have time to get dressed up for the parade?”
Suddenly, Hailey noticed that everyone was staring at her, their mouths gaping in astonishment. She began to feel a tiny bit worried.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. She wondered if there was still an acorn or two stuck on her prickles.
“Nothing’s wrong,” her dad replied. “You look…”
“Wonderful!” her mom finished for him.
“Yes, you do,” the other hedgehogs agreed, crowding around to see her better.
Hailey’s neighbors Henry and Hilda scurried into their burrow and came back carrying an upturned mushroom cap filled with water that they used as a mirror. “Here,” they said, setting it down in front of Hailey. “Take a look at yourself.”
Hailey peered at her reflection. “Oh!” she gasped. Looking back at her was a hedgehog whose fur and prickles twinkled with silver stardust. Around her neck she wore a beautiful leafy garland that shone with pearly moonlight. A diamond-shaped piece of bark carved with a five-pointed star hung from it. Hailey stared and stared. She could hardly believe that the reflection was hers.
“That’s the best Christmas costume I’ve ever seen!” Hailey’s mom said, giving her a hug.
“We must go!” her dad cried. “We don’t want the parade to start without us.”
The hedgehogs took off, their wings glinting in the wintry sunshine. They flew fast, and soon they spotted Honeydew Meadow below them. A huge crowd of fairy animals was gathering there.
“Hurray!” cried Hailey. “We’re not too late after all!”
Hailey, her mom and dad, and all their hedgehog friends fluttered to the ground and landed gently.
The Moss Mouse band was ready and waiting. Each mouse wore a lacy hat nibbled from a scarlet rosehip and, on their tails, a bow made from braided grass. They held their reed pipes and walnut shell drums ready to play. One tiny mouse started beating his drum eagerly as soon as he saw Hailey.
“Not yet, Morris,” his mom whispered. “I’ll tell you when to play.”
“Hello, Moss Mice!” Hailey cried. “You all look so nice!” She could hardly wait for the music to begin.
Hailey’s friend Bella the Bunny came hopping over. She was wearing a garland of white snowdrops around each long velvety ear and one around her neck. “Wow, you look fantastic, Hailey!” she cried.
“So do you,” said Hailey. She skipped around in a circle, too excited to keep still for even a moment.
Hailey heard some wings flapping above her head. She looked up eagerly and saw the Stardust Squirrels fluttering down. They were wearing garlands of polished nutshells and their fur shimmered with silver starlight. Hailey saw Sabrina and waved.
“Mom’s Christmas cake looks lovely—thanks to you,” Sabrina called out to her.
Hailey grinned and puffed out her spikes proudly.
Next, the Cobweb Kittens arrived, their wings gleaming.
“Look at their costumes!” gasped Bella. The kittens wore garlands woven from glistening cobwebs and hung with bright, glimmering dewdrops.
“Everyone looks wonderful,” Hailey said happily. “I’m so glad I got here in time.”
Then the cheeky Pollen Puppies came scampering over, wagging their tails in excitement. “Whoo-hoo for the Christmas Parade!” they barked in chorus. “Whoo-hoo-woofy-whoo!”
Next, the Bark Badgers came marching past in a line, their silver wings neatly folded. Their black-and-white fur gleamed in the winter sunshine, and they wore garlands made from beautifully carved bark shapes.
“And … halt!” cried the badger leader. They all stopped marching, and Hailey noticed Boris right at the back.
“Hi, Boris! How’s your paw?” she called.
“Not too bad,” he replied. “It won’t stop me from being in the parade!”
Then the Holly Hamsters arrived. Their golden fur shone brightly, and around their necks they wore garlands of crimson holly berries.
Hugo came trotting over, grinning from ear to ear. “Just wait till everyone sees my holly bush,” he whispered. “I bet they’ve never seen anything like it.” His dark eyes widened suddenly. “Gosh,” he said, stepping back and gazing at Hailey in astonishment. “You look beautiful, Hailey.”
Hailey smiled. “Thanks, Hugo.”
Finally, the Moonbeam Moles appeared. They looked sleepy, but very happy to be there. Garlands of moonbeams hung around their necks, glowing like strings of pearls. Hailey looked over at Maisie and waved her paw. Maisie waved back with a snoozy smile.
Suddenly, the crowd fell silent. Hailey heard a gentle rustle from somewhere behind her. Turning, she saw an enormous bird flying toward Honeydew Meadow from the Heart of Misty Wood. The bird had huge feathery wings that glinted gold in the sunshine. Her brown eyes were big and round and her beak was scarlet.
“Who’s that?” asked Hugo and Bella together, looking up in wonder.
Hailey felt a great thrill of excitement and her heart began to thump. “I think … I think … it’s the Wise Wishing Owl!” she gasped.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Leader of the Parade
The Wise Wishing Owl was so beautiful that Hailey could do nothing but stare as she glided down into the meadow and folded her vast wings. There was silence as the fairy animals waited for her to speak.
A smile spread slowly across the owl’s face. “Is everybody ready for the Christmas Parade?” she called at last. Her voice tinkled like a waterfall splashing over rocks.
“Yes!” cried all the fairy animals together. They looked at one another in delight. The Wise Wishing Owl, the oldest and most magical creature in Misty Wood, was hardly ever seen. This was a very special day indeed.
“Would you like to lead the parade, Your Wishingness?” asked one of the Bark Badgers.
The owl shook her feathery head. “Oh, no,” she said. “One of you should take the lead. I have heard much of the Christmas Parade, and so I have come here to watch.”
“Then will you do us the honor of choosing the leader for us?” asked the Bark Badger.
“Very well.” The Wise Wishing Owl looked around at all the fairy animals, her snowy-white head turning slowly from side to side.
A shiver of delight ran through Hailey as the owl’s gaze fell upon her. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she would have the chance to look into the deep brown eyes of the wonderful Wise Wishing Owl.
The owl furrowed her feathery brow. “It is not an easy choice,” she said at last. “You all look very fine in your leaves and berries, your starshine and nutshells. But…” She stretched out a huge wing toward Hailey. “This little Hedgerow Hedgehog looks finer than anything I have ever seen. Will you lead the parade, my dear?”
Hailey gulped. She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out.
