Primrose in Jewel Forest

by Poppy Collins

  Primrose gazed around at all her Jewel Forest friends working side by side and knew that she was about to cry. Just as the first tear rolled down her soft cheek, she felt a feathered wing against her shoulder. It was Little Hop.

  “Why are you so sad, Princess Primrose?” said the little robin, nuzzling her with his soft downy head. “Look around you! Look at how much you’ve managed to do for Fluff Tail. You’ve organized everyone and got them to work miracles! Thanks to you, Fluff Tail will have a new home by tonight.”

  “No, she won’t,” said Primrose sadly. “And it’s all my fault. I completely forgot that rabbits live underground and we don’t have any diggers! We’ve made beautiful furniture and a gorgeous garden. We even have a beautiful doorway, but it doesn’t lead anywhere.”

  Little Hop thought for a moment and then laughed to himself. “Well, if that’s all you’re worried about,” said the robin cheekily, “it’s an easy problem to fix.”

  “But how, Little Hop? I don’t understand what you mean,” said Primrose.

  “Well,” said the robin, hopping up and down with excitement, “there just happen to be two diggers sitting on their fluffy tails at the Dewdrop Diamond Inn thanks to you.”

  “Of course!” said Primrose, giving him a kiss on the beak. “Eloise and Silver. Who better to dig a home fit for a bunny rabbit. I’ll go and get them right away.”

  “No need,” said Glitter Beak, smiling and pointing at two excited bunnies hopping towards them.

  “Eloise! Silver!” called Primrose to the two rabbits hopping quickly towards her. “You’ve no idea how glad I am to see you.”

  “Hello, Princess Primrose,” said Silver, a small round rabbit with silvery soft fur. “We were so grateful to receive your message. Thank you. Our room at the inn is just lovely, but we couldn’t sit and enjoy it while all this work was going on and our poor cousin Fluff Tail was without a home.”

  “Indeed,” said Eloise, a well-spoken rabbit with darker, shinier fur than Silver. “How can we help?”

  “You came at just the right time,” said Primrose, smiling. She walked the two rabbits over to where the woodpeckers had just finished carving the entrance into the root of the ruby tree.

  “Goodness me!” said Eloise, admiring the wooden doors. “This is beautiful. How many bedrooms does it have?”

  “Well, that’s up to you,” said Primrose nervously, as she explained how desperately they needed someone to dig the rest of the home.

  Eloise and Silver looked at each other for a moment and then smiled.

  “It would be our pleasure, Primrose. Eloise is the best digger I know,” said Silver, patting Eloise on her soft back.

  “I’m not sure that I am the best digger,” said Eloise shyly, “but I will certainly try my hardest.”

  “Oh, thank you! Thank you!” said Princess Primrose.

  Eloise and Silver started at once, digging into the rich soil, while the forest fairies worked together, putting the finishing touches to Fluff Tail’s new home.

  The birds and woodpeckers had made a beautiful bed from rosewood that was just the right height for the little bunny to hop on to easily. They’d also built a table, four comfortable chairs and a gorgeous set of mugs made from acorn cups.

  Primrose’s sister, Nutmeg, gathered all the things she and the tree squirrels had rescued, and worked with Willa and Little Hop to repair what they could, including a shiny, silver-framed photograph of Princess Primrose with her arm around Fluff Tail.

  The items were carefully laid out on Fluff Tail’s brand-new table outside the beautifully carved entrance.

  “Just look at these lovely things,” said Primrose to Nutmeg. “I do hope Fluff Tail will be happy here. I hated seeing her so sad this morning.”

  “Primrose! Nutmeg! I’m really sorry!” a voice called from behind them.

  The fairy princess sisters spun round to see Conker the candy-tufted tree squirrel running towards them.

  “Conker, whatever is the matter?” said Primrose to the breathless squirrel. “Is something wrong with Fluff Tail?”

  “Not wrong, no,” gasped Conker. “It’s just that she’s on her way here. She wanted to go for a walk and got suspicious when I tried to stop her. I ran as fast as I could, but she won’t be far behind me. I really am sorry.”

  “Oh, Conker,” Primrose laughed, “don’t be sorry. Everything is very nearly ready!”

  She turned to the group of busy creatures. “Action stations, everyone!” she called. “Fluff Tail is on her way! Let’s see if we can get everything done before she arrives.”

  “Finished!” shouted Silver, hopping out of the tree and scampering over to Primrose. “Didn’t I tell you Eloise was the best digger?”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful,” said Primrose, clapping her hands. “Just in time! Let’s get everything inside, quick!”

  Eloise and Silver dusted off their soft fur and joined the rest of the fairies and forest creatures as they worked together to move Fluff Tail’s lovely things into her new home.

  Primrose and Conker waited outside the carved doorway keeping a lookout for Fluff Tail, and it wasn’t long until they saw her floppy ears as she bounced towards them.

  “Primrose, is that you?” called Fluff Tail, hopping closer. “What are you doing out in the forest? Ah, there you are, Conker! You scurried off so fast I couldn’t keep up with you. What a beautiful ruby tree!”

  “Hello, Fluff Tail,” said Primrose, grinning. “It is a beautiful tree, isn’t it? I’m so glad you like it.”

  “Like it? What do you mean?” asked Fluff Tail, confused.

  “Well…” said Primrose, signalling to her friends to come out.

  “Surprise!” everyone yelled as they poured out of the beautiful entrance the woodpeckers had carved into the ruby tree.

  “W–what?” stuttered Fluff Tail. “I don’t understand. Why is everyone here?”

  “We’re all here for you, Fluff Tail,” said Primrose, hugging her puzzled friend. “Everyone is here to welcome you to your new home. Welcome to Ruby Lodge!”

  It was then that Eloise and Silver hopped out of the little house and over to their startled cousin.

  “Fluff Tail!” cried Eloise, wrapping Fluff Tail in her dark silver-grey paws. “Just wait and see what we’ve done inside!”

  “Princess Primrose,” said Fluff Tail, smiling, “I thought I asked you to send a fairy-mail to tell my cousins not to come.”

  “Ah well…” said Primrose. “I know you did, but I just thought…”

  All the fairies and forest creatures who were gathered outside laughed. It was just like Primrose to do everything she could to help a friend.

  “Thank you!” said Fluff Tail, reaching out a paw to Primrose and giving her tiny hand a little squeeze. “Thank you, Primrose, for everything. It’s beautiful.”

  And with that Primrose followed Fluff Tail and her two very excited cousins into Ruby Lodge.

  It really was beautiful! Eloise and Silver had dug a nice long entranceway that split off into two large rooms. The room on the left was the kitchen, with the table and chairs the woodpeckers had made. The room to the right was Fluff Tail’s bedroom, with its lovely new bed. Fluff Tail hopped over to the little table next to the bed and, with her fluffy paw, touched the shiny silver frame that was perched on top of it. It was the picture of her with Primrose.

  “You even saved my pictures,” said Fluff Tail, letting out a little sniff.

  She looked around at all her precious things in her brand-new home and smiled. “I so loved Sapphire Lodge, but I know I’m going to love Ruby Lodge even more. Just knowing that you all put so much care into building it makes it a very special place indeed.”

  “There’s just one problem,” said Silver, glancing around Fluff Tail’s comfortable bedroom. “There’s only one bed. It’s a very beautiful bed, but it
won’t fit all three of us rabbits in it. I suppose we’ll have to stay at the Dewdrop Diamond Inn after all.”

  “No need,” said Primrose, beaming. “I have one more surprise for you, Fluff Tail!”

  Primrose flew out of the burrow, and returned with Moonbeam the jewel moth, who was carrying an enormous bundle of the most beautiful softly shimmering silk any of them had ever seen.

  “Princess Primrose told me that there might be a couple of bunnies in need of some hammocks,” said the moth, placing his gorgeous bundle on to Fluff Tail’s bed.

  “Wow!” said Fluff Tail. “These are really beautiful, Moonbeam. Primrose, however did you manage to organize everyone? I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you all.”

  “No need to repay us, Fluff Tail,” said Nutmeg, grinning. “Everyone was glad to help, but I’m sure we wouldn’t mind a few moonbutter cakes from Blossom’s.”

  “The cakes!” said Fluff Tail. “Oh no! I completely forgot that Blossom was going to deliver them. She won’t be able to find me now.”

  “Hello!” called a fairy from just inside the doorway. “Hello, is anybody there? I’m not sure if this is the right address. Is this Fluff Tail’s new house?”

  “Blossom!” cried Fluff Tail. “How did you manage to find me?”

  “Easy!” smiled Blossom. “When I saw what happened at Sapphire Lodge, I called in at the post office. They told me that this was your new home and that everyone would be here.”

  Blossom placed the enormous pink box she was carrying on Fluff Tail’s new kitchen table. “I hope you don’t mind… I didn’t think there would be enough, so I popped in a few extra cupcakes,” she added with a wink.

  “In that case,” said Fluff Tail, hopping with excitement, “let’s have a house-warming party! Everyone help yourself to a moonbutter cake and I’ll make a few pots of tea. I can’t wait to try out my new cups and plates.”

  It was a little crowded in Ruby Lodge that night, and everyone was very tired, but all the forest fairies and creatures agreed that it had been a lovely party and that Ruby Lodge was a very special place to live indeed.

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  Blossom was pulling the latest tray of diamond-glitter brownies out of the bakery oven when she heard the door open and a little voice call out.

  “Hi, Blossom, are you there?”

  Blossom popped up her head from behind the counter and saw Pip standing in the doorway, waving and smiling. Her tiny forest fairy friend wore a gorgeous fern grass dress with matching dangly earrings. Blossom looked down at herself. She had icing sugar all over her tights, dandelion flour covered her apron, and she was certain she had cake mixture stuck in her unruly blonde hair!

  “Oh, hello, Pip. I’m sorry I look such a mess! It’s all been a bit crazy getting ready for the Jewel Forest fête tomorrow.”

  Everyone loved the annual fête. Fairies came from all over fairyland to join in the fun and games – and to sample Blossom’s famous cakes!

  “I thought it might be, so I wanted to pop in and see how you were doing,” said Pip. “You mustn’t work too hard, you know.”

  “But the cake sale is the highlight of the fête!” Blossom took a tray of unbaked muffins from the counter and slid them into the steaming hot oven. She threw in some more fairy-dust to keep up the temperature. “All the cakes have to be perfect!”

  Pip looked around the bakery. Every single surface was covered. There were open bags of flour and sugar, cake stands in beautiful pastel colours, biscuits cooling, fairy buns with their icing setting, and bowls of mixture waiting to be put into moulds. She wondered whether Blossom would get everything done in time, but she didn’t want to ask and risk hurting her friend’s feelings. Blossom was the best baker in the forest, after all.

  “While the muffins are baking, let me show you some of my cake designs,” Blossom suggested, fluttering around the counter and heading towards the walnut table where customers usually sat. Today that would have been impossible, as it was covered in cake boxes – some already made, some still flat and waiting to be put together.

  Pip moved a pile of unmade cake boxes from a chair and placed them carefully on the floor while Blossom grabbed a large daisy-paper scrapbook from the window sill.

  “I’ve been working on the recipe for the moonbutter cakes for weeks,” said Blossom, pointing to a pencil drawing of cupcakes with butter icing in the shape of crescent moons.

  “Oh, they look delicious!” Pip peered at the scrapbook. Blossom’s drawings were so detailed she could almost taste them!

  Blossom turned a page. “And this is how I’ve designed the diamond-glitter brownies. When they’re put on to their cake stand, they’ll look like a sparkling tree trunk!”

  “What a great idea – and perfect for a forest fête,” agreed Pip.

  “Thanks, Pip,” said Blossom, grinning. “And let me show you what I’m planning for the highlight of my stall…” Blossom flicked through the pages with her dough-covered fingers. “Here it is – the double-layer sunshine cake!”

  A huge two-layer cake had been drawn on the page, with shimmering rays bursting out of the top. “It will be iced with edible jewels straight from the Jewel Tree, which will shoot rays of sunshine from the cake as you eat it. It’s going to be very special – I hope so, anyway.” The Jewel Tree was the first tree ever to grow in the forest and the source of all the forest fairy magic. Blossom closed the scrapbook and jumped up. “I must check on the muffins!”

  She whizzed behind the bakery counter and opened the oven. Mouth-watering smells flooded out – chocolatey-sugar sweetness. Pip breathed in deeply. “Mmmmm, yum!”

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  First published in the UK by Scholastic Ltd, 2014

  This electronic edition published by Scholastic Ltd, 2014

  Text copyright © Scholastic Ltd, 2014

  Cover copyright © Pixie Potts, Beehive Illustration Agency, 2014

  Inside illustration copyright © David Shephard, The Bright Agency, 2014

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  eISBN 978 1407 14604 1

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  Poppy Collins, Primrose in Jewel Forest