Winks.....
It Was just Another Autumn Afternoon, Dear Readers, and up on the Cloud Palace, floating high up in the Clouds where the passing of Time hardly mattered at all Everybeary was enjoying their favorite peaceful activity. The sky was nearly always sunny up there, and because they were always floating along with the winds, nobeary could tell you what Time it was... except possibly when it was "Time for snacks".... or "Time for bed".... that was always obvious too... because who was counting? Who keeps track of Time on drifting Clouds? And how many lovely fragments of moments are there in a second...? Does anyone know? So Like their Fairy Folk cousins, The Fairy Bears were content to drift along and let the passing moments stretch out into their long strings of "was-ness" without wondering where they were going at all. Sweet Pea and Brother Beorn were up in the Guard-en Tower looking over the small collection of magical plants and discussing the possible plans to develop the Guarden better... and this could take as many fragments of seconds as anybeary wanted to give it!
They were wondering about the habitat needed for
the Fluffy Cloud Plant that had arrived
with Sweet Pea a long time ago....
And not far away at all, Sir Orion Blackthorne the Skywalker
and Hamish Harry 'Hotcakes' McCloud
were "discussing" the various merits of
the Cloudcycle belonging To Hamish,
versus Wild Ponies, which Sir Orion was partial to....
And a little way above in the Lookout Tower,
Blue was taking some Time to read in the Library....
It seemed she could lose herself in Story books
for hours at a time....
And just a little ways above her, Lady Lavender
was hanging out some washing to dry...
She swore it wasn't the lavender that
made it smell so good... just the fresh air...!
And suddenly she thought she heard something
faintly on the wind.......
she perked her ears....
Was that a cry for "help"....?
And Blue was suddenly pulled from her storybook....
had she heard a cry for "help"...?
Sir Orion and Hamish Harry also heard something....
"Did you hear that ...?... said Sir Orion...
And Brother Beorn and Sweet Pea both looked up
and said "that sounds like a cry for 'Help'!"
In No Time at all, the entire gang of Fairy Bears
had gathered in the Cloud Palace Parlor.
"It sounds to me as though we will be needed..."
said Blue, the Blue Fairy Beary to the others.
"It sounded like echoes...." said Lady Lavender...
"or more than one cry..." she added.
"I have a feeling we will All be needed this day" said Blue.
"We need to get to the Castle as soon as possible!"
she added before she flew off.
The others didn't even wait a wink before they followed her!
And you might recall that we left Tommy outside
the dark and brooding Castle as he realized
he didn't want to go any further.
But as he turned Prince to head home,
something spooked the pony.
He shied, and Tommy was tossed from his back
as Prince ran off into the gathering mists.
"Oh... Help....!" cried Tommy as he fell off his pony.
But he hit his head hard enough to lose consciousness
as he landed there on the ground.
And you might recall that Little Dreamer Amy
had found the trapdoor in the little Monks Cell in the Chapel.
She was afraid that Beth had gone down there.....
she could see a sliver of light and feel
the sea breeze coming up the stairs.
She bravely ventured down those dark stone steps
toward the door, but when she pushed the door open further
she heard the trapdoor slam shut above!
She stepped through the door out onto the cliffs
and realized with a shock how close to the edge she was!
It was Right There... not ten feet away....
the slightest wind could blow her off....
she froze, panic rising in the throat....
OH....! Help....! She squeaked....
she couldn't imagine what she should do!
So she stood very still right where she was.
And you might recall that Little Dreamer Beth
had found herself inside the Little Fairy-Tale
Wonderland Shop out on the Distant Briar Moors...
talking to a pie-drunk Fairy and wishing she could
show it to Amy, the Shop, that is, not the Fairy!
.... only to realize she was not sure where Amy might be...
or how she could possibly get out of the Shop!
"Oh, Help....!" murmured Beth as her eyes lit upon
the Tiniest Wizard she had ever seen.
"Say... can't you get us out of here...?" she asked him.
"I am afraid that at this size I can only
make Little magic...." he replied sagely.
And lest we forget Beatrice, Dear Readers,
as she headed to the Castle to find her errant brother Tommy,
you might not have noticed but she was followed
by her protective Littlest Fairy.
He is devilishly difficult to spot....
he his hovering just behind the point of her hood...
amongst the leaves and his wings are glinting red....
see him there...? Well, no matter if you can't,
he follows her everywhere she goes,
and it is a good thing he does.
Because when she arrived at the Castle and saw no sign of Tommy,
she went in through the stables and came to the kitchen
as she often did, hoping Tommy would be there ahead of her.
She found the Ancient Castle people instead...
although they didn't seem to be able to see her...
except for the Old Hag in the corner...
"Old Meg" was here name....
who beckoned her closer...
So she crept closer.
"Do not be afraid, my child..." said Old Meg as gently as she could...
"these folks cannot see you because you are not of their Time"
she added. "You have strayed far into the past
and help will be needed to get you home..."
Beatrice said nothing.
She had seen Old Meg before and was sure she would help...
but she wasn't sure about all that Time stuff...
she was here now wasn't she?
But her Littlest Fairy Friend let out a desperate little squeak....
"Oh Heeeelllp....!"
And lest you think their cries were in vain, Dear Readers,
It did not take the Fairy Bears long to reach the Castle....
The Fairy Bears themselves were a little alarmed
at how murky the mist around the Castle was.....
But as they came closer to the Castle it thinned a little.....
They landed atop the tower and passed quickly down to the Kitchen....
where they were greeted by Old Meg.
"We came as fast as we could" said Blue, The Blue Fairy Beary.
"We understand you might need a Little help
with the missing children..." she added.
"The Wizard, too, is missing..." said Old Meg.
"I am afraid he fell under a Little Spell and has wandered too far to see..."
she trailed off... gazing into the distance.
That's when the Littlest Fairy piped up...
"I know where he is... or he was... !" he said.
"My cousins took him for the Wonderland Shop...
just for a lark, you see.... or not...." he added self-consciously,
realizing that Old Meg had said she couldn't see
that "Far" into Time.
"They 'Winked" him and now he is stuck out there
in that iity-bitty little place...." he added giggling...
"Oh help....." he added...
"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone...."
Nobeary said anything for a minute.... or two.
Then Sweet Pea spoke up....
"I know right where that Little Fairytale
Wonderland Shop can be found..." she said quietly.
"I've passed it on my rambles often enough...
I could go there and get the Wizard out...
I have a basket I can use to carry him..." she added.
Then Brother Beorn spoke up...
"I can go too and bring back the Little Dreamer Beth..." he said.
"I think I saw her wander that way!"
"And I will find the Little Dreamer Amy..." said Hamish Harry, blushing...
"I thought I heard her cry from near the shore.... " he added.
And just like that they were off.
Hamish Harry did not have far to go.
He circled the Castle... searching through the foggy mists...
until he spotted the lonely Little Dreamer.
"I have come to give you "Help"..." said Hamish Harry,
not wanting to frighten her further.
But Amy was familiar with Fairy Bears,
so she gladly climbed upon his back and let him fly her to safety!
In no time at all he was setting her down
in the Lord's Council Chamber.
"I think we must wait here until the Wizard has returned" he said.
Meanwhile, the Kitchen was still full of
Fairy Bears awaiting their tasks.
Sir Orion Spoke up next.
"I can help this Little one find her way safely home..." he said.
"It is her brother Tommy who needs to be found", said Blue thoughtfully...
"I fear he has strayed to a distant era....
closer to the present than he knows..." she added.
"I will go find him and bring him to his time...." said Sir Orion,
"then Beatrice will not go further astray in seeking him...!" he added.
And off he flew!
When Sir Orion found Tommy he realized that
Tommy had "knocked himself" back to his own Time
so all they had to do was wait.
"Your sister is looking for you..." said Sir Orion.
"She' s always doing that...." said Tommy irritably.
"You will need to wait here for her to come...
she became a little lost herself in seeking you!" he added.
Meanwhile, back in the Kitchen, Blue the Blue Fairy Beary
turns to Beatrice and asks her what she truly wants.
"I can only help those who truly wish for it..." said Blue.
"You must tell me what you are wishing for
before I can help you ..." she added gently.
Beatrice just looked at here and said "I want to find Tommy...!"
and in that instant a wishing star appeared in her hand.
And just like that ...
in the Wink of an eye...
Beatrice was gone!
But Blue the Blue Fairy Beary was fairly certain
those two Little Wanderers were going to need
more help getting home tonight.
So she followed them out to the Castle grounds.
It was a long walk for two tired children
and the Dark was growing...
"We'd best fly them home..." she said to Sir Orion....
and so they did.
And back in the Kitchen...
Old Meg had risen from her corner
and stepped up to the fire....
"The Wizard will need a Little Potion..." said Old Meg to Lady Lavender.
"If you are willing, " she said,
"I will mix this now and you can take it to him..."
"Oh!" said Lady Lavender... "I would be so honored
to be able to help in any way...." she added,
hardly able to believe she was being given such an important task!
"Bring your wand to me...." said Old Meg, gently...
sensing how shy Lady Lavender was.
"I will sprinkle this growing potion on it...
so you will be able to sprinkle some onto the Wizard when he appears.
Be careful not to sprinkle too much....
we do not want to create a monster...!" she warned.
"You will find them shortly in the Lord's Council Chamber..." she added.
And last but not least, Dear Readers, Did Brother Beorn and Sweet Pea
find that Little Fairy Tale Wonderland Shop on the Distant Briar Moors...?
Yes, they did!
It was right where they thought it would be!
They could see the Little Dreamer
through the window as they approached.
Brother Beorn went in first.
And Sweet Pea followed right behind him.
Little Dreamer Beth turned when she heard them...
not entirely surprised to see a couple of Fairy Bears.
It was a Fairy Tale Shop, after all!
"We have come to help you..." said the Big White Bear....
he reminded her faintly of Someone....
but she couldn't remember who that was.
"If you would like ..." he said quietly
"I could carry you to the Castle where
your sister is waiting for you." he added.
Little Dreamer Beth simply nodded....
she felt slightly mystified... and couldn't find her words...
so she climbed onto his back... and off they went....!
Flying over the Briar Moors towards the Castle!
Then Sweet Pea looked over at the Tiny Wizard
in the corner of the Shop and explained why she was there...
"If you don't mind, Sir Wizard..." she said politely...
"I am supposed to 'collect' you and bring you
back to the Castle...."she said hesitantly.
"Old Meg said I was to do so..." she added just to clarify.
"Ah...." said the Tiny Wizard...
"I can be 'collected' now can I..." he added sardonically...
"I suppose it is better than being 'hunted' or 'trapped'...
or 'Winked'...!" he added fatalistically.
"Do what you must!" he said
almost resigned to this humiliation.
So Sweet Pea reached into the work area
and grabbed the Wizard... base and all
and loaded him-it into her basket.
Then Sweet Pea took a moment to glance around that
amazing Fairy Tale Wonderland Shop...
my what a place this was she thought!
Then her eyes landed on the Tree House stump...
right there in front.... Oooohh... she thought...
isn't that just what she was wishing for.....?
A house tucked into a Tree Stump...
she was almost certain she had mentioned it
to the Daydreamer once.....
well.... it would have to wait....
she had a Mission to accomplish first...
And in almost no Time at all,
she too was returning to the Castle...!
When they arrived Sweet Pea set the Tiny Wizard on the floor...
and Lady Lavender stepped forward...
And carefully sprinkled a few drops
of the Growing Potion onto the Wizard....
Then she quickly stepped back....
and.....
Suddenly there stood the Wizard....!
And in even less than a Wink....
the Fairy Bears all Disappeared...!
As if they had never been there at all!
Well, I don't know about you, Dear Readers,
but I am wondering What Time it is....
Is it Time for the Party to begin.... ?
Or has it already begun....?
The Lovely Old Dollhouse Folks
had been ready to go for a while...
but Helen had lost track of Time...
she wasn't ready yet.
So they headed to the Castle anyway...
there was no reason to wait longer...
Charles would bring Helen when she was ready...!
In the Castle Great Hall everyone's favorite band
'The Deadly Nightshades" were up in the Gallery....
already deep into their Annual Repertoire....
The Witches were guarding the Portals...
Woe to any who trespassed there tonight...!
The King of Darkness is "Standing In"
for the Usual Host who is "Running a bit Late..."
but the Hall is filling with all the usual guests....
All the Little Princesses are gathered around
the Gypsy Fortune Teller's table
wondering what their futures will hold....
Victor and Joanna come to take a look
at Pollyanna's miniature arrangement....
they are impressed at the tiny ladies...
they are so well dressed!
Sally May is charmed....
"I don't know how you do it..." she says enviously...
"my sewing skills are all thumbs....!" she declares.
"Yes, but your cooking skills are so much better than mine..."
said Pollyanna, laughing. "Probably a more useful skill!"
Helen and Charles have arrived at last....
(No, they are not late just because everyone else came early...!)
and Helen is looking the "Belle of the Ball" tonight
in a gown that seems made just for her...
though she claims it wasn't!
And Nobody seemed to notice the moment When Kendall arrived...
but he was suddenly just there...!
And high up in the Little Gallery...
a pair of Watchful Fairy Bears are keeping a good look-out
for any stray or missing minutes... or moments....
that need to be set straight again....!
And depending on where you are or when you are, Dear Readers,
you might want to watch out for that extra hour
that might come waltzing by....
Because it is that Time of year
when Time Winks....!
Happy All Hallows Eve!
(And I do hope you can stay for the Party...!)
