It Is Time At Last.....

A Fairy's Tale Resolution.....

The Tiny Fairy was Determined to help Beatrice, Dear Readers, but Just what could he do? Well, he did what any sensible Tiny Being might do... he flew from House to House crying "Help!" in his tiny voice! At the Folly, there was no-one home because Will was at the Castle Halloween Party. The dog heard him, but did not offer to help, so the Tiny Fairy flew on!

"Help" he called as he flew past the Tree House 

that stood close beside the Folly.

But Samuel Whiskers had no intention of helping!

He had enough trouble trying to keep the children out of his House!

So the Tiny Fairy flew on....

Past the dark and deserted Conservatory....

Past Rose Thorne Cottage.....

"Help" he called.

But once again, the only ones home were the dogs guarding the door...

everyone else had gone to the Halloween Party at the Castle!

Oh, where would he find help?

"Heeeellllppp" he cried as he flew through the Empty Cloud Palace Parlor....

Well, it was Almost empty... Tiny Bear sat in one of the chairs.

(He was afraid he might fall off the Cloud Palace so he sat there very still...)

But he heard the Tiny Fairy and said "Blue can help you!"

But at that same moment on top of the Cloud Palace Tower

Blue was listening....

"Did you hear someone call for Help...?" she asked Sir Orion 

(who liked to help her keep Watch through the night...)

"I am sure there is someone calling she said."

But the Little Fairy was not the only one seeking Help on this Dark All Hallows Eve!

There were Great Forces stirring,

The Ages were Clashing together and The Guardians were Holding Fast!

The Rift in Time was Deep!

 

 

The Book of Forbidden Knowledge had fallen into the Wrong Hands!

And the Trouble it was stirring Must be undone!

Tommy and Perry had found the Book and had Taken a look inside the Pages....

But the Book had Taken Them...

The moment that Perry, who was holding The Key of Time, Touched the page...

Time shifted around them... and suddenly they were in a different Time!

The Kitchen was the same.... but Not!

They could hear voices and music coming from the distant Halls...

There was furniture there that hadn't been before!

The shift in Time had knocked them apart....

Perry was able to stand.

"What Happened...?" he said as he looked around.

"I think that Magic is Real..." he added... 

"I think we went forward in Time..."

"Or maybe Back...."

But Tommy still clutched the Book 

and was unable to move or speak!

"I think I need to find the Wizard..." said Perry.

"Wait here," he added as he headed out the door.

"I am going to go find the Caves....

 maybe the Wizard will be there. I'm sure he'll be able to help you."

But the Wizard did not need to be Found to know that Help was needed!

He was already in the Caves Far below the Castle...

Where the waters from the Fountain of Dreams ran Deep.

And he had brought the Little Dreamers....

And summoned Old Meg!

For only those who Dared to Dream could touch the Waters

and brew the Potions....

 

Old Meg had no need of Books...

Her Knowledge was wedded to her bones...

Her Touch was enough to move the Elements...

She could not See...

Yet she could "See" everything!

"These Two potions..." she said as she handed them to the Little Dreamers...

 

"Must neither Mix nor be Mixed up" she declared.

"The First UnBinds..." she said, pointing to Amy's vial.

"It must be poured over the Hands of the Boy you seek!"

"The Other..." she declared, pointing at Beth's vial...

 "Clears the Way!" and she gazed deeply into the distance. 

"It must be poured over the Boy's Head.... 

but only After he no longer touches the Book!"

"Be Especially careful that you Do Not Touch The Book!"

"You will Find him in the Castle Kitchen..." she added

And so the Little Dreamers set out for the Castle Kitchen....

Unseen by Most who they passed by...

For there were Those who could move between the Days and Years

as if untouched by Time!

Their very Innocence was their Shield....

And their very Dreams were their Guides!

The Halloween Party was in full Swing, Dear Readers, 

and the Night was still Young!

 

Guests were Dancing.... and making merry...

And new Arrivals appeared From Other Times....

But it did not matter that the Ages had Merged and the Eras had run together,

Because few were paying any attention to the Passing of Time!

The Little Dreamers had no trouble finding the Castle Kitchen.....

They have been here many Times... In Many Ages....

And they find the Boy right where they Expect to find him!

Amy reaches out and pours the Unbinding Potion 

carefully over his hands.

Tommy leaps to his feet and the Book drops to the floor....

At that moment Beth reaches over and pours 

her Potion that Clears The Way over his head....

There is a moment of Silence.... 

Deep and Utterly Still....

 

 

And then the Boy, Tommy, looks over to the door and 

Suddenly, without saying a word,

 heads out of the Kitchen towards the Stables.

It was as if he Never saw the Little Dreamers at all!

 

But What happened to Perry? I hear you ask, Dear Readers!

He Found his way to the Caves with Little Trouble....

(There is a Path down the cliffs that gets Frequent use...)

And the Wizard was indeed there.

Perry held out the Key of Time.

"I brought this back..." he said, his voice only shaking a little bit.

"I lost it, but then I found it again... so I am bringing it back" he added.

The Wizard just looked at him as though he wished things were different, then he said 

"I cannot take the Key until the Book of Forbidden Knowledge 

is returned to its Place in Time!"

"You will need to carry it to the Castle Council Chamber 

and place it on the Table by the window" he added.

"You Must NOT open the book....

And you Must NOT speak a single Word 

while The Book of Forbidden Knowledge is in your hands" he declared!

"I will be waiting for you in the Council Chamber" he finished kindly.

Perry found his way back to the Castle Kitchen.

He was very Relieved to find the Book Lying on the floor...

and Tommy was nowhere in sight.

He had been worried that he might have to fight for the Book!

He picked it up and headed back up the stairs...

And through the crowded Great Hall....

He saw a Great many people dressed in costumes...

But none of them seemed to see him at all!

 He reached the top of the stairs into the Council Chamber....

Crossed the room and placed the Book on the Table under the window...

Just as the Wizard had directed.

He turned and the Wizard was standing there waiting for him.

Wordlessly he offered the Key of Time to the Wizard.

And Wordlessly, the Wizard accepted it!

There was a Moment of Suspended Motion...

Nothing At All Moved....

Not a Breath taken....

Not a Sound heard......

Then a distant Rustling and Murmuring began and grew louder...

And a breeze wafted in the window 

and then moving quickly it gusted through the room...

Brushing against the walls and floor, stirring up Dust and Touseling Perry's hair...

As if Time itself were Laughing and Cavorting again!

And the Wizard looked at the Key of Time 

and felt once again the Weight of the Ages...

He turned to Perry.

"You are free to go now" he said.

But Perry just looked at him in confusion.

"Go Where...?" he asked.

But the Wizard had no answer!

 

And Lest you think I have Forgotten about the Tiny fairy, Dear Readers, 

I will tell you that Blue the Blue Fairy Beary did see the Tiny Fairy

when he flew up to the Top of the Cloud Palace Tower.

And Blue was able to hear the Tiny fellow say

"My Little Lady BeeTrees needs Help...!"

"She is stuck all alone at the Castle..."

"She got into the Wrong time..." he added.

"She needs Help to get Home!"

It is one of the Principles of Magic that run deep in the Ages, Dear Readers,

That Help Comes to those who Ask!

And it is Equally True, that One cannot Ask For Another!

Blue could Help the Fairy....

But Beatrice would have to ask for Herself before Blue could Work her Magic!

The Fairy showed Blue where Beatrice was Waiting.

When Beatrice saw her she said 

"Are you a Fairy Beary from the Cloud Palace?"

"I am" said Blue.

"My name is 'Blue' the Blue Fairy Beary" she added.

"Oh, I wish I could see the Cloud Palace" said Beatrice dreamily.

"Is that what you Really wish for? " asked Blue, wanting to be sure.

Beatrice thought for a moment.

"Well, maybe what I Really Really wish for is 

to find my brother Tommy and go Home" admitted Beatrice wistfully.

And suddenly there was a bright golden Wishing Star in her hand.

Beatrice blinked.

And when she looked up, there was Tommy coming through the door....

And the very next thing she knew....

They were all in her Familiar bedroom.....

With the Tiny Fairy flying giddily around saying "I helped! I helped!"

 

And if you were back at the Castle, Dear Readers, 

You would see that the Halloween Party was still Going Strong!

The Little Dreamers had found their friends 

all having their Fortunes told at the Gypsy fortune Teller's Table.

 

Hardly any Time at all seemed to have passed in the Great Hall....

The Night was still Young.....

The Dancers still Danced....

And High above in the Minstrels Gallery....

The Deadly Nightshades played on...

Almost as if Nothing at all had happened!

But We know that Something Had happened!

 

 Perry Had looked into The book of Forbidden Knowledge!

Perhaps he could Not go back!

Well, Dear Readers, That will have to be a Tale for Another Time...

For Now It Is Time At Last...

For this Fairy's Tale Resolution! 

And Whether you are moving Forward in Time, or Back... 

This Dark October Night....

I hope you Will come to the Party At the Castle...

This All Hallows Eve!

 Happy Halloween!

Who Keeps (The Key of) Time...?

A Fairy's Tale - Part One

Some of you might be Wondering, Dear Readers, What the Fairy did with the Key Of Time, when he carried it off with his racing snail? Well, he hadn't gone terribly far before he realized that it was rather heavy and awkward to drag along, and it was slowing him down! And as he was passing by the Cloud Palace, he decided to leave it there tucked into a corner for safekeeping. But How could a snail be passing by the Cloud Palace, I hear you ask? Isn't it always high up in the sky? Well, Sometimes, on Very Misty Foggy nights, The Cloud Palace can be found sitting right on the Ground! And it was just such a night when the Fairy was passing by. He had no idea he was leaving it in such an Out of The Way place! But, being a Fairy, he really had no use at all for the Key of Time, and he quickly forgot all about it!

And there it sat, completely forgotten for the Longest Time!

Until one afternoon when Lady Lavender

was doing some tidying up in the Cloud Palace 

while Everybeary else was busy. 

(She likes tidying things up!)

She spotted the key in the corner.

She wondered whether it went to one of the doors in the Palace.

She went to try it on the Front Door....

But there was no lock or latch on that door at all!

The only other door in the Palace was the one to the upstairs rooms...

But there was no lock there either!

She decided she would take it back downstairs 

and ask Blue about it later.

 

 

And on her way she would bring the clean linens too!

But when she reached the bottom of the stairs, 

Hamish Harry completely surprised her!

"Ach it is a Bonny Bonny Day," he declared

"but Never as Bonny as my Lovely Lady Lavender!"

And he Kissed her boldly on her cheek!

 She was so surprised that she never noticed the key falling....

Right down into the fluffy thick Clouds......!

In fact, she was so startled by that Kiss

that she forgot All about the Mysterious Key!

And it Just So Happened, Dear Readers,

that Far Far below that Cloud Palace cloud,

Tommy and his little sister Beatrice were 

sitting in the meadow and gazing at the clouds.!

It was That sort of beautiful Day, 

chilly and brisk but sunny between the clouds!

Tommy thought he saw something shiny up above.....

And before he could even Think, 

it landed with a thud Right beside his head!

He picked it up. "Look at this!" he said.

"I wonder what it goes to?" he added.

"Maybe it goes to the Cloud Palace....?" said Beatrice hopefully.

(She had heard about the Cloud Palace

 and was wondering about it ever since!)

"Nah... probably not" said Tommy, (who didn't believe in a cloud Palace) 

"I bet it goes to the Castle" he added.

"Some bird probably stole it and dropped it here" he explained.

"Maybe it goes to a Treasure Chest" he said excitedly!

And so it followed that not much later that Afternoon, 

 Tommy was heading for the Castle on his pony Prince

to see if he could find his Treasure chest.

 

 

 He knew he was not supposed to go to the Castle at all, 

and was trying to get away when Beatrice spotted him leaving.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Nowhere" said Tommy, annoyed.

"I bet you're going to the Castle" she said.

"You can't come!" he declared. "You're too little!"

"Then I'm telling...!" she declared.

"Fine. You can come" said Tommy, relenting.

"But you have to be good and do as I say!" he declared.

"And don't get lost!" he added.

And so they headed off together to the Castle ruins 

which stood on the hill not too far from their house.

Tommy had been there many times, and Prince knew the way.

And in another Time altogether, 

another Young Boy was setting out on a Similar errand.

You might recall that Peregrine 

(who Long Ago had lost the Key of Time on the Distant Briar Moors)

had chanced to capture a Tiny Fairy

 while he was chasing Butterflies across the Moors.

He had never seen a Fairy up close before (few among us have!)

and he put it in a jar to study as he would an interesting insect specimen.

But the little fellow kept saying "It wasn't me!"

"It wasn't you What?" asked Perry, not sure what he was talking about.

"I didn't take it!" declared the little fellow.

"Didn't take What?" replied Perry.

"If you don't know, then I'm not telling" said the Fairy beligerently.

"Well, if you won't tell, then I won't let you out!" declared Perry.

"I'll tell you if you let me go...." wheedled the Fairy.

"Nah, I think I'll keep you for studying anyway..." said Perry.

"You can be my pet Fairy!"

 

And he tied the jar to the end of a stick and carried it everywhere he went!

 

 

"But it's something Important you Should be doing..." hinted the Fairy.

"I don't care..." said Perry.

But really, he did care. 

He wanted to know what the Fairy knew.

But he didn't trust the Fairy to tell him if he let him go.

So they teased each other back and forth, neither one willing to give up.

And then one day, as Perry was thinking about Magic, 

he remembered that he had never given 

the Magic Key of Time back to the Wizard!

And he wondered if that had caused any problems.

And it began to worry him like an overdue Library book!

And he realized the only thing he could do was

 to try to find the Wizard and ask him what to do,

Because he had no idea what had become of the Key of Time!

And so he set out to see if he could find the Castle, 

and then maybe he could find the Wizard.

He had been to the Castle before.

But this time he went in through the door to the ancient stables.

 

And because he didn't know exactly where the Wizard could be found, 

he decided to see if there was anybody else there who might know where to look!

 

He went into the next room which might have once been a kitchen,

but it was empty too.

And just at that moment Tommy and Beatrice arrived on Prince.

Sometimes when Tommy came to the Castle, 

the Castle folk and their horses were there, 

and sometimes they were not!

He never was sure what he would find, 

and he knew his parents believed that 

the Castle was a deserted ruin!

This time he was surprised to find no horses, 

but it seemed that someone was in the kitchen!

"Who are you?" asked Tommy, feeling as though Someone was trespassing!

"I'm Perry" replied Perry. "I came to find the Wizard" he added.

"I'm Tommy." said Tommy. "And this is Beatrice" he added.

"We came to look for the Treasure" he said.

"What's that?" asked Tommy, staring at the Jar on the stick.

"It's a pesky little Fairy" said Perry.

But then he noticed the Key Tommy was holding.

"Hey, where did you get that Key?" he declared.

"I found it" said Tommy.

"Give it it to me" said Perry. 

"I think I know whose it is!" he  added.

But Tommy wasn't eager to give up on his Treasure.

And yet the Fairy in the jar was something he had never seen before!

"I'll swap you" he offered.

"I'll give you the Key if you give me the Fairy!"

Perry didn't want to give up the Fairy, but he knew he Had to get the Key!

 

 

"Okay" he agreed. 

"But you have to take good care of him 

and feed him blossoms" he added.

"Deal" said Tommy, handing over the key.

And he took the Fairy from Perry.

But he suddenly wasn't sure who had got the best deal!

Did he really want to look after a pesky little Fairy?

But before either of them could say a word 

there was a loud bang 

and a cloud of smoke appeared in the Fireplace behind them......

And where there had been Nothing at all before....

there suddenly appeared a large Old Book!

Tommy dropped the Fairy stick and raced to the hearth. 

Perry was not far behind him!

"Where did That come from!" cried Tommy.

"It must be Magic....." said Perry, a little bit alarmed.

"Do you think it shows any Magic Tricks...?" said Tommy, reaching for the book.

But Beatrice was much more interested in the Fairy....

So she picked up the jar to have a closer look.

She could see the little fellow in there.....

And she really thought he would be happier Flying around......

So she removed the mesh that was covering the jar.....

 

And the Fairy, not Quite believing his Luck, 

flew out of the Jar!

But neither Perry nor Tommy were paying her any attention.

They were too busy arguing about the book....

"I just want to see what is in it...." argued Tommy.

"Well, it might be Magical and we should be careful" said Perry.

"Oh look..." said Tommy....

"It says A Spell For Moving Ahead In Time...!"

 

"Oh... let me see..." said Perry, looking over Tommy's shoulder.

 

 "What does it Say..?" he asked as he reached for the book.

 

But the Moment Perry touched the Page...

There was a loud "crack"....

and a puff of smoke....!

And they Disappeared!

The moment she heard the "crack" 

Beatrice turned to see what had happened...

But there was nobody there!

Where had Tommy gone?

Ah, Dear Readers, I must leave you here....

No closer to the Answer to

Who Keeps the Key of Time!

But rest assured...

This Fairy's Tale shall be continued....!