There were whispers and chuckles from the watching fairies as Maggie raised the gum leaf to her lips. Uncertainty flickered across her face.

Come on, Maggie, Daisy willed her sister. You can do this.

A sharp whistle sounded nearby and a voice yelled, ‘Go, Maggie!’

Daisy turned to see Lark standing, hands cupped around his mouth and a smile in his eyes.

A look of determination came over Maggie’s face. She raised the leaf again and blew. A high, pure note rang across the clearing, followed by an addictively foot-tapping melody. Lark began to clap in time, and soon the rest of the audience joined him. Up on the stage, Maggie danced a swirling, quick-stepped jig while she played.

When the final note faded into the air, the audience leapt from their seats, applauding wildly. Daisy, Nen and Acacia cheered, Efa shouted and stamped his feet while Nelli flew loops in delight.

Catching Lark’s eye, Daisy mouthed, ‘Thank you,’ and was answered with a wink.

Flushed with pleasure, Maggie flew to her seat as Waratah took the stage again.

‘What an amazing first round,’ she shouted over the applause. ‘Now that they have you all warmed up, who wants to hear them sing?’

The crowd erupted with shouts and cheers as Grebe took his place at centre stage. When the music began, it was unlike anything that Daisy had ever heard. Driven by a pounding drumbeat, there was a sense of urgency and intensity to it that made her want to leap to her feet.

Grebe’s voice began as a low howl, building to a ferocious roar as the beat got faster. Like a physical embodiment of the song itself, he whirled across the stage, stomping his feet. Vu chirped indignantly when Daisy leapt from her seat to join the fairies who danced on the moss beneath the stage to Grebe’s infectious beat.

They jumped in time to the rhythm, as the air around them became electric, like a thunderstorm about to hit.

When the song ended, the dancers cheered and whistled their approval, and an exultant Grebe leapt back down the stairs to his seat.

Pea was the next to sing. She landed awkwardly on the stage before turning to face the audience. Daisy smiled reassuringly at her friend, crossing her fingers to wish her luck.

A single flute began to trill, a merry melody, like a bubbling stream. With a cheeky grin, Pea began to sing. Her voice was strong and sweet, bounding across the notes with exuberance and weaving a story – a humorous tale of love gone wrong.

The audience hooted with laughter, cheering and stomping their feet when she was done.

One by one, the other fairies sang. Boronia, with a sweet, pretty voice, sang a song about the waterfall, while the twins, Rose and Ella, sang a boppy duet about loving to dance. Ash’s performance was more spoken poetry than actual singing – his rhythmic words casting the audience into a trance.

The audience clapped politely for the other contestants, but none got the reactions of Pea and Grebe.

Then it was Maggie’s turn. Taking her place on the stage, Maggie breathed out a long, slow breath, closed her eyes and became still.

An ocarina, like a mournful wind, began to play softly. Swaying in time, Maggie started to sing. Her voice was high and sweet, singing a song of longing for an unattainable dream.

Every fairy fell silent. Whispers were cut off mid-word. All movement ceased as every fairy stopped to listen.

Closing her eyes, Daisy lost herself in the beauty of the music and in her sister’s voice, so haunting and pure. Maggie held the last note until it faded to a whisper on the breeze. Daisy opened her eyes and held her breath, waiting for the audience to react.