8

Chasing Waterfalls

‘If Mother Wattle is over there to the east, to get to the waterfall we need to move . . . south.’ Daisy hurried through the underbrush, picking her way over sticks and leaves as Vu flew along behind. Stopping for a rest, Daisy looked at the sky. The sun was way past its peak. In her excitement to complete her Quest, Daisy had completely forgotten about lunch. Vu landed on her shoulder and chittered that his belly was rumbling.

‘Poor Vu. Lunchtime was ages ago. And I’m hungry, too. The waterfall can’t be too far away now. I’ll give you some hackberry leaves when we get there.’

At the sound of rushing water, Daisy quickened her pace. The scrubby brush petered out, replaced by a tangle of soft ferns. The air grew cool and damp, a fine mist against their faces. The nearer they drew to the waterfall, the more impatient Daisy became. With every step she knew that she was closer to gaining her wings.

Bending under a low-hanging fern, Daisy heard a splash as water sloshed into her shoe. She poked her head through the fern fronds. A green blanket of lily pads lay across the water, dotted with the pure white blooms of water lilies. On her right, splashing down the rock face, was a tumbling, rushing waterfall. She ducked her head back and headed sideways towards it, scrambling over moss and stones until she reached the water’s edge.

Vu chittered impatiently.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Daisy. ‘I haven’t forgotten lunch.’

Moving away from the water, Daisy opened her locket and took out the sack of hackberry leaves. She touched it with her wand and whispered, ‘Undo,’ before placing the sack on its side and opening it up for Vu.

Daisy sat down on a rock beside Vu, but almost fell backwards as the rock sank beneath her. She jumped to her feet. Inspecting her seat, Daisy realised that it wasn’t a rock at all, but a beautifully ripe apple-berry fruit. Daisy’s mouth watered at the thought of its sweet, juicy taste.

Using a sharp rock, Daisy pounded against the furry outer skin of the apple berry until it split. Then, reaching her hand inside, she scooped out a handful of the soft, seedy flesh – it tasted so good!

After a few more scoops, Daisy left Vu happily munching on his leaves and headed for the waterfall, feeling much more energetic than she had before.

At the bottom of the waterfall, Daisy looked around her. Great looming trees blocked out the afternoon sun from the forest floor.

I can’t make a rainbow without sunshine, thought Daisy. She looked up and saw a thin beam of sunlight sparkle across the top of the waterfall. She sighed as she realised this task was going to involve yet more climbing.

The rocky wall was slippery and wet with spray from the waterfall, so she bent down to take off her shoes, figuring it would be easier to grip the rocks with her bare feet. But even then, Daisy’s feet slipped on the mossy stones; her knees and toes were covered in tiny scratches. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the fronds of overhanging ferns and kept on climbing. But with every step of progress she made, the sun sank lower and the part of the waterfall touched by its rays got smaller.

By the time Daisy reached the top, the sunlight was barely touching the water at all. There was only one thing for it. She grasped a fern at the edge of the rocky precipice with one hand, and held out her wand with the other. Then, she braced her feet against the rock wall and reached out towards the sunshine, but the shards of light flickered just out of reach.

The water churned and foamed over the rocks next to her, tumbling down to the pool below. It was risky, but there was no other way . . .

Daisy slid her hand to the very tip of the fern frond and leaned out into the waterfall as far as she could go. Cold water splashed across her body, threatening to push her downwards. Daisy tightened her grip on the fern, stretched just a little bit more and yelled above the water’s roar, ‘Sun that lights the earth and sky, send my rainbow soaring high!’

The tip of her wand touched a ray of sunlight and began to glow. Sparks of magic shot from its tip and a tiny rainbow appeared. With a flick of her wrist, the rainbow took off, shooting up through the forest canopy above the waterfall, and flowing across the sky in a perfect arc.

‘Yes!’ Daisy thrust her wand into the air with delight, but the slippery fern frond slid from her grip. Squealing in surprise and terror, Daisy plunged down to the swirling water below.