CHAPTER 9
Evie got back to Starlight Stables and untacked Willow and groomed her coat. When she cleaned out her hooves, it was hard to believe that Willow had been injured that day – there wasn’t a mark to be seen.
“Thank you for taking me back to the forest, Willow, I’ve had a magical day. It was great to catch up with my old friend Holly and to make some lovely new friends too!”
Evie knew she should have an early night, but before she and Sparkles could go back to the castle for some supper and to get some sleep, she had to clean her ponies’ stables and make sure they were ready for the night. Evie checked their water and gave them all fresh hay. She fed Willow some tasty carrots from the vegetable garden.
“I think you deserve a treat for working so hard and for being so brave today,” she smiled, giving her pony a gentle hug.
When Evie was in her room, she emptied her rucksack out onto her desk. She was looking for some nice pens and pencils to put in her new pencil case for tomorrow, when out fell a magnificent golden feather. She looked at the feather closely and realised what it was.
“It’s a magic quill like Holly’s,” Evie gasped. “What a fantastic present. I’m sure it’ll come in handy, especially when I have to do my homework. Thank you forest fairies.”
Sparkles watched Evie pack her school bag and check her uniform.
“Do you know Sparkles, I think I’m looking forward to tomorrow! I can’t wait to make some new friends!”
Sparkles began purring loudly, then curled himself up into a little ball on Evie’s comfy bed. He was exhausted!
“I’d better have an early night as well! There’s nothing worse than being too tired to enjoy an adventure.”
That night, Evie lay in her soft feather bed and listened to the storm that was blowing around Starlight Castle’s towers. She thought about her ponies, safe in their stables and the animals they’d met in the forest – the little hedgehog snug in his nest and the proud phoenix in his golden tree. Evie smiled and huddled up under her toasty duvet, she knew she was going to sleep well.
The next morning Evie woke to the sound of her alarm clock. She’d set it extra early so she would have time to get ready for her first day without having to race around.
She hopped down from her bed and opened the curtains. The sky was clear and the sun was beginning to rise.
“Good morning Starlight Stables,” she smiled. “Today I’m going to have another adventure – my first day at my new school!”
When Evie had finished putting on her uniform, she turned to Sparkles who was sitting on the windowsill.
“What do you think, Sparkles?”
Her little kitten looked carefully at her smart school shoes with their silver buckles and began to purr. After breakfast the two of them trotted down to the stables. Evie fed her ponies their breakfast.
“I’ll tell you all about my first day when I get back,” she whispered to Willow. Willow whinnied as if to wish Evie luck.
It was time to go. As Evie shut the gate, she felt a little flutter of nervousness, or was it excitement? The wind blew and leaves flew around her. Evie remembered Holly’s forest fairy secret and she held out her hand and caught a golden leaf.
With the leaf held in both hands, Evie closed her eyes, just as Holly had told her to do, then she blew the leaf back into the wind, and made her wish:
“I wish that...
... everyone has a magical first day.”
