five
fiveThe next morning was a school day. Goldie left the Fairy Bell house a little early, for today was her special time with her teacher. She was up and dressed and out of the fairy house before the sun had fully risen.
As early as it was, there was a smiling fairy teacher to greet Goldie at the door.
“Hi, Faith!” said Goldie. Faith was one of the Learned sisters, all of whom were teachers. Goldie gave Faith a hug. She loved their special time together.
“Good morning, dear Golden,” said Faith. “Come sit down and let’s read together.”
Now one thing you might not know about Golden Bell is that she was not much of a reader. Goldie loved stories—hearing them read aloud, and making them up herself—but she struggled with making sense of words on the page. Sometimes words jumbled together. Sometimes they blurred. Sometimes they even jumped from one place on a page to another. Imagine how hard it was to read with the letters and words jumping all around!
That’s why Goldie loved her lessons with Faith. Faith gave her all the time she needed to read and write. Like her sisters, Patience and Fortitude, Faith was a wonderful teacher.
Goldie read aloud for a bit from a book that Faith had made especially for her. (Goldie had decorated it with her own pictures.)
“‘Her godmother then touched her with her wand,’” Goldie read slowly, “‘and at the same instant, her clothes turned into cloth of gold and silver, all beset with jewels.’”
“Nice job, Golden!” said Faith.
“I love that story,” said Goldie.
“What progress you’ve made!” Faith said. “You must have been working hard.”
“I have been working hard,” said Goldie. “Even if my sisters think I haven’t.”
“Sisters can be a trial,” said Faith. “Though I do envy that you have so many of them. I’m quite lonely here at the schoolhouse, now that Patience and Fortitude have left for the Outer Islands.”
Faith’s two sisters had been teachers on Sheepskerry for many fairy years. But the Outer Islands needed good teachers, too, and Faith’s sisters had left in the summer to teach the young fairies there.
“How I would love a little companionship, now that winter is drawing near.” Faith sighed and then shook her head as if she’d been somewhere far away. “But there’s no help for that. I shouldn’t complain. I have all my fairy students as family.” She went out to the front porch of the fairy schoolhouse and rang the bell. “And here they come now!”
With a flutter of dozens of wings, the fairies of Sheepskerry Island flew into fairy school. All the fairies learned together and learned from one another.
Just as Faith was about to clap her hands to start their day, she was interrupted by the distant call of a conch shell.
“That’s Queen Mab’s clarion!” cried Faith. “It sounds as if she’s on her way here! Fairies, on your best behavior, please!”
All the fairy students were amazed. Queen Mab had never come to their school before! The Fairy Bell sisters gathered together. “What can it be?” asked Sylva.
“I have no idea,” said Goldie. But she noticed her wings were trembling.
Queen Mab flew to the front of the classroom. “I hope you will forgive this interruption, Faith Learned,” said Queen Mab.
“Of course, my queen!” said Faith, curtsying low.
Queen Mab smiled. “My beloved fairy family,” she said, her voice low. “I’ve had word from my dear friend on the mainland, Queen Titania.”
“I hope it’s not bad news,” whispered Clara.
Goldie’s wings quivered again. “I don’t think it is,” she said.
“To celebrate the season and to bring joy to the long autumn nights, Queen Titania is hosting a fancy-dress party on the mainland.”
“The mainland?” said Goldie. Her heart skipped a beat. She had never been to the mainland. None of the Bell sisters ever had—except Tinker Bell, of course. It was three days’ flight from Sheepskerry, too long and too dangerous a journey for young fairies. Goldie kept her wings as still as she could. A fancy-dress party on the mainland? Why, she would give her wings to attend!
“A fancy-dress party,” whispered Poppy Flower to her best friend, Sylva. “What’s that?”
“It’s a dress-up party,” said Sylva. “You know, with costumes!”
“Ooh!” said Poppy. “I love to dress up!”
Goldie did not say a word. She was the best at dress-up on the whole island. Everyone knew that.
“Just one fairy from each island may attend the fancy-dress party,” said Queen Mab. Then she peered out and looked right at the Fairy Bell sisters. Quietly, she said to them, “Queen Titania hasn’t yet learned the lesson you taught us, Sylva, at the Fairy Ball.”
Sylva blushed.
Queen Mab’s voice grew loud again. “There will be a prize for the best costume in Fairyland. And Queen Titania has asked us to send one fairy from Sheepskerry to take part.”
“Ooh, Goldie,” said Rosy. “No wonder your wings were quivering. You should go.”
Goldie held her breath.
“I’d like you all to think who would create a costume that will make Sheepskerry proud,” said Queen Mab. “I would rather show pride in our fairy island than win, as I’m sure you know.”
Queen Mab paused for a bit, to let the fairies talk among themselves. The Cobweb sisters knit the best shawls and sweaters, but the Stitch sisters were the best at sewing and dressmaking.
“The Stitch sisters can sew anything,” said Acorn Oak. “I think one of them should go.”
The three Stitch sisters—Fern, Satin, and Daisy—put their heads together.
“They sew so beautifully,” said Poppy. “In a way it’s right that one of them should go.”
“But in a way it’s not,” said Clara. “We all know that Goldie would be the best at making a costume. But we must let the fairies decide. That’s the Fairy Way.”
Fern Stitch flew straight up to Queen Mab. The Fairy Bell sisters could not hear what she was saying, but later they heard about the conversation from Iris Flower, who heard it from Sugar Bakewell. “It’s true we are known far and wide for our tiny stitching and intricate patterns,” Fern had told the queen. “But all three of us think someone else should go to the mainland. Someone else who will make the best costume in the land.”
As soon as Fern stepped away from Queen Mab, there was a murmuring in the crowd, as if all the fairies were speaking with one voice. At first it sounded like they were saying, “Go! Go!” But then Clara and Rosy and Sylva—and, of course, Goldie—heard more clearly what their fairy friends were saying.
“Gold-ie! Gold-ie!” came the cheer.
“Listen!” said Clara.
“I’m listening!” cried Goldie.
“Golden Bell, please come up before me,” said Queen Mab.
Goldie flew over in a rush. Her wings had stopped trembling now.
On her way she turned to the Stitch sisters. “Oh, Fern, are you very sure?” asked Goldie. “Would you really give up your place for me?”
“Of course I would,” said Fern Stitch. “I don’t really want to go to the mainland. Not that much, anyway.”
“Besides, it’s awfully hard work making a costume,” said Daisy.
“Oh, thank you!” said Goldie, giving them a huge smile. Then she curtsied to Queen Mab, just as her teacher had. “And I most humbly thank you, Queen Mab,” she said.
“Don’t thank me,” said Queen Mab. “Thank your fairy friends.”
Goldie looked out at the happy faces of her sisters and her schoolmates.
“Oh, I will make you proud, Sheepskerry fairies!” she cried. “I will make Sheepskerry Island very proud indeed!”
