|
|
One fine spring day, a fairy named Archie was walking up the path to his cabin when he heard a tremendous noise.
Whump-whump! Whump-whump!
Archie was walking instead of flying, because he couldn't fly. As a fairy-child, he had broken one wing when he crash-landed after showing off on his skateboard. The wing was so badly broken, it could never be fixed.
As Archie walked on along the path, he heard the noise again.
Whump-whump! Whump-whump!
Archie looked all around. Nothing. Then he looked up and saw an enormous butterfly beating its huge wings--whump-whump—and then gliding down to perch on the roof of Archie's cabin.
Archie hurried up to his front porch and called out, "Hey, you humongous butterfly, what are you doing on my roof?"
The butterfly answered in a sad voice: "I'm too big to keep up with the other butterflies. I have to keep stopping to rest. They all make fun of me because I can't fly fast."
"Awww, I know how you feel!" Archie said. "The other fairy-kids make fun of me because I can't fly at all, and they tease me about my name: Archibald. They hover around yelling, 'Archie's bald! Archie's bald!' "
"Hey, the butterfly said," I've got an idea! You can't fly, but I can. I could let you ride on my back wherever you want to go. In return, you could let me live here instead of flying south with the other butterflies."
"I like it!" Archie said. "Come down here for a glass of iced nectar, and let's talk some more. And by the way, may I call you Hughie?"
The butterfly clapped his wings with delight. "Of course!"
As Archie and Hughie were enjoying their nectar and conversation, they smelled smoke.
"That's coming from Crotonville!" Archie said. "We'd better go investigate!"
"Hop on my back," Hughie said.
Archie hopped on, and together they flew off over the woods. Just before they reached the river, they saw smoke pouring from Fairy Sylvan Sally's house.
Hughie flew close to the house and flapped his humongous wings as hard as he could. . .
WHUMP-WHUMP! WHUMP-WHUMP!
. . . and put out the fire.
Fairy Sylvan Sally
Just then, Fairy Sylvan Sally came flying home.
Just then, Fairy Sylvan Sally came flying home.
Fairy Godmother Brenda
"Oh dear," she said. "I went off with Fairy Godmother Brenda to practice floga—that's fairy-style flying yoga—and I forgot I'd left a cherry pie baking in the oven."
"It's OK," Archie said. "My new friend Hughie put out the fire."
"How can I ever thank you enough?" said Fairy Sylvan Sally.
"Did I hear you say something about a cherry pie?" Hughie asked, his proboscis curling at the thought.
"Coming up!" Fairy Sylvan Sally said, and she went inside to bake another pie.
"It's OK," Archie said. "My new friend Hughie put out the fire."
"How can I ever thank you enough?" said Fairy Sylvan Sally.
"Did I hear you say something about a cherry pie?" Hughie asked, his proboscis curling at the thought.
"Coming up!" Fairy Sylvan Sally said, and she went inside to bake another pie.
Mayor Marcos
The next day, the whole town of Crotonville held a celebration in honor of Archie and Hughie.
"You are heroes," said the mayor, Fairy Marcos. "Without your quick action, the whole village might have burned down." And with that, he presented Archie and Hughie with a key to the village, the highest honor in all of Fairyland.
"You are heroes," said the mayor, Fairy Marcos. "Without your quick action, the whole village might have burned down." And with that, he presented Archie and Hughie with a key to the village, the highest honor in all of Fairyland.
THE END
(of the story, but not the friendship)
(of the story, but not the friendship)