Clara and the Magical Charms Read online

  Map

  Dedication

  for

  Donna Bell Bray

  Contents

  Map

  Dedication

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Fairy Secrets

  Excerpt from Sylva and the Lost Treasure

  About the Author and Illustrator

  Back Ad

  Credits

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  one

  Valentine’s Day for fairies is a lovely affair, as fairies like to send and receive valentines more than anything else. (Anything else in February, that is.) And Valentine’s Week on Sheepskerry Island is better than anywhere else, because Queen Mab enchants Lady’s Slipper Field and turns the dark of winter into the fresh breath of summer. All the Sheepskerry fairies gather in the meadow to exchange gifts and cards. They smell the orange blossoms and the roses. They throw off their heavy coats and scarves and mittens and wear their light summer dresses. They kick off their shoes and turn their faces to the warm sun.

  Also, gnomes come.

  Gnomes?

  You didn’t think there were only trolls in the world of the fairies, did you? (Trolls hibernate through the winter, by the way.) Gnomes are terribly different from trolls. Gnomes don’t have warts, for one thing. They’re not smelly. And they can talk properly, though they have a bit of a lilt to their speech as a result of living on the faraway Outer Islands. I know you may have seen garden gnomes with long beards and fishing poles, still as statues at the bottom of a garden. That’s what gnomes look like when they get old and grumpy. But when they’re young—

  “When they’re young, gnomes are lots of fun,” said Clara Bell as she knotted a warm purple scarf around her neck. It was a very cold February day, and all the Sheepskerry fairies were bundled up tight, especially Tinker Bell’s little sisters.

  two

  I’m fairly certain you’ve met Tinker Bell’s little sisters, but if you have not, let’s please make their acquaintance now. Here are:

  Clara Bell

  Rosy Bell

  Golden Bell

  Sylva Bell

  and baby Squeak

  The five Bell sisters—and their friend Poppy Flower—were making their way back from fairy school, which had let out early today, as the snow was falling fast and thick. They darted between snowflakes as they flew.

  “Gnomes are lots of fun,” said Goldie, “even if too many of them wear those awful pointy hats.”

  “I like their hats!” said Rosy.

  “Tutu!” said Squeak.

  “Me three!” said Sylva. “And I don’t mind what they wear as long as they’re not too good at sports. Because I want to beat them all at the Valentine’s Games.”

  That’s another thing the fairies love about February: the Valentine’s Games. I won’t tell you about them now, as Rosy will tell us about them in a moment or two, if you can be patient.

  “The only way you’d beat all the gnomes in your very first year of competition,” said Goldie, “is if you used magic, which unfortunately we don’t have much of yet.”

  “Not true!” said Sylva. “I’ve been training! Besides, I’ll have lots of magic soon.”

  “Not too soon, I hope,” said Rosy. “We still have some growing up to do before we get our magical powers.” Rosy gave Sylva a hug on the wing. “But I’m sure when you do you’ll be as magical as Tink herself.”

  That made Sylva smile. And though none of her sisters saw it, Rosy’s words made Clara smile, too. She wasn’t ready to tell her sisters—yet—but she knew her magical powers were growing. She had been practicing her fairy charms since her last birthday, and she could already make a bell ring without touching it. (She was a Bell sister, after all!) Just last week, she’d taught herself how to make a rose bloom in the snow. Right now, she was working on her sparkle charm. That was a tricky one.

  As Clara flew toward home, she thought about something that had happened long ago, when she was a very young fairy. She had noticed a tiny grasshopper in the tall grass near Lupine Pond. Its leg was broken, so it could not hop or even sing a grasshopper song to summon help. (Grasshoppers use their legs to make their songs!) Clara had known she didn’t have a hope of helping the grasshopper—she hadn’t even started learning charms yet at school. But she couldn’t bear to see the injured insect. Then all at once, she recalled a charm she’d heard her big sister, Tinker Bell, recite once, long ago. How did it go?

  Clear as crystal, Clara heard Tink’s voice in her head. She closed her eyes, stretched out her arms, and said:

  Harm and hurt

  And pain no more.

  Feel this power,

  From my core.

  May you be

  Sound as a bell.

  May my magic

  Make you well!

  Clara had felt faint and dizzy, and it took a few moments before she was well enough to open her eyes again. She steadied herself and looked at the grasshopper. It hadn’t hopped away. It was exactly where she had first seen it. Her charm had failed!

  But the very next moment she heard a tiny little chirrp coming from her grasshopper friend. That could only mean . . .

  “Your leg has healed!” she’d cried.

  Then she’d heard a voice behind her. “Clara. Clara Bell.”

  It was Queen Mab! Clara had nearly jumped out of her wings.

  “Were you using magic?”

  Clara almost had not dared to speak to the queen. But Queen Mab had asked her a question, and she could not let it go unanswered. “I was, Your Majesty,” she’d said.

  “The healing charm is very powerful, Clara Bell. Did you learn it from Tinker Bell?”

  “I did, Queen Mab.”

  “Tink should know better than to teach that to you. It takes life to heal life.”

  Clara wasn’t exactly sure what Queen Mab had meant when she said that. But she had curtsied deeply. “Forgive me, my queen,” she’d said.

  “Do not be ashamed, Clara Bell. You are a young fairy right now, but you have a gift for magic. You will be a very great fairy one day.”

  Clara could hardly believe her ears. “I will?” she’d asked in a whisper.

  “Yes, Clara Bell, you will,” Queen Mab had replied.

  Clara had never forgotten that encounter with the queen. (Would you?) In fact, Queen Mab’s words had given Clara great confidence her whole life.

  However, I’d better warn you: If you’re looking for a story where a very confident fairy sails along making clever decisions, always acting prudently, and never taking on more than she can manage, then this book will not be your cup of fairy tea. But if you’d like to hear about a fairy who’s admired by all and expects so much of herself that she takes on far too much—so much that she almost risks her life—then you’ll want to turn the page.

  I’m keeping my fingers crossed you’ll turn the page. . . .

  three

  Whew! I can uncross my fingers!

  four

  Clara tucked the memory of Queen Mab’s words into a pocket of her mind and flew in the door of the Bell sisters’ fairy house. She was thinking about her growing magic as the sisters sat around the fire together that evening.

  “Rosy, I think you’d better finish your homework and stop writing that letter to Lulu,” said Clara. “You’re falli
ng behind in Troll Tracks again.”

  “I just want to tell her about the Valentine’s Games,” said Rosy. Lulu was Rosy’s friend—a real human child who believed in fairies (like someone else you might know). “I’ve written her about the sack races and the long jump and the three-legged race and the tossing of the branches.” She looked over her letter. It was already four pages long. “Now I need to tell her about the swim round the island. I hope the dolphins join in again.”

  “There’s a baby dolphin this year,” said Sylva, who was trimming lace for valentines. “Have you seen her? She’s getting so fast! Poppy and I have named her Speedy.”

  “That’s a cute name,” said Goldie.

  “I know! Poppy wanted to name her Bluey but I told her my name was better.”

  “Bluey’s nice too,” said Rosy. “But whatever she’s called, that little dolphin is the sweetest thing ever.”

  “Coomada!” said Squeak.

  “Yes, we all love babies, don’t we, Squeakie?” said Clara. She gave Squeak a big hug and looked over at Goldie, who was deep in a pile of silk scarves. “How are Fairy Fractions going?”

  “Humph,” said Goldie.

  “I love Fairy Fractions,” said Sylva. “Three-fifths of a starfish plus two-fifths of a starfish equals one whole starfish!”

  “Very good,” said Clara. “Goldie, since you’re not doing your homework, can you please get Squeakie into her pj’s?”

  “Not right now,” said Goldie. “I’m choosing a scarf to wear to the Games tomorrow.” She picked one out from the pile. “This looks good with my sky-blue eyes, don’t you think?” she asked the mirror, which did not reply. (Mirrors on Sheepskerry are not enchanted.)

  Clara glanced at her sister and caught sight of her own reflection.

  “You look nice tonight, Clara,” said Sylva. “Did you polish your wings?”

  Clara had not polished her wings. She had not changed a thing about herself. And yet her long, dark hair was shinier than ever. Her skin almost glowed. And her eyes, always a deep brown, seemed to be flecked with gold.

  Perhaps her newfound magic was giving her a glow from inside.

  five

  “Oh my word! The meadow is gorgeous!”

  “Queen Mab has done her best magic ever!”

  The Fairy Bell sisters shook the snow from their wings and flew into Lady’s Slipper Field. All the fairies were gathering there. This year the enchanted meadow was more lush and fragrant and flower-filled than ever before.

  “I think the gnomes must have done some of this magical gardening,” said Iris Flower. “It is their specialty.”

  “Off with this horrid winter hat!” Goldie cried as she ran through the lupines. “Ooh! Avery!” she called to her best friend. “Can you feel that island sun?”

  “Of course I can. It’s a picture-perfect day!” said Avery.

  “I must look picture perfect for when the gnomes arrive,” said Goldie. “How do you like my skirt?”

  “It’s pretty, Goldie, but I don’t think it will help you win any races,” said Sylva. “Heigh-ho, Poppy!” she called. “Let’s do some flying practice. There’s no snow to weigh our wings down here.”

  “I’ll take Squeak out of her fairy stroller,” said Rosy. “She’ll love being in her bare feet again. We’ll go for a romp, won’t we, Squeakie?” Rosy looked over at her older sister. “Do you have time for a quick walk, Clara?” she asked.

  “No,” said Clara. “I have too much work to do. I promised Queen Mab I’d organize the welcoming banquet and decorate the banqueting hall.”

  “You always take on so much,” called Goldie. “Queen Mab’s lucky to have you.”

  “We’re all lucky to have Clara,” said Rosy.

  What Rosy didn’t know was that Clara actually wanted to be by herself. It was the perfect time to practice her sparkle charm. Most of the island would be deserted, as everybody would be in the meadow for the opening ceremony—which meant there would be not a soul on Sunrise Hill.

  Clara darted out of the summery meadow and away up the hill. She hoped no one would notice where she was going.

  It was cold and snowy up on the hill, but she knew the chilly wind wouldn’t trouble her if she could get some magic going. She had studied her Fairy Charms book last night, after all her sisters had fallen asleep. If she did this charm just right, the top of Sunrise Hill would be transformed.

  Clara had memorized the words of the charm—that wasn’t the hard part. It was doing the arm movements properly and spinning at the correct speed so that she always ended in the same spot. She closed her eyes and gave it a try:

  Turn thrice around.

  Fling wide your arm.

  Sparkle now!

  Obey my charm!

  She opened her eyes—and started coughing. The pretty white snow of Sunrise Hill was covered in soot! “Where did all—ack—this come from? Ack! Ack!” Even the squirrels were covering their faces with their scrawny winter tails. “I must have done the spell all wrong!” Clara’s eyes were streaming, and her nose was running. “I’m so sorry, little squirrel,” she said. “I’d better clear this soot before Queen Mab thinks there’s been a fire on Sunrise Hill. Sparkles will drive the smoke away—but can I do it?”

  Clara stood perfectly still and quieted her cough. She thought of what Queen Mab had said to her: You will be a very great fairy one day.

  Clara filled her mind with the idea of her magical power. And she recited the charm again:

  Turn thrice around.

  Fling wide your arm.

  Sparkle now!

  Obey my charm!

  Tentatively, Clara opened her eyes. The black soot was gone. In its place was a shimmering curtain of golden sparkles. They floated down to the ground and dusted the pure white snow, making it shine more brightly than Clara had ever seen. They landed on tree branches and turned the dark bark into patterns of shimmering gold. They turned the sweet little squirrel’s coat golden, from whiskers to tail. The sparkles made Sunrise Hill, always a beautiful place, look absolutely breathtaking.

  “I can’t believe it!” cried Clara. “Oh, how beautiful! I did it! My first sparkle charm!”

  A distant cheer went up from the meadow, and Clara remembered—the welcoming banquet. She hadn’t done a thing to get ready!

  six

  Clara flew from Sunrise Hill back to Queen Mab’s palace. Everyone would be descending there soon for a hearty dinner. She’d better get going—fast.

  “Hey, Clara!” It was Julia Jellicoe. “You’re going the wrong way!” Julia flew right into Clara’s path. “The opening ceremony is almost over. Come on!”

  “I’m not going, Julia,” said Clara. “I have too much work to do.” Clara hoped she didn’t sound too prim. She couldn’t exactly tell Julia that she’d been practicing her magic. Not when she hadn’t mentioned it to her sisters—or to Queen Mab. “I’ve got to set up the welcoming banquet.”

  “Oh, thank goodness somebody’s going to organize it,” said Julia. “There are plates and dishes all over the place. Ours is a surprise.”

  “Ju-lia,” said Clara. “What kind of surprise?”

  “The gnomes will love it. See you later!”

  When Clara arrived at the palace, her cheeks were red and her toes were freezing. She flew into the banqueting hall and warmed up by the fire. Then she went into the kitchen and looked over the chart she had put up last week, just to make sure everyone had done her part.

  “Oh dear me no!” she said. “They’ve done exactly what they said they wouldn’t.”

  Only two fairy families had brought what they said they would:

  A single Harmony Casserole would never feed an island of fairies plus a colony of gnomes. And much as they all liked sweets, the gnomes and fairies would want something more filling after spending all day outside. What were they all thinking? Clara shook her head and smiled a little. At least we’ll have some great desserts.

  Since all of Queen Mab’s helpers were at the meado
w, any new cooking and preparing would be up to Clara. She looked in the queen’s storeroom and was relieved (though not surprised) to see it well stocked.

  “This will be a challenge,” said Clara. “But I think I’m up to it.”

  Clara set to work, humming to herself as she rolled up her sleeves and tied on an apron and started washing and sorting.

  Before long, pots of water were boiling on the woodstove, vegetables were scrubbed, and eggs were beaten. Clara was putting the finishing touches on a pot of corn chowder when she heard a long, joyous cheer from the meadow. That will be the end of the opening ceremony, she thought. They’ll soon be here!

  She felt a gust of icy air come through the door.

  “Rosy, is that you? I could really use some help. The fairies have only brought cookies and candies, all because of those silly—”

  “Gnomes?” said a deep voice.

  Clara turned around. Oh no! A gnome was here—already!

  “Hi. I’m Rowan.”

  “Oh, hello,” said Clara.

  Clara remembered Rowan well from last year’s Games. He had done such a good job! He’d taken fourth place among all the competitors. The two Curricle sisters had won the second and third prizes. Only one other gnome—a brazen young chap called Alasdair who’d come first—had done better than Rowan.

  Clara wasn’t sure what to say to Rowan. She hadn’t ever really talked to a gnome before.

  “Um, do you . . . do you remember who I am?” Rowan asked at last. “I was at the Games last year.” He blushed. “You were in the, um . . . third row, second from the left when the Games began. You were giving out snacks to the fairies and explaining scoring to your sisters and looking after a little baby. All at the same time.”

  “Sounds like me.”

  “You’re Clara Bell.”