The Tinkling Thistle Sneeze

The late afternoon sun beamed warm honey ribbons across the Chime Cove Canopy meadow, but the breeze had a frisky little nip to it. Chloe smoothed her dress and sat back on her heels near the clover patch. High up on her head, her star daisy crown glowed with soft, cozy rainbow colors, keeping the chilly air away from her cheeks. In her green pocket, Pip knew his shiny blue pebble was safe and sound, resting like a sleepy little egg.

Then, with a gentle whoosh, the wind skipped over the tall stalks at the meadow’s edge. It did not blow leaves or shake heavy branches. Instead, it shook a wild cluster of thistle heads, setting loose an enormous, tumbling cloud of white fluff. The seeds drifted through the air like dozens of tiny silvery parachutes, dipping and bobbing on the cool breeze.

"Look! Look up!" Pip cried, bouncing on the soft moss. He stretched up high on the tips of his tiny fairy shoes, reaching out both hands to cup one of the drifting puffs. He stretched left. He hopped right. He opened his fingers wide, then snapped them shut. Snap! But the sneaky little seed slipped right through his fingers and danced away over the clover.

Blossom tilted her head back, keeping her funny little green clover leaf hat from tumbling off. She lifted her thin green wand and twirled it in a tiny loop. Zing! A warm swirl of yellow air puffed from the tip, making three of the white thistle-seeds spin like merry little tops before sailing upward. One silvery parachute tumbled down in a slow, lazy arc and settled softly right on the tip of Chloe’s long pink hair, bobbing like an extra bit of ribbon.

"It tickles!" Chloe laughed, giving her head a gentle shake, which only made her bright freckles crinkle up with cheer.

Down below, Pip was still jumping. Up he went, and down he landed with a soft thump on the grass. "Almost got it! Almost!" he chattered, hopping toward a fat bunch of fluffy white down. But another frisky gust suddenly swooped down between the clover blossoms. It caught the floating fluff and swept the whole silvery swarm in a spinning circle—straight toward Blossom!

The tiny fairy hovered in the air, her wings buzzing like a happy hum, but the floating cloud was too big to dodge. One plump, feathery seed drifted straight ahead and landed right on the tip of Blossom's tiny nose. It sat there, twitching and quivering on the very bridge of her snout.

Blossom went completely still. Her big eyes crossed as she looked down at the tickly intruder. Her little mouth opened into a small, round 'O'. Her eyebrows wiggled up, and her cheeks puffed out until they were round as pink berries. Pip stopped hopping and covered his mouth. Chloe held her breath with a wide, delighted grin.

"Ah... ah..." Blossom whispered, her tiny nose wiggling like a bunny's.

Then came the sneeze. It was not a loud, scary sneeze at all. It sounded just like a tiny silver bell ringing inside a flower petal: tinkle-choo!

The soft little puff sent the seed rocketing into the air, tumbling head over heels into the meadow breeze. Blossom blinked, shook her clover hat straight, and rubbed her nose with the knuckle of her thumb. A second later, Chloe and Pip burst into bubbling, joyful giggles, their laughter ringing out across the clover as the rest of the fluffy seeds drifted gently away toward the sunny edge of the woods.