The Little Twig Door

The cool wind in the meadow grew quiet and soft, and Blossom fluttered her wings with a happy hum. She zipped up past a tall stalk of orchard grass. Right at the very tip sat a round, sparkling drop of water, shining like glass in the sunshine.

"Look, Butterfly! Look up!" Blossom chirped. Using both of her tiny hands, she nudged the grass blade ever so gently. The clear droplet slid forward and landed right on top of Chloe's long pink hair. It sat there perched beside her star daisy crown, catching every dancing ribbon of pink and blue light.

"A crystal tiara!" Chloe whispered, holding very still so it would not wobble.

Pip tiptoed closer on his fairy shoes. He leaned his head forward, his round eyes wide, peering into the shining drop. "I see me!" he cheered softly. "Look, Blossom, I am upside down inside the water!"

Just then, a frisky breeze skipped through the stalks. Whoosh went the grass, and tilt went the heavy dewdrop. With a quick slide, the droplet slipped down Chloe's pink hair and landed with a soft splash upon the dark soil below.

"Oh!" said Chloe, blinking down at the wet earth.

"Plop!" said Pip.

They all crouched low in the green clover to look where the splash had gone. But Pip tilted his ear. From beneath the thick clover stems came a tiny, tidy scratching sound—scritch, scratch, tap.

"Look there," Pip whispered, pointing his little brown stick toward the tangled roots.

Tucked right between two leafy stalks was a tiny round door made of woven birch twigs. As they watched, the little wooden latch lifted. With a squeaky creak, the door swung open. A warm, honey-colored glow of amber light spilled out from underneath the earth, painting Pip's boots with a cozy golden shine.

"Someone has a parlor down under the hill," Blossom whispered, clapping her hands with delight.

They waited quietly, but whoever lived behind the birch twigs was keeping snug inside, letting the warm light breathe into the meadow. The chilly breeze melted away into a gentle evening sunbeam that warmed Chloe's freckles.

Chloe smiled and sat down comfortably beside the bright cluster of yellow buttercups. She reached out her hands and gathered a bundle of soft, fluffy dandelion puffs. "Let's make a new crown," she said. "A soft one that will not splash!"

Blossom hovered right over Chloe's fingers, holding the slender green stems steady with her fairy hands. Pip pressed his palm against his green shirt pocket to make sure his shiny blue pebble was resting safe inside, then proudly handed Chloe the puffiest white stem of all. Twist went the stems, tuck went the fluffy white heads, round and round until the crown was full and fluffy as a cloud.

Chloe lifted the dandelion wreath and set it gently over her pink hair. Just as she patted it straight, a tiny visitor with a bright red shell and neat black polka dots fluttered down through the sunbeam. The friendly ladybug landed right in the middle of the dandelion fluff, tucking its wings away for a rest.