Twinklestar

The first day of pixie-school was a disaster. Twinklestar's father had been transferred from the far side of the forest, and she and her parents had just moved in. Twink kicked at the fluff of a dandelion, and a shower of tiny white umbrellas danced on the wind.

"I hate it here--all the other kids just stared at me." The corners of her lips pulled her whole pixie face into a frown. The sight of her wing-tips caught her eye.

"Why did I have to be born with blue wings, anyway?" she grumbled to the dragonfly that buzzed toward her. It hovered in front of her and looked sympathetic, although it didn't seem to have any answers. "Why can't mine be clear and normal like everyone else's?"

The insect's beautiful clear wings carried it away. Twink sighed, and tears clouded her vision.

Crying and flying don't mix very well in a busy forest. Twinklestar didn't see the web until it was too late. She tried to back-wing but she was too close. Twang! Her tiny body was stuck fast.

Fear replaced the sorrow in Twink's round blue eyes. She held her breath. If she struggled, the spider would feel the vibrations and the pixie would wind up as someone's lunch.

It was a matter of moments before the strands began to move. The spider had felt her hit its trap. She could see its long, jointed legs as they moved closer. Twink was in big trouble.

The first day of second grade was a disaster. Mickie gave a disgusted sigh as the doors of the school bus closed behind him. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, and didn't turn to wave as the big yellow bus pulled away. There was nobody to wave to.

"I hate being the new kid," he complained to the dragonfly that buzzed around his head. He raised a hand to give it a swat, but changed his mind. "Hey, I'll take any company I can get." The dragonfly flew away.

"You, too, huh?" He watched it disappear in the direction of the pond.

Mom had promised that this was their last move. Dad had a great job in a town not too far away, and the family was happy with their little plot of country land. All summer long things had gone great. Their vegetable garden had been a huge success. For the first time in his life, Mickie enjoyed eating broccoli--after all, he had grown it himself.

School was another story. Being the new kid in school was bad enough, but his small size and large glasses made him stand out. He always had a hard time making friends.

Mickie could have walked up the lane from the bus stop, but the forest was cooler. He had explored its paths all summer and knew every twist and turn. He decided to check on the huge spider web near the old stone wall. Mickie had watched it grow from a tiny silver circle to the size of a wagon wheel. The spider that spun it was huge and brown and hairy, but Mickie wasn't afraid of spiders.

"Oh, wow! A butterfly!" The boy pushed his glasses up his nose again and took a step toward the web. "What beautiful blue wings!"

The delicate creature was caught in the spider's trap, and the web's hungry owner was approaching. Mickie knew all about the balance of nature and that spiders had to eat--but there was something special about this butterfly. He decided to rescue it--let the spider feast on flies. There certainly were enough of them to go around.

How could he free the pretty insect without destroying the spider's summer-long work? He reached out a cautious hand--and stopped.

"Whoa! That's no butterfly!" Mickie bent over the web and stared.

The butterfly had the body of a tiny girl! Her eyes were filled with fear. "Get me out of here! Quick!"

Mickie had no idea what he had found, but he didn't hesitate. He plucked the miniature human from the web, and the tattered strands floated to the forest floor. She sat in his palm, breathing hard, and he brushed the sticky stuff from her brilliant blue wings.

"Who . . . what are you?"

"Thanks! My name's Twinklestar." Her musical voice was almost too small to hear. "I'm a pixie--and I'm new around here. Otherwise I'd have known about that web." She pouted, angry at herself.

Mickie grinned at the look on her face.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. I just think you're . . . cute. I never met a pixie before." He lifted her closer to get a better look. "I'm new, too. My name's Mickie."

Twinklestar reached out a tiny little hand, and Mickie stretched the tip of his forefinger toward her. Her fingers tickled as they shook, and both faces lit up with beaming smiles.

"Hey, Mickie," the pixie said, her head tilted hopefully to one side. "I don't suppose you need a friend. . . . "

©1994, Gayle Nastasi