concentrated. Her light blazed more strongly.
“Thank you,” Orren said gruffly.
A few moments later, they stepped into a large cavern. Fira spun slowly. Glittering gems lined the walls. They reflected Fira’s light with brilliant reds, greens, and blues. Fira felt refreshed, as if her wings had been washed with cool water on a hot summer day. Her glow brightened.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Precious said. Her voice sounded lighter to Fira. Almost happy.
Precious reached out and touched one of the gems. Fira could tell that Precious loved these rocks, just as Fira loved light. They were her joy. Fira gave Precious an understanding smile. Precious smiled back. Then she added in her gloomy way, “But we need to keep moving.”
The expedition trudged forward. “Here it is,” announced Orren. Fira stopped. They stood in another large opening. But this cavern had no jewels. Its walls were smooth and bare.
“We can begin,” Orren told the others.
Each miner took a tool.
Fira sat in the center of the chamber. She cast her light into one corner, then another. She tried to brighten each spot in the cavern.
If they mine as slowly as they walk, Fira thought, we’ll be here until the next full moon.
But the miners were as quick as lightning. They struck the walls with picks. They hacked away at stones with axes. They shoveled bits of ore into the mouse cart.
“Try this area!” Precious directed. “Go deeper over there!”
Fira drew on all her strength to keep the room lit.
In just a little while, the cart was filled. “Our job is done,” Orren said. “We can go.”
The group started retracing their steps. Fira slipped on a stone and faltered. She righted herself. But something was wrong. Her glow was dimming. Full moon or no full moon, she felt more tired than she’d ever felt before.
I can’t keep up my glow, she thought.
After a few more steps, they entered Crystal Cave. Fira hoped that the bright gems would help her once again.
Whoosh! A sharp gust of wind blew through the cavern. It hit Fira full force. She shook with the chill.
“Oh, no!” she moaned. Her glow flickered, then went out.
The jewels shone dimly. Fira guessed that the gems were picking up bits of light from the low, dim glows of the miners.
“Too dark,” said Orren. “Can’t make out much of anything.”
“Not even the way out,” Precious said with a shrug.
“We can’t leave Crystal Cave!” Fira cried. “We can’t go anywhere at all!”
They were trapped!
“U H-HUH ,” O RREN AGREED with Fira. “We’re stuck, all right.”
“Looks like we’re goners,” Precious added in a flat tone.
The other miners shuffled their feet. Some sat, leaning against big rocks. One miner twiddled her thumbs. Another scratched an itch.
Orren poured cups of water for everyone from a chestnut-shell canteen.
Nobody panicked. Nobody cried out in fear. They settled on the ground and accepted their fate. Even the mice stood quietly.
“I’m not giving up!” Fira said.
But what could she do? They were so far underground. So far from light.
The only thing she could do was rest…and see if her glow came back.
She found a corner where the gems twinkled the most brightly. Sitting back against the wall, she closed her eyes.
A heaviness settled over her wings. She felt herself drift. Seconds passed, then minutes. Finally, Fira sat up with a start. Had she even slept? She didn’t think so. She was too anxious.
“Feeling better?” Orren asked.
Fira wasn’t sure. A blast of cool air blew through the cavern. She shivered. She hadn’t felt cold when the expedition had kept moving. But now that they were staying in one spot, she felt chilled to the bone. Her stomach rumbled with hunger.
“I’ll try to glow now,” she told Orren.
Fira took a deep breath. Her glow flickered, strong and bright. She grinned. It was working! But then, as if a switch had turned it off, the light snuffed out.
Fira took another breath and tried with
“Thank you,” Orren said gruffly.
A few moments later, they stepped into a large cavern. Fira spun slowly. Glittering gems lined the walls. They reflected Fira’s light with brilliant reds, greens, and blues. Fira felt refreshed, as if her wings had been washed with cool water on a hot summer day. Her glow brightened.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Precious said. Her voice sounded lighter to Fira. Almost happy.
Precious reached out and touched one of the gems. Fira could tell that Precious loved these rocks, just as Fira loved light. They were her joy. Fira gave Precious an understanding smile. Precious smiled back. Then she added in her gloomy way, “But we need to keep moving.”
The expedition trudged forward. “Here it is,” announced Orren. Fira stopped. They stood in another large opening. But this cavern had no jewels. Its walls were smooth and bare.
“We can begin,” Orren told the others.
Each miner took a tool.
Fira sat in the center of the chamber. She cast her light into one corner, then another. She tried to brighten each spot in the cavern.
If they mine as slowly as they walk, Fira thought, we’ll be here until the next full moon.
But the miners were as quick as lightning. They struck the walls with picks. They hacked away at stones with axes. They shoveled bits of ore into the mouse cart.
“Try this area!” Precious directed. “Go deeper over there!”
Fira drew on all her strength to keep the room lit.
In just a little while, the cart was filled. “Our job is done,” Orren said. “We can go.”
The group started retracing their steps. Fira slipped on a stone and faltered. She righted herself. But something was wrong. Her glow was dimming. Full moon or no full moon, she felt more tired than she’d ever felt before.
I can’t keep up my glow, she thought.
After a few more steps, they entered Crystal Cave. Fira hoped that the bright gems would help her once again.
Whoosh! A sharp gust of wind blew through the cavern. It hit Fira full force. She shook with the chill.
“Oh, no!” she moaned. Her glow flickered, then went out.
The jewels shone dimly. Fira guessed that the gems were picking up bits of light from the low, dim glows of the miners.
“Too dark,” said Orren. “Can’t make out much of anything.”
“Not even the way out,” Precious said with a shrug.
“We can’t leave Crystal Cave!” Fira cried. “We can’t go anywhere at all!”
They were trapped!
“U H-HUH ,” O RREN AGREED with Fira. “We’re stuck, all right.”
“Looks like we’re goners,” Precious added in a flat tone.
The other miners shuffled their feet. Some sat, leaning against big rocks. One miner twiddled her thumbs. Another scratched an itch.
Orren poured cups of water for everyone from a chestnut-shell canteen.
Nobody panicked. Nobody cried out in fear. They settled on the ground and accepted their fate. Even the mice stood quietly.
“I’m not giving up!” Fira said.
But what could she do? They were so far underground. So far from light.
The only thing she could do was rest…and see if her glow came back.
She found a corner where the gems twinkled the most brightly. Sitting back against the wall, she closed her eyes.
A heaviness settled over her wings. She felt herself drift. Seconds passed, then minutes. Finally, Fira sat up with a start. Had she even slept? She didn’t think so. She was too anxious.
“Feeling better?” Orren asked.
Fira wasn’t sure. A blast of cool air blew through the cavern. She shivered. She hadn’t felt cold when the expedition had kept moving. But now that they were staying in one spot, she felt chilled to the bone. Her stomach rumbled with hunger.
“I’ll try to glow now,” she told Orren.
Fira took a deep breath. Her glow flickered, strong and bright. She grinned. It was working! But then, as if a switch had turned it off, the light snuffed out.
Fira took another breath and tried with
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