Lily's Pesky Plant Read Online Free PDF Page B

along.
    When a weaving-talent fairy tried to collect sweetgrass to weave her baskets, the garden fairies snubbed her. The cooking-talent fairies argued with the harvest-talent fairies, and as a result, no one got any lunch. Hungry and cross, a light fairy snapped at a water fairy. The water fairy splashed her, and soon the light fairies and the water fairies weren’t speaking to each other. Each talent group was annoyed with the other.
    Lily stayed away from the Home Tree. She spent the whole day sitting in the skimpy shade of the mysterious plant. And after a lot of thinking, she came to a decision.
    “If the fairies of Pixie Hollow decide that the plant should be cut down, I must not stand in their way,” Lily told herself. It pained her to say it. But she knew that the most important thing was keeping the peace in the fairy kingdom.
    “I only hope they don’t make me do it,” she added. Lily had never swung an axe in her life. She didn’t think she would be able to.
    Just then, Spring, a message-talent fairy, flew quickly into the garden. She landed next to Lily.
    Spring seemed to be out of breath. She took a couple of deep gulps of air. “I have a message from the queen,” she managed at last.
    Lily nodded and waited.
    “The meeting has been changed. All fairies are to meet in the courtyard at sundown,” Spring explained.
    Lily’s eyes widened. But it wasn’t only because of the message. Something strange was happening behind Spring’s head.
    A yellow fruit the size of a gooseberry was growing from one of the plant’s branches. And it seemed to be getting bigger before Lily’s eyes!
    “There has been too much fighting,” Spring went on. She hadn’t noticed Lily’s startled expression. “The queen doesn’t want to wait until tomorrow to settle this.”
    But Lily wasn’t listening. She gaped at the fruit. It had already grown to the size of a small grape.
    I can’t let Spring see this , Lily thought. She’ll tell the queen, and then the plant will be cut down for sure!
    Quickly, Lily jumped up. She whisked her daisy-petal sun hat off her head and hung it over the rapidly growing fruit.

    Spring turned to face her.
    Lily smiled innocently. “Courtyard at sundown,” she repeated. “I’ll be there.” She was eager to get Spring out of her garden as quickly as possible.
    Spring nodded. “Good. Well, I’m off. I’ve got to get the message to the rest of the fairy kingdom. If you see anyone, you’ll be sure to let them know?”
    “Yes—oh!” Lily gasped. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another odd fruit growing from a branch nearby.
    “What is it?” Spring started to turn.
    Lily sprang into the air, blocking Spring’s view. She hovered there, dramatically clutching her foot. Think fast, Lily told herself. “I mean—ow! I just stepped on a pine needle!” she exclaimed.
    Spring looked at the ground. There was no pine needle in sight. In fact, there wasn’t a pine tree anywhere near Lily’s garden. She gave Lily a curious look.
    “Well, then, see you tonight,” Spring said.
    Lily nodded. “Fly safely,” she sang cheerily.
    When Spring was gone, Lily breathed a sigh of relief. Then she stepped back to look at the plant. Yellow fruits with bumpy skin were growing from all its branches. They got bigger and bigger before Lily’s eyes. And, Lily noticed with dismay, uglier and uglier.
    Lily clutched her head unhappily. If anyone saw the plant now…She couldn’t finish the thought.
    She glanced at the sun. It was low in the sky—almost time for the sunset meeting.
    If I can keep anyone from seeing the plant before then, Lily thought, there might still be a chance to save it .

T HE SUN WAS sinking on the horizon as the fairies made their way to the roots of the Home Tree. Already the courtyard was in shadow. Light fairies posted themselves all around its edges, brightening the space with their glow.
    When all the fairies were present, Queen Ree took her place before the