Ms Joan’s Fairy Dolls

By Carrie Hetzel

Ms Joan’s Fairy Dolls

Helping someone can lead to surprises.

I skipped to the back door and grabbed my white polka-dot red garden boots. I have a job.  My mom lets me go to my neighbour Ms Joan’s house and help her outside. Mom says it is good to help people.

I help Ms Joan by watering her flowers and pulling weeds in her back garden. I go to her house every Tuesday. She lives three houses down from us. My mom always walks me to her house. Ms Joan wears sunglasses over her glasses and a big straw hat. She has a nice smile. I like her.

“Tina, I have a surprise for you!” Ms Joan pointed to a corner of her yard where there were two little houses about six inches high. One looked like a cupcake with a door and windows. The other had a round red top with white spots, and the base was white with a door and a window. Getting closer, I noticed it was a mushroom. The polka dots were a little bigger than the ones on my boots. That was my favourite one.

“Oh, Ms Joan, little houses!” I was delighted.

“After we pull weeds and water the plants, you and I can play with them before your mom comes to get you,” said Ms Joan.

I was so excited. I wanted to run over and play with them right away. But Ms Joan gave me the watering can, and I had to do my job. I kept looking over the little houses. It seemed to take longer to water and pull the weeds that day.

“Tina, you finish watering that row of marigolds. I’ll go to the garage and get something. I won’t be a minute.”

I nodded and glanced over at the little houses.

Ms Joan came out with a wooden box. She motioned me to a bench near the little houses. Setting the box down, she opened the hinged lid, and there were five fairy dolls in beautiful dresses.

Ms Joan lifted the fairy in the light blue dress and handed it to me. “Tina, this is Bluebell.” I held her very carefully and marvelled at her beautiful, black, curly hair and sparkling wings.

“Oh my, I forgot our lemonade and animal crackers! Will you take the rest of the fairies out of the box and set them out for me? “

As I was emptying the box, I knocked the wing off a yellow-dressed fairy. Scared of what Ms Joan would do, I hid the fairy and her broken wing underneath the bench.

“Here I come!” called Ms Joan. “Wow, Tina, I like how you put Bluebell on top of the mushroom house.”

Ms Joan handed me lemonade and motioned me to take a cracker.

“Why the sad face?” asked Ms Joan. “Oh, you must be tired from all that nice work you did. Let’s have a picnic with the fairies!” chuckled Ms Joan. “The yellow fairy is my favourite. Now, where is she?”

I hung my head. Ms Joan looked concerned. She spotted the fairy under the bench and understood that I had broken it.

“I’m sorry, Ms Joan.” I started to cry.

“Oh, Tina,” She patted my hand. “Please don’t worry about it, deary.”

She picked up the wingless fairy from under the bench like nothing happened and said to her, “Hi Buttercup, would you like some lemonade?”

We enjoyed our picnic with the fairies. Besides Buttercup and Bluebell, there were Rose, Marigold and Violet.

- Total nr. of readings: 210 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.