6. Flying High

Flying High "Thank you!" Kirsty and Rachel called to the baby deer. She blinked her long eyelashes at them and trotted away. A blackbird with shiny, dark feathers was sitting on the wall nearby. He hopped over to them. "I'm here to take you to the pot at the end of the rainbow," he chirped. "All aboard!" Fluffy looked sad as Fern, Rachel, and Kirsty slid off his back and climbed onto the blackbird. It was a tight squeeze, and the bird's feathers felt

smooth and silky after Fluffy's thick fur. "Good-bye, Fluffy!" called Rachel. She blew him a kiss. "And thank you!" She felt sad to leave their new friend behind. Then the blackbird soared into the air. "Look for the big weeping willow tree," Rachel told the blackbird as he swooped over the meadow. "I can't wait to see my sisters again," said Fern, sounding very excited. The blackbird flew over the woods and landed in the clearing near the willow tree. Rachel, Kirsty, and Fern jumped down onto the grass, calling good-bye to the blackbird. "Who's there?" croaked a stern voice. A plump, green frog hopped out from under the hanging branches of the tree. "Bertram, it's me!" Fern called. Quickly, the fairy waved her wand, and Rachel and Kirsty shot up to their normal size again. "Miss Fern!" Bertram said joyfully. "You're back!"

"We followed the fireflies," Fern said, giving the frog a hug. "Thank you for sending them." "We saw the sparkler in the sky," Bertram explained, "so we knew you were in trouble. But you'll be safe here," he went on. "The pot is hidden under the tree. The goblins have no idea that it's here!" Rachel and Kirsty hurried over and pulled aside the long branches. The pot at the end of the rainbow lay there on its side.

Suddenly, a fountain of red, orange, and yellow fairy dust whooshed out of the pot. Ruby, Amber, and Sunny flew out, looking very excited. A big queen bee buzzed out behind them. "Fern!" Ruby called. "You're safe! It's so good to see you!"

Rachel and Kirsty beamed as they watched the fairies hug one another. The air around them fizzed and popped with red flowers, orange bubbles, yellow butterflies, and green leaves. "We really missed you," said Sunny. The bee nudged her with a tiny feeler. "Oh, sorry, Queenie," said Sunny. "This is my sister Fern." Queenie buzzed, "Hello!" "How did you get back so quickly?" asked Amber. "We sent the fireflies only a little while ago." "Our forest friends helped us," Fern said. She waved as the blackbird flew off. "Especially Fluffy the squirrel." She sighed. "It was sad to leave him behind."

Ruby laughed. "Who's that, then?" she asked, pointing at a tree on the other side of the clearing. Rachel and Kirsty looked, too. Fluffy was peeking at them from behind the tree trunk, looking very shy. "Fluffy!" Fern flew over and hugged him. "What are you doing here?"