2. Trouble in Fairyland

Kirsty was whisked through the sky in a whirl of colorful fairy dust. She flew over rivers, mountains, trees, and houses, passing fluffy white clouds on the way. Soon, she saw the red-and-white toadstool houses of Fairyland below her. There was the river, winding its way through the green hills. The water sparkled like diamonds in the golden sunshine. The wind was bringing Kirsty down now, close to the silver Fairy Palace and its pretty pink towers. Kirsty could see King Oberon and Queen Titania waiting for her with a group of fairies. And next to the queen was someone else that Kirsty knew very well.

"Rachel!" called Kirsty. Rachel rushed over as Kirsty landed gently on the grass. "I came the same way you did," Rachel explained excitedly, giving Kirsty a hug. "My snow globe broke, and the fairy dust brought me here." "Do you know why?" asked Kirsty. Rachel shook her head as the king and queen and their fairies joined the girls. "It's wonderful to see you both," said Queen Titania, smiling. "But I'm afraid we need your help again," she added, looking worried. "I hope you don't mind us bringing you here like this," King Oberon said. "Of course not!" Kirsty said eagerly. "Is something wrong?" The queen sighed. "I'm afraid that Jack Frost is up to his old tricks

again." Rachel looked shocked. "But he promised not to harm the Rainbow Fairies anymore!" she said, glancing up at the sky with a shiver. The sun had disappeared, and it had turned suddenly chilly. "That's true," Queen Titania replied. "Unfortunately, he didn't promise not to harm our Weather Fairies!" She waved her hand at the seven fairies standing nearby. "You mean this strange weather is all because of Jack Frost?" asked Kirsty, as sunshine broke through the gray clouds again. The queen nodded. "Doodle, our weather vane rooster, is in charge of Fairyland's weather," she explained. "Doodle's tail is made up of seven beautiful feathers. Each feather controls one kind of weather." "Every morning, Doodle decides on the best weather for every part of Fairyland," the king went on. "Then he gives each Weather Fairy the correct feather, and they go off to do their weather work." Rachel and Kirsty were listening hard. "Come with us," said the queen. "We'll show you what's happened." The king and queen led Rachel and Kirsty into the palace gardens and over to a golden pond.

The queen scattered some fairy dust onto the water, and it began to fizz and bubble. After a moment, the water grew still and clear. A picture began to appear on the surface. It showed a beautiful rooster with a magnificent tail of red, gold, and copper-colored feathers. "That's Doodle," the queen explained. "Yesterday morning he planned the weather for Fairyland, like he always does." Rachel and Kirsty watched as Doodle flew to the top of the palace

and perched on one of the pink towers. He spun slowly around, gazing out over the hills of Fairyland. Then he nodded his feathery head and flew down again. "Jack Frost has always helped Doodle and our Weather Fairies with the winter weather," the king continued. "There's so much work, with all the ice and snow and frost. But now it's summer, and Jack Frost has nothing to do." "So he's bored," the queen put in. "And that means trouble! Look.…" She pointed at the pictures appearing on the water. Doodle was standing on the palace steps, waiting for the Weather Fairies to collect their feathers.

Kirsty gasped. "Look, Rachel!" she cried. "The goblins!" Rachel remembered the goblins. They were Jack Frost's servants, and they were mean and selfish. They had big feet, pointed noses, and ugly faces. Seven goblins were creeping toward Doodle. The rooster did not see them until it was too late. The goblins reached out and snatched Doodle's tail feathers. Then, they ran away with the feathers, laughing as they went. "Oh, no!" said Kirsty, as the rooster chased after the goblins. "Poor Doodle!" "It gets worse." The queen sighed. "The goblins escaped into the human world, and Doodle followed them. And now Doodle is very far away from Fairyland, and without his magic tail feathers, his powers just won't work," she explained.