2 A Fairy

2 A Fairy? Violet jumped back. The tiny person flew out of the hole. He floated in the air in front of Violet's face. "Hello there," he said. Violet tried to speak. But she couldn't. Not yet. She stared at the little creature. He was about as tall as a pencil. He had green eyes and pointy ears. His skin was pale green. And his hair was a very light yellow.

Violet thought his clothes were made from leaves. But the most amazing thing about him was his wings. They shimmered in the air. They looked like they were made of rainbows. "I said, HELLO!" said the creature. Violet closed her eyes. She must be seeing things. Violet counted to three. She opened her eyes. The creature was still there.

"Are you all right?" he asked. His wings fluttered. "Are you a fairy?" Violet whispered. "Yes," said the fairy. "My name is Sprite of the Green Petals from the Whispering Woods. But you can call me Sprite." "I'm Violet," she said quietly. "Are you eight years old?" Sprite asked. Violet nodded slowly. How did he know that? she wondered. Sprite grinned. He held out a large marble. "I got this from the toad. I think it's yours." Violet didn't move. Was she really talking to a fairy? Could it be real? She looked at Sprite carefully. There were no wires or strings holding him in the air. And he was solid, like a real thing. Not flat like a picture.

He must be real, Violet thought. Violet slowly took the marble from the fairy's tiny hands. "Thank you," Violet said. "I'm glad I could help," Sprite said with a bow. "And now I need you to help me!" "Me? How can I help you?" Violet asked. She knew about fairies. She had read about fairies who gave out wishes. But she had never heard of a fairy who asked for help. Especially from an eight-year-old girl! Sprite flew right up to Violet's face. His wings tickled her nose. "You must help me," Sprite said. "Your world is in great danger!"