5 Applesauce Stew

5 Applesauce Stew The next morning, Violet woke up early and opened her dresser drawer. Inside, Sprite was curled up in a soft pair of socks. "Wake up, Sprite!" Violet said. "We need to look in The Book of Tricks before we go to school!" Queen Mab, the fairy queen, had given Sprite the special book. It told how to trick all the escaped pixies.

Sprite took the book out of his bag and turned the pages. "Here's Fixit's page," he said. There was a blank space where Fixit's picture should be. His picture would only appear once he was caught. Sprite read the poem out loud. Fixit the elf is angry and snappy. To trick him, you must make him happy.

Sprite's wings fluttered. "That can't be too hard!" he said, excited. "We could tell him a joke. Or..." "We can figure it out together after school," Violet said. On the walk to school, Violet and Sprite told Leon what they'd learned. When they got to class, Violet slipped Sprite into her desk. "Please pass up your science homework," said their teacher, Ms. Rose.

Violet took her homework out of her backpack. Then she froze. She had done math homework, not science homework. Other kids looked worried, too. No one passed up their papers. "What's the matter, class?" Ms. Rose asked. Brittany raised her hand. "Ms. Rose, I did math homework." "Me, too!" other kids joined in. Ms. Rose shook her head. "What an odd mix-up, she said. "You can do the science homework tonight." Violet sighed, relieved. At least I'm not the only one, she thought. But that sure is strange.

The rest of the morning went smoothly. When the lunch bell rang, Violet put Sprite in her hoodie pocket. "Thank goodness," Sprite whispered. "I'm hungry." But when Violet and Leon got to the lunchroom, something was wrong. Two of the cafeteria workers were arguing. "I said to put tomato sauce in that stew!" one woman said. "Not applesauce!"

"Your message said applesauce!" said the other woman. "But I didn't—" the lunch ladies stopped when they noticed the students. The first woman spoke. "You're in for a special treat today, kids!" she said, trying to smile. "Applesauce stew!" Violet looked at Leon. Applesauce stew? Violet got her lunch and sat down with Brittany and Anna. She picked at the cold, mushy mess in her bowl. Over at the next table, Evan was showing off his new mini car to Leon. "This one's a sports car," he said, holding onto the car as he rolled it across the table.