slime.”
Landy shakes his head. “You guys are bonkers. What about you and Sunny, Mollie? What letters did you get?”
“Sunny’s was a
C
and my slug was too lazy to move,” Mollie says.
“I’m glad you all like fortune-telling and magic,” Landy says. “I knew you guys were the right people for this trip.”
“Is that a clue?” Mollie asks.
“Might be,” he says. “This way.”
We follow him over the stone stile, into the trees, and then along the winding forest path. The air smells musty, of rotting leaves and damp moss. On one side of us is the lake, and on the other is the Atlantic Ocean. It’s amazing to think that the next piece of land is America. Cara Woods is not a place any of us go very often. During the summer and at weekends, it’s full of tourists hiking, but today we’re completely alone.
Landy stops suddenly in front of a gnarly old oak tree, and points at its base.
“There,” he says and steps back so that we can all see.
I peer at the tree trunk and then I spot it – a small wooden door, pointed at the top like a church door. Its doorstep is covered in coins and tiny metal trinkets, like the ones on my charm bracelet.
Min gasps. “What is it?”
“The door to a fairy house,” Landy says.
Her eyes widen. “Have you tried opening it?”
He shakes his head. “No. You try, Min.”
Min crouches down and pulls gently on the miniscule metal door handle. “Doesn’t work.”
“Maybe you need a secret password that only the fairies know,” Landy suggests.
Min’s eyes light up. “I bet you’re right.
Salla kazoom!
” she says, waving her hands in the air like a magician. Then she attempts to open the door again, but nothing happens, which is hardly surprising –
salla kazoom
is not exactly the most inspired fairy password.
“It’s an amazing door, isn’t it, Sunny?” Mollie says.
I nod.
“When did you find it?” she asks Landy.
“I spotted it the other day when I was down here with Dad cutting up fallen trees for firewood. It’s not the only door I’ve found either. I’ve counted three so far and there may be more hidden deeper in the woods.”
Mollie stares down at the door again. “Who made them, do you think? It wasn’t you or your dad, was it?”
Landy laughs. “I wish. Whoever made that door is a woodwork genius.”
“I thought you said it was the fairies,” Min says, sounding cross. She must have believed what Landy told us. But if Min had read anything at all about the Little People, she would know that they keep themselves well hidden. They’d never let humans see their doorways.
“Maybe it is, Min,” Landy says. “I’m not ruling it out.”
“Really?” Mollie asks, surprised.
He shrugs. “There must be something behind all those old fairy myths. And look at all the coins and things that people have left on the doorstep. They’re gifts for the fairies. To grant wishes. In fact, we should all make a wish right now and leave an offering. Here you go.” Landy reaches into his pocket and then hands each of us a coin.
“Thanks, Landy,” Min says, her eyes twinkling at him. She really does have it bad.
Mollie and Min place their coins on the doorstep.
I hold mine tightly in my hand.
“Sunny?” Mollie says. “Aren’t you going to make a wish?”
What’s the point? If the Little People do exist, they know what I want. It’s what I’ve wanted for years – to be able to speak.
I’m sorry, fairies
, I think as I place my coin on the pile.
I’m happy to give you this coin, but right now I’m all wished out
.
“Can we see the other fairy houses now?” Min asks, hopping from foot to foot.
Mollie rolls her eyes at me and I smile. Min’s so impatient, but I’m glad to see she’s back to her usual self. I was beginning to wonder what I’d done to annoy her.
We find the second one easily – a midnight-blue door set into the earth under a big twisted tree root. The third one is harder to spot.
“I think it’s down
Landy shakes his head. “You guys are bonkers. What about you and Sunny, Mollie? What letters did you get?”
“Sunny’s was a
C
and my slug was too lazy to move,” Mollie says.
“I’m glad you all like fortune-telling and magic,” Landy says. “I knew you guys were the right people for this trip.”
“Is that a clue?” Mollie asks.
“Might be,” he says. “This way.”
We follow him over the stone stile, into the trees, and then along the winding forest path. The air smells musty, of rotting leaves and damp moss. On one side of us is the lake, and on the other is the Atlantic Ocean. It’s amazing to think that the next piece of land is America. Cara Woods is not a place any of us go very often. During the summer and at weekends, it’s full of tourists hiking, but today we’re completely alone.
Landy stops suddenly in front of a gnarly old oak tree, and points at its base.
“There,” he says and steps back so that we can all see.
I peer at the tree trunk and then I spot it – a small wooden door, pointed at the top like a church door. Its doorstep is covered in coins and tiny metal trinkets, like the ones on my charm bracelet.
Min gasps. “What is it?”
“The door to a fairy house,” Landy says.
Her eyes widen. “Have you tried opening it?”
He shakes his head. “No. You try, Min.”
Min crouches down and pulls gently on the miniscule metal door handle. “Doesn’t work.”
“Maybe you need a secret password that only the fairies know,” Landy suggests.
Min’s eyes light up. “I bet you’re right.
Salla kazoom!
” she says, waving her hands in the air like a magician. Then she attempts to open the door again, but nothing happens, which is hardly surprising –
salla kazoom
is not exactly the most inspired fairy password.
“It’s an amazing door, isn’t it, Sunny?” Mollie says.
I nod.
“When did you find it?” she asks Landy.
“I spotted it the other day when I was down here with Dad cutting up fallen trees for firewood. It’s not the only door I’ve found either. I’ve counted three so far and there may be more hidden deeper in the woods.”
Mollie stares down at the door again. “Who made them, do you think? It wasn’t you or your dad, was it?”
Landy laughs. “I wish. Whoever made that door is a woodwork genius.”
“I thought you said it was the fairies,” Min says, sounding cross. She must have believed what Landy told us. But if Min had read anything at all about the Little People, she would know that they keep themselves well hidden. They’d never let humans see their doorways.
“Maybe it is, Min,” Landy says. “I’m not ruling it out.”
“Really?” Mollie asks, surprised.
He shrugs. “There must be something behind all those old fairy myths. And look at all the coins and things that people have left on the doorstep. They’re gifts for the fairies. To grant wishes. In fact, we should all make a wish right now and leave an offering. Here you go.” Landy reaches into his pocket and then hands each of us a coin.
“Thanks, Landy,” Min says, her eyes twinkling at him. She really does have it bad.
Mollie and Min place their coins on the doorstep.
I hold mine tightly in my hand.
“Sunny?” Mollie says. “Aren’t you going to make a wish?”
What’s the point? If the Little People do exist, they know what I want. It’s what I’ve wanted for years – to be able to speak.
I’m sorry, fairies
, I think as I place my coin on the pile.
I’m happy to give you this coin, but right now I’m all wished out
.
“Can we see the other fairy houses now?” Min asks, hopping from foot to foot.
Mollie rolls her eyes at me and I smile. Min’s so impatient, but I’m glad to see she’s back to her usual self. I was beginning to wonder what I’d done to annoy her.
We find the second one easily – a midnight-blue door set into the earth under a big twisted tree root. The third one is harder to spot.
“I think it’s down
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