thread and magic

"Do you hear that?" Alyssa said in a very hushed tone.

"WHAT," Michael said in a too loud voice that all four year old brothers posses.

"shhhhhhhhh," she said wildly waving her one arm while putting a finger from her other hand to her lips. She stopped and listened. Nothing. Then a few moments later she heard it again. Crying, not whimpering so much as a frustrated crying that comes from things going badly and not knowing how to fix them.

"That. Do you hear that? and for heavens sakes do be quiet."

He listened. Yes there it was again. He stopped. Wide-eyed he exclaimed very softly, which is most unusal for little brothers, "I do hear it."

"I think its coming from over by grandma's lilac bush Let's go look but walk softly and stay by me." Being the older sister she was permitted to be somewhat bossy on occasion - if it was called for.

They crept across the lawn on tiptoe. If someone had been watching they would have looked quite ridiculous but of course no one really pays much heed to little children unless they are making a fuss.

The crying apparently had also caught the attention of Whiskers, grandmother's large tabby who was also creeping across the yard from the other direction.

"Who do you suppose it might be?" Michael asked.

"I don't know," Abigail said looking around. "But we shall know soon enough."

Just then the cat spotted the children and ran off in the other direction not wanting another session of tail pulling by the little boy.

As the smell of lilacs grew stronger the sound of muttering could be heard ever so softly from under the bush.

And as they peered through the bushes they saw her kick at the wing that had come undone. Dressed in a beautiful dress of lavendar and palest green she looked every bit the princess but she was certainly acting in a most unprincessly manner, stomping her little foot and muttering and kicking at undone wing. Clearly the thread that had held it on (of course everyone knows that thread and magic is what keeps fairies' wings attached)had come unravelled and would need to be resown.

(to be continued)