Clara and the Magical Charms (2 page)

Sylva Bell

and baby Squeak

The five Bell sisters—and their friend Poppy Flower—were making their way back from fairy school, which had let out early today, as the snow was falling fast and thick. They darted between snowflakes as they flew.

“Gnomes
are
lots of fun,” said Goldie, “even if too many of them wear those awful pointy hats.”

“I like their hats!” said Rosy.

“Tutu!” said Squeak.

“Me three!” said Sylva. “And I don't mind what they wear as long as they're not too good at sports. Because I want to beat them all at the Valentine's Games.”

That's another thing the fairies love about February: the Valentine's Games. I won't tell you about them now, as Rosy will tell us about them in a moment or two,
if
you can be patient.

“The only way you'd beat
all
the gnomes in your very first year of competition,” said Goldie, “is if you used magic, which unfortunately we don't have much of yet.”

“Not true!” said Sylva. “I've been training! Besides, I'll have lots of magic soon.”

“Not too soon, I hope,” said Rosy. “We still have some growing up to do before we get our magical powers.” Rosy gave Sylva a hug on the wing. “But I'm sure when you do you'll be as magical as Tink herself.”

That made Sylva smile. And though none of her sisters saw it, Rosy's words made Clara smile, too. She wasn't ready to tell her sisters—yet—but she knew her magical powers were growing. She had been practicing her fairy charms since her last birthday, and she could already make a bell ring without touching it. (She was a Bell sister, after all!) Just last week, she'd taught herself how to make a rose bloom in the snow. Right now, she was working on her sparkle charm. That was a tricky one.

As Clara flew toward home, she thought about something that had happened long ago, when she was a very young fairy. She had noticed a tiny grasshopper in the tall grass near Lupine Pond. Its leg was broken, so it could not hop or even sing a grasshopper song to summon help. (Grasshoppers use their legs to make their songs!) Clara had known she didn't have a hope of helping the grasshopper—she hadn't even started learning charms yet at school. But she couldn't bear to see the injured insect. Then all at once, she recalled a charm she'd heard her big sister, Tinker Bell, recite once, long ago. How did it go?

Clear as crystal, Clara heard Tink's voice in her head. She closed her eyes, stretched out her arms, and said:

Harm and hurt

And pain no more.

Feel this power,

From my core.

May you be

Sound as a bell.

May my magic

Make you well!

Clara had felt faint and dizzy, and it took a few moments before she was well enough to open her eyes again. She steadied herself and looked at the grasshopper. It hadn't hopped away. It was exactly where she had first seen it. Her charm had failed!

But the very next moment she heard a tiny little
chirrp
coming from her grasshopper friend. That could only mean . . .

“Your leg has healed!” she'd cried.

Then she'd heard a voice behind her. “Clara. Clara Bell.”

It was Queen Mab! Clara had nearly jumped out of her wings.

“Were you using magic?”

Clara almost had not dared to speak to the queen. But Queen Mab had asked her a question, and she could not let it go unanswered. “I was, Your Majesty,” she'd said.

“The healing charm is very powerful, Clara Bell. Did you learn it from Tinker Bell?”

“I did, Queen Mab.”

“Tink should know better than to teach that to you. It takes life to heal life.”

Clara wasn't exactly sure what Queen Mab had meant when she said that. But she had curtsied deeply. “Forgive me, my queen,” she'd said.

“Do not be ashamed, Clara Bell. You are a young fairy right now, but you have a gift for magic. You will be a very great fairy one day.”

Clara could hardly believe her ears. “I will?” she'd asked in a whisper.

“Yes, Clara Bell, you will,” Queen Mab had replied.

Clara had never forgotten that encounter with the queen. (Would you?) In fact, Queen Mab's words had given Clara great confidence her whole life.

However, I'd better warn you: If you're looking for a story where a very confident fairy sails along making clever decisions, always acting prudently, and never taking on more than she can manage, then this book will not be your cup of fairy tea. But if you'd like to hear about a fairy who's admired by all and expects so much of herself that she takes on far too much—so much that she almost risks her life—then you'll want to turn the page.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed you'll turn the page. . . .

three

W
hew! I can uncross my fingers!

four

C
lara tucked the memory of Queen Mab's words into a pocket of her mind and flew in the door of the Bell sisters' fairy house. She was thinking about her growing magic as the sisters sat around the fire together that evening.

“Rosy, I think you'd better finish your homework and stop writing that letter to Lulu,” said Clara. “You're falling behind in Troll Tracks again.”

“I just want to tell her about the Valentine's Games,” said Rosy. Lulu was Rosy's friend—a real human child who believed in fairies (like someone else you might know). “I've written her about the sack races and the long jump and the three-legged race and the tossing of the branches.” She looked over her letter. It was already four pages long. “Now I need to tell her about the swim round the island. I hope the dolphins join in again.”

“There's a baby dolphin this year,” said Sylva, who was trimming lace for valentines. “Have you seen her? She's getting so fast! Poppy and I have named her Speedy.”

“That's a cute name,” said Goldie.

“I know! Poppy wanted to name her Bluey but I told her my name was better.”

“Bluey's nice too,” said Rosy. “But whatever she's called, that little dolphin is the sweetest thing ever.”

“Coomada!” said Squeak.

“Yes, we all love babies, don't we, Squeakie?” said Clara. She gave Squeak a big hug and looked over at Goldie, who was deep in a pile of silk scarves. “How are Fairy Fractions going?”