Daisy Takes Charge Read online

  Contents

  Map

  1  A Royal Invitation

  2  Daisy’s Plans

  3  Keeping Busy

  4  A Present for Maggie

  5  Secret Sewing

  6  Repercussions

  7  One More Chance

  8  Meeting the Others

  9  Talking

  10 The Songbird Festival Begins

  11 Gum Leaves and Goosebumps

  12 Trouble Brewing

  13 Daisy to the Rescue

  14 Growing Up

  Sneak Peek: Daisy’s Secret

  Across a meandering river,

  In a forest tall and green,

  Live the magical Wilderness Fairies

  And their wise Fairy Queen.

  Guided by their Callings,

  The Wilderness Fairies strive

  To use their magic wisely

  And help the forest thrive.

  But sometimes things go wrong

  When one fairy helps another.

  Too much enthusiasm

  Can lead to fuss and bother.

  A vast expanse of greens, browns and blues spread out below Daisy as she flew higher and higher, dodging the leaves and branches of the treetops and flying into the sapphire-blue sky beyond. She was only new to flying and she loved it!

  Far off in the distance, the tall grey spires of a human city sliced the sky. Just the sight of them sent a shiver up Daisy’s spine.

  She turned to the small green beetle who flew by her side.

  ‘What do you think, Vu? Is it time for a break?’

  Vu chittered that it was time for something much more important than a break.

  Daisy shielded her eyes and looked up. The sun was directly overhead.

  ‘You’re right,’ said Daisy. ‘It’s time for lunch.’

  Vu chittered happily as they headed back to where they lived with Daisy’s family in the base of a tall gum tree.

  Daisy landed in the leaf litter outside the kitchen door. A buzz of excited voices floated through the window.

  She flung open the door and hurried in, almost bumping into her sister, Maggie, who was pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor, wringing her hands and babbling incoherently.

  ‘Oh, Daisy!’ cried Maggie, grabbing her by the shoulders. ‘It’s so exciting . . . and nerve-wracking. I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ Her face took on a greenish tinge. ‘Actually, I think I might faint.’

  ‘Sit down for a moment,’ said Nen, leaving the salad she had been preparing and steering her eldest daughter towards the kitchen table.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Daisy asked. She sent Vu to eat with Maggie’s ladybird, Nelli, then joined her dad and sister at the table.

  ‘Maggie’s been chosen to be a contestant in the Songbird Festival,’ said Nen.

  ‘By Queen Jasmine herself,’ added Efa in his proud, fatherly tone. He handed Daisy a message scroll.

  It was an official notice from the Fairy Messenger Service. Daisy unrolled the paperbark and read.

  Daisy grinned as she looked at her sister then to the invitation and back again.

  A personal invitation from the queen! How exciting!

  She studied the scroll again. ‘What’s a duet?’ she asked.

  ‘It’s where two voices sing together,’ explained Efa.

  ‘That should be a snap for Maggie,’ said Daisy. ‘She’s always singing with the magpies.’

  ‘But I’ve never sung for an audience,’ groaned Maggie. ‘The whole forest has been invited to watch and I only have this afternoon and tomorrow to prepare. The day after that is the rehearsal and the Festival.’ She buried her face in her hands.

  ‘Cheer up, feather brain,’ said Daisy, putting her arm around Maggie’s shoulders and resting her head against her sister’s. ‘I’ll help you practise. With your natural talent and my organisational skills you’re sure to win.’

  Maggie groaned even louder but Daisy didn’t pay any attention – she had just re-read the final sentence on the message scroll:

  ‘Her Majesty Queen Jasmine will award the most talented performer a momentous prize.’

  Daisy’s imagination took flight as she wondered what the momentous prize could be. Would Maggie become Queen Jasmine’s personal musician? Would she win a treasure trove of instruments? Maybe she would become the singer in a band of fairies and travel all over the forest . . .

  Whatever the prize, Daisy was sure that Maggie would win it. After all, she had Daisy to help her.

  All through lunch, while Nen and Efa chatted and Maggie picked at her food, Daisy made plans for how she would help Maggie prepare.

  The salad was delicious but Daisy hardly noticed, barely stopping to chew in order to finish as quickly as she could.

  ‘Come on, Maggie,’ Daisy urged. ‘With only today and tomorrow, we really need to get started.’

  Maggie glanced down at her almost-full bowl. ‘May I be excused? I’m too jumpy to eat right now. I’ll eat double at dinner.’

  ‘I’ll hold you to that,’ warned Nen as Efa waved Maggie away.

  Looking worried but excited, Maggie flew to her bedroom.

  ‘Where are you going?’ asked Nen as Daisy moved to follow.

  ‘I’m going to help Maggie get ready.’

  ‘Maybe you shouldn’t bother her,’ said Efa. ‘Maggie is very nervous right now and she may not have much patience for her little sister.’

  ‘I’m not going to bother her, Dad, I’m going to help her,’ Daisy explained.

  ‘I see,’ said Efa with a knowing look. ‘Well, don’t say you weren’t warned.’

  Daisy shook her head as she flew to her sister’s room. Parents could be so dense sometimes.

  Maggie was at her writing desk, furiously scribbling notes onto a piece of paperbark.

  ‘I’ve been thinking all through lunch,’ said Daisy, striding purposefully over to her. ‘And I know exactly what to do.’

  Maggie stopped writing. Her shoulders slumped and she let out a great sigh. ‘Please don’t interrupt me, Daisy,’ Maggie implored. ‘I have so much to do and so little time.’

  ‘I know,’ said Daisy. ‘That’s why I’m making you a timetable.’

  Maggie started to write again. ‘Whatever! Just do it somewhere else, okay?’

  ‘Excellent!’ Daisy headed back towards the door. ‘Don’t worry about a thing, Maggie. I’ll have you organised in no time.’

  There was no desk in Daisy’s room so she headed to the study. Efa was there, working on his healing potions. ‘Got kicked out already, did you?’ he grinned.

  ‘Not at all,’ said Daisy, grabbing a pile of paperbark, an inkpot and a quill. ‘I have an important job to do.’

  With Efa’s chuckles ringing in her ears, Daisy flew down to the kitchen table. Having just finished his lunch, Vu buzzed over to join her. He chittered a question.

  ‘I’m creating a timetable for Maggie. But first I have to list all the things she’ll need to do,’ said Daisy as she began to write.

  Vu chittered that Maggie would need food and sleep, and time with her ladybird, Nelli.

  ‘Good thinking,’ said Daisy, adding them to the list. ‘Though I might make Nelli your job tomorrow. You can play together while Maggie practises. Then Nelli won’t get lonely.’

  Daisy wrote a list of times on another piece of paperbark. ‘We could have a flying race at sunrise, to get Maggie’s heart pumping and wake her up then space out her rehearsals throughout the day.’

  With Vu’s help, Daisy organised and changed, reorganised and shifted around the timetable. It needed to be perfect, as Maggie had no time to waste.

  Much later that afternoon, Daisy looked at the page with satisfaction.
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  ‘We’ve done it, Vu!’ Daisy beamed. ‘Let’s go and show Maggie.’

  Daisy and Vu raced to Maggie’s room, almost crashing into her as she flew out of her doorway.

  ‘Here’s your timetable, Maggie,’ Daisy beamed. ‘Vu and I worked all afternoon to make it perfect.’

  Maggie’s eyes widened in dismay to see her whole day mapped out. But with Daisy’s excited face in front of her and understanding how much work her sister had done, Maggie knew she couldn’t disappoint her.

  ‘Okay, Daisy,’ she sighed. ‘We’ll give it a try.’

  ‘Time to wake up!’ Daisy bellowed the next morning as Maggie lay snoozing.

  ‘It’s still dark,’ Maggie moaned, hiding in her hammock under the covers.

  Daisy took her wand from the sheath on her belt and waved it over Maggie. ‘Cuddly blankets warm and snug, release my sister from your hug.’

  Maggie grabbed at her blankets but they lifted into the air, twisting out of her grip to hover near the ceiling.

  ‘That was cruel,’ Maggie growled as she reluctantly got up.

  Daisy tossed Maggie the green and orange dress that Aunt Acacia had made during her last visit. ‘Come on, Maggie,’ Daisy coaxed. ‘Think of that momentous prize!’ She dodged away from Maggie’s swipe, stepping lightly out the door. ‘I’ll meet you in the kitchen,’ she grinned.

  Daisy was hanging the timetable on the kitchen door when Maggie appeared. ‘Now we can refer to it as we come in and out,’ she explained.

  Maggie grimaced. Although she wasn’t a dreamer like Daisy, she was very much a free spirit and hated to be constrained by other people’s rules.

  ‘Don’t look like that,’ said Daisy. ‘It’ll be fun. I promise you.’

  ‘What about Nelli?’ Maggie asked. ‘She’ll get lonely without me.’

  ‘Taken care of,’ said Daisy. ‘Vu’s keeping her company today.’

  She headed outside, gesturing for Maggie to follow. ‘Exercise is really good for your lungs and will make you a stronger singer. I’ll race you to the waterfall. Are you ready?’

  Daisy noted with satisfaction the determined look in Maggie’s eyes. She knew that, despite her grumbling, Maggie wouldn’t be beaten by her little sister without putting up a fight.

  Daisy counted, ‘One, two, three, go!’

  The two fairies leapt into the air, their wings beating furiously as they surged above the undergrowth to the open spaces between the trees. At first they were side by side. Then Maggie pulled ahead.

  Daisy beat her wings harder, closing the distance between them, but Maggie was only toying with her. Maggie had been flying for three years, while for Daisy it had only been a few weeks. There was no way Daisy could keep up. With a whoop of delight, Maggie shot off through the trees.

  Daisy arrived at the waterfall to find Maggie relaxing on the rocks, her feet dangling in the water.

  ‘Up you get,’ said Daisy. ‘You could have been halfway home by now.’

  ‘I was waiting for you,’ Maggie protested.

  ‘There’s no time for waiting,’ Daisy scolded. ‘Didn’t you see the timetable?’

  ‘You can be really bossy sometimes,’ said Maggie. ‘You do remember that I’m the older sister?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Daisy. ‘But today, I’m the one in charge.’ With a grin, she took off through the trees. ‘Last one back makes breakfast.’

  As Daisy made breakfast, Maggie grumbled about being restricted to nuts and seeds.

  ‘Heavy foods slow you down,’ said Daisy.

  ‘All right, boss,’ said Maggie, finishing her meal. ‘What’s next on the list?’

  Daisy checked the timetable. ‘Instrument practice,’ she said. ‘Have you decided which one you’ll play?’

  ‘I thought I’d go with the gum leaf,’ Maggie replied. ‘It looks simple, but it’s harder than you think, and really great for toe-tapping dance tunes.’

  ‘I guess it’s into the forest with you then?’ Daisy asked.

  ‘Yes, I’ll need to collect some fresh leaves.’

  Daisy wagged her finger at her sister. ‘Be back by midday.’

  Maggie rolled her eyes. ‘What will you do without me to boss around?’

  Daisy winked at her. ‘Oh, I’ll be busy. I might even have a surprise for you when you get back.’

  Maggie eyed her suspiciously. ‘Why don’t I like the sound of that?’

  Once Maggie was safely away, Daisy flew up to her sister’s room. Maggie had no time to think about what to wear. But Daisy had it all in hand – she’d been taught sewing by her Aunt Acacia and planned to use her new-found skills to create a beautiful costume for Maggie.

  Daisy rummaged through Maggie’s wooden chest, looking for the perfect dress. She couldn’t find anything that was suitable. Then her fingers brushed against a parcel at the very bottom of the chest. She moved the clothes aside and lifted it out. Kneeling on the floor, she placed it on her lap. It was carefully wrapped in gum leaves. Daisy’s heart beat fast with anticipation. She had a feeling that inside this parcel would be the dress she was looking for. She slowly unwrapped the leaves.

  As the parcel fell open, a silky, black fabric slid out into Daisy’s lap. Daisy tried to lift it up but it slipped through her fingers like sand. Searching for the shoulder straps, she grasped them tightly and stood up, holding the dress in front of her. It was sleeveless, long and slinky.

  A sunbeam shone through Maggie’s knothole window. It touched the black fabric and the dress shimmered as though with a thousand stars. Daisy sucked in her breath. She had never seen anything so glamorous. It would be perfect for Maggie’s performance.

  What a disappointment! With a dress as beautiful as this one, Maggie wouldn’t need Daisy to make her a costume. And Daisy had so much wanted to surprise her.

  Daisy eyed the black dress again. Maggie was sure to sing with a magpie. With a little white, the dress could be a perfect match.

  ‘I know!’ exclaimed Daisy. ‘I’ll sew some white, down feathers to the shoulder straps. The little corellas should have some small ones I can use. It will be perfect!’

  Daisy wrapped the dress back up again then headed to her bedroom to hide it. It would need to be a secret so as not to spoil Maggie’s surprise, and she didn’t want Nen or Efa interfering.

  First, she would collect the feathers then she would sew them on. It would be the perfect gift for Maggie!

  The little corellas often perched in the old angophora tree that grew on the plateau at the edge of the River Sea. As Daisy zoomed through the forest canopy, she made a silent wish that she would find them there today.

  She heard them long before the angophora came into view – the raucous shriek of a parrot party in full swing.

  Little Corellas were a talkative lot, always arguing about whose story was the best. Efa called them gossipy old birds, but Daisy thought them more like little children, always vying for attention.

  Usually Daisy loved to sit and listen to their stories, but today she was on a mission.

  Almost every branch of the angophora tree was covered in Little Corellas. There must have been hundreds of them, chattering noisily and playing games.

  Daisy landed on a bare branch. One of her friends, a corella named Guinea, swung upside down from the branch above. Daisy reached up to scratch the back of his neck. He bowed his head in delight.

  Flying down to perch beside her, Guinea cocked his head to the side, listening, as Daisy explained about Maggie’s dress and how she needed some small, white, downy feathers to make it that extra bit special.

  ‘Will you help me, Guinea?’ she asked.

  With a loud squawk, Guinea called out to the others. The chatter ceased as the birds stopped to listen.

  Then something magical happened . . .

  The Little Corellas puffed out their feathers and shook their bodies. The air filled with white tufts of down, swirling and floating on the breeze.

  With a giggle of delight, Daisy fluttered through the fluff
y cloud of falling feathers, catching them in her hands. I’m like a mountain fairy, spinning in the snow, thought Daisy.

  With an armful of feathers, she thanked the birds and called out ‘Goodbye’, before heading back through the forest towards home. As the chatter of the Little Corellas faded into the distance, Daisy picked up her pace. Maggie was due home at midday. There wasn’t a moment to waste!

  Daisy hid the feathers in her room and flew down to the kitchen, walking out onto the leaf litter just as Maggie got home.

  ‘This timetable was a great idea, Daisy,’ said Maggie as she landed. ‘I really feel like I’m getting things done.’

  Daisy beamed under the compliment. ‘You are getting things done, Maggie. But now it’s time for a break.’ She cupped her hands around her mouth. ‘VU!’ Vu flew out of the forest, followed closely by Nelli.

  Maggie’s eyes lit up when Nelli landed on her hand. ‘Oh, I’ve missed you,’ she said.

  The ladybird chirped her agreement.

  Vu landed on Daisy’s shoulder, chittering how babysitting ladybirds was hungry work. Daisy laughed. ‘Come on then, Mr Grumpy. Let’s get you something to eat.’

  In the kitchen, Maggie filled the beetles’ food bowls while Daisy threw together a leafy salad.

  ‘I’m starved,’ said Maggie, grabbing her bowl and digging in.

  When she finished eating, Nelli joined Maggie and Daisy.

  ‘Don’t get too comfortable, Nelli,’ Daisy warned as Vu landed on her shoulder. ‘Or you, Vu! Straight after lunch Maggie has to practise her Songbird Duet, and so the two of you need to find something else to do together.’

  Maggie put down her fork. ‘Why can’t I take Nelli with me?’ she demanded.

  ‘You need to concentrate,’ Daisy replied. ‘Nelli would be a distraction.’

  Maggie sighed. ‘I know you’re right, but I wish you weren’t. I miss her terribly when she’s not with me.’

  Daisy understood how Maggie felt. She felt exactly the same about Vu.