Daisy's Quest Read online

  With Vu still happily munching away, Daisy once more gathered the four ends of her bandana, and this time tied them into a knot. She lifted the makeshift bag off the table. It was far too heavy for carrying on a Quest!

  Having finished his last leaf, Vu flew up to snuggle on Daisy’s shoulder. ‘Oh, Vu, if only this bag were as light as you.’

  Wait a minute, thought Daisy. There’s an idea. She put the bandana bag back on the table and pulled a thread of gymea lily fibre from her pocket. She had been planning on turning it into a bracelet, but now she had a much better use for it. Placing the thread on the table beside the bag, Daisy pulled her wand from the sheath at her belt.

  ‘Small enough to fit my pocket, change your form into a locket.’

  With a soft whooshing sound, the bandana bag seemed to cave in on itself, becoming smaller and smaller until it was as small as Daisy’s thumb. Shimmering with magic like sunlight on water, the gymea lily thread slithered across the table towards the locket. One end threaded through the top of the locket to form a silver necklace.

  ‘Perfect,’ said Daisy as she reached down to pick it up. A shimmery, silver version of her bandana bag, it was decorated on each side by a paper daisy in a deep green circle. Gently, she flicked the catch to open the locket. Inside were tiny versions of each of her Questing Things. Satisfied with her work, Daisy closed the locket and slipped the silver chain over her head.

  ‘Now, Vu, we’re ready for anything.’

  5

  Magical Messages

  Daisy woke early the following morning, a mixture of excitement and worry tumbling around inside her. As the sun started to rise, Daisy wandered to the nearby frog pond. Her hand played with her Quest-ready locket as she wondered if today was the day . . .

  Lazy ripples flowed across the frog pond as Daisy sat on the shore, dipping her toes in the water. Yesterday she’d felt so confident about the Fairy Quest, but this morning the doubt was beginning to creep back in. What if I fail? she worried.

  Daisy lay down on a night-chilled stone and held up the magic locket, filled with her Questing Things. She wondered if she’d ever get to use them.

  The sun chose that moment to peep over the treetops. Its rays reflected off the silver locket, causing it to sparkle and shine. Daisy smiled. Catching the first rays of morning meant good things to come. She wondered what those good things would be.

  A nervous chitter from Vu shattered her daydream. Tiny claws tickled Daisy’s ear as he burrowed into the safety of her hair. Sitting up, Daisy searched for the source of her friend’s distress. It took only a moment to find it.

  A striped marsh frog sat patiently waiting by Daisy’s feet. Though young, he was already as big as Daisy. No wonder Vu was hiding. While beetles were not the marsh frogs’ favourite food, they weren’t fussy eaters and had been known to eat them. Thankfully, they had a much better relationship with fairies.

  With a friendly tok of greeting, the marsh frog opened his mouth wide, revealing the smooth, black form of an acacia seed nestled on his tongue. Dropping the seed on the ground near Daisy’s knee, he nosed it towards her hand. Then, with the satisfied tok of a job well done, he leapt into the pond, disappearing beneath the water.

  Daisy reached out to touch the seed, her confusion etched into her creased forehead. The dark seed warmed beneath her hand and began to glow a hazy white light, like early-morning fog rising off the water. She snatched her hand back as the light became a beacon, shining a message in pure white letters against the trunk of a nearby gum tree.

  Your Quest is to seek the magic

  For fluttering through the sky.

  Let Mother Wattle lead you

  To a helpful butterfly.

  Daisy didn’t know whether to cheer or panic. Prepared or not, the chance to earn her wings had finally arrived.

  ‘Vu,’ she called. ‘It’s happened! The Fairy Quest has begun.’

  Crawling out from his hiding place, Vu chittered with delight.

  With trembling hands, Daisy opened her locket and took out the tiny magic shoes.

  ‘I think the message is telling us to go to Mother Wattle,’ Daisy said as she placed the shoes on the ground, ‘and look for a butterfly there who’ll help with my Quest.’ She tapped the shoes with her wand and shouted in excitement, ‘Undo.’ The shoes sprang back to their original size. ‘You will come with me, won’t you, Vu?’ Daisy asked as she slipped the shoes onto her feet. When Vu chittered his agreement, Daisy set off running through the forest. Vu clung to her shoulder, trying not to fall off.

  Past the fern gully and through the banksia grove she ran, around the sleeping wombat rock and up the hill beyond, where Daisy caught a glimpse of Mother Wattle’s bright-yellow boughs.

  Mother Wattle was the oldest, most beautiful tree in the forest. Nen, Daisy and Maggie would always visit Mother Wattle on special occasions – her blossoms would fill their home with the sweetest smell, and the celebratory cakes would always be more delicious made with Mother Wattle’s seeds.

  At the top of the hill, Daisy stopped to catch her breath. Butterflies were easily startled, and if one was waiting for her, she didn’t want to scare it away. Daisy slipped off her travelling shoes and silently crept closer to the ancient tree.

  From behind a tuft of grass, Daisy stared at Mother Wattle. She was smothered in golden blossoms. A troop of native bees wove through her branches, gathering pollen and filling the air with their buzzing.

  At first, Daisy couldn’t see any butterflies. And then she spotted her, a beautiful orange Monarch camouflaged against the leaf litter on the ground below Mother Wattle.

  ‘Wish me luck, Vu,’ she whispered.

  Vu chittered encouragement and flew to a nearby grevillea branch to watch. Breathing deeply to calm her nerves, Daisy crept forward. She was halfway there when the Monarch twitched her wings, as though preparing to take off.

  Daisy froze. Close enough now to see the white spots that dotted the edges of the Monarch’s wings, Daisy noticed something else, something she’d never seen before. The Monarch’s proboscis – the long, straw-like appendage that it used to drink – was curled around a sealed, brown tube.

  Daisy took another step.

  The Monarch reared up onto her back legs, ready to take flight.

  She’s not being very helpful so far, thought Daisy, afraid to move. She’d have to ease the Monarch’s fear if she was going to gain her trust.

  Daisy slowly took out her wand.

  The butterfly watched her every move. With the merest breath of a whisper, Daisy chanted, ‘I wish this butterfly to charm, to let her see I mean no harm.’ A grey puff of mist emerged from the tip of Daisy’s wand, floating gently forward to dissipate around the butterfly’s head. The anxious look left the Monarch’s eyes, and her body relaxed.

  Taking small, slow steps, Daisy advanced, holding out her hand. She was just about to touch the soft fur that covered the Monarch’s body, when something came zigzagging through Mother Wattle’s branches.

  Blossoms and leaves tumbled all around them and the spell on the Monarch was broken. Her wings twitched and fluttered, and she launched herself into the air.

  ‘No!’ Daisy cried after her. ‘Come back!’

  But the Monarch flew higher and higher, utterly spooked. There was nothing that would bring her back now.

  6

  A New Friend

  A tiny fairy with pink and yellow hair fluttered between Mother Wattle’s branches, bumping into them as she flew, and causing leaves and blossoms to rain down on the ground below.

  No wonder the Monarch flew away, thought Daisy.

  ‘Oops . . . sorry . . . watch out below,’ the fairy called, wobbling so precariously that it was a wonder she managed to stay in the air at all.

  ‘That was painful,’ the fairy said as her feet touched down with a bump. ‘How good it feels to be back on the ground! Until I get better, I must remember, fly over the trees, not through them.’ She laughed and held out her hand to
shake Daisy’s. ‘My, you look familiar. Do I know you?’

  Daisy also had a feeling she’d seen this fairy before, but she couldn’t remember where. The fairy’s short pink dress was covered in pollen, and there was a large tear in her sleeve. She tripped over her own feet as she stepped forward, bumping into Daisy and sending them both sprawling on the ground.

  A memory, bright as a candle flame, flickered to life. ‘I’ve got it!’ said Daisy. ‘Your name’s Pea.’

  Pea grinned as she picked herself up off the ground, reaching down to give Daisy a hand. ‘Yes, how did you know?’

  ‘We met at the Songbird Festival,’ said Daisy. ‘You tripped while you were finding your seat and spilt nectar over us both.’

  ‘I remember now,’ said Pea. ‘You’re Daisy, aren’t you? You were very good about it, didn’t laugh at me or anything. Not like some of the other fairies.’ A sad look crept across Pea’s face, then disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared, replaced by an easy smile. ‘I hope I haven’t caused more trouble for you, scaring that butterfly away?’

  Daisy frowned. ‘She was supposed to help me. I don’t know what I’ll do now.’

  Pea’s eyes flicked to a spot behind Daisy. ‘Maybe she was going to give you the Telling Tube?’

  ‘The what?’ asked Daisy.

  ‘The Telling Tube,’ said Pea. ‘There, on the ground behind you.’

  Daisy turned to look. Fallen blossoms carpeted the ground, and poking out from beneath them was the small, brown tube that the butterfly had been holding.

  She walked over and picked it up. It was rough, like a pupa, and light. But she couldn’t see how it could be opened. She cast a questioning look at Pea.

  ‘Butterflies often use them to send messages to each other,’ said Pea. ‘Because, you know, they can’t talk. The markings on the side show you who they’re for.’

  Daisy twisted the tube between her fingers. A tiny engraving of a paper daisy confirmed Pea’s theory.

  ‘See, it was for you,’ Pea exclaimed proudly.

  A small thrill of excitement fluttered in Daisy’s belly. ‘But, how do I open it?’ she asked.

  ‘Only a butterfly can do that.’ Pea’s eyes widened, as though she’d just had a thought. ‘There’s a patch of paper daisies not far from here that’s swarming with Painted Ladies. They’re not nervous like Monarchs are. I bet one of them would open it for you.’

  ‘I hope so,’ said Daisy. ‘Without this message, I might never get my wings.’

  ‘I really am sorry,’ said Pea, her cheeks flushing a bright ruby-red. ‘I hope you won’t hold it against me. The paper daisies are just over there.’ She waved her hand to the west.

  ‘I wish I could come with you, but I promised I’d be home for lunch. If I don’t show up, my dad sends out a search party. He’s such a worrier.’

  With all the scrapes Pea seemed to get into, Daisy could understand why. ‘I’ll be fine,’ said Daisy. ‘But you’d better get a move on. The sun’s almost reached its peak.’

  ‘Well, I guess I’m grounded then,’ said Pea. ‘He hates it when I’m late.’ And with a shaky swoop of her wings, she wobbled into the air. ‘Bye, Daisy, I’ll look for you if I’m ever allowed out again.’

  Daisy laughed and waved goodbye, then walked back to where she had left her travelling shoes. She had just pulled them back on when Vu swooped over to land on her shoulder. Looking at the Telling Tube quizzically, he chittered a question.

  ‘Our first piece of the puzzle,’ answered Daisy. ‘Come on, let’s get it opened.’

  7

  Painted Ladies

  Above a tangled patch of thick green stalks, golden paper daisies reached for the sunshine. Daisy tilted her head back to watch the delicately spotted Painted Ladies flit from flower to flower. They were drinking the flowers’ sweet nectar and collecting pollen on their legs and feet.

  Squinting in the dappled sunlight, Daisy realised that the butterflies weren’t going to come to her – if she wanted to speak to the butterflies, she’d need to go to them. ‘It looks like we have some climbing to do,’ she sighed.

  With a buzz of his wings, Vu took off, flying up into the flower canopy.

  ‘You’re not climbing with me, Vu?’ Daisy called, getting a huff of disdain in return. Daisy chuckled. If all goes well, she thought, this might be the last climbing I do, too.

  Tucking the Telling Tube into her belt, Daisy stepped over to the nearest flower stalk. Long, thin leaves ran the length of the stalk, providing perfect hand- and foot-holds. Placing her left foot on the lowest leaf, Daisy reached with her right hand to grab a higher one and hauled herself up.

  One leaf at a time, Daisy climbed up and up, and she was soon near the top, the ground a long drop below. She stopped in the shelter of the flower’s papery bracts. Getting onto the flower head was going to be the tricky bit.

  The flower bracts jutted out above her head like an overhanging rock. As Daisy looked at them, a sense of panic set in and her own set of butterflies took flight in her tummy. If those tummy butterflies could open the Telling Tube, I wouldn’t be in this predicament, she thought.

  With pointed determination, Daisy focused on the task at hand. The hairy flower stem prickled her legs as she wrapped them around it. Leaning backwards, she stretched out and reached upwards with both hands, getting a firm grip on the paper daisy’s stiff bracts. The flower head drooped down with her weight as, in one swift movement, Daisy unwrapped her legs from the stem and swung herself up onto the flower head. Daisy held on tightly as it swayed dangerously from side to side.

  Once the flower was steady again, Daisy sat up. The butterflies in her belly disappeared as she stared in awe at the beauty surrounding her.

  The paper daisies formed a meadow of golden blooms, the sun sparkling off their shiny petal-shaped bracts. A kaleidoscope of butterflies danced on the breeze, fluttering from flower to flower to drink and then take off again.

  Daisy was mesmerised. But Vu brought her back to the task at hand, landing with a bump on her shoulder. He huffed about how snooty the Painted Ladies were with their faces turned up to the sky.

  ‘Oh, Vu,’ said Daisy, ‘I’m sure they don’t mean to be rude. They can’t help how they look. Let’s try to get their attention, shall we?’

  But as Daisy raised her arms to wave them over, the flower head began to sway, forcing her to hold on tight or risk falling off.

  ‘How can I get their attention if I can barely move? Vu, could you go and get one for me?’ she pleaded.

  Vu huffed that he didn’t like them and he didn’t want to.

  ‘Please, Vu,’ Daisy wheedled. ‘I can’t do this without you.’

  At first there was no answer, but a few moments later Daisy felt a breathy kiss against her cheek. She gave Vu a quick scratch on the head, sighing with relief, then pointed out a butterfly that had just come to land.

  ‘Quick, Vu, while she’s drinking.’

  Vu flitted over to the butterfly, catching her attention with a goofy aerial dance. Daisy stifled a giggle. While Vu was usually the sensible one, who stopped Daisy from getting into trouble, it was his silly side that she loved best.

  Keeping the butterfly’s interest with a series of acrobatic moves, Vu manoeuvred his way closer to Daisy before landing with one last flip in her lap.

  The butterfly twitched in surprise as Daisy held up the Telling Tube. Curious, the Painted Lady flitted to the flower beside them, bending down to take a closer look. Daisy rolled the Telling Tube until the engraving came into view.

  ‘My name is Daisy,’ she said. ‘I’m on a Quest to gain my wings and I think the message inside this will help me. Will you show me how to open it?’

  The butterfly stared at Daisy. Then, reaching out with one foreleg, she gently stroked along the side of the telling tube. With an almost silent hiss, it split apart, revealing a rolled-up piece of paperbark.

  Daisy’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. The butterfly nodded then fl
ew off to rejoin her colony. With shaking fingers, Daisy reached inside the Telling Tube, uncurled the piece of paperbark and read:

  The waterfall is where you’ll go

  For this part of your Quest.

  The sky would like a necklace,

  A rainbow would be best.

  ‘A rainbow over the waterfall!’ exclaimed Daisy. ‘I think we’ll need magic for this one.’ She tucked the message safely into her belt. ‘You did a good job, Vu. I’m so proud of you.’

  Vu huffed with pleasure, buzzing into the air as Daisy began the long and tricky climb down.

  8

  Chasing Waterfalls

  ‘If Mother Wattle is over there to the east, to get to the waterfall we need to move . . . south.’ Daisy hurried through the underbrush, picking her way over sticks and leaves as Vu flew along behind. Stopping for a rest, Daisy looked at the sky. The sun was way past its peak. In her excitement to complete her Quest, Daisy had completely forgotten about lunch. Vu landed on her shoulder and chittered that his belly was rumbling.

  ‘Poor Vu. Lunchtime was ages ago. And I’m hungry, too. The waterfall can’t be too far away now. I’ll give you some hackberry leaves when we get there.’

  At the sound of rushing water, Daisy quickened her pace. The scrubby brush petered out, replaced by a tangle of soft ferns. The air grew cool and damp, a fine mist against their faces. The nearer they drew to the waterfall, the more impatient Daisy became. With every step she knew that she was closer to gaining her wings.

  Bending under a low-hanging fern, Daisy heard a splash as water sloshed into her shoe. She poked her head through the fern fronds. A green blanket of lily pads lay across the water, dotted with the pure white blooms of water lilies. On her right, splashing down the rock face, was a tumbling, rushing waterfall. She ducked her head back and headed sideways towards it, scrambling over moss and stones until she reached the water’s edge.