Disney Fairies: Fawn and the Mysterious Trickster Read online

  Copyright © 2008 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  All rights reserved. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney Press, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011-5690.

  ISBN 978-1-4231-5847-9

  Visit disneyfairies.com

  Table of Contents

  All About Fairies

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  10

  IF YOU HEAD toward the second star on your right and fly straight on till morning, you’ll come to Never Land, a magical island where mermaids play and children never grow up.

  When you arrive, you might hear something like the tinkling of little bells. Follow that sound and you’ll find Pixie Hollow, the secret heart of Never Land.

  A great old maple tree grows in Pixie Hollow, and in it live hundreds of fairies and sparrow men. Some of them can do water magic, others can fly like the wind, and still others can speak to animals. You see, Pixie Hollow is the Never fairies’ kingdom, and each fairy who lives there has a special, extraordinary talent.

  Not far from the Home Tree, nestled in the branches of a hawthorn, is Mother Dove, the most magical creature of all. She sits on her egg, watching over the fairies, who in turn watch over her. For as long as Mother Dove’s egg stays well and whole, no one in Never Land will ever grow old.

  Once, Mother Dove’s egg was broken. But we are not telling the story of the egg here. Now it is time for Fawn’s tale….

  FAIRIES AND SPARROW men crowded the Home Tree courtyard. Even so, it was silent. A fairy could hear a dandelion puff drop, thought the animal-talent fairy Fawn. That’s how quiet it is. All eyes were on Tor, a storytelling-talent sparrow man. He stood in the center of the courtyard, spinning a spooky tale.

  It was just after dinner on Harvest Moon Night. After dinner was when the storytelling talents wove their tales. And on Harvest Moon Night, they told only spooky tales. The storytellers took turns trying to outdo one another.

  The fairies had already heard Pip’s tale of the giant ladybug. Next had come Merk’s mystery about the wailing wind. But only now, during Tor’s tale, did Fawn’s friend Beck reach for her arm and hold it tight.

  “Isn’t this great?” whispered Beck, who was also an animal-talent fairy. Her eyes were wide, and she wore a huge grin. She was enjoying Tor’s spine-tingling tale as much as Fawn was.

  Fawn nodded. “This is the most scared I’ve been in a long time!” she whispered gleefully. She wiggled in her seat and tapped her foot on the ground. She couldn’t wait to hear what came next!

  Tor was just getting to the scariest part of his story. “Thump, scratch. Thump, scratch. The mysterious noise grew louder and louder,” he said. “The fairy backed away from the closed door. It was here, she realized. It was on the other side of the door. She stood frozen to the spot. The doorknob turned! With a long, low creak, the door…slowly…swung…open. Standing there in the shadowy darkness was—”

  Pop! Crack! Boom! Three loud noises rang through the courtyard. All around the circle, fairies jumped—including Fawn. Bursts of bright red light filled the sky overhead. They formed the image of a hideous creature! It had the head of an eagle, its hooked beak open and screeching. The creature’s springy legs and oversized feet looked like a hare’s. A long, spiked dragon tail dragged behind it.

  Some fairies gasped. Others cried out. But Fawn grinned. She figured Tor had set it all up. Fawn was a prankster herself, and she knew a good prank when she saw one.

  The bursts of red light faded to black. For several breathless moments, no one moved.

  Finally, Rani, a water-talent fairy, broke the silence. “Tor, you really scared me!” she cried.

  “Me too!” said Lily, a garden-talent fairy, peeking out from behind a toadstool.

  “That was the idea!” Tor said with a smile.

  Slowly, the looks of fright became smiles of relief. Someone giggled. Then a wave of laughter swept around the courtyard.

  Beck was laughing, too. She finally let go of Fawn’s arm. Fawn had barely noticed Beck squeezing it all through the story’s end. But now Fawn felt her hand tingling.

  “That’s some grip you’ve got there,” she told Beck.

  The stories were over. It was late. Fairies left the courtyard in twos and threes, flying slowly to the Home Tree. Fawn and Beck joined the others.

  “Tor’s story was the spookiest. Don’t you think?” Beck asked Fawn.

  “Yes!” Fawn agreed. She circled Beck, zipping around to fly on her left, then her right, then her left again. Fawn found it hard to stay in one place for more than a second. When she was excited, she could make other fairies dizzy!

  “Tor’s was definitely the best story,” Fawn went on. “The prank at the end is what really made it scary!”

  Beck nodded as they flew into the Home Tree lobby. “If only Harvest Moon Night came more often. Oh, well. There’s always next year!” she said with a sigh. “Or maybe what we need is…” Her voice trailed off. She stopped and stared off into the distance.

  Fawn followed her gaze. “What? What do we need?” she asked.

  “Huh?” Beck replied, snapping out of it.

  “You said, ‘What we need is…’?”

  “Oh.” Beck waved her hand. “Never mind. I mean, I forget. I mean…” She paused. Then she yawned a big yawn. A very big yawn. “Well, I’m off to bed,” she announced. “See you later—I mean, tomorrow.”

  “Okay, Beck,” said Fawn. “Good night. Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” That was a joke. Fawn giggled. As animal talents, both she and Beck knew that bedbugs never bit fairies.

  Fawn watched Beck fly up the stairs toward her room. Was it only her imagination, or was Beck acting funny all of a sudden? Just then, Tinker Bell and Rani zipped by.

  “Wait up!” Fawn called after them, forgetting about Beck. “Wasn’t Tor’s story the best?” She flew circles around them as they headed into the tearoom for a late-night snack.

  Two tea cakes later, Fawn flew up to her room. As she closed the door behind her, she sighed. She was sorry that the spooky storytelling was over.

  Maybe I can get Tor to tell another spooky tale tomorrow night, she thought.

  She dove onto her bed. She tugged off one boot and dropped it. It hit the floor with a thump.

  Maybe he’ll let me come up with a prank for the end, she thought.

  Fawn dropped the other boot. Thump.

  She lay back on her bed. It’s fun being scared. But it’s even more fun to do the scaring! she decided.

  Thump. Fawn jumped. Had she just heard a third boot drop? Of course not. She only had two boots.

  She peeked over the side of her bed.

  Thump. The noise came again. But now it sounded like it was coming from the closet. But what was making it? Fawn flew off her bed. She was halfway to the closet when she heard it again. Only this time, it was more of a…

  Thump, scratch.

  Why, that sounded a bit like…

  Thump, scratch.

  It sounded strangely like…

  Thump, scratch.

  Like the sound from Tor’s story!

  In spite of herself, Fawn froze. “It’s just a noise,” she said out loud. “A spooky noise. A very, very spooky noise.”

  Fawn gave herself a little shak
e. Anything could be making that noise. An animal friend, for instance, like a cricket or a moth. Fawn flew closer to the closet door.

  But…wait a second! Were her eyes playing a trick? Or…had the doorknob just turned?

  Great greedy groundhogs! It had! The doorknob was turning! Fawn watched it, frozen in horror. Now she knew it couldn’t be an animal friend. She didn’t know any animal that could turn a doorknob. Fawn backed away.

  With a long, low creak, the door slowly swung open.

  STANDING THERE IN the shadowy darkness was…

  “Beck!” Fawn cried—or tried to. It came out a squeak. Fawn realized she’d been holding her breath.

  “Boo!” shouted Beck. She flew to Fawn’s side. “Did I scare you?” she asked hopefully.

  “You scared the pixie dust off me!” Fawn replied. Then it dawned on her. “Wait. You were trying to scare me?”

  Beck nodded. She flashed a proud smile. “Of course! Tor’s story gave me the idea. So…”

  Fawn sprang into the air. Her mind was racing. She was putting it all together.

  “Is that what you were thinking about just before we said good night?” she asked Beck.

  Beck laughed. Then she stopped laughing as something seemed to occur to her. “You aren’t…mad, are you, Fawn?” she asked, looking worried.

  Fawn thought it over. The flustered, spooked feeling was fading away. In its place was something else. It definitely wasn’t anger. It was…pride!

  “Mad?” Fawn replied, and a smile spread across her face. “No way! That was so great!” She threw an arm around Beck’s shoulders.

  Fawn had known Beck for years and years, and she thought she knew her friend better than anyone. But now Beck had really surprised her. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Beck! You definitely got me good!”

  Beck beamed. “Really? I wasn’t sure I’d be able to prank the pranking queen.”

  Fawn’s glow flared with delight. But she waved off the praise. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

  Hmm…Or could I? she wondered.

  After all, a true prankster couldn’t let a prank go unanswered, could she?

  Three days later, Fawn woke at first light.

  Quickly, she pulled off her pajamas and put on a pair of soft corn-husk pajamas that looked just like the ones Beck wore. Next, she pinned up her long braid. She tucked her dark hair under a corn-husk sleeping cap—just like Beck’s. Lastly, she grabbed the copper-colored curtain fringe she had borrowed from the decoration talents. She carefully pinned it to the front of the cap.

  Fawn had been planning this for days. She didn’t know if she could fool Beck. But if she did, it would be the best prank she’d ever pulled.

  Fawn flew to the mirror and studied her reflection. Her disguise wasn’t perfect. For one thing, she couldn’t make her brown eyes blue, like Beck’s. Even so, Fawn was hoping she could fool one very sleepy fairy.

  Fawn flew out of her room. She zipped down the corridor to Beck’s room and pressed her ear to the door. All was silent. Then, slowly, Fawn pushed the door open and peeked inside.

  Beck was in her leafy loft bed, still sound asleep. Fawn slipped inside the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She tried extra hard to move without making a noise. She flew across the room and dove behind Beck’s dressing table.

  Now came the last part. Fawn reached for the back of the sunflower mirror that sat atop the dressing table. She pulled out the tacks that held the mirror to its frame. She leaned the mirror against the back of the table and put the empty frame back in place.

  Fawn heard Beck stir in her sleep. She peeked around the side of the dressing table. Beck tossed, then turned. She yawned. She propped herself up on her elbow. Then, slowly, with great effort, Beck dragged her feet over the side of the bed. For a second Fawn thought she had fallen asleep sitting up. But finally Beck got up and flew sleepily toward her dressing table.

  This is it! thought Fawn. Her timing needed to be perfect. She strained to hear the flutter of Beck’s wings as she got closer. When the moment was right, Fawn put on her best sleepy face. Beck sat down in her dressing table chair.

  Framed in Beck’s sunflower mirror was Fawn—looking just like Beck!

  Beck’s half-open eyes skimmed over the mirror. She fumbled with a pine-needle comb on the tabletop. Fawn made the same motion. She copied Beck perfectly. Then Beck looked into the mirror. Fawn stared sleepily back at her. Beck rubbed her eyes. Fawn rubbed her own. Beck yawned, and so did Fawn. Beck scratched her tummy. Fawn did, too.

  Now let’s see if she’s paying attention, thought Fawn. As Beck was about to look away, Fawn winked.

  Beck did a double take. She stared at Fawn. Did I just see what I think I saw? her face seemed to say. Fawn made her face say it, too. Beck shook her head, then stretched. Fawn did the same. Beck leaned to one side. Fawn leaned to the opposite side. Beck noticed—and sat bolt upright. So did Fawn. Beck stared at the mirror warily. Fawn stared back. Beck stretched again, leaning to her right and watching her reflection. Fawn copied her. Then Fawn stuck out her tongue.

  Startled, Beck covered her face with her hands. Fawn did, too, though she peeked through her fingers to see Beck’s next move. Slowly, Beck lowered her hands. So did Fawn. Beck leaned closer to the mirror. Fawn leaned forward, too. There was no more than a gnat’s length between the two fairies’ noses. Fawn knew she wouldn’t be able to fool Beck much longer.

  In the blink of an eye, Fawn reached through the mirror frame…and tweaked Beck’s nose!

  “Iiieeee!” Beck screeched.

  “WHAT…? WHO…? HOW…?” Beck stammered. She stared wide-eyed at the face in her mirror.

  Fawn pulled off her disguise. She explained the whole prank to Beck. Before long, Beck was laughing.

  “That was amazing,” Beck said. She threw up her hands in surrender. “I give up. I think you’ve proved who’s the best prankster.”

  If Fawn hadn’t known Beck so well, she might have missed the twinkle in her friend’s eye. But she knew she hadn’t heard the last from Beck!

  At first, Fawn was on pins and needles waiting for the next prank. Every time she had a meal in the tearoom, she checked her chair before she sat down. When it was bedtime, she looked under her pillow before lying down. But days passed, and nothing happened.

  Maybe Beck had given up after all! Fawn was a little disappointed in her friend. She’d thought Beck had more spunk than that.

  One evening, just after dinner, Fawn set out for the dairy barn. Every few days, she liked to check in on the dairy mice. Often she wound up visiting them late into the night.

  Fawn made her way slowly to the barn. She would have flown faster, but she was weighed down by the sack of alfalfa seed she had brought as a treat for the mice.

  Night had fallen by the time Fawn slid the barn door open and flew inside.

  “Anyone here?” she squeaked in Mouse language into the dimly lit room.

  The dairy mice squeaked a greeting back. Mice resting on their grassy beds came over to her. Mice snacking at their troughs left their food. Fawn was quickly surrounded by four-legged friends.

  She passed out the alfalfa seed and gossiped with the mice as they snacked. Squeaking in Mouse was hard on a fairy’s throat. Fawn was often hoarse the morning after a visit to the barn. But she didn’t give that a second thought. She was having too much fun catching up with her friends.

  Fawn had been talking for quite a while when she saw two shadows—a mouse’s and her own—on the wall of the barn. Funny, she hadn’t noticed them before. But she shrugged it off and went back to chatting.

  But then a movement on the wall caught her eye. She glanced over. What was making that strange shadow? It wasn’t a mouse shadow. Fawn knew that for sure. Whatever it belonged to had a giant head!

  As Fawn watched, the shadow raised two enormous arms. Its long fingers were outstretched like claws! The huge shadow was three times the size of Fawn’s—and only
inches away! Whatever it was, it was right behind her!

  Fawn wheeled around. But she didn’t see any monster. She couldn’t see anything! Her eyes, which had adjusted to the faint light of the barn, squinted into a blinding light.

  All of a sudden, the bright light dimmed. Fawn blinked several times.

  There was Beck, her wings tucked in. She had been playing the part of the giant, hulking shadow monster. Behind her was Fira, a light-talent fairy. They were both giggling over their shadow trick.

  Fawn took a deep breath. She groaned. “Beck! You got me again!” She felt like kicking herself for being fooled. She had been ready—and she’d gotten tricked anyway!

  Still, Fawn was always a good sport. She congratulated Beck and Fira on their fine—and frightening—prank.

  But of course, Fawn wasn’t about to be outdone.

  Over the next few days, the pranks came fast and furious. Beck slyly tied a tiny wooden whistle to Fawn’s wing so that a mysterious sound followed Fawn around all day. Then Fawn replaced Beck’s shampoo with maple syrup. Beck’s hair stood straight up for two days and five washings! Beck sprinkled fairy dust onto Fawn’s breakfast roll so that it floated away before Fawn could eat it. Fawn replaced Beck’s favorite clothes with bigger and bigger sizes to make her think she was shrinking.

  One night, Beck stuffed two dozen maple seedpods into Fawn’s closet. They rained down on Fawn when she went to get dressed the next morning.

  As she stood in a mound of seedpods, Fawn couldn’t help admiring Beck’s creativity. “Pretty good, Beck,” she said. “But you haven’t seen my best pranks yet!”

  All day long, Fawn plotted. At breakfast, she pretended to listen while Beck shared the details of her seedpod prank with the rest of the animal-talent table. But inside, Fawn was scheming.

  Fawn plotted while visiting friends. She looked for ideas first in Rosetta’s garden and then in Tink’s workshop. She didn’t find any.

  Fawn was still plotting at bedtime. She lay under her covers, thinking. She wanted her next prank to be a really good one. She wanted it to be something new—something different. But nothing was coming to her!