A Problem in Fairy Kingdom

            “You’re going to miss it!” yelled Rosemary to her sister below. Without hesitation, Lily fluttered her wings to climb to the top branch of the cherry blossom tree. The young fairies sat side by side, watching the sunrise over the rolling hills of their kingdom. 

            The bright yellow and orange beams of light continued to grow, spreading from hill to valley. As the sun awaked every foot, Rosemary and Lily could see the blades of grass jump out of the ground and shake off the nighttime’s dew. And finally, the moment they had been waiting for had arrived.

            Standing before them, at eye level, was their Uncle Sunford. He had gone away, as he always had, the night before. His job required him to wake up the entire planet, after all.

            “Rose! Lily! I should have known I would find you two nearby. I would have bet a ray on it!” he joked.

            Rosemary and Lily looked at each other gravely. It was always so difficult to think of something so awful after seeing the beauty of their Uncle’s homecoming. They knew, though, that the news they carried was of utmost importance, especially to him.

            “Well...” began Rosemary.

            “You see...” continued Lily.

            Getting frustrated, Sunford blurted, “Oh, for Moon’s sake, spit it out already!”

            “The tulips are refusing to bloom!” the girls revealed in unison. The day before they had been shocked to discover that the tulips were sealed shut. Without entry to the tulips, no fairies could receive enough magical dust to shield themselves from the dangers of their kingdom. While multiple plants offered small amounts of the sacred dust, such as roses and lilacs, it was not enough to ensure the security of all Fairy Kingdom. Rosemary and Lily had thought, perhaps, that Uncle Sunford’s rays had not been strong enough the morning before to alert the tulips that it was time to open. When they remained sealed all day, however, they knew something was wrong.

            “That can’t be,” pondered Sunford, “I have been casting particularly intense rays this whole week after Sunday’s sparrow attack. There is no way the tulips could have overlooked my arrival.”

            “Oh, Uncle Sun, what are we going to do?” cried Lily. “It is only a matter of time before the sparrows return. Or worse...squirrels!” At the mention of squirrels Lily made a queer face. She despised the rodents, especially after Queen Nutertiti had threatened to take over Fairy Kingdom last season.

            “ Not to worry, my nieces. I will check on the tulips at once. They cannot hide from me too easily.”           

            And off they went, Sunford gliding through the sky and the girls soaring between the trees, their wings abuzz with the sounds of urgency. They flew until they reached Tulip Treasury, a vast, open field covered with millions of yellow and pink tulips. In the center stood a lone red flower: Sir Stigma, leader of the tulips.

            Sunford positioned himself in the center of the field and closed his eyes. A humming was emitted as his heat and light engulfed the field. Rosemary and Lily had to shield their eyes from the blinding light. Even in all of its beauty, it was still too much to see all at once.

            “Tulips, the time has come to open. The fairies need your dust.”

There was no response. A slight tremor here and there was seen throughout the field, a clear indication of tulips resisting their instinct to open at the first sign of Sun’s arrival. He spoke again.

            “Sir Stigma, I order you and your family to open at once!” his voice boomed over the land.

            Slowly, the tulips began to bloom. Like a wave in the distant sea, their petals began to spread until the field sparkled with the sight of magical dust. Sir Stigma was the last to open his petals to the world.

            “Sunford, I beg your forgiveness. But I ordered my family to ignore your presence and remain closed these past two days. It’s just...it’s just...”

            “Oh, for Lightning’s sake, spit it out already!” the impatient sun exclaimed.

            “It’s just that we were so tired! You’ve been arriving earlier and earlier every day and staying later every night! And throughout the day the fairies have been collecting dust non-stop. We just needed a day to rest!”

            Sunford was taken aback. He had never heard any creature complain of his presence before. With the coming of the new seasons he always stayed longer in Fairy Kingdom. And after the sparrow attack, he thought the inhabitant’s would be thankful to have his light for a few extra hours. Never had he thought about the toll it would take on the tulips. From the corner of his eye, he could see Rosemary and Lily, jaws dropped open, in amazement.

            “I...I am so sorry, Stigma. It was not my intention to exhaust you and your family. You work so hard at keeping your kingdom safe. You are right; you deserve a break. Please, let me ask for this compromise. Let the fairies collect enough dust to protect themselves for the next two days. I will shield myself behind the clouds to ensure that you have enough time to rest. I will shine over you again in two day’s time.”

            “Thank you for your understanding, Sunford,” Sir Stigma replied graciously. “There is one more favor I must ask.”

            “And what is that,” inquired Sunford?

            “Please remain here all day. Your warmth really is wonderful.”

            Sunford let out a small chuckle and a smile that filled the kingdom with warmth and security once again.