Sunnythe Yellow

Fairy

Previously published as Saffron the Yellow Fairy

To the fairies at thebottom of my garden

Special thanks toSue Bentley

Previously published as Saffron the Yellow Fairy

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware thatthis book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed”to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received

any payment for this “stripped book.”

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without writtenpermission of the publisher. For information regarding permission,

write to Rainbow Magic Limited, c/o HIT Entertainment, 830 South Greenville Avenue, Allen, TX 75002-3320.

ISBN-13: 978-0-439-74466-9ISBN-10: 0-439-74466-0

Copyright © 2003 by Rainbow Magic Limited.Illustrations copyright © 2003 by Georgie Ripper. All rights reserved.Published by Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012,by arrangement with Rainbow Magic Limited. SCHOLASTIC and

associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks ofScholastic Inc. RAINBOW MAGIC is a trademark of

Rainbow Magic Limited. Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and other countries. HIT and the HIT logo are registered trademarks of HIT Entertainment Limited.

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Printed in the U.S.A. 40

First Scholastic Book Clubs paperback printing, November 2008

“Over here, Kirsty!” called RachelWalker. Kirsty Tate ran across one of theemerald-green fields that covered thispart of Rainspell Island. Buttercups anddaisies dotted the grass.

“Don’t go too far!” Kirsty’s mom called.She and Kirsty’s dad were climbing overa fence at the edge of the field.

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A Very BigBee

Kirsty caught up with her friend.“What did you find, Rachel? Is it

another Rainbow Fairy?” she askedhopefully.

“I don’t know.” Rachel was standingon the bank of a rippling stream.“Ithought I heard something.”

Kirsty’s face lit up.“Maybe there’s afairy in the stream?”

Rachel nodded. She knelt down onthe soft grass and put her ear close tothe water.

Kirsty crouched down, too, andlistened really hard.

The sun glittered on the water as itsplashed over big, shiny pebbles.Tinyrainbows flashed and sparkled — red,orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo,and violet.

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And then the girls heard a tiny bubbling voice.“Follow me. . . .” it gurgled.“Follow me. . . .”

“Oh!” Rachel gasped.“Did youhear that?”

“Yes,” said Kirsty, her eyes wide.“Itmust be a magic stream!”

Rachel felt her heart beat fast.“Maybe the stream will lead us to the

Yellow Fairy,” she said.

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Rachel and Kirsty had a specialsecret.They had promised the Kingand Queen of Fairyland they wouldfind the lost Rainbow Fairies. JackFrost’s spell had hidden the RainbowFairies on Rainspell Island. Fairylandwould be cold and gray until all sevenfairies had been found and returned totheir home.

Silver fish darted in and out of thebright green weeds at the bottom of thestream.“Follow us, follow us. . . .” theywhispered in tinkling voices.

Rachel and Kirsty smiled at eachother.Titania, the Fairy Queen, hadsaid that the magic would find them!

Kirsty’s parents came up behind thegirls and stopped to admire the stream,too.“Which way now?” askedMr.Tate.“You two seem to knowwhere you’re going.”

“Let’s go this way,”Kirsty said, pointingalong the bank.

A brilliant bluebird flewup from itsperch ona twig. Butterfliesas bright asjewels flutteredamong the cattails.

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“Everything on Rainspell Island is sobeautiful,” said Kirsty’s mom.“I’m gladwe still have five days of vacation left!”

Yes, Rachel thought, and five RainbowFairies still to find: Sunny, Fern, Sky, Inky,and Heather! Ruby the Red Fairy andAmber the Orange Fairy were alreadysafe in the pot at the end of therainbow, thanks to Rachel and Kirsty.

The girls ran on ahead of Mr. andMrs.Tate.As they followed the bubblingstream, the sun went behind a big, darkcloud.

A chilly breeze ruffled Kirsty’s hair. Shenoticed that some of theleaves on the treeswere turningbrown, eventhough it wasn’tautumn. Strangeweather like thatcould only meanone thing.“It lookslike Jack Frost’s goblins are stillaround,” she warned Rachel.Wheneverthe goblins were nearby, everythingturned frosty and cold.

Rachel shivered.“Horrible creatures!They’ll do anything to stop theRainbow Fairies from getting back toFairyland.”

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The two friends stared anxiously upat the sky. But just then, the sun cameout again, warming their shoulders.Thegirls smiled with relief and continued tofollow the bubbling water.

The stream wound through a fieldcovered with green clover. A herd ofblack-and-white cows was grazing atthe water’s edge.They looked up withtheir huge, brown eyes.

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“Aren’t they cute?” Kirsty asked.Suddenly, the cows tossed their heads

and ran off toward theother end of the field.

Rachel and Kirstylooked at each otherin surprise.What wasgoing on?

Then they heard a loudbuzzing noise.

A small shape came whizzingthrough the air, straight toward them!Rachel jumped.“It’s a bee!” she gasped.

“Run!” Kirsty cried.“The cows hadthe right idea!” Rachel tore through themeadow with Kirsty right next to her,their feet pounding the grass.

“Keep running, girls,” called Mr.Tate,

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catching up with them.“That bee seems like it’sfollowing us!”

Rachel glanced backover her shoulder.The beewas huge, bigger thanany bee she’d ever seen.

“In here, quick!” Mrs.Tate calledfrom the side of the field. She pulledopen a wooden gate.

They all ran through it, then stoppedto catch their breath. Hopefully, they’dlost that bee — for good!

“I wonder who lives here,” Kirstypanted.They were standing in a beauti-ful yard.A path led up to a little cottagewith yellow roses around the door.

Just then, a very strange creaturecame out from behind some trees. Itlooked like an alien fromouter space!

“Oh!” Racheland Kirsty gasped.

The creature liftedits gloved handsand removedits white helmetto reveal . . . anold woman! She smiled at them.

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“Sorry if I scared you,” she said.“I dolook a little strange in my beekeeper’ssuit.”

Rachel sighed in relief. It wasn’t analien after all!

“I’m Mrs. Merry,” the old lady went on.“Hello,” Rachel said.“I’m Rachel.

This is my friend Kirsty.”“And this is mymom and dad,”

Kirsty added.Mr. and Mrs.Tate greeted

Mrs. Merry.ThenMr.Tate ducked as

the huge beezoomed past his

ear.“Watch out!”he said.“It’s back!”

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“Oh, it’s that hiveless queen again,”said Mrs. Merry. She flapped her handat the bee.“Go on, shoo!”

Rachel watched it swoop over a lowhedge and disappear.

“That bee chased us all the way here.Why would she do that?” Kirsty asked.

“I don’t think she was chasing you,my dear,” said Mrs. Merry.“She wasjust heading this way because she’slooking for a hive of her own. But allof my hives already have queens.”

“Well, thank goodness she’s gonenow!” said Mrs.Tate.

“Since you’re here, would you like totry some of my honey?” Mrs. Merryasked. Her blue eyes sparkled happily.

“Oh, yes, please,” said Rachel.The others nodded, and they followed

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Mrs. Merry across the lawn to a tablecovered with rows of jars.

Each jar was filled withrich golden honey.Rays of sunlight dancedover the jars, makingthe honey glow.

“Here youare,” said Mrs.Merry, spooning some honey onto apretty yellow plate.

“Thank you,” Rachel said politely.She dipped her finger into the little poolof honey and popped it into her mouth.The honey was the most delicious thingshe had ever tasted — sweet and smooth.

Then she felt it begin to tingle on hertongue. She looked over at Kirsty.“Ittastes all fizzy!” she whispered.

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Kirsty dipped her finger into thehoney, too.“And look!” she said.

Rachel saw that the honey wastwinkling with thousands of tiny, goldsparkles. She grabbed Kirsty’s arm.“Doyou think this means —”

“Yes,” said Kirsty. Her eyes wereshining.“Another Rainbow Fairy mustbe nearby!”

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