There she met Flame- her best friend. Fern smiled. "How many children have you dusted then?" Fern asked. "Ssh.." murmered Flame, deep in concentration. Fern nodded. Orphan dusting was diffucult and needed lots of concentration.

She waited a while, saw that Flame was really struggling and went over to get the other faeries to help. All Fern's friends sprinkled dust on the child, Waterfall's twinkling blue, Tornado's invisible powder, Glimmer's sunny yellow, Mystery's dark purple, Icicle's shimmering white, Flame's bright red and Fern's grassy green. Soon the dusting prosses was done and the faries all smiled and flew off to other children.

After a few hours of dusting orphans Fern's wings were tired and she sat down on an orphan's bedstead. Her forehead prickled with sweat and her eyes were tempted to close. Mystery, who was in charge of this nights turn sighed. "I think we've done enough for tonight" she said. "Follow me." Fern, who was relived to go, took a last glance behind her. She thought she saw the child's eyes flicker open, but she must have imagined it in her tiredness.

Next morning, Fern went out early to collect plants. She glided easily through the air at first, but as she went further into the bracken there was not much room for her.

Fern had been this route many times before, so it didn't bother her. As she came to the clearing where she normally picked herbs, she discovered that all the other earth faeries had been up earlier than her.

"Oh bummer..." thought Fern. She decided to go further and see if she could find another spot.

The bracken was thicker here, and Fern could hardly squeeze through. Fern heard a big "RRRIIIIPPP!" and discovered that her wing was torn. She managed to untangle it, and panicking, she flew back to Ashby.

When she got home it was dark and nearly time for the patrol. The children had obviously had a rough day, and every-one was too busy to notice the rip in Fern's wing. Fern only managed to sprinkle a few puffs of green faerie dust before she collapsed onto a child's bed and went out of coissuness. Unfortunately for Fern, a child had woken in the night and nearly seen the faeries. Waterfall- who was in charge that night, sheparded every-one out. No-one came back for Fern.

Fern woke in a small scruff of material on the side of a child's pillow. Her broken wing was wrapped up. Blood was staining the pillow, and there were several teardrop marks on her clothes. Fern knew that if she didn't find the cure soon- she would die. She had little time left. She had to get the orphan to help her tonight. Fern- having medical experience also knew she needed as much sleep as possible. She wiped away the tears on her face and tried to sleep.

Fern woke again with a child sitting patiently on the bed, holding her in cupped hands. The little girl gasped and nearly dropped Fern when she saw her eyelids flickering open.

"Ssh.." said Fern. "Don't be scared of me. Unwrap my wing now please. Carefully- or you might make it worse." the little girl nodded and untied the neat knots without touching Fern's wing at all. A tear plopped from her eye as she saw the blood. It landed on Fern's wound. Without relising was happening, it spread and healed it up. Fern flew out of coincessness.

Again Fern woke. The child had fallen asleep, and her wound was fully healed. Fern spinkled some faerie dust on the little child. She then flew out into the garden and gathered some tiny fern leaves. She then found some flowers like Roses, Daisies and even Violets. Also, she got some lavender. She weaved them alltoghether to make a braclet- exept she saved some lavender and fern. She took the material which she had slept in thst night (she had flown out with it under her arm) and started making a dress. She weaved in all sorts of bits in the earth, and finaly made a life-sized Fern. She sewed it onto the braclet, and scattered her creation with faerie dust. Fern flew up to the room in which the child slept, and left it on her pillow. She turned and saw Flame hovering in mid-air.

"So." said Flame. "You found your human child."

The End

Story by: Hannah, age 9, UK