I have not jumped words in a looooooong time! That is because I did not know what to jump. But I do now! I will tell you what it is. It is this: All of the Twinkle Dingle fairies made an etsy shop!
I do not know what that is. But Suncreek says he will make this: Craft Box. And Cloverflower says it will have this: Books. Books have words in them. I jumped some of those words!
That is all I have to jump today. Goodbye from Bud Mushroom!
I had an AMAZING adventure! I will tell you what happened. This is what happened:
I LOST MY BUTTERMILK. That part was Sad.
But then I did a lot of fun things.
You can read the rest in the ebook! It is called Bud Mushroom and the Missing Buttermilk. I do not know why.
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.
Today, the Queen said, *Bud Mushroom, today you must Assist the Gnomes. They need Your Help.*
She meant the Garden Gnomes! They are not the same as Gnormal Gnomes. Garden Gnomes wear this: Flower Pot. They wear them on their heads! Gnormal Gnomes wear Gnormal hats. I do not know why.
I flew to the Garden Gnomes. I found Thistle first. I landed on his shoulder. He said, *Work t’do, ‘shroom. Nettle knows.* That means Nettle knew what they needed me to do.
So I flew to Nettle. He said, *Delivery. Carry for Rumple.* That meant they needed me to Deliver their Weeds someplace! Nettle pointed to a bag. I picked it up. Then he said, *Get Rumple.*
He meant Rumpleknoll. He always calls her Rumple. I do not know why. But I DID know that I had to find Rumpleknoll. Rumpleknoll is not a Garden Gnome, or even a Gnormal Gnome! She is a FAIRY! She is also very very VERY hard to find in the Weeds! She likes to hide in them! She likes to sleep in them! She even likes to EAT THEM! I do not know why!
But I am Bud Mushroom, Useful Fairy! Right now, I needed to Find Rumpleknoll! So I used my Magic and then I Knew what to do. I flew back to Thistle. I asked him where Rumpleknoll was. He pointed to a pile of leaves. He said, *In there.* That means she was in the leaves!
I took the bag to the leaves. She was not asleep. She was not eating. SHE WAS SINGING! When she saw me, she stopped singing. Then she said, *There you are Bud! Come on, we need to deliver those Weeds.*
She flew away and I followed her. She flies faster than I do, but she came back to me and said, *Bud, that bag looks too heavy for you. Let me carry a few of those Weeds.*
I nodded, it was a very heavy bag! I took out a handful of Weeds. I gave them to her. She stuffed them in her dress! Then she flew more.
Then she came back again, and said, *Bud, you are flying Very Slowly. Let me take a few more of those Weeds.* I gave them to her and she stuffed them into her dress with the others.
Finally she stopped at Crystalfluff’s. Crystalfluff is this: Healer. She makes medicines! When Crystalfluff saw us, she said, *THERE you are! I have been waiting All Day for my Weeds!*
She held out her hand. I gave her the bag. She took some out and gave me back the bag. Then she said, *Thank you, Bud, for helping. Rumpleknoll, you have been spending Far Too Much Time with those Gnomes, you are starting to smell like Weeds.*
Rumpleknoll giggled, and I nodded. She did smell like Weeds! But then Rumpleknoll left. I did this: follow. She flew to Flickerfoot. He is this: Chef. He makes Delicious Treats. We went into his Special Kitchen. I gave him the bag. He looked into it.
Then he said, *I was expecting Far More Weeds than this, Bud. Did you drop any on the way over?*
I shook my head. That means, no, I did not drop any on the way over.
Then he asked, *Did Crystalfluff take more than Her Fair Share?*
I did this: shrug. I did not know what Her Fair Share was! Rumpleknoll did not say anything. She looked at the ceiling and whistled. That means she did not know, either.
Flickerfoot did this: sigh. Then he said, *Well, it can’t be helped now. This will have to do. But next time, come here first, Just To Be Sure.*
I nodded. I started to leave but Rumpleknoll nudged me. *Ask him for a Reward, Bud,* she said.
I nodded. I licked my lips! Flickerfoot said, *Fine, here you go. Now leave me be, I must figure out how to prepare the Queen’s meal without nearly as many Weeds as I expected.*
He gave me two tiny cakes! I took them outside. Then I looked at the cakes. I looked at Rumpleknoll. She licked her lips. I looked at the cakes again. Then I made the noise Flutterglow calls ‘exasperated.’ I do not know why. I gave Rumpleknoll a cake. It was the Right Thing To Do.
I ate my cake. It was Delicious.
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.
PS Rumpleknoll followed me home. Now my log smells like Weeds.
PS again SHE ATE ALL OF MY SNACKS! And then she fell asleep in my bed. I will sleep outside with the ants. Goodbye again from Bud Mushroom.
Today, I found Baggywrinkle. He was this: lost. Now he is this: not lost! That is because I found him.
This is what happened.
The Queen called me. She did it like this. Clap. Whistle. That means *Come To Us At Once, Bud Mushroom!* So I Went To Her At Once.
Then she said, *Bud Mushroom, Baggywrinkle is lost! Please be Useful, and fly to Aerwyna. Help her find him!*
I like to be Useful! So I nodded. Then I flew to Aerwyna. Aerwyna is not a fairy. She is this: a mermaid! Her top looks like a fairy, except she has no wings. But her bottom looks like this: a fish. I do not know why.
She was sitting on a rock that stuck out of the ocean. That is because her bottom is a fish. She cannot walk on land unless she takes off her scales. I landed on her tail. She saw me!
She said, *Oh Bud, I am glad you are here. I have lost Baggywrinkle, I fear!*
When Aerwyna talks, it is almost like a poem. She talks that way because she is a mermaid. She Just Can’t Help Herself.
Next she said, *Can you find my little bird friend? I hope he hasn’t met a tragic end!*
Then she shivered, and her tail flopped, and I fell off! But I am a fairy, and I can fly! So I flew to her face, and I nodded. I would help her find her little bird friend! Her bird friend is Baggywrinkle! Baggywrinkle is a puffin. A puffin is a bird. I do not know why.
She clapped her hands and smiled. That means she was happy.
She said, *When you have found him, come back to this stone. Then you can tell me where he has flown!* Then she dove back into the water.
Now, I needed to be Useful. I needed to know something. I needed to know how to find Baggywrinkle! But he could fly! He could be Any Place in Twinkle Dingle. Maybe he wasn’t even IN Twinkle Dingle! He could be Any Place Imaginable! I fly very slowly. It would take me a Very Long Time to go Every Place Imaginable!
But then I KNEW something! Two of my friends can fly very fast. They can *POP*! That means they can be in one place and then *POP* and end up in another place! Maybe they would help me find Baggywrinkle.
So I flew to their house. They live together. They are Flutterglow and Cloverflower. They are fairies. I do not know why. I went to their door. I did not go in the window. One time, I went in the window. They did not like it. They said, *Bud Mushroom, do not come in our window.* So this time I went in through the door.
They were in their kitchen. Flutterglow turned around. She screamed! Then she said, *You scared me, Bud, sneaking in like that! Next time, knock on the door first!*
I nodded. Next time, I would knock on the door first.
Then Cloverflower said, *What do you need, Bud?*
I told them about Baggywrinkle. They looked at each other.
Flutterglow said, *First one to find him gets the last Cheezy Doodle.* Cloverflower giggled and nodded, and they both *POPPED* away!
I sat and waited for them to come back. And waited. And waited. My stomach made a noise. This is why: it was empty. I looked on their food shelf, and I found this: a Cheezy Doodle. I do not like to bite Cheezy Doodles. They are too crunchy. But they are Delicious to Lick! I licked and licked the Cheezy Doodle until it was just a Doodle. Then I put it back on the shelf. Then I waited somemore. Finally, they *POPPED* back!
Flutterglow said, *I was here first!*
Cloverflower said, *No, I was here first!*
Flutterglow made the noise she calls Exasperated.
Cloverflower said, *We can share the Cheezy Doodle, Flutterglow.*
Flutterglow said, *Fine. Bud, we will take you to Baggywrinkle, and then you can go back to Aerwyna.*
I nodded, and held out my hands. They each held one, and we all *POPPED* to a place I had never been before! It was on the top of a Very Tall Mountain. When I looked down, I could see the Valley where the Vile Menace lived! When I looked up, I saw the sky! But when I looked sideways, I saw this: Baggywrinkle. I also saw this: another puffin! AND I saw this: A NEST WITH AN EGG!
Flutterglow said, *This is why Baggywrinkle left, Bud. He’s helping with his egg. They have to Take Turns to Keep It Warm.*
Cloverflower nodded. *But he told me he can go back to Aerwyna when the puffling has hatched, and can be left alone for awhile.*
Baggywrinkle nodded. I laughed! It looked like he was dancing! The Mummy puffin nodded too, and it looked like she was dancing. The egg did not nod. I do not know why.
Then I held out my hands, and my friends *POPPED* me back to their house.
I left so I could go tell Aerwyna. But I heard Flutterglow say, *Cloverflower, why is the Cheezy Doodle all wet, and where has all the Cheez gone?* I laughed, because I knew why the Doodle was all wet and where the Cheez went!
I went to the Rock. I buzzed around until Aerwyna came back. Then I told her where Baggywrinkle was.
She clapped her hands and smiled. Then she said, *Thank you for finding my bird friend for me. Here, take this berry, it fell from a tree.*
She gave me a berry. It fell from a tree. This is how I know: it was smooshed. Also she told me. Smooshed berries are the best kind. They are easy to lick. I licked it all the way home. Then I gave the rest to my ants and slugs.
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.
Yesterday, the Queen said something AMAZING! I will tell you what she said. This is what she said: *Bud Mushroom, Twinkle Dingle needs a Good Rainstorm. The plants are dry! The snails are sad! We will make it Rain tomorrow. But We need you to be out in the Rain doing Useful Things!*
I laughed. I love Rain! And then I drooped. The last time I went out in the Rain, I became very ill. Rain is not good for fairies! But then the Queen said something EVEN MORE AMAZING! This is what she said: *Bud Mushroom, We will give you this Magic Hair Bow, and it will keep you Safe from the Rain. You will not become ill!*
I drooped again. A Hair Bow is CLOTHING! I do not like Clothing! I did not want to wear Hair Bow, even if it was Magic! I drooped even more!
But then she said THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER! This is what she said: *Bud Mushroom, you do not need to wear the Rain Bow. You can carry it on the end of a stick, and the Magic will still work.*
Then I laughed and laughed! The Queen is So Clever! And she is my friend. She knows I do not like to wear Clothing. Then she said, *Take the Bow to Shinyspeck, and he will help you put it on a stick.*
Shinyspeck is my friend. He is not a fairy. He is a Pixie! I took the Rain Bow to Shinyspeck. He said, *I do not understand you, Bud. What do you want me to do with this Hair Bow?*
I found a stick. I put the Bow on the end. I held up the stick. The Bow fell off! But Shinyspeck said, *You want me to attach that Hair Bow to a Stick? You are so very weird, Bud, but ok, I can do that.*
I nodded. I am so very weird! I do not know why. But he put the Bow on the Stick! I smiled! Then I took the Rain Bow home. I put it in my house. I took a nap while I waited for Rain.
Today it Rained! I went Out in the Rain, and Did Useful Things. This is what I did:
I splashed the snails! They like to be wet. They were very happy.
I pulled a Worm Across the Clearing. I do not know why the Worm wanted to Cross the Clearing. But now it is on the Other Side!
I helped the Garden Gnomes with their Weeds. Weeds like Rain. Thistle said, *Stand there, Bud.* I stood there. Then Nettle said, *Move now, Bud.* Then I moved. Then Henbit said, *Go home, Bud.* That means they did not need me to be Useful anymore.
But I did not Go Home. I collected Rain Drops for Crystalfluff. She has this Job: Healer. When I was ill, she made me feel better! She needs Rain Drops for her Medicines, but she cannot go in the Rain to collect them! I collected a whole Sea Shell full of Rain Drops!
Then I watched the Wairies play in the Pond. Wairies are Water Fairies. They only come out when there is Rain! It was not Useful to watch them. But it was fun!
Then the Rain did this: stopped. That means it was not Raining anymore. It was safe for my friends to come out and play! We played hide-and-seek and poke-the-spider and rode on the snails. It was a very good day.
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.
PS: The plants are happy too.
PS Again: I put the Rain Bow in my house for next time.
We did something AMAZING! I will tell you what it was. This is what it was: WE GOT A NEW YEAR! And we had a Party!
I do not know why we needed a New Year in Twinkle Dingle. I do not even know what a Year is, or what happened to the Old one! But Flutterglow said, *Bud, it is time for a New Year, we must have a Party like the Humans do, and make Revolutions. No, not Revolutions, Convolutions! No, wait, I mean, Substitutions–no, that’s not right either.*
Then Cloverflower said, *I think they’re called Distributions, Flutterglow!*
Flutterglow said, *You are right, Cloverflower! We have to make Distributions, Bud.*
I did not know what they were talking about, except for PARTY! So I nodded. I LOVE Parties! There is always Something Delicious to Float in at a Party!
Then Cloverflower said, *Bring your Distributions when you come to the Party!* Then she and Flutterglow *POPPED* away!
I wanted to get ready for the Party, but Cloverflower had said, *Bring your Distributions when you come to the Party!* And I did not know what Distributions were!
I drooped. I could not bring Distributions to the Party if I did not know what they were!
And then I remembered Something Important! I am a Useful Fairy, and I have Useful Magic! I needed to Know Something. I needed to Know what Distributions were! So I used my Magic, and then I KNEW! That is how Useful Magic works.
This is what a Distribution is: when you Give Something to Someone Else. I had things I could give to my Friends! But then I drooped again. I had many many MANY Friends, but I did not have many many MANY Things. But I could not leave anyone out!
So I sat on the floor in my log and I used my Magic again. This is what I needed to Know: what to give EVERYONE in Twinkle Dingle so No One Would Be Left Out. And this is what I Knew: what to give EVERYONE in Twinkle Dingle so No One Would Be Left Out!
I flew outside to find what I Needed, and Made my Plan! It took a long long LONG time! My wings got very tired!
Just In Time, I got back to my log. Flutterglow *POPPED* in and said, *It’s Time for the Party, Bud, are you ready?* I nodded. That meant I WAS ready!
She said, *Do you have your New Year Distributions?* and I nodded and smiled! She did not Know my Plan! She touched my hand and *POPPED* me to the Clearing where the Party was!
Everyone was there, and the Queen said, *Now it is Time for the Distributions,* and she waved her Flower Wand. I do not know why.
Then the Queen Biggified a Berry Sweet, and let everyone take a bite! I did not bite it. I licked it. It was Delicious.
The Gnomes gave everyone a Magic Leaf, rolled up in a tiny piece of paper.
Willowdrop gave everyone a Brand New Comb.
Flickerfoot made a GIANT bowl of Nectar Punch, and let everyone have some!
Pebblemist and Cloverflower sang a song for everyone to hear.
Peppertwirl gave everyone NEW CLOTHING, except for me! She said, *Bud, I know you do not like Clothing, have this Choklit instead.* I LOVE CHOKLIT! I was very happy to have Choklit instead of Clothing.
All of my other friends gave things to each other, too! I got a lot of new things!
Then Flutterglow said, *Bud, what did you bring?* and I smiled! I flew to a Tree at the edge of the Clearing. I knocked on it, and guess what happened!
THE SKY LIT UP! I will tell you why: because of My Plan. This was my Plan: I found Fire Flies. They are not made of Fire. But their Bottoms Light Up! I told them to sit in the Tree. I told them when I knocked on the Tree, to fly into the air and make their Bottoms Light Up! And they did! They made Flowers in the Sky with their Lights!
All of my Friends said *Ooo*. Then all of my Friends said, *Ahh.* That means they liked my Distribution! It was Very Pretty to see the Fire Fly Lights in the Sky.
When the Fire Flies were done, they flew down to the Party. They Floated with me in the Nectar Punch.
Everyone had a Very Good Time, and No One Was Left Out.
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom!
Someone else jumped wrote this. I do not know why.
‘Twas the first night of Winter, and snug in his log,
was a tiny green fairy who’d drunk too much nog.
There had been a party, with good things to eat
and to drink. Now Bud Mushroom was totally beat.
He lay in his bed, which was an old nest;
with a seed for a pillow, he settled to rest.
He thought on the tale told by his Fairy Queen,
about magical elves, who were AMA-ZING!
They snuck into houses, and if they found Socks,
they filled them with candy and toys (things like blocks
and dollies and games) and so many fun treats!
Bud sat up, sadly, and looked at his feets.
He never wore clothing, so hadn’t a Sock.
(Though he had a Collection, including a Rock,
a snakeskin, a seashell, a whisker of cat,
a magic Potato, and good things like that.)
With no socks at all, the elves wouldn’t come.
So when Bud fell asleep, he was feeling quite glum.
But what Bud didn’t know (because he was sleeping),
was into his log house his friends were now creeping.
“Shush, Flutterglow, quiet!” the Fairy Queen said,
“Or you’ll wake up Bud Mushroom, asleep in his bed!”
Flutterglow nodded, trying not to ‘tee-hee’
(but being a fairy, it wasn’t easy).
The little Queen spoke to the fairy in pink,
“Cloverflower, now tell me – where do you think
we should hang this thing up, for he hasn’t a flue.
I really am not sure just what we should do!”
Cloverflow’r took the Sock (which was filled to the brim
with goodies for Bud – all picked just for him!).
She looked all around, and then smiled bright,
When she found the place that was perfectly right.
The Queen waved her flower, then nodded and said
“Now get the last thing, it should go by his bed.”
The two fairies nodded, then *POPPED* away quick –
Then suddenly *POPPED* back (ain’t that a neat trick?).
They left their last gift, standing up by Bud’s nest,
Then *POPPED* out of sight while Bud finished his rest.
When he woke in the morning, now, what did he see?
In his log, by his bed, was a beautiful tree!
‘Twas covered in berries, in blues and in reds,
with spider-spun garlands of sticky web-threads.
And, way up high, way up there, on the top,
Perched a beautiful, sparkling, gleaming dew drop!
Bud smiled when he saw it, and climbed out of bed.
Then he saw one more thing, hanging over his head!
‘Twas a Sock! Filled with treats, and with goodies galore!
And he laughed and he laughed ‘til his belly was sore.
He dumped out the Sock, and devoured the snacks.
Then he sorted the gifts – thistle down! Some beeswax!
Feathers! And eggshells! The bark of a tree!
These wonderful things made Bud dance with glee!
But the best gift was all was that knowing his friends
had come into his house, with these odds and those ends,
just to make his day happy, and give him some fun.
Happy Winter to all, now this story is done.
Happy Winter from Bud Mushroom!
My friend Cloverflower told me something AMAZING. She told me what this is: POEM. I will tell you what Poem is. It is this: words that sound nice together. Sometimes they do this: Rhyme. That means they sound the same at the ends. Sometimes a Poem tells a story!
Then she said, *Bud, why don’t you use that thingamajigger you keep Jumping on, and write down a Poem?*
She means my Magic Pink Rock. I Jump words on it. I nodded, I wanted to Jump Words That Sound Nice Together. I wanted to Jump a Poem! Then I would tell Worldwide Spider my Poem, and maybe Worldwide would put the Poem in its Web!
This is the Poem I Jumped!
I like things to lick
I’m not very quick
Grasshoppers kick
I want a big stick.
But Cloverflower said, *Bud, that’s not right. You have to do the Rhymes in a Certain Way, like Hookahs, or Limey Rocks, or Lamby Penny Meter. And it has to Make Sense.*
I shook my head. I did not want to Jump about Limey Rocks! I did not know what Lamby Penny Meter was! And Hookahs Are Not Poems!
But I did want to Make Sense. I wanted to Jump about things I like! I wanted to Jump about things I Knew! So I Jumped another Poem!
Cloverflower is here
Telling me what to Jump
The sounds go in my ear
And come out of my Rump.
Then I laughed because it was funny and true!
Cloverflower looked at my Poem. She made the noise that Flutterglow calls *exasperated*. I do not know why. Then she said, *Whatever, Bud. It’s not really GOOD Poetry, but I guess the rhymes are alright. But I have Important Things To Do. You can keep writing … uh, Jumping, and I will come back later to look at your Poems.*
I nodded. I would Keep Jumping, and she would Come Back Later to Look at my Poems.
Then I Jumped this:
This one time, I hid in a Plop.
Then Flutterglow came with a *POP*
She gave me a Look
Then we *POPPED* to the Brook
And I floated until she said Stop.
It was a good Poem. But I wanted to Jump more! So I Jumped this:
I live in a log.
It is full of all my things.
And ants live here too.
That one did not Rhyme, but I liked it anyway!
And then I was done. I do not know why.
I will go tell my Poems to Worldwide Spider now.
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.
P.S. It was really the Pond, not a Brook, but Pond Does Not Rhyme. Goodbye again from Bud Mushroom.
P.P.S. Pond DOES Rhyme with Frond and Wand and Fond. It does not Rhyme with Look. I do not know why. Goodbye again again from Bud Mushroom.
A long long LONG time ago I found this: a baby bunny!
GUESS WHAT!
I will tell you what!
IT GREW UP!
It is not a baby bunny now. It is a Mummy bunny! This is how I know: I saw it with baby bunnies!
I will tell you what happened. This is what happened: I was in the forest. That is because I live there. All fairies live there. I do not know why.
I visited my friend, Baggywrinkle. He is a Puffin. He lives with the mermaids. But he can’t stay under water all the time. He is not a fish! I do not know why. But he is not. He was standing on a rock. I waved to him. He did not wave back. He does not have arms. He has these instead: wings.
After I waved, I flew home. But I fly slowly. It makes me tired. So I stopped to rest. And then I saw the bunny! It hopped over to me. Then I saw the babies! They hopped and and jumped and bounced. I laughed and laughed. Then the Mummy bunny stopped! She looked at me! She crept to me. She sniffed me! I laughed, because it tickled!
Then she did this: SHE LICKED ME! I laughed more because it tickled a LOT!
I did not know why she licked me. Fairies are not good food for bunnies. Bunnies eat things like apples and grass. But I am a Useful fairy, and it was Useful to Know Why. Then I KNEW!
It was the same bunny I helped before! She was not tasting me! She was saying THANK YOU BUD MUSHROOM!
I smiled! I like to be Useful!
Then she showed me her babies. She had three babies. I do not speak Bunny so I do not know their Bunny names. I will call them Hopper, Jumper, and Bouncer. Mummy bunny let me touch her babies. They were very soft. I hope I see them again!
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.
One day, I was standing by the Queen’s Throne. Cloverflower was standing by the Queen’s Throne. Flutterglow was standing by the Queen’s Throne. The Queen was not standing by her Throne. That is because she was sitting on her Throne. That is what the Queen does. I do not know why.
Then the Queen said, *Bud Mushroom, Tonight is Hello Evening. We must Wear Delightful Costumes, and then we shall all wander around Twinkle Dingle and say Hello to everyone.*
I did not know why the Queen would say, *Bud Mushroom, Tonight is Hello Evening. We must Wear Delightful Costumes, and then We shall all wander around Twinkle Dingle and say Hello to everyone.* But she did.
When she said it, I drooped. This is why: I DID NOT WANT TO WEAR A DELIGHTFUL COSTUME. A Costume is Clothing! Clothing is NOT Delightful!!
I
Hate
Clothing.
The Queen said, *Everyone must now go find a Delightful Costume, and We will Meet Back Here!*
I flew away. I hid in my house. My house is a dead log. It is where I live. My things are all in my house. The ants and slugs come to visit me! They are my friends.
I have other friends. Two of them are Flutterglow and Cloverflower. They are not slugs. They are not ants. They are fairies! I do not know why.
Flutterglow and Cloverflower came to my house. They stood outside. They pounded on my log.
Flutterglow said, *We know you’re in there, Bud. Come out and we will help you find a Delightful Costume!*
Cloverflower said, *It doesn’t even need to be an Entire Costume, Bud. Maybe you can just wear an Amusing Mask!*
I did not want to Wear a Delightful Costume. I did not want to Wear an Amusing Mask. A Mask is just a Face Costume. It is still Clothing!
Then Flutterglow said Something Scary! She said, *Bud, if you do not Come Out, we will Come In!*
Flutterglow can do an Amazing Thing. It is called *POP*. She can *POP* anyplace! She could *POP* into my house! If she *POPPED* into my house, she would make me Wear a Costume!
I drooped. But I am a Useful Fairy, and I needed to know something Useful. I needed to know how to Hide from the *POP*. I looked around. I used my Magic. And then I KNEW!
I told all of my ant friends and slug friends to get on top of me. I made myself flat on the bottom of my log. Ants crawled on me. Slugs slithered on me. I was covered! I wanted to laugh, but then Flutterglow would know I was Bud Mushroom, Useful Fairy, and not a part of a log covered in slugs! So I stayed very very still. I stayed very very quiet.
Flutterglow *POPPED* into my log! Cloverflower did too! Flutterglow said, *Where are you, Bud? We know you are hiding in here. Cloverflower, look under those Dead Leaves.*
Cloverflower said, *I am not touching those Dead Leaves, they are Moldy and Slimy. This entire house is Disgusting. How does Bud stand it?*
She meant me! I am Bud! But I did not say How I Stand It, because then she would know where I was hiding! I put my hand over my mouth so I would not laugh.
Flutterglow said, *I don’t know, Cloverflower, but remember he once hid in one of Rudy’s Stinky Plops. Maybe his nose doesn’t work.*
Once, I hid in one of Rudy’s Stinky Plops. It was a Very Good Hiding Place. But my nose DOES work. It keeps my eyes from sliding into my mouth! I wanted to tell her, but then she would know where I was hiding! So I stayed quiet.
Cloverflower said, *I don’t care of it works or not, I am not waiting for him to show up! I want to Wear a Delightful Costume and say Hello to everyone! The Queen said when we say Hello, we will get Sweets!*
My eyes got big when she said Sweets. I love Sweets! I do not like Chewy Sweets. But some Sweets are soft. Some can be licked. They are not all Chewy.
Flutterglow said, *You’re right, let’s go get my Bag, so we can carry more Sweets. We’ll find Bud later. I hope someone gives us Choklit.*
My eyes got REALLY BIG when she said Choklit. They got as big as REALLY BIG eyes! I will tell you why: I LOVE CHOKLIT! I would even Wear a Costume to get Choklit!
But I did not get to tell them. They *POPPED* away! But I did not droop. I stood up. I went outside to find them. I did not see them. But I remembered something Useful: The Queen said, *We will Meet Back Here.*
*Here* was By Her Throne. So I flew to her Throne. But I fly very slowly. When I got there, no one was there!
I did not know what to do. So I used my Magic and then I knew something Useful. I would Wait!
So I Waited. Then I sat on the ground and I Waited. Then I lay down and I Waited. And GUESS WHAT HAPPENED?
THEY CAME BACK! Flutterglow was wearing Cloverflower’s Dress. Cloverflower was wearing Flutterglow’s Dress. They were pretending to be each other! Those were their Costumes.
The Queen was wearing Human Clothing! She was pretending to be a Human! I do not know why. It was not very Delightful.
The Queen said, *It’s Too Bad that Bud didn’t want to come with us. Look at all these Sweets!*
She meant me! I am Bud! I stood up. I walked to her Throne.
Cloverflower saw me first. Her eyes got as big as mine did! She said, *Flutterglow, do you see that . . . whatever it is?*
Flutterglow looked at me. *What is that, Cloverflower? It’s covered in slugs and ants! Is it a Dead Log?*
The Queen looked at me and screamed! Then she said, *It cannot be, as it is moving towards us! Flutterglow, go find Wildwhisper, and have him Bring the Thorn, at once! Cloverflower, Warn Everyone! I will be in my Thinking Place, hid . . . I mean, thinking of a way to save us from the Slug Creature!*
Flutterglow and Cloverflower *POPPED* away and the Queen flew high up in the air to her Thinking Place. I looked around but I did not see a Slug Creature. I do not know why they were scared! There was nothing here but me, Bud Mushroom.
AND ALL OF THEIR SWEETS! I smiled! I walked over to their bags. I found Choklit! I found Honey Drops! I even found a Magic Cookie from the Garden Gnomes! I filled up Cloverflower’s Bag. I took the Bag full of Delicious Sweets back to my log.
Once I got home, the ants crawled off of me. The slugs slithered away from me. I shared the Delicious Sweets with them. It was a very nice Hello Evening, and I did not have to Wear a Costume!
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom
P.S. Wildwhisper came to my house later. He said, *Bud Mushroom, there is a Creepy Slug Creature in Twinkle Dingle. Do not leave your house, it is Not Safe.* Then he came back later and said, *I can’t find the Slug Creature anyplace, it must have Gone Home. You can come out now.* I will go out now. I have to give Cloverflower her Bag. Goodbye again from Bud Mushroom.
P.P.S. I gave Cloverflower her bag. She looked inside. It was empty. She made the noise that Flutterglow calls Exasperated. I do not know why. Goodbye again again from Bud Mushroom.
Yesterday, Grassywind said, *Come with me, Bud Mushroom. You can be Useful, and help me Organize Things.*
I nodded! I like to be Useful! We went to the Kitchen. The Kitchen is inside a Hollow Tree. Flickerfoot was there. That is because he has this Job: Royal Chef. He makes food for the Queen.
Flickerfoot said, *Thank goodness you are here, Grassywind! I am in a Kerfluffle! Please Sort my Nuts and Berries.*
Grassywind told me what to do. He showed me a Basket full of Berries of All Colors! He said, *Put all of the Blue Berries in that shell, Bud. Put the Red Berries in that other shell. And put the Purple Berries in the third shell.*
Grassywind Sorted the Nuts. I Sorted the Berries. But sometimes Red Berries look like Purple Berries! Sometimes Purple Berries look like Blue Berries! Sometimes I got All Mixed Up! But I Did My Best. That is All I Can Do.
And then Flickerfoot came back. He said, *You did a grand job! Now I can find all of my Berries and Nuts. Thank you.*
He gave me a Blue Berry and a Brown Nut! I took them home. I licked the Berry. It was Juicy.
But I do not like Nuts. They are Hard and Crunchy. They hurt my mouth. I did not know what do do! And then I had an Idea. I will tell you my Idea. This was my Idea: I would give the Nut to one of my Friends!
But I was tired. Sorting Berries is Hard Work! I wanted to sleep! So I put the Nut by my door. Then I curled up in my bed. I went to sleep.
When I woke up, THE NUT WAS GONE! But I heard a noise. This was the noise: Chitter. I followed the Chitter. I looked up. That is because the Chitter was Up. I saw something Red. I flew up to the Red Thing and guess what I found??
A SQUIRREL. It was sitting in the Tree. It was eating my Nut! I drooped. I would not have a Nut to give my friends! But then the Squirrel did something EVEN MORE AMAZING! It ran farther up the tree.
I followed!
It went into a Hole in the Tree!
I followed!
Guess what was inside the Hole?? I will tell you what was Inside the Hole. BABY SQUIRRELS! The Squirrel curled up with the Babies. It was their Mummy! I smiled! But the Squirrel Nest was SO HIGH UP that I was tired from flying. So I curled up with them. They were Soft. They were Warm! I took a nice nap. Then I woke up and flew home.
I still do not have a Nut. But that is alright. I will give my friends Something Else, and I will Explain about the Baby Squirrels.
Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.
Bud's Blog 