Deliveries

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.