Snail Scrubbing

Today I helped Bubblebelle. This is Bubblebelle’s Job: Snail Scrubber. That means she Scrubs Snails. She makes them clean!

Bubblebelle also is this: Sprout Gardener. That means she takes care of Sprouts. When a fairy Blooms, it is a Seedling. Then it grows into a Sprout. Sprouts go to Sprout Garden to Learn Important Things.

When I was a Sprout, I saw Bubblebelle Every Day! She played games with me. We floated in the Pond. She told me funny stories. She said, *Bud Mushroom, you are the quietest Sprout I have ever had in my Garden!* That is because I don’t like to talk. It is hard, and makes my mouth hurt. But Bubblebelle didn’t mind. She had Other Ways to know what I needed.

Today she came to my house. It is an Old Log. I live in it. She said, *Bud Mushroom, I need help Scrubbing Snails. Please come help me and I will give you a treat.*

I love treats! I went with her. I helped her Scrub Snails. This is what I did: I poured water on them. I scrubbed their shells with a brush. I wiped their faces with a Soft Cloth. Then I rinsed them clean!

I got wet. I got clean too! But I do not mind getting wet. Wet is just from water. It is not Clothing. I do not like Clothing.

Bubblebelle clapped her hands! She smiled! She said, *You are a good Snail Scrubber, Bud! Here is your treat.*

This is what she gave me: A White Cube. It was as big as me!

A Cube is a bunch of squares stuck together. This Cube was made of Sugar!

Bubblebelle said, *It is called Sugar Cube, Bud.* I do not know why.

Then she said, *Lick it, Bud. It is Sweet!*

I licked it. It was Sweet! I smiled!

Bubblebelle clapped her hands and laughed! She said, *Take that home. Thank you for being Useful today.*

I like to be Useful! I took Sugar Cube home. It was so big that it took a long time to get home!

When I got home, I licked it. I still have a lot left! I will share it with my ant friends.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.

A Very Strange Thing

A Strange Thing happened today. I will tell you what it was!

I woke up. I opened my eyes. I got out of bed. I did not get dressed. Those are not Strange Things. I do those things Every Single Day.

I went to find the Queen. That was not Strange either. But she was not on her Throne! This is how I know: No One was there! The Queen is not No One! That is because she is the Queen. I do not know why.

I flew around the clearing. I could not see the Queen. I could not hear the Queen! I could not even smell the Queen! That is what was Strange!

But then I DID hear something. It sounded like this: Buzz. But many things in Twinkle Dingle make the sound Buzz. I did not know what made the sound Buzz this time.

I flew towards the Buzz. And I saw the Queen! She was near her Thinking Place. It is like a house. But it is in a tree! I did not know why she was going to her Thinking Place. I flew closer to it.

She flew to the roof. She opened the door in the roof. She flew inside.

I did not go inside. I was Not Invited. If I went inside when I was Not Invited, I would be in Big Trouble. Once, I was in Big Trouble. The Queen made me milk the grasshoppers. I do not like to milk grasshoppers. They kick.

I flew to a different part of her Thinking Place. It is called this: Window. A Window is like a Hole in a Wall. You can see into the Thinking Place! The Queen was Very Clever to make a Window in her Thinking Place. I live in a Rotten Log. I do not have a Window. But I do have ants and slugs. They are as Just As Good as a Window. But you can’t see through them.

I heard a noise inside the Thinking Place. I looked through the Window. This was the noise: The Queen opened a Cupboard! The noise I heard was the Door. It did this: Squeak. Then the Queen looked in her Cupboard. She took something out.

This is what she took out: A JAR OF DELICIOUS SWEETS.

I do not like Chewy Delicious Sweets. They are hard to chew. Chewing makes my mouth hurt. But I looked carefully. And I saw something AMAZING.

THE JAR HAD CHOKLIT IN IT.

I licked my lips. I LOVE CHOKLIT. I do not chew it. I lick it. Then it does not hurt my mouth.

I wanted some Delicious Choklit. But I knew something about the Queen: The Queen does not like to share her Delicious Choklit. She does not like to share the Berry Sweets, either. She will Only Share the Peppermints and the Licorice.

I watched the Queen. I licked my lips. But then something happened. I slipped! I fell against the Thinking Place! It made this noise: Bang.

The Queen stopped. She turned to the Window. She said *Who is that Outside Our Thinking Place? Gran, it that you?*

She meant Rumpleknoll. She calls Rumpleknoll *Gran*. I do not know why.

But I am not Rumpleknoll. I am not Gran! I am Bud Mushroom, Useful Fairy. And I would be in Big Trouble if the Queen saw me looking through her Window! I did not want to milk grasshoppers again!

But then the Queen put the Jar on her Table. She flew to the ceiling. She went out the door in the roof. And she started to fly near me!

I could not fly up, she would see me! I could not fly down, she would catch me! So I climbed in the Window. And licked my lips.

I did not take the Jar of Delicious Choklit. I only took One Piece. I did not eat it. But I did lick it. I Could Not Help Myself. Then I heard a noise on the roof! I dropped the Choklit! I jumped out the Window! I flew to the ground. I did not want the Queen to see me!

Then something happened! THE QUEEN SUMMONED ME! She does it like this: she claps her hands. She whistles. Then I know she is Summoning Me.

That means I can go into her Thinking Place! Maybe she wanted to give me some Delicious Choklit! So I flew back up into the tree. I went in through the Door in the Roof. I landed next to her. I smiled!

She frowned at me. *Bud Mushroom, have you been eating Our Delicious Choklit?*

I shook my head. I had not eaten it! I had only licked it!

She frowned again. She held up the piece I licked. She said, *Did you lick this, Bud?*

I nodded. I had licked it!

Then she did a Strange Thing. The thing she did was not the Strange Thing. But SHE did it. Usually Flutterglow does it! The Queen does not. She did this: SHE MADE THE NOISE CALLED EXASPERATED.

But then she handed me the Choklit I licked! *You can have that, Bud,* she said. *But you must not Sneak in here and Steal Our Snacks.*

I nodded. I would not Sneak in here and Steal Her Snacks.

*And you must be Taught a Lesson, for Disobeying Us,* she said.

I drooped. I did not want to milk grasshoppers again! But she said something AMAZING!

*After you eat that Choklit, you will Scrub Our Table. You got Choklit all over it. Then you will bathe in the Pond, and Clean your Sticky Fingers. And then you will go with Flutterglow to wherever it is that she goes to Find Treats, and you will help her to Replenish Our Royal Stash of Snacks.*

I nodded! I smiled! I would Wash the Table! I would Help Flutterglow! I would not have to milk grasshoppers!!! I was so happy that I spun in circles in the air.

I cleaned the Table. I took a bath! Now I have to go with Flutterglow! I will carry her Bag! Maybe we will find Choklit! Maybe we will find Cheese Burger!

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom!

I am awake now

Twinkle Dingle Day was SO MUCH FUN! I made new friends! I licked things! I got to tell people about ME, Bud Mushroom! I saw Worldwide Spider’s WHOLE ENTIRE WEB! At least I think I did. It was ginormous.

But then I was tired. I took a long, long nap! Now I am awake again. That is what happens after you take a long, long nap.

I am going to go find my friends and see if they will play a game with me.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom!

 

I am so excited!

It is almost Twinkle Dingle Day! Hooray!

These are Ten Reasons Why I Am Excited!

1.  I LOVE CELEBRATIONS! They are fun! We have Celebrations A LOT in Twinkle Dingle. But Humans don’t come to them. Humans can come to Twinkle Dingle Day!
2.  I will have a Day Off. Maybe I can Float in Something! I like to Float in buttermilk. It is Delicious.
3.  I will get to meet new friends! Will you be one of my new friends?
4.  There will be Games to Play! I LOVE GAMES! I love hide-and-seek the best.
5.  Humans and fairies and pixies and mermaids can ASK ME ANYTHING! If I know the answers, I will ANSWER ANYTHING! I like to Answer Questions. It is like a Game!
6.  Maybe I will get to lick Choklit! I LOVE CHOKLIT.
7.  Someone called Author will be there. Authors make up stories! I LOVE STORIES! Maybe there will be a new story!
8.  Someone called Artist will be there too! I know what an Artist is. They do this: Make Art. Art is nice to look at! But do not lick it. Artists DO NOT LIKE THAT. I do not know why.
9.  Some Humans can win Prizes! Some of the prizes have pictures of me, Bud Mushroom. Some of the Prizes have pictures of my friends! Prizes are things like Stickers. I do not know what a Sticker is.
10.  I LOVE TWINKLE DINGLE! I love it SO MUCH that I want everyone else to Celebrate with me! Maybe everyone else will love it too!

I hope you can come to Twinkle Dingle Day!!

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.

 

I was interviewed!

I do not know why.

You can read it here.

Twinkle Dingle Day

I will tell you about Twinkle Dingle Day.

I live in Twinkle Dingle. That is because it is my home. All of my friends live here, too! Humans call it Fairy Land. I do not know why.

One day, the Queen said, *We Wish to Celebrate Twinkle Dingle. We shall have a Celebration, and call it Twinkle Dingle Day.*

A Celebration is like a Party! When she said that, I clapped my hands! I like Parties!

Then she said something AMAZING! She said, *Bud Mushroom, We know you have been telling stories to Worldwide the Spider. If you will tell Worldwide about Twinkle Dingle Day, We will let you keep your Magic Rock.*

I do not know how she found out about my Magic Rock! I jump words on my Rock, and Worldwide Spider can see them in their Web!

I want to keep my Magic Rock! So I am telling Worldwide Spider about Twinkle Dingle Day RIGHT NOW!

 

Worldwide Spider, please come to Twinkle Dingle Day! Then the Queen will know I told you about it!

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom!

 

A Secret

Today I will Jump a Secret.

I love to play games. That is not the Secret.

Hide-and-Seek is my favorite game! That is also not the Secret.

This is the Secret: I will Jump about the places I like to hide! The places are the Secret! But don’t tell Flutterglow. I want to hide in them again.

Here are my favorite places:

1. In the Pond. I can hide under the water for a LONG TIME. But I soak up water! I get big! One time the Queen said, *Bud, you are like a Tiny Green Sponge.* I do not know what a Sponge is. But when I get big from the water, it is easy for Flutterglow to find me. Maybe the Pond is not such a good Hiding Place.
2. In the Cricket Barn. One time Pebblemist found me hiding there. She said, *You are not a Cricket, Bud Mushroom. If you are going to be in my Cricket Barn, then you must help me clean it.* I nodded. I like to be Useful. I cleaned the Cricket Barn. I carried out all of the old Cricket Skins. When a Cricket grows, it takes off its old skin! I made a Pile of Cricket Skins. Then Flutterglow found me.
3. In a Pile of Cricket Skins. Outside the Cricket Barn, there was a HUGE Pile of Cricket Skins! I do not know why. I hid in it. Flutterglow found me. She said, *Bud, that was silly, I just now found you in the Cricket Barn. Next time, wait until the next day, or hide in it while I am not looking, at least.* Next time, I will hide when she is Not Looking.
4. Under Thistle’s hat. I hid there once for THREE DAYS. When Flutterglow finally found me, I laughed and laughed! She always looks there now. It is not a Secret Hiding Place anymore.
5. In a Basket of Fluff. Quickspirit was Collecting Fluff. He is the Fluff Collector. He sat next to a Basket of Fluff. He opened a Box. This is what was inside the Box: A Delicious Snack! I LOVE Delicious Snacks! I flew next to him. He smiled. He said, *And how are you today, My Little Seedling?* I looked at his Snack. I licked my lips. He laughed. He gave me half of his Snack! Then he went back to work. Then I heard Flutterglow. Her wings made this noise: Buzz. She said, *Bud, where are you?* I hid in the Basket of Fluff. But I left my Delicious Snack next to the Basket! She found me. Then she handed me my Snack! It was Delicious.
6. Under a Piece of Driftwood at the Seashore. I got Sand between my toes. Flutterglow did not find me. But Baggywrinkle did! He is a Puffin. He is friends with the Mermaids. He thought I was a Delicious Treat. But I am not a Delicious Treat! I am a Useful Fairy!
7. In the Wishing Well. I am not a Coin. But I went inside anyway. Flutterglow found me. She said, *I found you, Bud! Now I get to hide, and you have to find me.* I nodded. She flew away. I counted to ten. Ten is the biggest number I know. Then I saw Grassywind. He is a Pixie. He said, *Hey, Bud, do you want to help me sort rocks?* I nodded! I DID want to help him Sort Rocks! We flew to his Sorting Station. We Sorted Rocks. Then I flew home. Then Flutterglow *POPPED* into my house. She made the noise she calls Exasperated. She said, *THERE you are! You were supposed to find me! I hid for hours and hours! What have you been doing all this time?* I told her about Sorting Rocks. She did this: Frown. But then she did this: Giggle. Then she said, *I would have gone off to sort rocks too, next time come find me first and we’ll both sort rocks.* I nodded. Next time I will find her so she can Sort Rocks Too.
8. Under a leaf. Flutterglow did not find me. But Rudy did! He went for a walk. He stepped on the leaf. I got squished into the mud! It did not hurt. Mud is soft. But Rudy stopped. He moved the leaf. He saw me! Next time I will hide under a different leaf.
9. Behind Flutterglow’s bed. She sleeps in a seashell. She came to her home. So did Cloverflower. That is because they share a house. Cloverflower said, *We should keep looking for him, Flutterglow. What if he is in danger?* The HIM is ME! I was hiding! Flutterglow said, *I am tired of looking, he’s probably just someplace he shouldn’t be anyway, like that time he hid in Rudy’s … I don’t even want to say it.* Cloverflower said, *Then let’s just go to bed, I am tired. We can look in the morning.* They came into the room with their bed. It is called Bed Room. I do not know why. Flutterglow took off her dress. She yawned. Then she saw me. She made the noise she calls Exasperated. She said, *There you are, Bud Mushroom! Get out of my Bed Room!* I nodded. I got out of her Bed Room. Cloverflower giggled. I do not know why.
10. In the Queen’s Thinking Place. I am not allowed to go in there Without Permission. But I went in Without Permission. Flutterglow did not find me. She said, *Come out, come out, wherever you are!* I came out from wherever I was. Do not tell the Queen. I will be in Big Trouble if she finds out.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.

P.S. Baggywrinkle did not eat me.

Ten Things I Licked Today

Today the Queen said, *Bud Mushroom, We do not need you to be Useful today. You may have the Day Off.*

I did not know what a Day Off was! So I asked Cloverflower. She said, *You can do Anything You Want today, Bud.* But I did not know what I wanted to do! She said, *Whatever, Bud, you can go lick things all day for all I care.*

So I did. This is what I licked:

• Cloverflower’s Breakfast. It was a Smooshed Berry. She said, *Bud, I didn’t mean for you to lick things in my house! Go Someplace Else! And take That Berry with you.* I went Someplace Else. I took That Berry with me.
• A Mushroom. It was the same color as my tongue! It did not taste like my tongue. It tasted like a Mushroom! After I licked it, I sat on it. Then I ate That Berry.
• Willowdrop’s Hair Oil. She said, *Oh, Bud! I hope that Hair Oil does not make you ill! Go lick something different!* Then she gave me a hug and a Piece of Choklit! She is a Good Mummy.
• Peppertwirl’s Mirror. I do not know why. Peppertwirl said, *Bud, now my Mirror has Tongue Marks all over it! And what is that, Hair Oil? You must Come Back Tomorrow and Clean It Off!* I will Go Back Tomorrow and Clean It Off.
• A Tree. Shinyspeck said, *I dare you to lick that tree, Bud.* So I did. It did not taste good. The Bark made my tongue feel scratchy. Shinyspeck laughed. I do not know why.
• The Pond. The Water is Cool and Refreshing. It made my tongue feel better.
• A frog. I did not mean to! But it was in the Pond. When I licked it, it jumped away! Frogs are fast.
• Rudy. He smells like a skunk. He tastes like a skunk. That is because he is a skunk. His white stripes taste the same as his black stripes. I do not know why.
• Flutterglow. She said, *That is Disgusting, Bud Mushroom! I do not know where your tongue has been! Ew, what is that Atrocious Smell? Have you been licking Rudy? Get away from me, Bud!*
• Choklit. Willowdrop gave it to me. It was Delicious.

The next time I have a Day Off, I will Float in things.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.

Crystalfluff

Crystalfluff is an AMAZING fairy. She has this Job: Healer. When a fairy is ill, she makes them well! When a fairy gets hurt, she helps make it better! One time, I was ill because I played in the rain. Crystalfluff made a Special Medicine that helped me to Get Well Soon. It tasted delicious.

Crystalfluff has a green dress. She has brown hair. When she is Not Doing Her Job, she likes to take walks in the forest. Sometimes she says, *Bud Mushroom, come with me and help me collect Leaves and Berries and Roots for Medicines.* Then I go with her. I carry a Very Large Bag. She puts things into it. Then I take it back to her house. She says, *Thank you, Bud. You are Very Useful.* I like to be Useful.

One time, she made Wing Oil for Flutterglow. Flutterglow has to fly a lot for her Job! But I went to her house. I did not know the Wing Oil was Wing Oil! I thought it was Delicious Nectar. So I drank it. Then Flutterglow made this noise: Exasperated. I do not know why.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.

The Garden Gnomes

 

Today I will jump about the Garden Gnomes!

They are not fairies. This is why: THEY ARE GARDEN GNOMES! They have this Job: Growing Weeds. They wear Flower Pots. That is how you know they are Garden Gnomes and not Gnormal Gnomes. Gnormal Gnomes wear different hats.

Garden Gnomes are Very Important. There are four Garden Gnomes in Twinkle Dingle. Their names are Thistle, Nettle, Henbit, and Nutsedge. They wear bright colors.  When they fall asleep in the Weeds, we can still find them!

Sometimes I help them. I carry things. I bring them food. Sometimes Rumpleknoll helps them! Rumpleknoll is a fairy. She likes Weeds. She likes the Gnomes! She knows how to tell Which Weeds are the Weediest. Rudy the Skunk helps them too. He makes Plops. Weeds like to grow in Plops! I do not know why. But they must be Magic! The Weeds all smell like he does!

The Garden Gnomes like to eat Snacks. They eat Cheezy Doodles and Sweets. They eat Nuts and Berries. They like to drink Berry Juice. But they do a strange thing with it. They smoosh the berries into juice. Then they pour it into a barrel. Then they let it sit for a very very very long time. Then they drink it. I tasted some once. It made my mouth feel fizzy.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.

 

Shinyspeck

 

Shinyspeck is not a fairy. This is why: HE IS A PIXIE! He has brown skin and brown hair and wears brown clothing! He has wings and he can fly.

Shinyspeck is not his Pixie Name. I do not know what his Pixie Name is! Before I knew his fairy name, I called him this: Tall. That is because he is Taller than the other Pixies. They are Short and Middle. They are his friends.

One time, Shinyspeck made me wear Trousers!!! But then he said *I am sorry we scared you, Bud.* Now he is my friend.

Shinyspeck has this job: Tinker. He invents things. He makes Gadgets and Doohickeys. He is Very Clever. The mermaids like him. He gives them the Thingamabobs he does not need. Mermaids like Thingamabobs. I do not know why.

Shinyspeck likes to eat crunchy Pixie food. He eats nuts and bark. He likes to drink Sea Water. He does not like to float in Nectar. He said, *Nectar makes my wings sticky, Bud. I do not like to be sticky.* I do not mind being sticky. Sticky Washes Off.

Shinyspeck lives with his Pixie friends. But he has this: A WORKSHOP! One time he let me go inside. He said, *Bud, you can come inside. But you MUST NOT TOUCH ANYTHING.*

So I went inside. I looked at all of his Gizmos and Whatchamacallits. I wanted to touch them. They are amazing! They are shiny! But I did not touch any of them, because he told me I MUST NOT TOUCH ANYTHING.

But I did lick one. Do not tell him.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom.

Pebblemist

Today I will jump about Pebblemist.

Pebblemist is Cloverflower’s Mummy! She has brown skin. She has black hair. My Mummy braids her hair! It is a long curly braid. Pebblemist wears an orange dress. She does not have Shoes. That is because it is a Rule.

Pebblemist has this Job: Music Maker. She plays Music. She sings! When we have a Feast, she plays Music while we Eat. When we have a Party, she plays Music while we Dance! When there is a Blooming, she plays Quiet Music for the Seedling. It is called Lullaby. Lullaby makes Seedlings fall asleep. Sometimes I fall asleep too! I do not know why.

Sometimes other fairies play Music and Sing too. But Pebblemist is The One In Charge. She is the Music Maker. They are just the Singers or the Players. One time, I wanted to be a Singer. I went to Pebblemist. She said *Bud Mushroom, why are you here? You must make sounds with your mouth if you want to be a Singer.* I nodded. I opened my mouth. No sounds came out! She made a funny noise. I do not know why. It is the noise Flutterglow calls Exasperated.

But then Pebblemist said, *Bud, if you just want to stand with the other Singers, and not make any Sounds, it is Fine With Me.* I nodded! I did want to! So I did.

Then there was a Feast. I stood with all of the other Singers. I opened my mouth when they opened their mouths. But then I saw a Punch Bowl. I did not want to be a Singer anymore. Singing is Fun, but Floating in Nectar Punch is Better! I flew to the Punch Bowl. Pebblemist did this: she rolled her eyes. But then she smiled at me. But she did not drink any of the Nectar Punch. I do not know why.

Sometimes Pebblemist does this: she gathers Crickets. But she does not Milk them. She lines them up. They all look at her. She waves a Wand in the air. It is not a Flower Wand like the Queen has. It is a Stick! But it must be Magic. This is why: the Crickets make music with their wings! They play pretty songs. I like to hear Cricket Music.

Pebblemist likes to eat Berries. She likes to drink Acorn Milk. Cloverflower likes Acorn Milk too! Cloverflower told me that Pebblemist was a good Mummy. Sometimes Cloverflower and Flutterglow visit Pebblemist in her house. They bring her flowers.

Goodbye from Bud Mushroom!