$6.99 U.S./$7.99 CAN/£3.99 UK Children’s/Fiction Ages: 7+ ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1162-1 ISBN-10: 1-4022-1162-7 Blessed with the gift of great caring and understanding, Alexandra Hastings leads the fight against the Spirit of Ignorance. But even the most sensitive fairy cannot understand why her mother continues to smoke. Alexandra knows her mom wants to quit, but somehow just can’t do it. Mimosa’s magic could help—but Mother Nature only permits magical solutions for magical problems! When the fairy with the gift of limitless love finds a problem with no solution, she may have to decide who needs that love the most. www.fairychronicles.com For Mimosa, protecting all the people of the world may be easier than saving just one. What if you discovered you had magical fairy powers? Meet the girls of The Fairy Chronicles, otherwise normal girls like you with special gifts. Their extraordinary adventures will change the world! TM UPC EAN an imprint of sourcebooks TM MIMOSA AND THE RIVER OF WISDOM THE FAIRY C HRONICLES J. H. SWE ET Mimosa and the River of Wisdom Mimosa_full_final_cvr 12/3/07 4:25 PM Page 1 J. H. Sweet Illustrated by Holly Sierra Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:43 PM Page i ISBN-10: 1-4022-1498-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1498-1 To Dad, for wisdom Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:43 PM Page iii M E E T T H E Mimosa Spiderwort NAME: Alexandra Hastings F AIRY NAME AND SPIRIT: Mimosa W AND: Emu Feather G IFT: Sensitive and understanding of others’ needs M ENTOR: Evelyn Holstrom, Madam Monarch N AME: Jensen Fortini F AIRY NAME AND SPIRIT: Spiderwort W AND: Small, Brilliant Red Cardinal Feather G IFT: Cleverness; the ability to come up with good ideas and plans M ENTOR: Godmother, Madam Chameleon Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page iv Madam Monarch Dewberry NAME: Lauren Kelley F AIRY NAME AND SPIRIT: Dewberry W AND: Single Strand of Braided Unicorn Tail Hair G IFT: Great knowledge and wisdom M ENTOR: Grandmother, Madam Goldenrod N AME: Evelyn Holstrom F AIRY NAME AND SPIRIT: Madam Monarch W AND: Single, Gleaming Dandelion Seed G IFT: Strength and endurance M ENTOR TO: Marigold and Mimosa F A I R Y T E A M Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page v Marigold and the Feather of Hope, the Journey Begins 1 Dragonfly and the Web of Dreams 1 Thistle and the Shell of Laughter 1 Firefly and the Quest of the Black Squirrel 1 Spiderwort and the Princess of Haiku 1 Periwinkle and the Cave of Courage 1 Cinnabar and the Island of Shadows 1 Mimosa and the River of Wisdom 1 Primrose and the Magic Snowglobe 1 Luna and the Well of Secrets Come visit us at fairychronicles.com tm Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page vi Chapter One: A Dilemma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter Two: The Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Chapter Three: Prunella, the Witch . . . . . 30 Chapter Four: Fairy Circle. . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Chapter Five: The River of Wisdom . . . . . 59 Chapter Six: Dolt and Sage. . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Chapter Seven: The Second Fairy Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Chapter Eight: A Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Fairy Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Fairy Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 ontents C Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page vii Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page viii lexandra Hastings was waiting for her friend, Vinca Simpson, to come over to play. With one more week of summer vacation still left, Alexandra hoped to eke out every bit of summer fun possible before returning to school. She sat on her living room couch and fingered a tiny, square silver box about the size of a sugar cube. The box had a midnight-blue ribbon encircling it in both directions, as though it were wrapped like a present. Where the ribbon was tied in a bow on the top of the ilemma A D Chapter One Mimosa.int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page 1 [...]... the fairies for the far North region, and Madam Oyster led the fairies in the Gulf region The young fairies were hopeful that maybe, one day, they would get to meet a bat fairy The fairies of the Southwest region all met together frequently at Fairy Circles, which were gatherings of fairies They met for fairy celebrations and to discuss important problems and plan ways to fix them Mimosa and Vinca,... After the handbook confirmed the information, the other fairies did indeed believe that there were bat fairies And it made sense There was a chameleon fairy and a toad fairy right in this region Madam Toad, the current leader of the 8 Mimosa. int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page 9 Southwest region of fairies, was a very old, wise, and well-known fairy The girls also knew that Madam Shrew was leader of the fairies... sparkling black sand from the shores of the Island of Shadows Even though the mission had been a little scary, the adventure had also been exciting, and Alexandra remembered the journey to the island fondly Alexandra was a mimosa fairy, inhabited by the fairy spirit of a mimosa tree blossom She had long, straight blond hair and bright blue eyes In the standard fairy form of six inches, Mimosa had tall, wispy... butterfly fairy spirit, was Mimosa s mentor Mimosa had 4 Mimosa. int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page 5 only inherited Madam Monarch as her mentor upon moving to Texas from Montana in the spring, when her mother was transferred with her job Mrs Hastings was raising her daughter by herself since Mimosa s father had died in a car accident when Mimosa was four Mimosa s mother didn’t know that her daughter was a fairy, ... periwinkle fairy, would be attending a Fairy Circle later in the week Each fairy was given a special gift relating to her fairy spirit Mimosa s gift included enhanced sensitivity, understanding, and caring of others She was a good listener and had the ability to empathize With these qualities, she gave exceptional 9 Mimosa. int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page 10 advice that was full of clarity and wisdom Mimosa. .. on Belvin Street The house was a very large, three-story historic home, painted white, 20 Mimosa. int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page 21 Mimosa. int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page 22 with huge columns on either side of the porch steps There was a beautiful flower garden on one side of the house and a gazebo on the other Madam Toad had tea and cookies set out for them in her large sunny parlor, but Mimosa couldn’t... curled on both tips The feather was enchanted to help her perform fairy magic The glittering pixie dust in her pouch was also used for fairy magic And the handbook contained answers to fairy questions and advice to help her make good fairy decisions It was also an interactive book that aged with its fairy owner Young fairies were not allowed to use fairy magic without approval from their mentors Madam Monarch,... when she grew up, either a school counselor or a professional therapist Mimosa had received a nut message from Periwinkle the day before to arrange to play this afternoon Nut messages were hollowed-out nuts that fairies used to send notes to one another Animals and birds usually delivered the messages The Hastings’ neighbor, Mrs Welch, looked after Mimosa during the summer while her mother was at work... spiderwort herb fairy, and was one of the best fairies for solving problems and coming up with good plans.) “She couldn’t think of a solution either,” Mimosa added 14 Mimosa. int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page 15 The girls played cat’s cradle and jacks for a while and talked about things like the upcoming Fairy Circle, what books they were reading, boys, starting school next week, and new clothes When Periwinkle... next week.” Mimosa was not surprised at all about the meeting scheduled for today Evelyn Holstrom was none other than Madam Monarch, and there was very little chance that either of them would be participating in a Girls Club activity today Mimosa knew that the meeting was going to be about her inappropriate use of fairy magic last night Mimosa s mother gave her a hug and kiss goodbye, telling her, . that love the most. www.fairychronicles.com For Mimosa, protecting all the people of the world may be easier than saving just one. What if you discovered you had magical fairy powers? Meet the girls of. girls of The Fairy Chronicles, otherwise normal girls like you with special gifts. Their extraordinary adventures will change the world! TM UPC EAN an imprint of sourcebooks TM MIMOSA AND THE RIVER. Mimosa F A I R Y T E A M Mimosa. int.qxd 12/14/07 4:44 PM Page v Marigold and the Feather of Hope, the Journey Begins 1 Dragonfly and the Web of Dreams 1 Thistle and the Shell of Laughter 1 Firefly and the Quest of the