The Fairy Bell Sisters: Winter Magic. Margaret McNamara

      “That’s so not fair!” said Silver.

      “I still can’t believe that Queen Mab hands out sparkling stones – for free,” said Avery. She had grown up on the mainland and things were very different there.

      “Of course she does,” said Lily, looking up at a Norway spruce. “We get twelve each. Wait until you see how polished they are, Avery. I hope I get all green this year. Just like my eyes!”

      “I like that we each get twelve stones,” said Rosie as she ran her hand along the soft needles of a Scots pine. “It’s always more than enough to pay for what we’d like to buy—”

      “I actually think fifteen stones would be better—” said Lily.

      “—and anything we can’t buy, we make ourselves,” said Rosie.

      “Tink did say we’re not to buy any presents for each other,” said Clara. She didn’t like always being the one to remind her sisters about what Tink had said, but in fairness, she felt she had to.

      “Because we’ll get so many from her. I bet she’ll raid Captain Hook’s pirate ship for treasure!” said Silver.

      “What do you think your presents from Neverland will look like, Lily?” asked Avery. “I can’t even begin to imagine.”

      Lily didn’t answer right away. She was still a tiny bit peeved that Tink was going to bring their tree from Neverland. Lily had very particular ideas about what a Christmas tree should look like. Last year she told Rosie, “It should be taller than a fairy, shorter than a troll, a perfect triangle from top to bottom with soft green needles and a gorgeous sprucy smell to fill up the house.” As that thought crossed her mind, she saw the absolutely most perfect Douglas fir tree right ahead of her. “Oh, this is the most beautiful tree on Sheepskerry!” she said. “It belongs in our fairy house.”

      “Except we’re getting an emerald tree, from Neverland!” said Silver.

      “Silver, sometimes you are so childish,” said Lily. “They don’t have emerald trees in—”

      “Ooh, that’s gorgeous!” said a voice that came from just behind Lily and Silver. “We call that one for us!” And with that, Judy Jellicoe and her sister, Julia, swooped down into the forest next to Lily’s tree.

      “Oh no!” said Lily.

      “Not to worry, Lily,” said Rosie. But before Rosie could even give Lily a hug, dozens of Sheepskerry fairies filled the air and started to choose their Christmas trees.

      “We call this one!” said Acorn Oak. “It’s so pretty and we’ll hang it with all our golden acorn caps.”

      “We call this one!” said the Shepherd sisters together.

      On and on it went until the Christmas tree forest was just about empty. The Fairy Bell sisters watched the trees being cut down one by one. “We’ve been robbed,” said Lily.

      “Well, not really,” said Clara. “Sheepskerry Island is pretty full of trees.”

      “Not trees that have been specially grown for Christmas,” said Lily. “Just straggly old leftovers. What if Tink forgets to bring us one?”

      “What if she gets home and finds there’s a tree already there?” asked Rosie, although to tell the truth, she had been thinking the same thing. “Tink’s been away so long. Let’s give her a chance to do something she wants to do for us.”

      “It’s only another few days until Tink comes,” said Silver. “We can wait that long, I know we can.” She gave her sisters a bright smile. “Let’s at least get our decorations out of the attic, in case she needs them to decorate,” she said.