Mischief in the Mushroom Patch. Amanda M. Thrasher

put his arm over her shoulder and helped him to a nearby log. Boris tried very hard to be brave, but the pain was excruciating. He held onto Lilly as tight as he possibly could as she gently lowered him down onto the log.

      Boris started to answer Lilly’s question, but he just couldn’t. He motioned for her to wait a moment while he composed himself. Finally he managed to pull himself together long enough to speak.

      “Oh, Lilly, I’m in so much pain, and I’m guessing trouble, too,” he sobbed. “Pain and trouble a very bad combination indeed.”

      He tried to wipe away his tears as they rolled down his little round cheeks, but after a while, he just let them flow. Holding his face gently in his hands, his shoulders shaking, he just sobbed and sobbed.

      Lilly felt terrible for Boris and honestly thought that she might burst into tears as well. She took a deep breath, fanned her face with her tiny hands, and pulled out a clean handkerchief.

      “Here,” she whispered softly as she handed it to Boris. “Don’t worry Boris; everything is going to be just fine.”

      Although she honestly didn’t know how that would be, she didn’t dare say a word; she simply smiled sympathetically as she patted poor Boris on the back.

      Boris eventually dried his eyes, managed a slight smile of his own, and then pointed to his leg.

      “I really do think it’s broke, you know,” he whispered.

      He tried to move it just to be sure. “Ah yes,” he cried, “It’s broken.” The pain was unbearable.

      Lilly nodded, “Boris, I’m afraid I think you might be right.” She hesitated for just a moment before pointing at Boris’s shoe. “We should probably try to take your shoe off before the swelling sets in.” She glanced at Boris’s face; he looked as if his heart had jumped into his throat. “Well, what do you think, should we try to take off your shoe?” she asked again.

      Boris didn’t know. He simply shrugged.

      “I just know that whatever we decide to do, it’s going to hurt,” he said as he waited patiently for Lilly to tell him what they should do.

      Lilly took a deep breath and knelt down in front of Boris. She carefully lifted his ankle and placed it in her lap. Boris winced in pain. He was right; it did hurt. Lilly undid the laces and loosened the shoe as best she could. Boris once again grimaced in pain.

      “I’m so sorry, Boris,” she cried. “I’m trying to be gentle, really I am.”

      Boris grabbed Lilly’s arm. “Wait, Lilly; please, please wait,” he whimpered. “Just give me a second to catch my breath again. Please, just one second.”

      “All right Boris, I’ll wait,” Lilly replied, as she suddenly ripped the shoe right off his foot.

      “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Boris screamed. “Why did you do that?” he asked and burst into tears.

      Lilly sat down on the log next to her friend and put her arm around him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and explained.

      “I’m so sorry Boris; I didn’t know what else to do.” She wiped away a great big tear of her own. “The more I tried not to hurt you, the more I did. I thought this was the only way to actually get the shoe off.”

      She pointed toward his ankle. “Look, your ankle, it’s already swelling.”

      She added softly, “I think we’re supposed to relieve the pressure, but I’m not really sure. I wish I’d paid more attention in Fairy Health 101.” She looked her friend straight in the eye. “Boris, if I’ve hurt you unnecessarily, I’m truly sorry.”

      Boris tried to comfort her. “I’m just so glad you’re here, Lilly,” he said. “I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do in this type of situation, but I’m sure you did your very best.” He actually managed a tiny grin, “You know, I have to repeat Fairy Health 101, and next time, I will pay attention!” With that, they both giggled.

      2 • INJURED

      Lilly was very nervous. Boris couldn’t walk, he couldn’t fly, and she knew she couldn’t carry him. She placed her tiny hands on her temples and massaged them.

      “Think, think, think,” she said to herself.

      Suddenly she had hope. She put her hands in her pockets and pulled out her most valuable tool that she had. Dust, fairy dust—she still had some left. Unfortunately she had not been by the dusting parlor before she left the patch that day, so she didn’t have very much in her pockets, but she hoped that Boris had filled his up.

      “Boris, did you load up on dust before you left the mushroom patch today?” she asked.

      There was no answer. She stared at Boris’s tear-streaked face; he had the strangest look, one she had not seen before.

      “Boris, what’s wrong?” she asked.

      Boris had suddenly realized that he was not feeling well at all and it had nothing to do with his leg, or his wing, for that matter. His skin was swelling, burning, and very, very itchy. He held out his arm and stared at it in disbelief. It didn’t even look like his arm. It had large, red, swollen welts all over it, and the welts were starting to appear on his left leg, his neck, the right side of his face, and his back.

      “Oh no, nettles; I think I’ve been stung by nettles!” he screeched at the top of his voice.

      Lilly suddenly remembered the nettle patch.

      “Oh yes, yes, you have Boris,” she said. “You landed smack in the middle of a nettle patch!”

      Frantically she began to look around her. “Dock leaves—we’ve got to find a dock plant!” she screamed.

      Boris violently scratched his arms, legs, face, back and tummy. Unfortunately, the more he scratched his skin, the larger the welts grew. He was covered in welts, absolutely covered from head to toe.

      “I know, I know, I’m on it!” Lilly shrieked as she jumped up off the log. “Dock leaves, we have to find a patch of dock leaves.”

      Boris couldn’t move. With sheer desperation in his voice, he asked Lilly if she could hurry up and find the leaves. His eyes said it all; they were scared and sad, not to mention filled with tears.

      “Please, Lilly, find the dock leaves for me, I can’t walk,” he said trying to fight back his tears.

      Lilly ran through the woods with a sense of urgency she had never experienced before, frantically searching for dock leaves. She was just about to give up the search when she accidentally stumbled upon a patch of dock plants. She gave a huge sigh of relief, grabbed as many leaves as she could carry, and ran back toward Boris as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. For a brief moment, she contemplated flying but thought better of it. Considering the mess they were already in, they certainly didn’t need any more accidents, and Lilly didn’t think she could stay on course while carrying so many leaves anyway.

      “I’ve found some!” she yelled, not sure if Boris could hear her. “I’m coming, Boris, I’ve found the dock leaves!”

      Boris waited patiently for her to arrive. His skin was tender and sore, and just the sight of the dock leaves brought him some comfort. Knowing relief was about to come, he motioned for Lilly to hurry up.

      Lilly placed the dock leaves all over Boris’s exposed skin.

      “There, Boris, that should help,” she said. “You should start to feel better soon, very soon.”

      She was right; the dock leaves did the trick, easing the sting of the nettles almost immediately.

      Boris had never been so glad to see a plant in his entire life