Story Time from Pinky's Pond
Things are hopping over here at the pond this fall. There is a flurry of activity as we prepare for the coming holidays. This month's selection from the library bookshelf is a story about Ms. Pinky herself and an extra helpful friend.
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Tilly crept slowly across the slippery flower stem. Last night’s cold air had created drops of dew that towered over her head. She could see her reflection all around her.
A sudden breeze pushed the flowers back and forth. Tilly held on tighter to keep from falling. Big drops of dew started to fall. One crashed onto her head and burst like a bubble, spraying water all over her back.
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“Oh! That’s a rude way to wake up,” she grumped. Using her front legs, she wiped the water off her face and shivered a little.
The sun climbed a bit higher into the sky, making the dewdrops shine even brighter until it was hard for her to see. She heard a shuffling sound from below and noticed something moving in the garden.
Tilly climbed further down the stem, peering around leaves and flowers. As she moved down, she was in the shade again and could see the fairy garden below her.
She watched from her perch in the flowers and saw that the sound was Ms. Pinky. She was wearing her gardening hat and carrying a bucket.
“What is she doing with that bucket?” Tilly wondered.
“Maybe she is using the bucket to carry her books. Ms. Pinky is always reading and sharing books with her friends. A bucket would be an excellent way to hold them.”
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Tilly watched…
But it didn't look like Ms. Pinky had books in the bucket.
“Hmmmm…Maybe she has soapy water in her bucket and is using it to wash her teapot. Ms. Pinky does like her tea.”
Tilly watched…
However, Ms. Pinky did not have a sponge and did not seem to be washing anything.
“Hmmmm…. Oh! I know! She is probably collecting leaves for her pet snail, Alphie. He loves the soft little seedlings that pop up in the dirt around the garden. Ms. Pinky makes him teeny tiny salads with them for his lunch.”
Tilly watched…
But Ms. Pinky was not even looking at the ground. She was just standing there, staring up into the flowers.
Tilly was out of ideas, and her curiosity was getting the better of her.
She called out from above. “What are you doing with that bucket, Ms. Pinky?”
Ms. Pinky jumped backward and stared into the flowers.
“Who is there?” she yelled. “I can’t see you.”
Tilly had forgotten how well she blended in with the green plant she was on.
“Oh! So sorry I startled you! It’s me, Tilly. I have been sitting here trying to figure out what you are doing with that bucket.”
“Good morning, Tilly! Gosh, I have been staring up this whole time and didn’t see you at all,” Ms. Pinky giggled.
“I have my bucket out this morning because I am trying to catch these dewdrops as they fall from the flowers. The morning dew makes the best tea!”
“Dewdrop tea sounds delicious,” said Tilly. “Can I try some?”
“Sure,” said Pinky. “But I need to gather a few more drops. Maybe you could help by grabbing a few from the top?”
Tilly looked up at the big drops of dew. “I have never done that, but I can try.”
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She climbed down, grabbed the buckets from Ms. Pinky, and returned to the top, where the flowers and leaves sparkled with dewdrops.
Her first attempts were frustrating. She knocked the dew off but did not catch any in the bucket. She kept trying, and soon, she got the bucket in just the right place to catch them as they fell.
Once she got the hang of it, she tried filling many buckets at the same time. Using her extra two arms made it go even faster. Soon, she had filled up four buckets and brought them all back to Ms. Pinky’s house.
They added all the dew to the tea kettle and warmed it on the stove. In the pantry, they looked at Ms. Pinky’s tea collection. There were many different flavors they could choose from: mint, chamomile, nettle, rose, blackberry and dandelion.
"They all sound so good", said Tilly. "What is your favorite?"
"Well", said Ms. Pinky, "I love them all, but this morning, I am in the mood for Dandelion tea. It goes really well with these oatmeal fly cookies I made yesterday."
"Yes, please!" Tilly said.
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As they drank their tea in the garden, the sun rose high in the sky, and they started feeling warm and relaxed.
“You know,” Tilly sighed, “I was very cranky with those dewdrops this morning because they were falling on my head, but they sure make delicious tea! I hope it is dewy again tomorrow morning!”
“Cheers to that!” said Pinky, and they clinked their teacups together in agreement.
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A Sweet Celebration!
To celebrate two years of Pinkie's Pond stories, we are sharing Ms. Pinky's recipe for oatmeal fly cookies with our loyal readers.
(Don't worry, you can totally substitute chocolate chips!)
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Thank you for hanging out with us today. If you think someone else may enjoy our stories, please forward this email along to them. We love making new friends. You can also follow our adventures on social media and our website.
Keep Finding Joy, Friends!
Melissa Eggleston and everyone at Pinky's Pond
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