The Box of Baubles

 Dear Fairy Followers,

Hoorah , at last it is time to dust off the baubles in readiness for the dressing of the tree ! Here at Betty's Cottage we are rather late in putting up our tree as it is the busiest time of the year for fairy business - there are so many wishes to grant and so much enchantment to spread around that we don't begin to sprinkle the magic here until the week before Christmas itself . Of course the fairies do beg me to bring out the decorations sooner but I am strict in this matter as I really don't want my fairies getting to too tired and excited and then napping for most of Christmas day.

 This morning  I let Lolly and Buncle into the box of baubles to make sure that all was in order. Although they were happy to get in with all the glitter and sparkle , I did hear some grumbling about how they were always being asked to dust and do the heavy work and so I reminded them that the reward for Bauble dusting was a Pink Fondant Chocolate - a treat indeed and one that I find no fairy ever refuses ... and so they set to work with a little more gusto.

Before too long I could hear them waking up their old friends ... Father Christmas just needed a little tweak to his beard ...

 and the Nutcracker man stood to attention again after a long year lying around in tissue paper.

 His friend soon  joined them and Buncle told Lolly how last year he had sneaked a kiss from her under the mistletoe !

 I reminded them there was no time for gossip with Christmas being only 8 days away and they set to work on the important task of Bauble Maintenance (checking for cracks and polishing to a high shine)
 when I noticed that Lolly was enjoying her work a bit too much ...

 as she gazed at herself on the shiny surface !

 Meanwhile Buncle squealed with delight as she found the tiny robin ...

 but then had to fly around the room to try and catch him again as he flew off for a bit of exercise .

 Lolly then found herself in a bit of bird trouble as the feather tailed  bird gave her a bit of a playful peck on her wings ...

 and Buncle had to sew a quick patch over the hole

SSSSSHHHH, don't tell them but this has given me an idea for their Christmas present - their wings have been looking a bit raggedy for a while now ...

 I think she did a good job although her stitches could have been neater - a Domestic fairy sews with invisible stitches but I had to remind myself that Lolly and Buncle are really Garden fairies and only come in to help round the house in the Winter.

 When they went back to the box they were most surprised to find a tiny tree fairy who had been trapped under an avalanche of baubles and was most happy to be rescued .

 She was feeling rather peckish after a year of living on crepe paper and looked rather longingly at the cupcake bauble ...

 In the spirit of Christmas ( and after much discussion ) Lolly and Buncle asked me for the promised  Pink Fondant Chocolate ( of which they were very fond )

 and gave it to the hungry little fairy.

 She felt instantly revived (and they found they had made a new friend for Christmas .)

Don't worry - I shall find another Fondant for the fairies and maybe some of their favourite Turkish Delight when the tree is dressed ! Come back soon to see what happens in the candlelight at betty's cottage as we creep nearer to Christmas day ...

LOVE FROM, Betty X