IF YOU HEAD toward the second star on your right and fly straight on till morning, you’ll come to Never Land, a magical island where mermaids play and children never grow up.
When you arrive, you might hear something like the tinkling of little bells. Follow that sound and you’ll find Pixie Hollow, the secret heart of Never Land.
A great old maple tree grows in Pixie Hollow, and in it live hundreds of fairies and sparrow men. Some of them can do water magic, others can fly like the wind, and still others can speak to animals. You see, Pixie Hollow is the Never faires’ kingdom, and each fairy who lives there has a special, extraordinary talent.
Not far from the Home Tree, nestled in the branches of a hawthorn, is Mother Dove, the most magical creature of all. She sits on her egg, watching over the fairies, who in turn watch over her. For as long as Mother Dove’s egg stays well and whole, no one in Never Land will ever grow old.
Once, Mother Dove’s egg was broken. But we are not telling the story of the egg here. Now it is time for Rani’s tale.…
“OH, NO!”
Prilla held up her hand and let the water splash into her palm. “Rain! The day is ruined. Hurry, let’s get back to the Home Tree before my wings get wet.” She fanned her wings and began to lift off from the ground.
Rani took Prilla’s hand and tugged her back. “Don’t be silly,” she said with a laugh. “Rainy days are just as much fun as sunny days.”
Prilla frowned. “I don’t see how. If your wings get wet, you can’t fly. And if you can’t fly, then…” Prilla broke off. “Oh, Rani. I’d fly backward if I could. I forgot.”
“Don’t worry.” Rani smiled. She knew her friend Prilla would never hurt her feelings on purpose. All fairies loved to fly. Rani was the only fairy in Pixie Hollow who couldn’t. But Rani wasn’t unhappy. She was too full of life.
The rain began to fall faster. Prilla covered her face. She flinched as each heavy drop struck her.
But Rani was a water-talent fairy. To her, every raindrop felt like a kiss. Rani loved the water, and the water loved her.
“Watch this, Prilla!” Rani ran as fast as she could toward a puddle. She skidded into the puddle, and the water formed a geyser that lifted her up as if she were on a pedestal. It twirled her around. “Wheee!” Rani cried.
Prilla clapped her hands. “Rani! Can you make it do that for me?”
“Sure! Come on in,” she urged.
Prilla lowered her head and ran splashing into the puddle, just as she had seen Rani do. Rani stretched her arms out to the water. It moved toward her like iron to a magnet. She threw her arms up like a conductor signaling an orchestra.
Voilà! The water created a second geyser that lifted Prilla into the air until she was level with Rani.
Rani laughed. “Now let’s seesaw!” The twin water pedestals began to move. Up and down. Up and down. Prilla up. Rani down. Rani up. Prilla down.
Soon both the fairies were laughing so hard, they were in danger of falling off their water pedestals. “Water down,” Rani commanded, lowering her arms.
The twin geysers gently subsided. Rani looked down at a shallow puddle spreading out before her feet. She leaned over and grasped the edges of the puddle with her hands. Then she pulled up a sheet of water as if it were a bolt of silvery silk.
She wrapped it around herself like a shimmering cloak. The water gleamed and glittered. It reflected the trees, the sky, and the astonished sparkle in Prilla’s eyes.
“How beautiful!” Prilla gasped. “You look like a queen.”
Rani held out her hands and quickly caught a raindrop. She held her hands over Prilla’s head and let it drip through her fingers. Each droplet was like a tiny diamond. The drops stacked up on Prilla’s head and formed a glittering water tiara.
“Now you need a dress to go with that tiara. Water sequins, I think.” Rani pulled off her water cape and twirled it in the air. The silky sheet of water broke into a thousand silvery drops. They rained back down on Prilla, clinging to her arms, legs, and torso. Within seconds, Prilla was covered in a sparkling gown of water sequins, complete with a long train.
Prilla took a hesitant step. She expected the watery gown and crown to immediately drip away. But when she moved, they moved with her.
“Rani, you are amazing!” said Prilla. “No wonder you love the water. Believe it or not, I hope it rains again—”
“—tomorrow?” Rani said with a laugh. She had a habit of finishing her friends’ sentences for them. “I wish that every day. But rain is rare in Pixie Hollow.”
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could make it rain whenever—”