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Anne crouched between two stalks of grass. The spot
wasn't the best, but hiding was hard in a neat, tidy garden.
“Anne!
Come out!”
Anne kept
quiet. It was Rose, Tulip, and Daffodil. Anne knew they would tease.
“Here
she is!” Daffodil said laughing.
Anne stood
up and faced them bravely. The three flower fairies were very pretty. Tulip, Rose, and Daffodil tossed their long, smooth hair. They twirled their colorful,
pressed dresses. They fluttered transparent wings that matched the flowers they took care of.
Anne was
different. She stretched out her white and delicately patterned wings. She shook out her dark, curly hair. Anne smoothed her
tattered white dress. It was wrinkled.
Daffodil pointed at Anne. “She’s not a real flower
fairy. Look at those wings.”
 “They never use her flowers,” Tulip said.
“She
doesn’t belong here,” Rose added.
Anne stared
at them. Their words were true. The Humans never cut her flowers for bouquets. They pulled her flowers and threw them away.
Anne’s bottom lip quivered and she flew into the air.
Anne flew
past the edge of the garden. Her heart beat fast. She had never flown this far before.
She alighted
near a patch of tall grass. The plants were growing almost on top of one another. And their flowers weren’t as colorful
as the ones back home. Anne decided she liked them better. Her own flowers were growing here, too.
“Who
are you?”
Anne jumped.
In front of her stood a strange girl. She had spiky blond hair. Her wings were jagged and green. She wore bright yellow shorts
and a blouse. Anne took a deep breath. She stuck out her hand. “Anne.”
The blond
girl shook it. “I’m Dandy.”
Anne liked
Dandy already.
Dandy pointed
at Anne’s dress. “Your dress is pretty.”
Anne smiled.
“I like your outfit too.”
“Would
you like something to drink?” Dandy asked.
Anne nodded.
She was thirsty from all of that flying.
Dandy led
Anne through a thick, tangled forest. It wasn’t neat and orderly like home. Anne liked it.
“We’re
almost there,” Dandy said. “Oh no!”
Two mean-looking
boys sprung up from behind a clump of grass. “Who’s you’re ratty-looking friend?”
Anne folded
her wings and hung her head.
 “Go away, Poison Ivy!” Dandy yelled.
Poison
Ivy’s friend stepped closer. He had sharp purple bristles on the top of his head. Poison Ivy smiled. It was not a nice
smile.
“Thistle
will take care of you,” he said menacingly to Dandy.
Then something
happened inside of Anne. Dandy was nice. And these boys were mean.
Anne stood
tall and fluffed her wings as high as they would go. She shook out her dark hair and lifted her chin. Just then the sun came
out, making her cobwebby wings sparkle like diamonds.
“Go
away,” she said in a commanding voice. When Dandy saw how brave Anne was, she became brave, too. She threw back her
head and roared.
The boys
gasped. “Who are you?” Thistle said softly, “You look like a Queen.”
“My
name is Anne.”
“Queen Anne?” the boys said, their eyes wide.
“I don’t think so. I’m just Anne.”
Dandy studied
her carefully. “I know who you are now. You’re Queen Anne’s Lace. Some of your seeds must have blown far
away, but you belong here.”
The boys
looked at each other. They didn’t know what to do. Finally they bowed to Anne and left. Dandy looked at her new friend
admiringly.
 “You didn’t tell me you were a Queen.”
Anne laughed.
“I didn’t know. And besides, you didn’t tell me you were a Dandy Lion.”
The two
friends hugged and continued walking towards Dandy’s house. Anne looked up at the tangled plants. The blossoms weren’t
as showy as the flowers of Rose, Tulip, or Daffodil, but they were beautiful anyway. Dandy grabbed Anne’s hand and skipped a few steps, pulling
Anne along with her.
Just then,
plants in front of them bent backwards. Two Humans were hunting through the thick grass. But they were not quite right. Even
though they were bigger than Anne, they were not as big as the Humans at home. Anne heard them giggling as they gathered fistfuls
of yellow dandelions.
“Wouldn’t
you rather live here?” Dandy asked Anne.
Anne didn’t
have to think very long about her answer. She smiled when the small Humans picked her own white lacy flowers.
The
Queen had finally come home.
~The End~
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