The Fairy Godmother Takes a Break Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter One

  Deep in the forest there stands a little cottage. In that cottage is a cozy bedroom, where somebody’s alarm clock is about to go off. BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

  “Oh no!” groaned the Fairy Godmother. “It can’t possibly be time to get up already. I feel like I’ve only just gone to bed.”

  “Sorry, dear,” said her husband, Mr. Fairy Godmother. “I set the alarm for earlier than usual. I think it could be a very busy day.”

  “So what’s new?” muttered the Fairy Godmother. She pulled the covers over her head. “Busy, busy, busy. I never get a second to myself, Mr. F.G.!”

  “Oh well, never mind,” said Mr. F.G. “I’ll go and put the kettle on.”

  The Fairy Godmother kept muttering under the covers.

  She muttered in the shower, and while she got dressed too. She was still muttering when she sat down at the kitchen table. Mr. F.G. put a nice cup of tea in front of her.

  “Nobody ever thanks me, either,” she said. “Take Cinderella, for instance. I spent a whole week running around for her, putting spells on rats and mice and pumpkins. And have I heard from her since?”

  “Well, dear,” said Mr. F.G., “that’s probably because ...”

  “I’m tired of granting wishes,” the Fairy Godmother muttered, interrupting him. “Anyway, where will I be waving my wand today?”

  “I’ll find out,” said Mr. F.G. “I just need to switch on the computer.”

  Soon Mr. F.G. was sitting before a large, glowing screen. He worked as his wife’s personal assistant, and he had a special, magic computer that only accepted one kind of message: wish-mails.

  Whenever someone in the forest made a wish, it instantly arrived on the screen with a PING!

  Mr. F.G. tapped the keyboard, and the wish-mails started to come in. There were more than usual, and the screen quickly filled up.

  “That’s it!” said the Fairy Godmother. “I’ve had enough. I quit. I resign. And just to make it absolutely official ...”

  She held up her magic wand and snapped it in half. Mr. F.G. winced.

  “Oh dear,” said Mr. F.G. “Would you like another cup of tea?”

  “No thanks,” said the Fairy Godmother. “I’d rather have a vacation!”

  Chapter Two

  Mr. F.G. sighed again, but he called Fairy Tale Vacations and arranged everything.

  The next morning they flew out of Forest Airport. A few hours later they arrived at Club Enchantment, their vacation destination.

  “Ah, this is the life,” said the Fairy Godmother as Mr. F.G. unpacked their suitcases. “Sun, sea, and sand! I can feel myself relaxing already.”

  Mr. and Mrs. F.G. spent the day swimming, sunbathing, and reading books.

  In the evening they had dinner at The Magic Spoon, Club Enchantment’s best restaurant.

  The band was really cool, and the food was a thousand times better than Mr. F.G.’s cooking.

  But the Fairy Godmother didn’t seem too happy.

  “Those dwarfs over there are staring at me,” she whispered.

  “Oh no, I don’t think they are, dear,” murmured Mr. F.G., who was diving into his dinner. “This lobster is terrific. You really should try some.”

  “They are staring at me, and I don’t like it,” the Fairy Godmother said. “And I’m NOT going to put up with it, either. Come on, we’re leaving!”

  “B-b-but ...” Mr. F.G. sputtered. Then he sighed, paid the bill, and followed his wife, looking longingly at the lovely lobster he was leaving behind.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning they went to the beach again. Mr. F.G. had just got to a good part in his book when the Fairy Godmother poked him in the ribs.

  “Psst!” she hissed at him. “Somebody else is staring at me now.”

  “Calm down, dear,” said Mr. F.G., looking up. “I don’t think anyone ... actually, you’re right. He is staring at you, isn’t he? How strange.”

  A young troll in swimming trunks couldn’t take his eyes off the Fairy Godmother.

  And as they watched him, he smiled shyly and waved. Then he said something to a family of elves nearby and pointed at her. Soon they were smiling at her, too. And so was everyone else on the beach!

  “You realize what this means, don’t you?” the Fairy Godmother hissed to Mr. F.G. from the corner of her mouth. “They all know who I am!”

  “Oh, of course!” said Mr. F.G. “But that’s no surprise. You’ve helped so many people, dear. There are bound to be some here who recognize you.”

  “Next they’ll be asking me to grant wishes,” she said. “And you know I won’t get a word of thanks. Come on! We’re leaving!”

  “Yes, dear,” murmured Mr. F.G., closing his book with a deep sigh.

  That evening they didn’t go to The Magic Spoon, but to another restaurant instead. It wasn’t as good.

  The Fairy Godmother wore dark glasses and a scarf. She didn’t take them off even when she was eating. But people still stared at her and smiled and waved.

  Chapter Four

  Then, the next day on the beach, the Fairy Godmother suddenly froze.

  “Oh no,” she whispered to Mr. F.G., panic in her voice. “Don’t look now, but I think that princess is coming over to talk to me. Come on, we’re ...”

  “I know, I know,” muttered Mr. F.G. “We’re leaving.”

  The Fairy Godmother hurried off, and Mr. F.G. hurried behind her carrying their bags, with the princess in hot pursuit.

  In the end, the Fairy Godmother and Mr. F.G. were practically running, but the princess caught up with them.

  “Please, wait!” she called out. “I’m sorry, but I simply had to make sure it was you. I would never, ever forgive myself if I missed this chance.”

  “Sorry! Can’t stop!” said the Fairy Godmother. “Come along, dear!”

  “I want to say thank you for everything you did for me,” said the princess.

  “I’m Cinderella, in case you’ve forgotten. You totally changed my life.”

  “Did I really?” said the Fairy Godmother, peering at the princess for a second, then smiling. “Yes, I remember you now. Well, how are things?”

  Cinderella told the Fairy Godmother all about her new life with Prince Charming. Cinders also said she would have thanked her before, but didn’t have any way of getting in touch with her.

  As they talked, lots more people came up to the Fairy Godmother and said exactly the same thing.

  “Anyway, enjoy the rest of your vacation,” said Cinders. The Fairy Godmother beamed at her. “Although I bet you can’t wait to go home and start helping people again. How wonderful to have a job like yours. Goodbye!”

  Chapter Five

  The Fairy Godmother’s smile vanished, and suddenly she looked upset. And by the time she and Mr. F.G. were back in their room, she was in tears.

  “Cinderella is right,” she moaned. “It is a wonderful job, and I’ve thrown it away. Why didn’t you tell me no one knows how to send me any thanks?”

  “I did try,” said Mr. F.G. “Anyway, I’m sure that’s a problem I can solve. You need to get out a bit more, too, maybe do some follow-up visits.”

  “Follow-ups to what?” she wailed. “I won’t be able to grant wishes any more. I broke my wand, remember? Although now I wish that I hadn’t.”
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  “Well, your wish is granted,” said Mr. F.G., smiling. He opened one of their suitcases and pulled out her wand. “Sort of, anyway. I mended it before we left home. And if I say so myself, it’s almost as good as new.”

  The Fairy Godmother looked at it in amazement and hugged him.

  They enjoyed the rest of their vacation. And even though there were tons of wish-mails waiting for them when they got home, the Fairy Godmother didn’t mind.

  In fact, she was eager to get back to work now that she felt more appreciated. Mr. F.G. liked having the cottage to himself too.

  So the Fairy Godmother and Mr. F.G. and just about everyone in the forest who made a wish lived happily ever after!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Tony Bradman writes for children of all ages. He is particularly well known for his top-selling Dilly the Dinosaur series. His other titles include the Happily Ever After series, The Orchard Book of Heroes and Villains, and The Orchard Book of Swords, Sorcerers, and Superheroes. Tony lives in South East London.

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  Sarah Warburton is a rising star in children’s books. She is the llustrator of the Rumblewick series, which has been very well received at an international level. The series spans across both picture books and fiction. She has also illustrated nonfiction titles and the Happily Ever After series. She lives in Bristol, England, with her young baby and husband.

  After Happily Ever After was published in the United States

  in 2009 and 2014 by Stone Arch Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstoneyoungreaders.com

  First published by Orchard Books, a division of Hachette Children’s Books 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH, United Kingdom

  Text copyright © Tony Bradman, 2006 Illustrations copyright © Sarah Warburton, 2006 The right of Tony Bradman to be identified as the author and Sarah Warburton as the illustrator of this Work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.

  ISBN: 978-1-4342-7961-3 (paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-4342-9812-6 (ebook)

  Summary: The Fairy Godmother is tired of helping everyone else live happily ever after. Nobody ever thanks her, and she’s had enough! Find out if the fairy godmother can really quit her job.

  Designer: Russell Griesmer

  Photo Credits: ShutterStock/Maaike Boot, 5, 6, 7, 52, 53

 

 

  Tony Bradman, The Fairy Godmother Takes a Break

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