Lily in Full Bloom by Laura Driscoll Page B

excitement. She loved a challenge. She had never tried to invent anything before!
    The crowd quickly broke apart. Rosetta and Iris fluttered back to the garden-talent table. They were already talking about their ideas. Lily trailed behind, deep in thought. Bits of ideas were swirling in her head.
    And then one idea started to take shape. An idea that might help her garden, the other garden talents, and all of Pixie Hollow at the same time.
    Lily knew it was a big idea and that it would take a lot of work. But if she could figure out all the small details…well, she might be on to something huge. She just needed a little time somewhere quiet to work it out. And she knew just where she could get that.

L ILY SPENT THE NEXT two days stretched out on a patch of soft moss in her garden, gazing at her pansies. The other fairies must have thought she was resting. Or relaxing. Or maybe even napping. But she wasn’t doing any of those things.
    She was, in fact, hard at work. Pansy-watching was the best way of doing research for her invention idea.
    Which pansies grew best, and why? Exactly what did each flower need? Lily went over it again and again. Finally, she had a plan.
    On day three, Lily sprang into action. Bothered by her sudden movement, Bumble buzzed off to another flower patch in the farthest corner of the garden.
    First, Lily gathered all the things she would need. She already had plenty of pansy seeds. But she also needed plant food. And water—lots of water.
    She grabbed three toadstool watering cans and flew to the garden fairies’ well. It was tucked away near a thicket of rosebushes a few minutes’ flight from her garden. The well was a popular spot for the garden fairies to gather. They came to fetch water, see their friends, and talk about any problem plants. But this morning, only Iris and Bluebell were there.

    Bluebell was filling her watering can. Iris, as usual, was talking. Iris was the only garden fairy who didn’t have a garden. Still, she knew more about plants than any other fairy in Pixie Hollow. She also knew everything that was going on in everyone else’s garden—and was quick to offer advice.
    But today Iris wasn’t talking about gardening. She was talking about inventions. For the past three days, none of the fairies had talked about much else.
    Lily dropped her watering cans beside the well and waited for Bluebell to finish.
    “Lily!” Iris cried. “Have you heard? The animal talents have a great idea for an invention. It’s a hawk-repelling whistle! One blow makes a hawk want to get as far away as possible!”
    Lily pulled a bucket of water up from the well. “It is a great idea,” she said. “And it would make Pixie Hollow much safer. I hope they can get it to work.”
    Lily meant what she had said. She was a generous fairy, with a heart as big as a sunflower. She truly hoped that each talent would come up with an invention that would make them feel proud. But she also had a secret—the idea that she was working on. She wasn’t ready to share it with Iris or Bluebell or any of the other garden fairies. Not until she was sure it would work. But she couldn’t help wondering if her idea would impress Iris as much as the hawk whistle had.
    When her three watering cans were filled, Lily returned to her garden. Her mind was swirling with thoughts.
    She left her full watering cans by the garden shed. Then she flew over to the Home Tree. She needed one more thing for her invention.
    On her way, Lily spotted Lympia, who was hanging the wash out to dry. Lympia saw Lily, too, and called her over.
    “How are you coming along with invention ideas?” Lympia asked.
    Lily didn’t know quite how to answer. Her own idea wasn’t ready to share yet. But maybe she could say that she was thinking hard about it.
    “I have an idea,” she admitted. “But it’s not fully worked out.” Lily saw a sparkle in Lympia’s eyes. She sensed that Lympia wanted to be asked the same question. “And