The World of Kitchen Fairies

For the previous edition, go here.

"The world of kitchen fairies?" Bizzy repeated. She blinked several times, trying to breathe. "What?"

"Oh God, you've gone dumb again," Sprinkles sighed, smacking a spatula on her head. She rolled her eyes and repeated slowly, "Thissssss issssss theeee worrrrllllllddddd offf kitchennnn fairies. Like meeeee." She nodded slowly with a sarcastic grin plastered on her face, patting her chest. "Me kitchen fairy. You bad cook in bad situation."

Bizzy looked at Sprinkles. She blinked again. "Did you know we're the same size?"


Groaning, Sprinkles began to beat the spatula into her head. As Sprinkles was muttering curse words in nine different languages, Bizzy tried to take in everything around her. Fairies of all different colors and sizes flew around her, some on tablespoons, others on forks and one on the tail of a blender's extension cord that floated in the air like a blimp. Some fairies had hair that looked like stacks of potato chips while others wore intricate pretzel-like braids. One had a dress that looked like a coffee filter while another was as thin and straight as a rolling pin.

And if the fairies weren't unusual enough, the scenery was very...different. There was no sky or ground. White smooth walls curved around them, funneling toward the top where a blue circle lay overhead. Instead of trees and grass, mist swirled around like clouds peppered with lollipops, cupcakes and plateaus of blondies and brownies. Cookies hung overhead like stars in the sky, their sprinkles twinkling in the light. Below, a pathway of pies was bordered by rows of jellybeans up to a lush twelve-layer cake. A few fairies were bobbing in a sea of red liquid, while other fairies rode in scone boats with biscuits for paddles.

"This is the world of the kitchen fairies?" Bizzy asked, looking around in wonder.

Sprinkles snorted. "Well, it's not like the President lives here. There's no bowling alley."

"But where's the sky?" Bizzy asked, looking up at the strange blue circle. "Where's the grass? Actually, where's the stove and fridge? If you're kitchen fairies, shouldn't you live in a kitchen?"

Sprinkles made a face. "We have to spend our lives in a kitchen. Our world is the best part of the kitchen."

Bizzy looked at her blankly and Sprinkles sighed. "I keep forgetting you don't cook. The kitchen fairies live in an enchanted cookie jar."

"A cookie jar?" Bizzy repeated.

Sprinkles bobbed her head up and down with glee. "Can you imagine anything more awesome?" Bizzy's face flickered and Sprinkles scowled. "Don't answer that," she snapped. "Come on, we've got to get going."

"Go where?" Bizzy asked. "We just got here."

"And we don't have long." Sprinkles leaned close, glancing around to make sure none of the other kitchen fairies could hear. "Listen, there's an old rule of kitchen fairies we're going to invoke. To do that, we have to get to the Cookie in the Sky, where the Head Kitchen Fairy lives. If she agrees, you'll be saved for Thanksgiving dinner."

"What's the rule?" Bizzy gave Sprinkles a suspicious look as she squirmed and hid her eyes. "What is the rule?"

"The rule is that one human every century can have the powers of a kitchen fairy for one day," Sprinkles muttered.

Bizzy shrieked with glee and threw her arms around her. "That's wonderful! Oh thank you!"

"Don't get too excited," Sprinkles warned. "It's a big deal to be the only human to get granted this favor every century. In fact, it's really hard. You have to pass a test."

"That's no big deal," Bizzy said, tossing her hair behind her neck. "I'm great at tests. I was on dean's list on college."

Sprinkles shook her head. "It's not that kind of test."

Bizzy gulped. "You mean....."

Sprinkles nodded, her face pale. "It's a cooking test."

To be continued....

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! This weekend, a tour of Christmas at the Pond. And next week, more whimsy, Twirl, Kitchen Magic and the second edition of the preview of my new book of Christmas tales coming next week!