One winter’s day when the Home Woods were crackly white under a layer of snow, Puff the Pixie said to his best friend Topaz “It is too nice a day to stay in the woods – shall we take the toboggan to the downs?” Now Puff was a Pixie who was quite different to the other Pixies. They only came out at night when the humans were all asleep but Puff loved the daylight and the sunshine, and no matter what his friends said, he generally slept at night. This meant of course that very often he had no one to play with but as he had many friends like the squirrels, the rabbits, the birds and the friendly field-mice he was not often lonely. Topaz was only too happy to go with Puff on this shining winter’s day. He wasn’t a bit sleepy so he said “Alright Puff, but we must be careful not to wake the others”.
Softly they went to the old rabbit-hole which was used as a shelter for all the Pixies Toboggans. Puff’s toboggan was a fine silver coloured one with golden runners and although not much bigger than a matchbox, it was of course quite big enough for the two tiny Pixies. It was very cold and when the two little friends put on warm woollen caps, mufflers and mittens and left the Fairy Dell very quietly. After a long walk through the Home Woods they came out onto the open Downs and they looked around for a large mole-hill where they could play.
For Pixies, a large mole-hill makes a lovely toboggan run when they climb to the top. They looked and looked but the snow was so deep that the only mole-hills were quite buried and the only slopes were the deep, deep slopes of the downs. “Oh dear” said Topaz crossly, “now we have come all this way for nothing”. “Nonsense” answered Puff cheerfully, “our toboggan is strong – why shouldn’t we go down there?” and he pointed down the slope to the foot of the downs which, to Topaz, seemed a hundred miles away! He almost squeaked in fright – ‘No Puff – oh no, no, no! We have never been down there and it’s much too close to the humans”. “Oh, come on Topaz – there are no humans for miles – it will be an adventure”.
But how will we get back again?” asked Topaz, “We can never climb all that way and pull the toboggan. No, I think we had better go back”. Puff laughed and jumped up and down in excitement.
“Come on now Topaz you old scaredy rabbit, help me push the toboggan to the edge of the slope and jump on behind me”. Topaz didn’t like being called “scaredy rabbit” and although he was not feeling at all brave or adventurous, he pushed while Puff pulled on the toboggan. When they were at the edge, where the downs sloped white and sparkling in the winter sunshine they both settled themselves and pushing with their feet to set the toboggan moving. “Here we go” shouted Puff, “hold tight Topaz”. And whizz – they were sliding faster and faster down the steep white hill. The snow was smooth and well made, and the two Pixies got more and more excited the faster it went.
Even Topaz forgot to be afraid because the snow and the sunshine were so beautiful and it did feel adventurous flying over the white downs so fast that it took your breath away. Down and down they went, laughing as they skimmed over the shiny white snow, “this is better than sleeping” shouted Puff over his shoulder. Topaz nodded happily and held tightly to Puff who was now singing a lively winter song.
Down and down and down – and at last they slowed down as they reached the level ground. Slower and slower and then – stop! The two Pixies tumbled off and looked back up the hill – so far that they could not see the top, but they were feeling too happy to worry about that right now. A little way ahead of them was a bridge over a small frozen stream and Puff pointed to it, “Come on Topaz, under the bridge where it is sheltered. We can eat our honey-cakes and sandwiches without worrying about any humans who may come by”.
They slithered and slipped down the bank of the stream and found a comfortable ledge under the bridge to sit on while they ate hungrily their honey-cakes and sandwiches. They were feeling very happy indeed and were just wondering what to do next when they heard a loud quacking and flapping. It was a very frightening noise and they huddled together and listened with thumping hearts. There it was again, and it sounded this time as though the quacking was a call for help.
Puff and Topaz jumped up and run along the ledge under the bridge to where the noise came from. Then they saw the noise maker.
An old duck that seemed to have one leg stuck in the ice was flapping her wings so crossly that some of her feathers were flying into the air looking like very big snowflakes. She saw the two Pixies and grumbled loudly, “I must say, you took your time – look at me, just look at me! Calling for help and getting cramp” she grumbled and grumbled.
Topaz was most indignant and was going to answer her quite rudely but Puff stopped him and said to the duck, “we are very sorry to see you in trouble, what can we do to help and how did this happen?”
“Well” grumbled the duck, “I am getting old and I sleep a lot and I suppose, while I was asleep on the ledge, one leg slipped into the water before it was quite frozen and I didn’t notice it until I woke up. Now my leg is stuck in the ice and I can’t get away”.
“We will help you” said Puff, “but do stop flapping and grumbling before you frighten us away. You will have to be patient while we search for some loose stones –most of them are frozen into the earth. We won’t be long”. The two friends set off to look for some small sharp stones and at last, by the door of water rats home they found what they were looking for and hurried back to the duck. Climbing down on to the ice, Puff scratched a circle on it around the ducks frozen leg. “Now Topaz” he said, “start tapping on your half of the circle and I’ll start this side”. It was hard work, tap, tap, tapping with their stones to break the ice and soon the Pixies were so warm they had to take off their woollen mufflers.
Tap tap, tap tap – and then Puff saw that water was coming through the ice which was not very thick after all.
“Be careful Topaz” he said, “we are almost finished Mrs Duck, see if you can pull your leg free now”. And the duck pulled and tugged and the ice splintered with a hundred crackly frozen sounds and suddenly – she was free. A circle of ice still fixed to her leg looked like a lacey frill and made the Pixies giggle but happily the duck did not hear them.
Now Mrs. Duck, come out into the sunlight and we will take the rest of the ice off and you shall have some honey-cakes. Together the three of them climbed up the bank to where the toboggan stood. The rest of the ice soon came off and the duck flapped het wings in a dance of pleasure. “Hey – be careful Mrs Duck, you almost flapped us down the bank” laughed Puff.
The duck stopped her flapping and sat down and when Topaz gave her the rest of the honey-cakes she settled down to eat then slowly and daintily. When they were all gone she looked at Puff and Topaz and said, “You have both been very kind to a bad tempered old duck, very kind indeed. If there is anything I can do for you, please tell me”.
“Well” answered Puff, “we do have a most gigantic problem. You see, we came from the very top of the downs – from the Home Woods in fact on our Toboggan and because we are still very young Pixies we cannot fly very far. If we try to climb to the top with our Toboggan we will be frozen before we get halfway. Maybe you think it was foolish of me not to listen to Topaz, he did try to stop me – but it was such a lovely ride!”
Duck was nodding het head, “and if you had not taken that ride I should still be stuck in the ice” she said “you two have saved my life and although you are too young to fly – I am not too old, I will fly you and your toboggan home so climb on my back and make yourselves comfortable”. The two excited Pixies thanked their new friend and snuggled into her soft feathers holding tightly to the silver toboggan and the duck flapped her wings and flew toward the downs. High over the white blanket of snow they flew higher and higher until the edge of the Home Woods was below them and the duck glided gently down to the ground close to the trees.
Puff and Topaz climbed from her back and pulled the toboggan carefully to the ground. “Thank you Mrs Duck” said Puff “that was a lovely way to be brought home. Goodbye, be careful and don’t sleep too close to the water”. The duck said she would take care and thanked the Pixies for the delicious honey-cakes and she flew away calling, “goodbye Puff, goodbye Topaz”. They watched her until she was gone then went into the Home Woods, to the Fairy Dell and when their toboggan had been put away in the old rabbit hole, two tired but happy Pixies went home to sleep.
Puff the Pixie stories were written by D.L. Hardy-Jesshope and may not be copied or reproduced in any way as they are under copywrite.