As sparkles glitter in the cold air with the crisp scent of Magic just slightly tickling her nose, Meen knows that it is almost that time again.  This is her favorite month of each year and she does love going all out to deck the halls.  Well, maybe not her halls, but the Shadow King does love seeing the finery around the palace too.  Normally Meen took her time decorating, but not this year.  She was in a rush.  The little Pyksee was excited and wanted to head on over to Granny Flare's cottage to find out more about this new Pee-C Granny just received.  The Twitter Birds have been chirping all day long about this new magic and it sounded like a lot of fun!

​As the Dowager continued looking through some of her books, out dropped a letter from an old friend that lived in a magical place called the North Pole.  Now Griselda hadn't been able to stay in touch as much as she liked because the Twitter Birds didn't really like flying that north if they didn't have too.  Plus the Mushroom Line wasn't reliable for popping up when the ground was covered in snow and ice.  Somehow, they always seemed to get lost and always headed for warmer climates.

​For those of you who have been following Hungry (and for those of you who are new to the adventure), we thought it best to bring everyone up-to-date on where everyone in the Realm of Wymsy and the Shadows' Realm is at and what are they currently doing... 

To start off, we last saw Hewy, Parsley, Cornelia, Efem, and Sprout leaving Parsley's mushroom cottage together to meet with the Sleeping Sisters after receiving a Petal Post invitation.

Spirits were high as Hewy was hoping to see someone he had not heard from in many years and the others were excited as they had never been invited before to meet with the Sleeping Sisters. Even though they had received messages from them several times in the past, now they were being invited into the Hallow Chambers.  The only one who was not excited was Sprout - all he had hoped for was dinner.  I mean, how does one expect a growing teenager to survive without frequent meals?

Meanwhile, Nemmer, the Archer of the Elfshot Guild and Cornelia's husband, is off on a mission that Cornelia and Efem started him on.  He and The CAT were sent to find Hungry.  Currently he is somewhere in the forest continuing to follow the trail but where The CAT is, nobody knows.

While Nemmer (and who knows what The CAT is doing) is searching for Hungry, the inhabitants of The Baron's Mansion in the Realm of Wymsy are also wondering what has become of their dragon friend.  They had last seen him going off to play with Meen, the Pyksee.

The Baron wonders what has happen to him for he had been hoping for a new adventure. While Griselda, the Dowager, sees Hungry as a new hope for the future. Fiddlefaddle and Sneefle are there to serve and watch over these residents as  Fiddlefaddle is the Baron's BAT man and Sneefle is the Dowager's faithful  servant.

So where is Meen?  She is off on another mission for Hunter, the King of the Shadows' Realm.  Occasionally she is tasked by him to run messages since she likes to spend most of her time running and jumping (if not also playing practical jokes).  Normally, a tune is all that fills her head when she is jumping, but this time, she too is wondering where her friend was at and if she was going to maybe bump into him as she delivered her latest message.  

So, now that we know where everyone else is, where is the guest of honor?  He is currently somewhere in the forest searching for his lost pillow and trying to find his new friend, Sprout.  Hungry had first met Sprout outside of the Sugar Plum Bakery but lost him as they were traveling back to Sprout's home on the other side of the forest.  If only Sprout had known that the others were looking for his new friend, just maybe they might have found him sooner...

​"Morning is my favorite time of the day," thought Griselda.  "I can enjoy the latest edition of the Bellwether and have my fresh cup of tea in peace."

"Now where is that section that Sneefle was telling me about?  Something about the Baron placing a letter again this year," she remembered as the Dowager turned to the Lovelorn page of the newspaper.

Would you be my Valentine?  
        If you love the enchantment of romance, we can go for long walks in the starlit Moon Garden where the flowers of love bloom.  We could even go along the paths where the Pyksees play as I give you rides in my wheelbarrow.
   If this sounds like your type of evenings, then please respond through Snail Mail to the address below. 
                                                                                ~~~Looking for a Dream 
​                                                                           Gardner, the Garden Brownie

​​The Dowager looked up from her cup of tea that she had been swirling in her hand and directly in the eyes of her son.  “Do you remember what I said about Dragons being literal?”  Before he could answer she continued, “Well never mind - they are.  It caused the Great Age of Befuddlement and was the first conflict of the Outies, Dragons, and Fae in the Village."

​Griselda standing up from her chair, leaned forward and rolled back her sleeve to show her Dragon tattoo.  “When I was a young girl, I was selected to become a Wish Dragon Guardian and receive my tattoo.  It was a special day of celebration for the clan when this ritual came to one of us."

​Whispering to herself so low that the others could not hear,  "It is a memory that is never far from my mind."  Quietly she sat, sipping her tea and staring into space, thinking back to those days, as her two listeners sat waiting for her to continue, not wanting to break the spell of her tale.

​Finally, Griselda realizes that she has been day-dreaming of the past.  "There is much more to tell, but, that will have to await another day as I am tired and the evening is here."  Rising, she continues, "When Sneefle arrives with my things, have him deliver them to my room.  I will meet with both of you again in the morning."  She nods to the Baron and then turns to look directly at Hungry, "Good night Hungry.  Sleep well this night and tomorrow I will tell you more about your heritage," smiling, she adds, "Oh... and if you like, you may take the pillow with you."

​Hungry and the Baron were totally absorbed in what they were hearing.  This tale was no longer just a story, it was real.  "That village that was moved from the world of the Outies and into this land of Fae is the one we live in now" Griselda told them.  After another sip of tea, she continued with her story.  “At first the Fae hid from the Outies because they were so different.  Fae usually can take any shape or size desired.  Today one may float in the air and look like a small bird, tomorrow it may decide to look like a rock and stare at the sky.  That is the way of magic - time and shape mean little to Fae, it is the experiences and feelings involved that are important to them.  The Fae were attracted to the Outies because of all the new experience they got in observing them.  The Outies, because of all this shape shifting and floating rocks, were noticeably having difficulties with adjusting to the Fae.”

​Griselda took another sip of her tea and began speaking again.  “Those Fae that stayed decided they would take forms that would not confuse or scare the Outies.  Most chose to look like humans with a head, hands, fingers, and toes.  The problem was the Fae had never really looked that close at the Outies.  Who looks at little things like fingers and toes when you can change your shape and form?  Anyhow,  they had just assumed they had the Fae style of  three fingers and four toes.  It was much later they found out it wasn't the case.  Oh well...  Some did noticed that the Outies had no beautiful wings though.  Most of the Fae remaining decided they could sacrifice their lovely wings to minimize the jealousy of how beautiful they looked."  

​"But all of us were determined that we would keep our pointed ears – some things we would not change.  Anyhow, those Fae that stayed soon were accepted by the Outies and started living together in the Village on the Wall.  Shortly though, was the first of the Great  Misunderstandings to occur.  It was because of these misunderstandings that the Wish Dragon clan was created and how it came to be both the Village's aide and later be it's curse." 

​​When the Baron and the Dowager returned to the Parlor with Hungry, and with Fiddlefaddle off somewhere putting his feet up after brewing a fresh pot of tea for them, it was time to start the tale.

​​​“Once this land was filled with only Fae and Dragons.  Both living in harmony as they were so used to each other that neither really noticed the other.” 

“How can you not notice each other? That doesn’t make sense,” interrupted Hungry looking slightly confused.

​“This Dragon heard a wish in the making from a young Outie who was asking for magic.  Dragons, being extremely literal, thought, why not?  So it gave a small child named Myrddin the power of magic.”

​​Griselda smiles at her son and the dragon.  "We are the Guardians and descendants of the Wish Dragon clan.  We once worked with the Wish Dragons to help make ‘Wishes’ come true.

​In their haste they realized they forgot the lantern.  "Don't worry Mom, you can follow me, I know the way," the Baron assured the Dowager.  The passageway was dark, but the ground was level and soon they could see the glow of a light where earlier the Baron had left the baby Dragon.  Griselda had goosebumps everywhere... to see a Dragon after so many, many, many (let's not get carried away with the many's she thought) years.  I feel again like the young maiden who just received her Dragon tattoo as a Wish Dragon Guardian. 

​The little Dragon stared intensely at Griselda for a minute before answering.  “I will try to answer.  I feel that I should know you.  Do I?”

​“No, we have never met.  But, we may know each other or more specifically, we may know ‘of’ each other.  I am going to do something and you need to tell me if you feel anything.  Is that okay?”

​“It will not hurt.  All I am going to do is blow on this seedling flower.  Now, tell me if you feel anything when I blow.”  Griselda made her silent wish, puckered her lips, and lightly blew on the small seedlings, sending them flying through the air.  Immediately a small flutter-by materialized in the air and landed in Griselda's hair.  "My wish has come true," she whispers.

​Now Griselda has been "patiently" waiting in the parlor for someone to show up.  "That boy had better return soon," she tells herself for the hundredth time.  Finally she hears voices in the hallway getting closer.  "It's about time," she mumbles.

​"Fiddlefaddle, you did remember to lock the door to the caves didn't you?" she hears the Baron ask as he enters the parlor.  Busy talking to Fiddlefaddle, he doesn't notice the Dowager sitting in his chair. 

​"Allowishes, where have you been?" Griselda asks.

​​​“Oh this is getting even more interesting,” grumbles Fiddlefaddle as he leaves to make tea. “First a visitor in the caves and now one in the parlor and all I wanted to do was to put my tired feet up.”

​“Sit down young man.  Are you going to tell me about it or do you think you can still hide secrets from your mother?" commands Griselda as she motions to another of the chairs in the room.

​“You can ask me those questions later, let’s talk about your new house guest in the caves below the mansion.  I want to meet it… now!  Do you know what kind it is?”

​​Looking slightly confused the Baron replied, “How would I know?  Aren't all Dragons alike?”

​“Don’t worry, I will show you my son.   I would like to meet this Dragon, but before I do, I need a dandelion about to go to seed.”

​Click here to see the tutorial on how to make your own Wish Dandelion