From just before dawn until just after noon, there's a lot of chores to do. That's not to say, fairies don't have fun along the way. The grove just wouldn't be as good unless all the chores got done. As they put it, "Our work makes the grove abound."
Now, for me, if you're using the word 'abound' there's got to be something else. Abound in chocolate, for instance. Abound in laughter. Maybe even Abound in sunshine.
Not for them.
Abound conveys exactly what the fairy world wants to say. Plain. On its own.
So, we make the grove abound all morning. We used to nap or just hang around talking for the hottest part of the day. Not any more. There's training, now, all afternoon. After training, there are practices for midsummer eve. (This is not the solstice, by the way. It's the high temperature day of summer -- usually in July or August.) Then, once practices are done, a few evening and twilight chores are finished before fairies curl up to sleep.
So, I assumed the midsummer celebration was going to be nothing but a talent show. Apparently there's much more to it.
There will be races of all kinds. Nimbleness contests. Formation flights. Probably a lot more, too.
Thumbelina is going to be in the hummingbird races. Not riding a humming bird. Racing against them. Five fairies and five hummingbirds will hover in a line over the meadow. Then, in straight-line flight -- no tricks needed -- they zoom to the border of the next grove, circle the entire perimeter of this grove, and whoever comes back to the center point first wins the primacy of speed award. Humming birds want this because it means the fairies have to devote an entire flock of fairies to the enhancement of nectar in the blooms the humming birds specify. Fairies want this award because it means the humming birds have to devote five mated pairs of birds to ventilation of certain home tree chambers. (I wanted to ask which chambers, and what better ventilation does for them, but Thumbelina was too busy to answer many questions today.)
Training for humming bird races is intense. I just held a snapdragon filled with dew for Thumbelina for each time she made a lap around the home tree. Eventually, her laps will expand to include different markers. This week, though, she's drawing strength from the tree itself to give her a boost in her endurance.
She really needs the dew in the snap dragon.
By the time she has raced one lap, she's pretty dehydrated. I don't think anyone ever told Thumbelina about pacing herself. The four other fairies training with her always come in several seconds behind.
I predict by the end of the week, Thumbelina will be able to lap all of them.
Why does that make me proud? I only hold her dewy flower. I really have nothing to do with her amazing speed. All I can say is being part of anybody's winning team -- even an itty bitty part of it -- is a thrill.
Do other groves care so deeply about their summer games? It's like Olympic training around here. Every fairy is preparing for something important. There won't be cameras and long interviews with the winners. Still, winning contests will do important things for the fairies in this grove. Maybe Thumbelina is wishing she could compete on behalf of her home grove. I'm starting to feel even more guilty for throwing a fit and making her leave.
I sort of wish I could come back and watch when Thumbelina finally competes.
-- Sabrina
I'm too tired to say much today. I'm just really grateful for the extra-full snap dragon Sabrina gives me when I need it. This year is the first time anyone offered to help with my training. I think the extra energy is why I'm so much faster. It's good to have a friend.
May your snap dragon always slurp deliciously.
-- Fresh
