The Elf Who Loved Cheese, Part One

“I can’t stop thinking about that tooth fairy story,” Violet said. She closed her math book. Sprite flew to her side.
“Maybe we could read another story soon,” Sprite said.
Leon bounded into Violet’s room.
“Another story?” he said. “Cool! I hope this one has a rat in it, too.”
“Not a rat, exactly,” Sprite said. “But there are quite a few mice.”
Leon thought about this. “Mice are just as good, I think. Can we read it?”
Sprite took the Book of Tricks from the pouch on his belt. He flew to Violet and placed the tiny book in her hand.
“Great!” Leon said. He sat down on Violet’s rug as she began to read the story.

Sprite walked into the queen’s main hall. Crowds of fairy folk clapped and cheered his name. He blushed and walked toward Queen Mab. She smiled at Sprite and said . . .
“Sprite, are you daydreaming again?”
The voice of his teacher startled Sprite. He sat up straight in his chair.
“No sir!” Sprite said.
Gus Gnome frowned. “Fine. Can you tell the class what I was just talking about?”
Sprite sank down in his seat. “No sir,” he said.
“I thought so,” said Gus. “Can someone please fill in our daydreamer here?”
Hazel raised her hand. “I will! I will!”
Sprite sank a little further. Hazel was a tree fairy, and one of the smartest students in Royal Pixie Tricker school. She always seemed to know the answer when Sprite didn’t.
“Mr. Gnome was talking about the Untrickable Pixies,” Hazel said. “Pixies that were never able to be tricked.”
“Very good, Hazel,” Gus Gnome said. “I was about to talk about a current case that is baffling the Royal Pixie Trickers. The case of Stinky the Elf.”
“Stinky the Elf?” called out Redcap, who was a pixie, and not very patient.
“That is correct,” said Mr. Gnome, staring at Redcap. “Stinky the Elf works in the elf workshop. He is very fond of cheese. He keeps stacks of cheese at his work station. He even makes toys out of cheese.”
Sprite timidly raised his hand. “Uh, Mr. Gnome,” he said. “Why does Stinky need to be tricked? Liking cheese doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.”
“It shouldn’t be,” said Gus Gnome. “But Stinky has so much cheese. And it smells terrible! The other elves have filed a complaint. But the Royal Pixie Trickers have not been able to trick Stinky.”
Hazel waved her hand again. “I know! I know! Why don’t they try to get Stinky to like another food? One that doesn’t smell so bad?”
“They have already tried that, of course,” the teacher replied. “The bee fairies baked their finest honey cakes. The sugarplum fairies made trays of fine sweets. The pixie trickers tried pea pod pie and berry delight. Nothing worked. Stinky will not give up his cheese.”
Hazel frowned. “There must be a way to trick Stinky. There is always a way.”
“I hope so, Hazel,” Mr. Gnome said. “The other elves are threatening to walk out.”
Redcap practically jumped from his seat. “They can’t walk out! Who will make our toys?”
“I am sure the Royal Pixie Trickers will figure it out,” said Mr. Gnome.
Hazel stood up. “I would like to volunteer to try.”
“But Hazel,” Mr. Gnome said, “you are still only a student.”
“But Sprite and I tricked Bob the Boggart,” she reminded him. “Please let me try. I will do it for extra credit.”
Mr. Gnome thought for a moment. “I suppose it can’t hurt,” he said. Hazel beamed. “You may start after school. And you must bring Sprite with you.”
“Who, me?” Sprite asked.
Mr. Gnome sighed. “Of course, Sprite,” he said. “You and Hazel did a good job with Bob the Boggart. The two of you work well together.”
Sprite looked at Hazel. In the end, they had worked together to trick Bob the Boggart. But it had not been easy. He and Hazel could not agree on anything. Would they be able to work together again?
“Meet me outside after school,” Hazel told Sprite. “And don’t be late!”


Pixie Tricks is ©2000 Tracey West. All Rights Reserved. Illustrations by James Brenardin and Thea Kliros. Site designed by Ryan Dunlavey.