by Daisy Meadowsillustrated by Georgie Ripper

Ruthe RedFairy

Join the Rainbow Magic Reading Challenge!

Read the story and collect your fairy points to climb theReading Rainbow at the back of the book.

This book is worth 5 points.

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Cold winds blow and thick ice form,

I conjure up this fairy storm.

To seven corners of the mortal world

the Rainbow Fairies will be hurled!

I curse every part of Fairyland,

with a frosty wave of my icy hand.

For now and always, from this fateful day,

Fairyland will be cold and grey!

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“Look, Dad!” said Rachel Walker. Shepointed across the blue-green sea at therocky island ahead of them. The ferrywas sailing towards it, dipping up anddown on the rolling waves. “Is thatRainspell Island?” she asked.

Her dad nodded. “Yes, it is,” he said,smiling. “Our holiday is about to begin!”

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The End of the

Rainbow

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Ruby

The waves slapped against the sideof the ferry as it bobbed up and downon the water. Rachel felt her heartthump with excitement. She could seewhite cliffs and emerald green fields onthe island. And golden sandy beaches,with rock pools dotted here and there.

Suddenly, a few fat raindropsplopped down on to Rachel’s head.“Oh!” she gasped, surprised. The sunwas still shining.

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Rachel’s mum grabbed her hand.“Let’s get under cover,” she said,leading Rachel inside.

“Isn’t that strange?” Rachel said.“Sunshine rain!”

“Let’s hope the rain stops before weget off the ferry,” said Mr Walker.“Now, where did I put that map ofthe island?”

Rachel looked out of thewindow. Her eyesopened wide.

A girl was standingalone on the deck.Her dark hair waswet with raindrops,but she didn’t seemto care. She juststared up at the sky.

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and

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Rachel looked over at her mum anddad. They were busy studying the map.So Rachel slipped back outside to seewhat was so interesting.

And there it was.In the blue sky, high above them,

was the most amazing rainbow thatRachel had ever seen. One end of therainbow was far out to sea. The otherseemed to fall somewhere on RainspellIsland. All of the colours were brightand clear.

Ruby

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Red,oran

ge,

yellow,green,

blue,indigoand violet.

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“Isn’t it perfect?” the dark-haired girlwhispered to Rachel.

“Yes, it is,” Rachel agreed. “Are yougoing to Rainspell on holiday?”

The girl nodded. “We’re staying for aweek,” she said. “I’m Kirsty Tate.”

Rachel smiled, as the rain began tostop. “I’m Rachel Walker. We’re stayingat Mermaid Cottage,” she added.

“And we’re at Dolphin Cottage,” saidKirsty. “Do you think we might benear each other?”

“I hope so,” Rachel replied. She hada feeling she was going to like Kirsty.

Kirsty leaned over the rail and lookeddown into the shimmering water. “Thesea looks really deep, doesn’t it?” shesaid. “There might even be mermaidsdown there, watching us right now!”

Ruby

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Rachel stared at the waves. She sawsomething that made her heart skip abeat. “Look!” she said. “Is that amermaid’s hair?” Then she laughed,when she saw that it was just seaweed.

“It could be a mermaid’s necklace,”said Kirsty, smiling. “Maybe she lostit when she was trying to escape froma sea monster.”

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The ferry was now sailinginto Rainspell’s tiny

harbour. Seagulls flewaround them, and

fishing boats bobbedon the water.

“Look atthat big white cliffover there,” Kirstysaid. She pointedit out to Rachel.

“It looks a bitlike a giant’s

face, doesn’t it?”Rachel

looked, andnodded. Kirsty

seemed to see magic.

Ruby

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everywhere

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“There you are,Rachel!” called MrsWalker. Rachel turnedround and saw hermum and dad comingout on to the deck.“We’ll be getting off theferry in a few minutes,”Mrs Walker added.

“Mum, Dad, this is Kirsty,” Rachelsaid. “She’s staying at Dolphin Cottage.”

“That’s right next door to ours,” saidMr Walker. “I remember seeing it onthe map.”

Rachel and Kirsty looked at eachother in delight.

“I’d better go and find mum anddad,” said Kirsty. She looked round.“Oh, here they are.”

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my

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Kirsty’s mum and dad came overto say hello to the Walkers. Then theferry docked, and everyone began toleave the boat.

“Our cottages are on the other sideof the harbour,” said Rachel’s dad,looking at the map. “It’s not far.”

Mermaid Cottage and DolphinCottage were right next to the beach.Rachel loved her bedroom, which washigh up, in the attic. From thewindow, she could see the wavesrolling onto the sand.

Ruby

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A shout from outside made her lookdown. It was Kirsty. She was standingunder the window, waving at her.

“Let’s go and explore the beach!”Kirsty called.

Rachel dashed outside to join her.Seaweed lay in piles on the sand, and

there were tiny pink and white shellsdotted about.

“I love it here already!”Rachel shouted happilyabove the noise of theseagulls.

“Me too,” Kirsty said.She pointed up at the sky.“Look, the rainbow’s still there.”

Rachel looked up. The rainbowglowed brightly among the fluffywhite clouds.

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“Have you heard the story about thepot of gold at the end of the rainbow?”Kirsty asked.

Rachel nodded. “Yes, but that’s justin fairy stories,” she said.

Kirsty grinned. “Maybe. But let’s goand find out for ourselves!”

“OK,” Rachel agreed. “We canexplore the island at the same time.”

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They rushed back to tell their parentswhere they were going. Then Kirstyand Rachel set off along a lane behindthe cottages. It led them away from thebeach, across green fields, and towardsa small wood.

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Rachel kept looking up at therainbow. She was worried that it wouldstart to fade now that the rain hadstopped. But the colours stayed clearand bright.

“It looks like the end of the rainbowis over there,” Kirsty said. “Come on!”And she hurried towards the trees.

The wood was cool and green afterthe heat of the sun. Rachel and Kirstyfollowed a winding path until theycame to a clearing. Then they bothstopped and stared.

Ruby

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The rainbow shone down on to thegrass through a gap in the trees.

And there, at the rainbow’s end, layan old, black pot.

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