The Secret Garden by Teodora Leon

It was a lovely day in the Flowertot Garden. Fifi Forget-Me-Not was in her garden. She was planting some seeds. Mo, her car, was watching her. “See, Mo? This is how you plant some seeds.” Fifi said. She took her yellow watering can and watered the seeds. There, everything was done! Fifi took a rest. She sat at her table in the garden and started to drink some lemonade. It was really hot that day!
Fifi was about to go in her house when, suddenly, she met Primrose and Violet. They were carrying backpacks. “Hello, Primrose and Violet! What’s going on? Are you going somewhere?” Fifi asked. “We were so bored, so we decided to go in an adventure!” Primrose said. “We took some food and water. At night, we will sit under the stars!” Violet said. The two sisters were very pleased. “It sounds really nice! When are you going to be back?” Fifi asked. “Tomorrow, at noon. This adventure won’t take long. We just want to have an exciting day!” Primrose said. “Okay, then! Have a nice trip!” Fifi said. “Bye, Fifi!” the two sisters said and left. Fifi went in her house. “Oh, I wish I could go in a trip with Primrose and Violet...” she said, sighing.
The next day, Bumble came to Fifi’s house. It was in the afternoon. Fifi was making milkshake. Bumble seemed worried when he entered the house. “Hello, Bumble! Is there something wrong? Do you want some milkshake?” Fifi asked. “Thanks, Fifi, but I don’t have time for this! Something terrible happened!” Bumble said. He was huffing and puffing really hard... “Calm down, Bumble! Have a rest, drink some milkshake and then, you can tell me what happened.” Fifi said. She handed a glass of strawberry milkshake to her friend, Bumble. The little bee thanked and took a sit at the table in the kitchen. Fifi sat beside him. Bumble drank all the milkshake. “Delicious, Fifi, thank you!” Bumble said. “I’m glad you liked it! Now, tell me what happened!” Fifi said. “Well, today I went to Primrose and Violet’s house. Primrose had to give me a jar of honey...” Bumble said. “So?” Fifi asked. “So... Today, I didn’t find neither Primrose or Violet!” Bumble said. Fifi thought for a moment and then, she looked at her flower clock. It was four o’clock in the afternoon! “Hey, wait! Primrose and Violet had to be home already!” Fifi said. “Why are you saying this?” Bumble asked. “Yesterday I met Primrose and Violet. They told me that they are going in a trip. They should have been back at noon...” Fifi said. “Maybe they are just late from their trip...” Bumble said. “I think you are right, Bumble! We will go tomorrow to their house, okay?” Fifi said. “Okay! I will go back to my house now! Thanks for the help, though! Oh, and for the milkshake, too!” Bumble said. “No problem! Friends are always helping each other, right? Goodbye, Bumble!” Fifi said. The little bee left...
It was no luck! The next day, Fifi and Bumble didn’t find Primrose and Violet... There was no sign of them... Everyone from the Flowertot garden was worried about the two sisters. Aunt Tulip invited everyone to her house for a cup of tea, to cheer them up. “Don’t worry, my darlings, I’m sure that Primrose and Violet are all right! Now, who wants another cup of tea?” Aunt Tulip said. But nobody wanted some tea... They were all sad. Aunt Tulip sighed and said: “I guess I’ll give Grubby the rest of the tea...”. She went in the kitchen, followed by her pet caterpillar. “Oh, I wish we could find Primrose and Violet... Where are they?” Fifi asked, disappointed. “So, Fifi, you said yesterday that Primrose and Violet went in a trip, right?” Bumble said. “Yes... Well, who knows? Maybe they got lost in the trip...” Fifi said. “Yes, why haven’t we thought of that? Anything can happen in a trip! We have to search for them!” Pip said and he rushed into the kitchen to tell Aunt Tulip their plan.
After one hour, everyone from the Flowertot Garden was ready for their search: each of them had a backpack with food and water inside. Bumble turned to Fifi. “Fifi, when you met Primrose and Violet, where were they heading? In which direction?” he asked. “Well, I was at my house, so... Um, I think they were heading west.” Fifi said. “Perfect, let’s go!” Bumble said. “Wait!!! We forgot something... or should I say, someone?” Fifi said. Everyone looked at each other and realized who were missing... “Stingo and Slugsy!” they shouted. “We need their help... we need everybody’s help!” Fifi said and went straight ahead to Stingo and Slugsy’s house. The other followed the forget-me-not flower a bit unsure... Stingo and Slugsy were lazy. It would be hard to convince them to help in the search...
Fifi arrived at Stingo and Slugsy’s house. As usual, the two lazy bugs were eating sweets, relaxing under the rays of the sun. “Stingo! Slugsy! Can you come down for a moment?” Fifi shouted. Stingo sighed and said: “Not now, Fifi. Slugsy and I need our... beauty sleep”. “Oh, come on, you lazy bugs! We need your help in a search!” Fifi said. “Go away, Fifi! You can shout all day, but we will not listen to you!” Stingo said, taking a lollipop from a table. Fifi sighed and thought for a moment. “Aren’t we losing time, Fifi, darling?” Poppy asked. “No, Poppy. I have got an idea!” Fifi said and turned back to the house. She said: “Oh, well, I guess we will have to go by ourselves to rescue Violet and... Primrose!”. When Slugsy heard the name “Primrose”, he fell down from his hammock. He liked Primrose. He wanted to help in the search of the two sisters! “Stingo, can’t we go in this search?” Slugsy asked his boss. And then, in a lower voice: “You know I like Primrose...”. Stingo looked at Slugsy and sighed. “Oh, all right, we can go in this... search!” Stingo said with half voice. Slugsy cheered and then, he went down on his slide. Stingo flew down. Fifi was happy. “I’m glad you are coming in this search! This shows that you’re good friends!” Fifi said. Stingo and Slugsy gave a little smile, but soon they returned to their normal faces... The search was on!
Fifi and her friends were gone for more than a day from the Flowertot Garden. They didn’t find anything... Everyone started to feel unhappy... Will they ever find the two sisters? They were about to give up, when Pip saw big footprints! “Bigfoot!” Pip said with two wide eyes. “Don’t be silly, Pip! There is no such thing as Bigfoot!” Fifi said. “Let’s follow the footprint trail!” she continued.
Fifi and her friends walked for a while until, they arrived at a big gate. Behind the gate, a garden could be seen. “Do you think Primrose and Violet are here?” Aunt Tulip asked. “Maybe...” Fifi said, looking at the big gate. “Good, because Grubby’s legs hurt!” Aunt Tulip said, giving a quick kiss to her pet caterpillar. Fifi was about the knock at the gate, when two guards with two big legs arrived. “Halt! Who goes there?” one of the guards asked. Fifi was a bit scared. “Um... we’re from the Flowertot Garden... and...” Fifi said, but she was interrupted. “Another flowers from the Flowertot Garden??? Arrest them!” the second guard said and more guards appeared. Fifi and her friends tried to run away, but it was too late. The guards caught them. The guards put handcuffs on them. Fifi was trapped! The guards took them in the big garden. It was a really nice garden with perfumed flowers and cabbage butterflies! But Fifi didn’t pay too much attention to it... She was thinking of the guard’s words (“Another flowers from the Flowertot Garden???”). Were Primrose and Violet here, too? Fifi was hoping and hoping and hoping...
The guards took Fifi and her friends to... a big, fat king with two big legs! Next to the king there were two pretty flowers. One was pink and white and the other one was yellow (she looked a bit like Primrose). “So, everyone from the Flowertot Garden wants to attack... The Secret Garden???” the king said and stood up, looking at Fifi and her friends. Fifi was courageous, so she started to talk: “Your Majesty... We mean you no harm! We were just looking for our friends, Primrose and Violet.”. “Yes, they arrived here yesterday, those two little brats!” the king said. “Don’t call them “brats”!” Poppy said. “Oh, why not? If you didn’t know, but Primrose and Violet had a rich father, but a horrible one! He was my worst nightmare, my enemy!” the king said, shivering. Fifi looked shocked at her friends. Primrose and Violet had a... father? That was impossible! “Their father ruined all The Secret Garden, so we had to repair it! Luckily, their father died five years ago, so now I don’t have any problems...” the king said. He looked at the flowers and then, said: “Take them in jail, where the... I don’t want to say their names... are.”. The guards took Fifi and her friends away...
Fifi and her friends were in jail. They were in the same cell with Primrose and Violet. The two sisters were feeling guilty. Everyone from the Flowertot Garden was in jail, all because of them. Fifi looked at the two sisters. She thought of their father. Was the king’s story true? She couldn’t imagine Primrose and Violet’s father doing something wrong... But to be sure... “Primrose, did your father...” Fifi asked, but she was interrupted by Primrose. “NO!!! Our father was innocent! He didn’t do anything to this secret garden! The king ruined our house and took our money! He was jealous on us because we were richer than him!” Primrose sobbed. Violet patted her on the back. Fifi felt sorry for the two sisters... “When our father died, we came in the Flowertot Garden. Here we found a new perfect life... with all of you!” Violet said. Everyone smiled. It was good to be again with Primrose and Violet! Slugsy sobbed. “Oh, my darling Primrose!” he said. Primrose blushed.
Fifi and her friends were staying in the cell. Their backpacks were taken, so they didn’t have any food or water... To Fifi and her friends’ surprise, the two princesses came in the jail. They were little and cute! “I wonder what are they doing here?” Fifi asked herself. “My name is Daisy!” said the pink one. “And my name is Buttercup!” said the yellow one. “We are sisters and princesses of The Secret Garden!” both of them said. “My name is Fifi and those are my friends: Bumble, Primrose, Violet, Poppy, Pip, Aunt Tulip (and Grubby), Stingo and Slugsy. We come from the Flowertot Garden.” Fifi said. “We know that. That’s why we came to save you. We’ve got the key!” Daisy said. Fifi was surprised! “Why are you doing this for us?” Fifi asked. “We’ve always wanted to live in the Flowertot Garden! We hate to live with our father; he is so cruel, even with us! But still, we love The Secret Garden! We know a spell from a book of spells so we can make our father and the guards disappear!” Buttercup said. “But aren’t any villagers in this garden?” Bumble asked. “No... That’s why we feel so... lonely!” Daisy said. “Let’s not waste precious time! We have to get you out of here!” Buttercup said and released Fifi and her friends with the key. The two princesses and their new friends got out from jail. No guard saw them...
Daisy, Buttercup and the others entered the castle and went in a secret library with lot of dust and old books. Daisy got out a book of spells and Buttercup looked for the right spell. Soon, they found the spell. They said it and suddenly... it was COMPLETE silence! Yes, the guards and the king disappeared! Fifi and all her friends were happy! Daisy and Buttercup didn’t mind that his father disappeared... at all! “Come on, guys, let’s go in the Flowertot Garden!” Daisy said. “But don’t you want to live in The Secret Garden?” Stingo asked. “Nah, we’re going to visit it... It’s much better if it is secret, right?” Buttercup said and giggled.
The two princesses showed their friends their pet butterfly, Flutterby. Daisy and Buttercup rode on their butterfly, while Fifi and her friends walked. The two princesses looked for one more time at The Secret Garden, with its gates closed. “We’re sure going to miss The Secret Garden... But we’re sure we’re going to have fun in the Flowertot Garden!” the two princesses said. Fifi looked with a big interest at the two princesses’ legs. They were little, not like the king and the guards’ legs... “Um, I’m sorry that I’m asking this, but... How come you don’t have big legs like your father?” Fifi asked. “Believe it or not, but we were... adopted! The king wanted children, but he didn’t like us so much...” Daisy said. “That’s why he didn’t give us so much attention!” Buttercup said. “Don’t worry about that. We will be your friends forever!” Fifi said. The two princesses smiled.
Well, Fifi had quite an adventure... They will never forget The Secret Garden! They don’t visit it too often… after all, it is a secret garden, isn’t it?
The End
P.S. Fifi wishes you a Happy Easter! :)