Jennifer Jane and the Wish Warehouse 2/3

Jennifer Jane smiled politely and stepped down. "I do hope I haven't caused any trouble," she said, "but I was really trying to see Barnacle Bill."

The grown-up fairy looked at a wooden board with a piece of paper pinned to it. "Fourth attempt this afternoon," she said. "Two giants' pools, one Clerk of the Weather and a Barnacle Bill. I know it's no excuse, but you have rather been messing us about, haven't you!"

While she was talking, some more fairies had come out of one of the long buildings and begun pushing the coach inside.

"I'm sorry," said Jennifer Jane, "I'm afraid it's all rather bewildering and I don't really know where I am, or what's happened."

"Never mind," said the fairy, tucking the board under her arm. "You come inside and I'll show you round and explain things, while we're getting you fixed up to see Barnacle Bill.

"Now then, first of all I had better explain that this is the Wish Warehouse for your area and it's my job to see that the staff here attend to the wishes of all those authorised to use our services. I'm afraid your first wish came to a new recruit who only started work this morning and after her first mistake she got a bit flustered, then you changing your mind the way you did, really made her lose her head."

Jennifer Jane repeated that she was very sorry for changing her mind so much but explained that she was trying to arrange a meeting between Barnacle Bill and her father.

At this point the fairy broke in, "I'm afraid that's quite impossible, fairy folk and human grown-ups are just not allowed to meet under any circumstances."

Jennifer Jane didn't say any more but while the fairy was showing her all the wonderful things in the warehouse, she was trying to think of a way to make her original wish come true.

"If only dad wasn't so grown up," she thought, "it would all be a lot easier."

A bell began clanging loudly and one of the fairies with two golden stripes on her arm hurried over to a table close to where Jennifer Jane was standing.

‘The greater the number of stripes on their arms, the more important they seem to be,’ thought Jennifer Jane.

The two-striper came over to Jennifer Jane's guide. "I'm sorry to trouble you, Ma'am," she said, "but we've just received a rather unusual wish. It appears to have been thought by somebody in this building."

"A fairy making a wish?" said Three-Stripes, "now that really is unusual. Whatever can a fairy want that she would have to wish for, I wonder?"

Two Stripes cleared her throat nervously, "Ahem, I know it sounds silly Ma'am, but the wish is for her father not to be so grown-up."

Jennifer Jane went bright red. "Oh dear, I do hope I haven't caused any more trouble, but I'm afraid I was thinking that only a moment ago."

The two fairies looked at her for a moment and then turned and looked at each other.

"All right then," said the very important one, "we'll do it. It's most irregular and maybe I'll lose my stripes but let's have a go."

The other fairy hurried off and began giving orders.

"Come over here," said Jennifer Jane's important friend. "You can watch from this crystal."

Jennifer Jane was shown a large crystal ball resting on a table. Looking into it she recognised a tiny pool in the middle of a clearing in a wood.

"Why, it's the giant's pool!" she cried.

"Keep on looking," said the important fairy "and don't be too surprised at anything that may happen."

Jennifer Jane turned back to the crystal ball and as she looked, the picture slowly appeared to get bigger and bigger, until at last she felt that she was really there. Sure enough, it was the giant's pool and steaming slowly up the river was Barnacle Bill's old paddle steamer.

Jennifer Jane heard the giant shout a friendly "Hello."

Barnacle Bill answered with one of his most nautical phrases. "Ahoy there, stand by for a heaving line and make fast forrard."

The paddle steamer was soon moored with the giant's help and Barnacle Bill stepped ashore.