One Person's Pest is Another Fairy's Pet

"What do the Big People use this for?" Asarum held up a shiny piece of woven metal. "They were sprinkling something on the ground and circling some pretty plants with this. The woman was saying something about how it would make her a good hostess."

His cousins stared at him in confusion. Levisticum came closer to inspect the metal. Then he burst out laughing. "She didn't say it would make her a good hostess. She said it was good for the hostas."

Nymphaea and Dicentra laughed heartily too, but Asarum didn't understand. Dicentra explained, "This is copper, and the plants they were encircling were hostas. The Big People do this every year to try to keep the gastropods away. They call them 'slugs' and don't like them at all." Then she turned to her brother and sister to say, "I guess it's time for our rescue operation to begin." They all nodded in agreement.

Asarum led them to the hosta garden. Woven copper bordered the entire area, while little pellets lay atop the soil under the plants. Levisticum fetched a wheelbarrow and they all began gathering up the pellets. "Be sure to get every one!" said Nymphaea. They spent all day scouring the garden, emptying it of the pellets. Then they carefully washed their hands and rested.

After a bit, Dicentra got everyone back up, and they began piling up little bits of debris. When they had enough, they joined hands and began dancing all around the pile. Dicentra and Levisiticum chanted as they danced. "Keep your eyes closed for this part," Nymphaea whispered to Asaraum. He shut them tight just as a bright light shot from the debris. They all stopped dancing and opened their eyes. The pile now looked just like the pellets they had taken out of the garden. They loaded them into the wheelbarrow and scattered them around the hostas. The Big People would never know the difference!

That evening, the fairies returned to the plants, where a line of gastropods waited just behind the copper. Dicentra and Levisticum lifted up the metal rope to allow them access. As each one entered, Nymphaea greeted them and introduced Asarum. "Hello Helix. Good to see you, Arion. How have you been, Aspera? This is our cousin from the woodlands."

When all were safely chewing on the hostas, Asarum's cousins said goodnight, reminding him to get up before the Big People in order to let the gastropods back out. "See you again tomorrow evening!" Dicentra called to the creatures as she flew out of sight.