Alicia'a Magical Garden by Ian Mcluckie (best english books to read for beginners TXT) 📕

Alicia's Magical Garden


A fine summer's morning kissed this world. Alicia woke from her nights sleep. Quickly she bounced out of bed, washed and ate breakfast. Mum was in the kitchen clearing up breakfast after dad went to work. Mum scratched her head, realising there was no honey left to put on her morning toast.
“ Could you go ask the Bee's for some honey,” mum asked. Alicia happily skipped out into her magical garden. She loved any chance to speak to the Royal Bee's.

A Honey Tree is not a giant like an oak tree. It stands only 15feet tall, more like an apple tree in bloom. These particular tree's had been under the care of Alicia's Great Great Great Grandpa. He was the Head Bee Keeper to the Royal House of Bee's. A job his father had done and one Alicia's dad did to this day. Inside the Honey tree is a labyrinth of tunnels, some big some small. The roots reach down more than a 1000 feet and big enough for someone to climb in to. Oddly the roots are far bigger than the branches of the tree's.

Alicia got a clean honey jar from mum & wandered over to the Honey Tree's. Dad had taught her a long time ago what she must do to be given Honey from the Royal Bee's. At first Alicia bowed to the tree, then held out the clean jar to be inspected by a Worker Bee. Her wings were beating softly, as the Bee gracefully floated out from a small door high up in the Honey Tree. She was garnished with a Golden body with soft green dots. A new dot magically appeared every year on her 6inch body. By the time she's finished she will have a 1000 green dots. This Bee's name was Princess Lily and she was as gentle as an angels kiss.
Alicia smiled when she recognised her friend.
“ Hello Princess Lily,” she said softly. Lily first inspected the glass jar checking inside & out. You couldn't put such a magical gift in any old jar. When Lily finished checking the glass jar, she flew over and landed next to Alicia's ear. Lily stretched and flapped her 6 wings, golden light kissed & dried each side.
Lily hopped a little closer to Alicia's ear.
“ I heard you rescued a baby Elephant,” Lily said excited. Alicia laughed watching Lily wave her wings too & fro.
“ Dragon flew all the way there and back,” she replied trying to be modest.
“ True,” Lily laughed.

All Bee's fly over a wide area, some will fly 50 miles everyday. They are forever resting on a Cow or Horse, even on a Elephant's ear. Bee's are the Post office of the animals world. If you want to know anything, ask a Bee.

Lily the Bee gave an invisible signal to the hive. Droves of Bee's flew out carrying Honey in little clear sacks, held tightly between their hands. They were graceful in there task and treated each sack of honey as if it was priceless. Every Bee would gently tip each sack into the jar and whisper goodbye. Soon it was over, Alicia had a full jar of honey for mum's morning toast. Mum ate her breakfast and after she was finished with the honey, she locked it in a cupboard.
The honey bestowed a wonderful gift on the eater. After eating some of the honey that person could speak to any animal. It worked in reverse as well, any animal who had eaten the honey could speak to any human. One day a dog called Hooch, had sneaked in the kitchen door. After rummaging through the kitchen bin he found a piece of toast with honey on it. The dog liked his new ability’s so much, he went to a local restaurant and ordered Sunday lunch. The waitress ran screaming out the door, shouting that a dog was possessed. Hooch the Dog took a week to stop talking. His owner was driven crazy, Hooch tried to explain to him the pleasure of sniffing dog butts. This was all too much for the owner to bare, he later sold Hooch to a Circus.

One day Lily the Bee, let slip that deep underground there was a city full of Badger Fairies. Ever since then Alicia has tried to find out more about this city under her magical garden. Princess Lily gave her a hint,
“ After it gets dark, keep watching the base of the largest Honey Tree.” Alicia's eye's were wide with excitement, “ Badger Fairies, brilliant.”

So that's what Alicia did every night. After a week she hadn't seen anything and was close to giving up. Then just when she was fed up and the moon was high in the nights sky. A head appeared out of a door at the base of the tree. Slowly at first the little Badger Fairy crept out of the door on all fours. Quickly he jumped up on his 2 back legs, signalling back to the base of the tree. Four other Badger Fairy's shot out following the first one. Now all 5 of them ran out into the darkness. Alicia thought the Badger Fairy's were cute. They all stood 2 feet high with white hair and a black stripe that ran down the back of their head. Each Fairy wore a Kilt with a black shirt, but oddly no shoes. Alicia's mind was racing, tomorrow I will investigate.


With a torch she borrowed from dad, Alicia went to find the hidden door to the Badger Fairies city. The grass surrounding the trees were always cut short, making it easy to see a pattern in the grass. Alicia pushed and pulled at the tree's bark, right where she saw the 5 Fairies come out. No matter what she did she could not find the door. Thankfully help came from a friendly feathered friend. Sitting on a branch near to Alicia was a bird she had named earlier Jay. She was a Humming bird with cute red feathers and yellow legs.
“ You wont find the door that way,” laughed the little bird. Alicia screwed up her nose and frowned.
“ All right I give in, I'm not as smart as I think I am.” said Alicia. Feeling defeated she sat down next to the Humming bird. Jay gracefully flew over, coming to rest on Alicia's shoulder. The little bird started to tweet & chirp in a language she couldn't understand. Then she sung a beautiful song.

On the wind I hear your name,
it calls to me from far away,
Does he still fly, Does he still cry,
My love for you will never die.


The whole garden went silent, listening to Jay sing her song. A leaf that tumbled in the sky, now froze as Jay sang her song. Over by the river a trout repeated the song back to her minnows, as they swam and played in their brook. The hidden magic in the song seemed to touch every part of life, in and around the garden. No leaves fluttered in the wind, no chill embraced their skin, just the warm glow of the sun. The magic of the garden was stronger and older than anyone could ever dream. Jay fluttered his wings waking Alicia from her dream.
“ That was beautiful, “ she said waking up.
Jay flew around laughing happily tumbling in the air. After her aerobatics Jay flew down and landed on Alicia's head. Digging her beak through her hair she asked.
“ Why do you want to find the Badger Fairies.” Jay asked still sitting on her head. Alicia lifted her up & sat her on her hand.
“ I saw them coming out from the tree, I'd like to meet them,” she replied.
Jay flew back to the Honey Tree and perched on a branch.
“ Its easy to open the magic door, just push this branch.” Alicia wondered over to the tree and pushed the branch.

A door popped open at the base of the tree. Looking inside Alicia could see a series of wooden steps leading down into the dark. A faint rumbling of machinery could be heard from below. Alicia didn't seem scared when she took her first step down into the dark. But she did jump a little when the door to her world, closed behind her.
“ Got