Midsummer: longest day of the year

By Hilary Robinson

Read by Alice Bullard

“Hurry Jake!”  said Jess, excitedly.  “It’s Midsummer’s Day – the longest day of the year and Meg’s going to open the library cellar!  She said that it’s the only day in the year when our world can mix with the world of fairies, elves and sprites. And  there are lots of books there about that!”

At the library, Jake and Jess were greeted by Meg, the librarian, who led them down the stone steps to an old oak door.  Meg turned the golden key and the door creaked open. 

“These books,” whispered Meg, “were written long ago in a faraway land.  I’m the only librarian who can release them and I have the perfect one for you.”

“Wow!” said Jake, “It’s an Aladdin’s Cave of Books.” 

Meg led them to a treasure chest at the back of the cellar and lifted out a dusty book.

“This is for you,” she said.  “It’s called ‘The Crystal Sprites’ and it can only be borrowed on Midsummer’s Day by twins who can help sprites to look after Planet Earth.   My brother and I borrowed it when we were your age,” she said, twiddling the colourful jewels on her necklace. 

Then she started to read: 

“Deep in the centre of the earth live the Crystal Sprites.  Air Sprite darts around like a dragonfly.  She keeps the air fresh.  Fire Sprite, with hair like orange flames, keeps the sun burning.  Water Sprite, with his streaming blue coat, keeps the oceans and rivers clean. Earth Sprite”, she continued, “with a hat of green leaves helps fruit to grow.  And Quint Sprite, sparkling like a star, helps sprites to dream of ways to create a better world for humans.  They all live in the Crystal Caves but another sprite, Anger Sprite, lives close by.”

“Anger Sprite lives in a cold dark cave,” said Meg seriously.  “He waits for humans to neglect Planet Earth and then rises up and tries to destroy everything.” 

Jake and Jess could not believe their luck.    

“Take it home!”  said Meg, “and bring it back tomorrow. That’s the Midsummer’s Day Book rule!”

All afternoon and all the long summer evening the twins read to each other from The Crystal Sprites.

“I’d love to visit the Crystal Caves,” said Jess as she climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

Later that night – Midsummer’s Night - the covers of the book blew open, the words scattered everywhere and five Crystal Sprites flew out from the pages into the bedroom. 

Jake and Jess woke up, startled!

Air Sprite flew around creating a whirlwind and the twins found themselves being spirited down a passage in the book to the Element World. 

By the Crystal Caves Jake and Jess listened as the sprites told them how they could create a better world for humans.  

“But our work for Planet Earth can only be done if you help us to encourage children to take care of everything,”  said Quint Sprite.  

“Don’t pollute the air with gases,” said Air Sprite and Fire Sprite. 

“Don’t poison the water with chemicals”, said Water Sprite.  

“And never drop litter!” said Earth Sprite.

Then Quint Sprite said: “If humans don’t look after Planet Earth then Anger Sprite will rise up and destroy everything. Your world, and our work, will be over.”

The twins looked at Anger Sprite hunched up in his dark cave and grumbling.

Then each of the sprites gave them a coloured crystal to take away.  

“These look just like the jewels on Meg’s necklace,” said Jess. 

“Yes,” said Quint Sprite, “Meg and her twin brother, Michael, visited us years ago.  Meg is our connection with the real world and finds twins to help us with our work.”

Then Air Sprite created another whirlwind and Jake and Jess were spirited back through the book to their beds. 

The next morning the twins woke up, bleary eyed.

“I had the most amazing dream,” said Jess. 

“Me too!”  said Jake.  “I dreamt that the crystal spri ….”

He then stopped and looked at the book. Jess looked too.

There, gleaming in the sunshine, were five crystals.    

“The Crystal Sprites!”  they said together, “we’ve been chosen to encourage children to take care of the world!”