Magic Fairy: Angel's Bell

Author: Xiao Ling Ding
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The eagle was a bit scared at first, pecking cautiously at a small piece. Wow, the taste was truly delicious. It ate so much that it couldn’t even fly anymore! Years later, this eagle still missed the meal, telling the Dinglings, “The roasted caterpillar feast” was the best thing it had ever eaten. Seeing how the Peony Fairy so effortlessly solved their big trouble, the Dinglings truly admired him from the bottom of their hearts. You see, before this, the caterpillar had made everyone too scared to go out or sleep, and the older queen even developed neurasthenia!
The Dingling hung a large flower wreath around the Peony Fairy’s chest, calling him the “Greatest Warrior Under Heaven.” The Peony Fairy truly felt undeserving of the praise. He then explained in detail to the Dingling Queen how he had accidentally ended up on the “Warrior” hot air balloon. The queen listened and laughed like flowers swaying in the wind.
When it came to the Spring of Youth and the Good King Grass, the queen restrained her laughter and told the Peony Fairy that she had at least some knowledge of these two things. “The Spring of Youth is on the Giant Island in the East, guarded by a two-headed dragon, while the Good King Grass grows where the rainbow rises.” The queen paused and continued, “Let’s talk about your next task. Those giants are extremely volatile; they can tear a person in half with a single roar. But they know the secret to subduing the dragon. If you make them happy, they’ll tell you: the dragon is 100 times more terrifying than the giants. It can spray flames that turn people into ash in an instant. It all sounds very difficult, but I believe you can do it, because you easily defeated that terrifying caterpillar.”
The Dingling Queen’s words made the Peony Fairy break out in a cold sweat. Unlike the queen, he wasn’t as optimistic, because he knew that a caterpillar and a fire-breathing dragon were worlds apart. He sighed and whispered, “I don’t think I can do it.”
“You absolutely can,” the queen said firmly. “As long as you play to your strengths.”
“I don’t have any strengths,” the Peony Fairy said, even more discouraged.
“Everyone has strengths, and you’re no exception.”
“My strength is in the kitchen! I can make the world’s most delicious soup, but how does that help subdue giants and dragons?” the Peony Fairy exclaimed.
“Any strength, when used well, can have unexpected uses,” the queen repeated. Then she added, “Besides, we have the ‘Divine Hair’—the tail hair of the Thousand-Year Lion King. If you hold it in your mouth, it will make you as brave as a lion! This was a gift from my friend—a queen ant. None of the Dinglings wanted it, though, because it made people’s muscles grow thick and strong. But you’ll find it useful.”
After speaking, the Dingling Queen ordered a maid to fetch the lion hair. The maid went to the queen’s bedroom and took a small, transparent bottle from the queen’s treasure chest. She hurried along, but accidentally dropped the bottle, which shattered with a loud crack! The lion hair spun in the air for a few moments before being carried away by the wind.