Tales of the Gemstone Elves Volume One Beryl's Journey. Patricia Elizabeth Bennett

to his head and falls to the ground. Something falls on top of him and pins him down.

      A Mashed Beryl

      Just able to open one eye, Beryl stares straight into the face of a big gray cat.

      Oh no, what am I going to do? He thinks. I can’t move.

      “Help, help, somebody help me,” he cries.

      Beryl hears a buzzing sound and then a loud cat cry.

      Meowwwwww!!!

      He feels the cat spring straight up off of him. Beryl raises his head and sees a big group of bees chasing the cat across the yard.

      Oh, thank goodness for the bees, he thinks, but then he sees the other cats. There are lots of cats everywhere, and they’re coming toward him.

      He tries to fly away, but one of his wings is broken, and he falls back to the ground. He tries to run, but one of his legs is hurt, and he can only limp slowly.

      I’m really in trouble now, he thinks, as he closes his eyes, not wanting to see what is going to happen. He braces himself for another blow, but it feels like he’s flying. What’s happening?

      Beryl opens his eyes to see a group of bees picking him up. He tells them where he lives, and they begin to carry him home.

      The Bees Saving Beryl

      “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he says.

      “You’re welcome,” says the Leader Bee. “We’re always happy to help someone who appreciates us.”

      Oh no, Beryl thinks. Now, what am I going to tell my Parents? Will they say I can’t go out again?

      When he arrives at the Orchid Tree, his Parents see his broken wing.

      “What happened to you?” they say.

      “Oh, I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going, and I tripped on a rock. I’ll be more careful next time. I promise,” Beryl says.

      “Well, it doesn’t look too bad. We’ll bandage it for you. Did you have fun today?”

      “Oh, yes, very, very much fun!” Beryl says, but deep inside he is worrying. I really want to visit Irelynn at her home, he thinks, but how can I with all the cats around? What am I going to do? Oh, what am I going to do?

      All night, Beryl tosses and turns up in his tree bed… thinking about Irelynn and all those cats.