The Forest Festival

Ayumi goes to the riverside every day—she has been doing this for years. She talks to the water and the fish, watches the sky for hours, and follows the clouds. The river fairy always comes to her, and they dance, watch, and talk together. Ayumi is also friends with the forest fairy and the guardian of the trees. Sometimes they gather together and talk about their problems, and Ayumi tries to help them.

Last year, a storm broke several trees and diverted the waterway, damaging the homes of animals. When they told Ayumi, she, along with Komo, Miyuki, and a few of their friends, collected the broken branches and fixed the problem. Most of the time, Ayumi picks up trash from the riverside, walks along the river for hours, and at the end of the path heads into the forest to meet the forest fairy.

That morning, after being sick for a week, she woke up feeling a little better. She went to the yard, tended to the flowers, then returned to the house, grabbed her bag, and headed toward the river. She didn’t feel very well yet and was still a bit dizzy. When she reached the river, she carefully looked for stones and decorative items. She wanted to see the river fairy. She called out to her—but there was no answer. She didn’t know why, but she felt something had happened. She lingered for a while, looked around, but noticed nothing in particular. Again, she called for the river fairy, but there was no reply. She didn’t find much in the river either.

She walked a bit, crossed the bridge over the river, and headed into the forest. The trees were swaying in the wind. She felt like the trees were wearing new clothes—it made her laugh. She called out to the forest fairy—again, no reply. She walked deeper into the forest. Gradually, she heard whispers. Shadows were running everywhere. Sunlight filtered through the trees, lighting up the forest. The sound was getting closer, but she couldn’t find the source. She kept moving between the trees.

In a corner, a narrow path caught her eye. She entered it. The sound of birds and the light that seemed to dance in the air, the dew on the leaves—it all looked like a painting. She could hear the sound of her footsteps dragging on the ground. Her eyes were closed as she breathed in the air. In that moment, she entered a grand hall, a place that seemed to be getting ready for a celebration. She looked around in surprise.

In a single moment, her gaze met the river fairy’s. The fairy flew toward her, and along with her, the forest fairy and the guardian of the trees also appeared. Ayumi greeted them. Before she could say anything, they welcomed her. After a few moments, the forest fairy said that the annual forest celebration would be held in two nights, and that she was going to join the dance as the queen of the fairies. Then she fell silent. The three of them looked at Ayumi, waiting for a reaction.