Dear Reader,

As a children's author, I am well acquainted with a good dozen fairies and wizards. Some time ago, one of my fairy acquaintances—let's call her X—let me read her diary, and I couldn't tear myself away from it! I spent a long time begging her to let me share it with my readers, and she finally gave in. Today, I am beginning to publish excerpts from

A FAIRY'S DIARY

I started my night shift when silence finally fell over the house. My main magical mission begins exactly when darkness descends on the city. Officially, my workday never ends, but it is during these hours that the magic becomes most palpable. Today I had to chase away a whole flock of night terrors lurking under my eldest darling's bed. A single kiss on the forehead and a quiet lullaby were enough to turn all the monsters into fluffy bunnies. Then I tiptoed quietly to my littlest one.

Fixing the blanket that slipped to the floor again, wiping little noses, pressing my palm to a hot forehead, and endlessly whispering spells of protection—this is my daily magic, invisible to prying eyes. Everyone around thinks that real wings and a magic wand give me this power. But they are wrong. My magic doesn't hide in crystal balls or ancient tomes. It is in the hot lemon tea I make for a cold; in scraped knees dabbed with green antiseptic; in shoulders hugged just at the right moment; and in the warm, freshly baked pastries waiting in the kitchen every morning.

Working as a fairy without days off is the hardest and most beautiful job in the world. Sometimes by evening, my magical wings grow incredibly heavy with exhaustion, and the halos above my head dim, but the moment I feel the gentle breathing of my little chicks or hear their sunlit laughter—my strength returns once more. I sit by their beds, watching their sweet dreams, and I know: as long as my hands protect this boundless peace, no misfortune will dare cross the threshold of our home.

To be continued next week …

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