Week of March 24th

Anemone lives high in the sky, fluttering among towering cumulus clouds, gliding upon the updrafts from the Whitemantle Mountains or lounging on floating islets on hot summer days. Whiffle bears, who also live in those high places, have befriended Anemone. Today a waggle of whiffle bears weaves cloud blossoms into Anemone’s mane and tail while thick white clouds float delicately by, filled to capacity with burgeoning cloud blossoms.

Together the whiffle bears and Anemone “herd clouds.” Whiffle bears have been known to send rain clouds over farms during dry spells and steer them away from picnics. Of course, they can also do it the other way around—but whiffle bears tend to be very friendly and jolly creatures. They try to be helpful, rather than mischievous.

Week of March 31st

Throughout the long cold months of winter, Twinkle Imps nest by Beran’s side in a sheltered grove. This keeps them warm and happy on chilly, icy nights. There, they mostly sleep or do one another’s hair until spring, when days grow longer and the sun climbs higher in the sky. Then Beran begins his work, and the Twinkle Imps go with him, running, dancing, jumping and singing happy songs.

Wherever Beran and the Twinkle Imps go the snow melts. As Twinkle Imps dance over the ground, the grass turns from brown to green.

As the Twinkle Imps play, Beran marches solemnly through the forests and groves. Beran has one of the most important jobs North of North. He’s magically harnessed with invisible tack, and as he walks, he pulls the world closer to the warmth and light of the sun. The Twinkle Imps laugh and dance around him. Beran loves their company and that makes his chore easier to bear.

Week of April 7th

The Angelic Cavy is a little guinea-pig like creature. He only eats broomish bubbles that bubble out of the leaves of the broomish tree, which is very tall and only has leaves at its very top tip. The leaves bubble while the sun is out and the bubbles are sticky sweet and taste like licorice.

The cavy has beautiful downy wings, just like some of the air horses have, so he can fly up to the broomish branches and catch the sweet broomish bubbles as they bubble up from the broomish leaves. Because of that, he is known as the Angelic Cavy, and that makes him happy.

Week of April 14th

In the deepest jungles of the tropical regions North of North live the steampoppos. They love nothing better than wallowing in warm ponds lush with green lily pads and palm trees. When a steampoppo gets hungry, all he has to do is toot his steamy nose. Steam billows and shakes the branches of the bana trees and down falls a bunch of banas. Banas look like bananas but taste like walnut fudge. Every year the steampoppos migrate north. They hold their breath until they fill up with hot air and float into the sky. They drift north on the winds that gust from south to north, bringing moist warm air to melt the snows and ice North of North. They bob up and down as they steal breaths along the way, and this makes the steampoppos look like a bunch of pink, slowly bouncing balls.

Week of April 21st

Lien is a very unique horse, attuned to the element of water. Lien is a gentle being. She likes still waters: ponds, pools and marshes, preferring them over rivers and streams. Lien travels on land in the shape of a horse made of water. Sometimes little fishes, minnows and tadpoles get caught inside Lien and then they go on unexpected journeys over land to see more of the world than they ever bargained for. Because magic was sprinkled across the land North of North in raindrops, which fed the rivers, streams and ponds, Lien is very close to Sara’s magic. Lien’s magical friend is the Lotus Hedgehog. Some believe that her friendship with Lotus Hedgehog has kept her from dissolving completely into a dream. When spending time with her hedgehog friends, Lien sometimes appears as a giant lotus flower that floats serenely on the glassy surface of a perfectly still pond.

Week of April 28th

Ondine makes her home in hidden pools and glades and her friend is the curious bubble turtle. Ondine’s special magic is that she is able to run across water as though it were dry land. Her contrail is comprised of bubbles. She and her bubble turtle friends use their bubbles to fly. Bubble turtles are highly prized for their ability to fly and they can be tamed and domesticated to power lighter than air conveyances such as balloons and kites. Bubble turtles are one of the ways that people can go back and forth from Trails End to the Overgaard Skylands.

Week of May 5th

With a mane and tail of gold and orange silk, part feather, part flower, part fire, Phoenix frolics with her magical friend the Cowlick Grouse by a lovely waterfall. Cowlick Grouse is a goofy bird with a magical crest feather that dangles in front of her eyes. The magic feather waves when Cowlick Grouse dances with Phoenix, conveying joy and happiness to all who watch. Phoenix reminds us that reading and learning raises us up from the ashes of boredom.

Week of May 12th

Edana lives in water, but burns like liquid fire. Her friends are the Fire Spoops, which can be found all across North of North. But that wasn’t always the case. Originally, they had to stay very close to volcanic vents in the ocean floor. Edana was very lonely. She was so hot that other water horses stayed away from her. But her friends the Fire Spoops not only liked her fiery heat, but thrived on it. Edana gave the Fire Spoops some of her own magic heat, which set them free from their dependence on lava flows, and allowed them to swim wherever they wanted. Giving up some of her magic made Edana less hot, so other water horses could come near. Each friend had helped the other and made both of them better. Now whenever Edana plies the seas North of North, a troop of Spoops toot as they swim along with her. Edana isn’t lonely anymore because her new water horse friends and the Fire Spoops make her feel loved and cared for.

Week of May 19th

Tomtommes are inquisitive, frisky, mouselike creatures with musical sensibilities. Their tails beat back and forth like metronomes, keeping time. Their ears are cone-shaped, and while people, horses, and most other animals hear through their ears, tomtommes can also make music with their ears, tooting, whistling and piping. Tomtommes are extremely friendly to people. They are not shy. Often they will “sing for their supper” by whistling and tooting on the doorstep. It is good luck to have a tomtomme serenade you, and very bad luck to shoo him away with a broom. Not that they would ever do any mischief. No, never!

Week of May 27th

The verdant liona is a strange beast, belonging to two kingdoms at once: fauna and flora. While it has some of the traits of the regal lion of our world, it also shares some of the characteristics of a shrub, with a green, leafy mane and tail. If you met a verdant liona in the wilderness, you would have nothing to fear: they are the laziest beasts in all North of North. The verdant liona does not eat like a lion eats, but rather spends all afternoon soaking up the sunshine, which it transforms into bodily energy through a process called “photosynthesis.” The only thing verdant lionas have to fear is deer: while lions in our world eat deer, in North of North, the tables are turned! In the autumn, verdant lionas are at their most beautiful and majestic; their manes turn gold, red and silver. During the winter, verdant lionas become dormant. With the coming of the spring, they sprout fresh manes and tails, stretch and yawn, and go about their business of soaking up the sunshine. They are particularly friendly with the horses Beran and Honey.